1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inspecting technology for a display panel, and particularly to an inspecting circuit layout for a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a fabricating method for such an LCD panel.
2. Description of Related Art
The fast development of multi-media technology can be attributed to the progress in semiconductor components and display devices. As to display devices, LCDs, with such advantages as high pixel quality, good spatial utilization, low power consumption and no radiation, have become a mainstream product in the display market.
In order to inspect the electric characteristic of the conventional panel units 200, shorting bars 140 are employed for connecting scan lines and data lines of each panel unit 200 with the scan lines and data lines of the other panel units in series, respectively, and each shorting bar 140 being electrically connected to a pad 210. A probe (not shown) is pressed against the pad 210, such that signals can be input to the scan lines of the panel units via the probe, thus triggering the active elements 112 of
For fabricating small-sized display panel, a piece of glass substrate can be made into tens or hundreds of panel units. As shown in
According to the foregoing inspecting methods, only one set of probes pressing against the pad 210 is needed for inspecting all of the panel units 200. However, having maintained an on state for a long time, the active elements are likely to have characteristics variations and may not operate properly.
In solution, another conventional inspecting method is proposed.
However, the inspecting method can inspect only one group of panel unit in one time. Therefore, after inspecting one group of panel units, the probe has to be moved to another pad corresponding to the next group of panel units, calibrated, to accurately press against the pad. Therefore, more groups of panel units would require for more inspecting time for all of the panel units. Although using more probes may allow more groups of panel units to be inspected at same time and shorten the inspecting time, the corresponding inspecting cost is also increased.
An object of the invention is to provide an inspecting circuit layout, adapted for shortening the inspecting time for an individual panel unit or individual group of panel units.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for fabricating LCD panel, for shortening the light inspection of LCD panels of a same batch.
For achieving the foregoing objects and others, the invention provides an inspecting circuit layout, adapted for inspecting an individual panel unit or individual group of panel units. Wherein, each of the panel units has a plurality of first signal lines and second signal lines. The inspecting circuit layout includes a first multiplexer (MUX) and a first inspecting pad. The first MUX is electrically connected with the first signal lines of the panel units, and the first inspecting pad is electrically connected to the first MUX. The first MUX is adapted for selectively connecting the first inspecting pad with first signal lines of a group of panel units.
According an embodiment of the invention, the first signal lines are scan lines and the second signal lines are data lines.
According an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing inspecting circuit layout further includes a plurality of first shorting bars electrically connected with the foregoing first MUX, each first shorting bar being electrically connected in series with a part or all of the first signal lines of the corresponding group of panel units. For example, these first shorting bars include a plurality of first odd shorting bars and a plurality of first even shorting bars, and each of the first odd shorting bars is electrically connected with the odd first signal lines of a group of the panel unit, and each of the first even shorting bars is electrically connected with the even first signal lines of a group of the panel unit.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing inspecting circuit layout further includes a plurality of protecting devices for preventing electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage, each protecting device being electrically connected between the corresponding first shorting bar and the first signal lines of the group of panel units.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing first MUX includes a plurality of first control transistors. Each of the first control transistors includes a gate electrode electrically connected with the first inspecting pad, and a source electrode of each of the first control transistor electrically connected with the first signal lines of the corresponding group of panel units.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing inspecting circuit layout further includes a first refresh signal supplying unit, electrically connected to the foregoing first MUX. The foregoing first MUX further includes a plurality of first refresh transistors. Each of the first refresh transistors includes a source electrode electrically connected between the source electrode of a corresponding first control transistor and the first signal lines, and a drain electrode electrically connected to the foregoing first refresh signal supplying unit.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing inspecting circuit layout further includes a second MUX and a second inspecting pad. The second MUX is electrically connected with the second signal line of the panel units, and the second inspecting pad is electrically connected with the second MUX. The second MUX is adapted for conducting the second inspecting pad with the second signal line of a group of the panel unit selectively.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing inspecting circuit layout further includes a plurality of second shorting bar electrically connected with the foregoing second MUX, each of the second shorting bars being electrically connected in series with a part or all of the second signal lines of the corresponding group of panel units. For example, these second shorting bars include a plurality of second odd shorting bars and a plurality of second even shorting bars, and each of the second odd shorting bars is electrically connected with the odd second signal lines of a group of the panel unit, and each of the second even shorting bars is electrically connected with the even second signal lines of a group of the panel unit.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing inspecting circuit layout further includes a plurality of protecting devices for preventing electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage, each protecting device being electrically connected between the corresponding second shorting bar and the second signal lines of the group of panel units.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing second MUX includes a plurality of second control transistors. Each of the second control transistors includes a drain electrode electrically connected with the second inspecting pad, and a source electrode electrically connected with the second signal lines of the corresponding group of panel units.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the foregoing inspecting circuit layout further includes a second refresh signal supplying unit, electrically connected to the foregoing second MUX. The foregoing second MUX further includes a plurality of second refresh transistors. Each of the second refresh transistors includes a source electrode electrically connected between the source electrode of a corresponding second control transistor and the second signal lines, and a drain electrode electrically connected to the foregoing second refresh signal supplying unit.
