Active matrix type semiconductor display device

• US 6,489,952 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagao, Shou, Tanaka, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/438,432
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 345/36, 345/45, 345/76-83, 345/87-103, 345/204, 345/205, 345/206, 315/169.3, 313/463, 348/800
• US Class Current: 345/205
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134318 having a patterned common electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0465 Improved aperture ratio, e.g. by size reduction of the pixel circuit, e.g. for improving the pixel density or the maximum displayable luminance or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0254 Control of polarity reversal in general, other than for liquid crystal displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0262 The addressing of the pixel, in a display other than an active matrix LCD, involving the control of two or more scan electrodes or two or more data electrodes, e.g. pixel voltage dependent on signals of two data electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3614 Control of polarity reversal in general
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3655 Details of drivers for counter electrodes, e.g. common electrodes for pixel capacitors or supplementary storage capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1277 using a crystallisation promoting species, e.g. local introduction of Ni catalyst

Abstract

There is provided an active matrix type semiconductor display device which realizes low power consumption and high reliability. In the active matrix type semiconductor display device of the present invention, a counter electrode is divided into two, different potentials are applied to the two counter electrodes, respectively and inversion driving is carried out each other. Since a potential of an image signal can be made low by doing so, it is possible to lower a voltage necessary for operation of a driver circuit. As a result, it is possible to realize improvement of reliability of an element such as a TFT and reduction of consumed electric power. Moreover, since it is possible to lower a voltage of a timing pulse supplied by the driver circuit, a booster circuit can be omitted, and reduction of an area of the driver circuit can be realized.

Claims

1. An active matrix type semiconductor display device, comprising:

a source signal line driver circuit over a first substrate for supplying an image signal to a plurality of source signal lines;

a gate signal line driver circuit over said first substrate for supplying a selection signal to a plurality of gate signal lines;

an active matrix circuit over said first substrate in which pixels each including a pixel TFT and a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of said pixel TFT are arranged in matrix form, a source electrode of said pixel TFT is connected to corresponding one of the source signal lines, and a gate electrode of said pixel TFT is connected to corresponding one of said gate signal lines;

two counter electrodes over a second substrate opposed to said first substrate; and

a display medium sandwiched between said pixel electrode of each of said pixels and corresponding one of said counter electrodes,

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively disposed correspondingly to pixels of one source signal line at every two source signal lines among said plurality of source signal lines, and

wherein the two counter electrodes are respectively applied with a potential opposite to a potential of an image signal supplied to the corresponding source signal line.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said display medium comprises a liquid crystal.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said display medium comprises an antiferroelectric mixed liquid crystal having V-shaped electrooptical characteristics.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said active matrix type semiconductor display device is incorporated in at least one selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a video camera, a mobile computer, a goggle-type display, a projector, and a portable electronic book.

5. An active matrix type semiconductor display device, comprising:

a source signal line driver circuit over a first substrate for supplying an image signal to a plurality of source signal lines;

a gate signal line driver circuit over said first substrate for supplying a selection signal to a plurality of gate signal lines;

an active matrix circuit over said first substrate in which pixels each including a pixel TFT and a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of said pixel TFT are arranged in matrix form, a source electrode of said pixel TFT is connected to corresponding one of said source signal lines, and a gate electrode of said pixel TFT is connected to corresponding one of said gate signal lines;

two counter electrodes over a second substrate opposed to said first substrate; and

a display medium sandwiched between said pixel electrode of each of said pixels and corresponding one of said counter electrodes,

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively disposed correspondingly to pixels of two source signal lines at every four source signal lines among said plurality of source signal lines, and

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively applied with a potential opposite to a potential of an image signal supplied to the corresponding source signal line.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said display medium comprises a liquid crystal.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein said display medium comprises an antiferroelectric mixed liquid crystal having V-shaped electrooptical characteristics.

8. A device according to claim 5, wherein said active matrix type semiconductor display device is incorporated in at least one selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a video camera, a mobile computer, a goggle-type display, a projector, and a portable electronic book.

9. An active matrix type semiconductor display device, comprising:

a source signal line driver circuit over a first substrate for supplying an image signal to a plurality of source signal lines;

a gate signal line driver circuit over said first substrate for supplying a selection signal to a plurality of gate signal lines;

an active matrix circuit over said first substrate in which pixels each including a pixel TFT and a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of said pixel TFT are arranged in matrix form, a source electrode of said pixel TFT is connected to corresponding one of said source signal lines, and a gate electrode of said pixel TFT is connected to corresponding one of said gate signal lines;

two counter electrodes over a second substrate opposed to said first substrate; and

a display medium sandwiched between said pixel electrode of each of said pixels and corresponding one of said counter electrodes,

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively disposed correspondingly to pixels of z source signal lines at every 2z source signal lines among said plurality of source signal lines, and

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively applied with a potential opposite to a potential of an image signal supplied to the corresponding source signal line.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein said display medium comprises a liquid crystal.

