Patent Application
20070298631
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
Reference is now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
The following provides a detailed description of embodiments of the invention. The forming process of the data line, gate line, and other structure have been known in the art, the method of the process will not be described in the embodiments, only the usage and the position of the elements is described. Someone skilled in the art could change the structure and materials to satisfy other processes or other design parameters
The first embodiment describes an embodiment that uses a complete and continuous conductive layer formed on the protective film above the gate line. The protective layer has a plurality of contact holes extending vertically downward to the gate line. The conductive layer forms a parallel structure with the gate line and connected to the gate line via the contact holes. When the gate line has an open circuit defect, the signal is transmitted through the conductive layer and automatically avoids the open circuit defect. If the gate line and the data line form a leaking point, then the signal is transmitted through the conductive layer and avoids the leaking point by cutting off the both sides of the gate line near the leaking point.
To describe the structure of the invention in detail and the process of the signal transmission, please refer to
The protective film 306 is formed over the data line 206 and the gate line 204. The protective film 306 is an inorganic protective layer, an organic protective layer, or a multilayer structure composed of the inorganic protective layer and the organic protective layer. Next, the contact holes 208 are formed in the protective film 306 above the gate line 204 and are extended vertically downward toward the gate line 204. Moreover, the contact holes 208 are not formed at the intersection of the gate line 204 and the data line 206. Finally, the conductive layer 210 is formed on the protective film 306 above the gate line 204.
If there is an open circuit 308 formed on the gate line 204 caused by some mistake or omission in the array process, then the scanning signal cannot pass through the open circuit 308. However, in this embodiment, the conductive layer 210 is electrically connected to the gate line 204 via the contact holes 208, the scanning signal would automatically transmit through the conductive layer 210. After passing the open circuit 308, the scanning signal also automatically returns to the gate line 204 via another contact hole 208, and avoids the open circuit 308.
In a normal situation, the electrical resistance of the gate line is smaller than the conductive layer, and the scanning signal would not pass through the conductive layer. However, if the gate line has an open circuit, then the electrical resistance of the gate line near the open circuit is infinite. So the scanning signal would automatically transmit through the conductive layer by the contact hole. After passing the open circuit the scanning signal automatically returns to the gate line through the next contact hole.
In addition, the repair structure of this invention can also be used to repair a short circuit that is generated between the gate line 204 and the data line 206.
Due to some array process or the non-uniform gate insulator problems, the data line 206 and the gate line 204 are electrically connected with each other at the intersection and formed a leaking point 402. Therefore, the scanning signal and the data signal interfere with each other. To solve that situation, the gate line 204 is cut off by a predetermined space from the leaking point 402. For example, cut along a first cutting line 404 and a second cutting line 406 from the bottom side of the glass substrate with a suitable laser. Therefore, the scanning signal is automatically transmitted through the conductive layer 210. Hence, the scanning signal is transmitted by the conductive layer 210 near the leaking point 402, the data signal can transmit through the leaking point 402 with no interference.
This version of the invention can also be applied to auto repair the open circuit of the data line. In this version of the invention, the contact holes are formed on the protective film above the data line and are vertically extended downward to the data line. The conductive layer is disposed on the protective film above the data line and forms a parallel structure with the data line, wherein the conductive layer is electrically connected to the data line via the contact holes. Same as the first embodiment, the data signal could automatically transmit through the conductive layer, after passing the open circuit, the data signal automatically returns to the data line, when the data line has an open circuit. To repair the short circuit that is connected with the gate line and the data line causing a leaking point, the data line is cut off by a predetermined space from the leaking point with a suitable laser. Therefore, the problem of the signal interference can be solved.
The second embodiment describes when the conductive layer is formed on the protective film above the gate line and the data line together. When the gate line or the data line has an open circuit defect, the signal of the data line and the gate line are transmitted through the conductive layer and automatically avoid the open circuit defect. If the gate line and the data line form a leaking point, then the signal is transmitted through the conductive layer and avoids the leaking point by cutting off the both sides of the data line near the leaking point.
In this embodiment, a plurality of contact holes 508 and 510 and conductive layers 512 and 514 are formed on the protective film above the gate line 504 and data line 506. The conductive layers 512 and 514 are made of the same material of the pixel electrodes 502 and not electrically connected to the pixel electrode 502.
Moreover, in this embodiment, the conductive layer 512 formed on the protective film above the data line 506 is a complete and continuous structure. The conductive layer 514 formed on the protective film above the gate line 504 is an intermittent structure. The conductive layer 514 formed on the protective film above gate line 504 without electrically connecting to the conductive layer 512 formed on the protective film above the data line. The conductive layer 514 formed on the protective film above gate line 504 only covering above the range of the gate line 504 between two data lines 506. Moreover, the space between these two kinds of conductive layer 512 and 514 is based on the conductive layers 512 and 514 having no electrical connection to each other. The structure of this embodiment is almost the same as the first embodiment. The only change is the arrangement of the conductive layer 514 formed on the protective film above the gate line 506, and the conductive layer 512 formed on the protective film above the data line 504 and the contact holes 508. The difference between second embodiment and first embodiment can be described in
If there is an open circuit formed on the data line caused by some mistake or omission in the array process, then the data signal cannot pass through the open circuit. However, in this embodiment, the conductive layer 512 is electrically connected to the data line 506 via the contact holes 508, the data signal would automatically transmit through the conductive layer 512. After passing the open circuit, the data signal also automatically returns to the data line 506 via another contact hole 508, and avoids the open circuit.
In normal situations, the electrical resistance of the data line 506 is smaller than the conductive layer 512, the data signal would not pass through the conductive layer 512. However, if the data line 506 has an open circuit, then the electrical resistance of the data line 506 near the open circuit is infinite. So the data signal automatically transmits through the conductive layer 512 via the contact holes 508. After passing the open circuit, the data signal automatically returns to the data line 506. If the gate line 504 has an open circuit, the scanning signal also automatically transmits through the conductive layer 514, and auto repair the open circuit of the LCD device.
In addition, this repair structure of the invention also can be used to repair a short circuit that is connected with the gate line and the data line causing a leaking point.
The feature of this embodiment is the conductive layer 512 and 514 are formed on the protective film above the data line 506 and the gate line 504. Either the data line 506 or the gate line 504 has an open circuit, this structure of the embodiment could auto repair the open circuit. Although the conductive layer 514 is not completely and continuously formed above the gate line 504, however, in the array process, the gate line is formed on the glass substrate first. Compared with the data line, the gate line is more thick and wide. Therefore, the probability of forming an open circuit on the gate line is smaller than the data line. This is why in this embodiment the conductive layer is complete and continuous formed on the protective film above the data line, and the structure of the embodiment could efficiently auto repair the open circuit.
As described above, the liquid crystal display device with an auto repair structure according to the present invention has advantages that the signal is not transmitted via the long transmission path after the conductive line is repaired. Moreover, this structure could auto repair the open circuit of the conductive line and increase the production efficiency, and without moving the large-area panel to repair the open circuit, it improves the production efficiency. Furthermore, this repair structure without the repair line and improving the usage rate of the glass substrate.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention covers modifications and variations thereof provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95123016 | Jun 2006 | TW | national |