The invention also provides a method for fabricating an LCD panel. The method includes: forming a liquid crystal layer on a first substrate; then providing a second substrate; then assembling the first substrate and the second substrate for enclosing the liquid crystal layer therebetween and forming a plurality of groups of panel units; thereafter, forming a foregoing inspecting circuit layout; then inputting a lighting signal into the inspecting circuit layout and performing lighting inspection to these group of panel units; after the inspection is completed, cutting the assembled first substrate and second substrate to form a plurality of LCD panels.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the method for forming the foregoing liquid crystal layer is a one drop fill (ODF) process.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the method for fabricating an LCD panel further includes: before forming the foregoing liquid crystal layer, forming a sealant for forming a plurality of liquid crystal filling zones on the first substrate, where the liquid crystal layer are subsequently formed. The method for assembling the first substrate and the second substrate for example is by pressing the first substrate and the second substrate and then solidifying the sealant. The method for solidifying the sealant for example is either a hot solidifying process or an ultraviolet solidifying process.
The inspecting circuit layout of the invention employs an MUX to selectively connect a part of the panel units with the inspecting pad for inspecting the panel units group by group. Therefore, the inspection process of all the panel units can be completed without moving the probes.
The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which:
As shown in
It is to be noted that the first signal lines 504a of each group of panel units 502 for example are electrically connected in series to each other via a shorting bars 540, and the MUX 510 is also electrically connected with the first signal lines 504a of the panel units 502 via the shorting bars 540. Accordingly, the signals output from the MUX 510 can be simultaneously transferred to all of the panel units 502 of the same given group via the shorting bar 540. Wherein, these shorting bars 540 include odd shorting bars 540o and even shorting bars 540e. The odd first signal lines 504a can be conducted with one another via the odd shorting bar 540o; the even first signal lines 504a can be conducted with one another via the even shorting bar 540e. In the present invention, the occurrence of a short circuit between the even first signal lines 504a or the odd first signal lines 504a is not limited in the present invention. In another embodiment, all of the first signal lines 504a can be conducted with one another, otherwise, the first signal lines 504a can be conducted with one another group by group in other manner.
Additionally, a protecting device 550 for preventing ESD damage can be connected between each shorting bar 540o or shorting bar 540e and the corresponding first signal lines 504a, for providing a path allowing the static charges of the panel units 502 to be released and avoiding the panel units 502 from the damage of accumulated static charges.
Electrical components of the MUX 510 are described below for further explaining the operating scheme of the MUX 510 in details.
Referring to
Consequently, when the panel units 502 of group A1 are to be inspected, a set of probes (not shown) are pressed against the inspecting pad 520 and the selective signal pad 530. Inspecting signals IS and selective signals SS can be input from an external circuit to the inspecting circuit layout 500 via the probes (not shown). According to the selective signals SS, the MUX 510 applies a voltage to a gate electrode G1 of a control transistor 512 that is electrically connected with the panel units 502 of group A1, thus enabling the control transistor 512. Therefore, the inspecting signals IS are transferred from the inspecting pad 520 to the panel units 502 of group A1 to be inspected via respectively the drain electrode D1 and the source electrode S1 of the control transistor 512, and the first signal lines 504a in sequence. In this embodiment, the first signal lines 504a are scan lines, therefore, after the inspecting signal IS is transmitted to the panel unit 502 of group A1, the only thing to do is to input a data signal to the data lines of all of the panel units 502. Accordingly, operators can identify whether the panel units 502 of group A1 are qualified or not according to the performance of each panel units 502.