11. A device according to claim 9, wherein said display medium comprises an antiferroelectric mixed liquid crystal having V-shaped electrooptical characteristics.

12. A device according to claim 9, wherein said active matrix type semiconductor display device is incorporated in at least one selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a video camera, a mobile computer, a goggle-type display, a projector, and a portable electronic book.

13. An electroluminescence display device comprising:

a pixel portion and a driving circuit portion over a substrate;

at least a first thin film transistor for controlling a current and a second thin film transistor for switching each being formed in the pixel portion;

a source signal line driver circuit provided in said driving circuit portion for supplying an image signal to a plurality of source signal lines;

a gate signal line driver circuit provided in said driving circuit portion for supplying a selection signal to a plurality of gate signal lines;

at least a CMOS transistor being formed in each of said source signal line driver circuit and said gate signal line driver circuit;

a pixel electrode provided in each of pixels and being electrically connected to one of source and drain regions of said first thin film transistor;

a light emitting layer being formed over the pixel electrode; and

two counter electrodes each provided over the light emitting layer of the corresponding pixels,

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively disposed correspondingly to pixels of one source signal line at every two source signal lines among said plurality of source signal lines, and

wherein the two counter electrodes are respectively applied with a potential opposite to a potential of an image signal supplied to the corresponding source signal line.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the light emitting layer is an EL layer.

15. A device according to claim 13, wherein a drain region of the second thin film transistor is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the first thin film transistor.

16. A device according to claim 13, wherein the second thin film transistor has a multi-gate structure.

17. A device according to claim 13, wherein said electroluminescence display device is incorporated in at least one selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a video camera, a mobile computer, a goggle-type display, a projector, and a portable electronic book.

18. An electroluminescence display device comprising:

a pixel portion and a driving circuit portion over a substrate;

at least a first thin film transistor for controlling a current and a second thin film transistor for switching each being formed in the pixel portion;

a source signal line driver circuit provided in said driving circuit portion for supplying an image signal to a plurality of source signal lines;

a gate signal line driver circuit provided in said driving circuit portion for supplying a selection signal to a plurality of gate signal lines;

at least a CMOS transistor being formed in each of said source signal line driver circuit and said gate signal line driver circuit;

a pixel electrode provided in each of pixels and being electrically connected to one of source and drain regions of said first thin film transistor;

a light emitting layer being formed over the pixel electrode; and

two counter electrodes each provided over the light emitting layer of the corresponding pixels,

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively disposed correspondingly to pixels of two source signal lines at every four source signal lines among said plurality of source signal lines, and

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively applied with a potential opposite to a potential of an image signal supplied to the corresponding source signal line.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein the light emitting layer is an EL layer.

20. A device according to claim 18, wherein a drain region of the second thin film transistor is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the first thin film transistor.

21. A device according to claim 18, wherein the second thin film transistor has a multi-gate structure.

22. A device according to claim 18, wherein said electroluminescence display device is incorporated in at least one selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a video camera, a mobile computer, a goggle-type display, a projector, and a portable electronic book.

23. An electroluminescence display device comprising:

a pixel portion and a driving circuit portion over a substrate;

at least a first thin film transistor for controlling a current and a second thin film transistor for switching each being formed in the pixel portion;

a source signal line driver circuit provided in said driving circuit portion for supplying an image signal to a plurality of source signal lines;

a gate signal line driver circuit provided in said driving circuit portion for supplying a selection signal to a plurality of gate signal lines;

at least a CMOS transistor being formed in each of said source signal line driver circuit and said gate signal line driver circuit;

a pixel electrode provided in each of pixels and being electrically connected to one of source and drain regions of said first thin film transistor;

a light emitting layer being formed over the pixel electrode; and

two counter electrodes each provided over the light emitting layer of the corresponding pixels,

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively disposed correspondingly to pixels of z source signal lines at every 2z source signal lines among said plurality of source signal lines, and

wherein said two counter electrodes are respectively applied with a potential opposite to a potential of an image signal supplied to the corresponding source signal line.

24. A device according to claim 23, wherein the light emitting layer is an EL layer.

25. A device according to claim 23, wherein a drain region of the second thin film transistor is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the first thin film transistor.

26. A device according to claim 23, wherein the second thin film transistor has a multi-gate structure.

27. A device according to claim 23, wherein said electroluminescence display device is incorporated in at least one selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a video camera, a mobile computer, a goggle-type display, a projector, and a portable.