Further, the MUX 510 according to the embodiment can include a plurality of refresh transistors 514. Each of the refresh transistors 514 includes a source electrode S2 electrically connected between the source electrode S1 of a corresponding control transistor 512 and the first signal lines 504a, and a drain electrode D2 electrically connected to a refresh signal supplying unit 560. After inspecting the panel units 502 of group A1, if panel units 502 of another group are to be further inspected, the control transistor 512 connected to the panel units of group A1 is then turned off and the refresh transistor 514 is turned on. Therefore, a refresh signal (RS) is output from the refresh signal supplying unit 560 and input into the panel units 502 of group A1 via the drain electrode D2 and the source electrode S2 of the refresh transistor 514 in sequence, thus refreshing the inspecting signals of the panel units 502 of group A1.
Therefore, after the inspecting signals of the panel units 502 of group A1 are refreshed, the refresh transistor 514 corresponding to the group A1 is then turned off. Thereafter, panel units 502 of other groups can be inspected in the same way. Note that the probes (not shown) pressed against the inspecting pad 520 need not be moved during the process of inspecting the panel units 502 of the next group, wherein the MUX 510 selectively enables a control transistor for selecting the panel units 502 of a given group to be inspected.
It can be understood that during the process of inspecting the panel units 502 of group A1, the inspecting signals won't be transferred into panel units 502 of any other group, and accordingly only active elements of the panel units 502 of group A1, rather than any other group, are needed to remain at ON state. In other words, the inspecting circuit layout 500 according to the invention is adapted for inspecting the panel units 502 group by group to shorten the ON-state of each group of panel units 502, and avoiding the active elements of the panel units 502 from the damage of ON-state for a long time.
It should be noted that although the MUX of the foregoing embodiment is adapted for selectively conducting the inspecting pad with the scan line of the panel unit, however, people who skilled in the art should know that the MUX 510 arranged in the inspecting circuit layout 500 can be adapted for conducting the inspecting pad 520 with the data line (the second signal line 504b) of the panel unit 502 as shown in
Please refer to
According to the above description, the MUX 510 applies a voltage to the gate electrode G1 of the control transistor 512 electrically connected with the panel unit 502 on the first column according to the selective signal SS, to trigger the control transistor 512. Therefore, the inspecting signal IS can be input to the panel unit 502 on the first row through the inspecting pad 520, the drain electrode D1 and the source electrode S1 of the control transistor 512, and the first signal line 504a. On the other hand, the MUX 710 applies a voltage to the gate electrode G1′ of the control transistor 712 electrically connected with the panel unit 502 on the first row according to the selective signal SS′, to trigger the control transistor 712. Therefore, the inspecting signal IS′ can be input to the panel unit 502 on the first column through the inspecting pad 720, the drain electrode D1′ and the source electrode S1′ of the control transistor 712, and the second signal line 504b.
Since the first signal lines 504a of this embodiment are scan lines, therefore, after the inspecting signal IS is transmitted to the panel unit 502 on the first column, each pixel of the panel units 502 on this column would be turned on. In this embodiment, the inspecting signal IS′ is transmitted to the panel units 502 on the first row, and therefore only the panel unit 502 on the first column and the first row can display frames according to the inspecting signals IS′. Therefore, operators can identify whether the panel units 502 are qualified or not according to the displayed frames.
According to the above description, the inspecting circuit layout employs a MUX 510 to connect the panel units to be inspected with the inspecting pad 520, for inspecting the panel units 502 individually or group by group. All of the panel units can be inspected without moving the probes (not shown) during the process of inspection.
The method for fabricating an LCD panel using the inspecting circuit layout incorporating with a one drop fill (ODF) process according to the invention is adapted for greatly shortening the fabricating time. The fabricating process is described below.
As shown in
After the panel units 502 are formed, an inspecting circuit layout 500 as shown in
Referring to
In summary, the polarized light emitting device according to the present invention has at least the following advantages:
Other modifications and adaptations of the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention may be made to meet particular requirements. This disclosure is intended to exemplify the invention without limiting its scope. All modifications that incorporate the invention disclosed in the preferred embodiment are to be construed as coming within the scope of the appended claims or the range of equivalents to which the claims are entitled.
This application is a divisional application of, and claims the priority benefit of, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/369,370 filed on Mar. 6, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,304,492.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6437596 | Jenkins et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2003095722 | Dec 2003 | KR |
I229212 | Mar 2005 | TW |
I239403 | Sep 2005 | TW |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20080043198 A1 | Feb 2008 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 11369370 | Mar 2006 | US |
Child | 11923574 | US |