JPH0511261A - Active matrix display - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Corrected) [Purpose] Realization of an active matrix display device that does not cause S-C leak when repairing defective pixels by irradiation with laser light, etc., and consequently improves reliability. To do. A gate bus branch line 22 is formed on the gate bus line 21 so as to project toward the pixel electrode 41. The counter electrode is patterned on the transparent insulating substrate on the counter electrode side, which is bonded to the substrate on which the pixel electrode 41 is formed. When a point defect is detected, laser light is irradiated to the narrow area 51 of the gate bus branch line 22, and the gate bus branch line 22
Is separated from the gate bus line 21. Then, the gate bus branch line 22, the source electrode 31, and the drain electrode 3
Laser light is applied to the regions 52 and 53 of the respective overlapping portions of 3 and 3 to electrically connect the upper and lower conductors. Above 3
The source bus line 23 and the pixel electrode 41 are short-circuited by irradiating the laser light once.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display device for performing display by applying a drive signal to a display pixel electrode through a switching element, and more particularly to a high density display by arranging the pixel electrodes in a matrix. The present invention relates to an active matrix display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a liquid crystal display device, an EL display device, a plasma display device, etc., a display pattern is formed on a screen by selectively driving picture element electrodes arranged in a matrix. As a method of selecting display picture elements, an active matrix drive method is known in which individual picture element electrodes are arranged and a switching element is connected to each of the picture element electrodes to perform display driving. As a switching element for selectively driving the pixel electrode, a TFT (thin film transistor) element, MIM (metal-insulating layer-metal)
An element, a MOS transistor element, a diode, a varistor, or the like is generally used, and a voltage applied between a pixel electrode and a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode is switched by a switching element, and a liquid crystal is interposed between both electrodes. By optically modulating a display medium such as an EL light emitting layer or a plasma light emitter,
The optical modulation is visually recognized as a display pattern. Such an active matrix drive system is capable of high-contrast display, and has been put to practical use in liquid crystal televisions, word processors, terminal display devices of computers, and the like.

In the above display device, for example, if the switching element is formed in a defective state, the pixel electrode connected to the switching element is not supplied with a signal that should be originally applied. Is recognized as a point defect on the display device.

Such point defects can be repaired by laser trimming or the like if they can be found in the manufacturing stage of the substrate on which the switching elements are formed. However, it is extremely difficult to detect point defects from hundreds of thousands of picture elements during the actual fabrication of the substrate, and it is almost impossible at the mass production level because of time and cost.

On the other hand, there is a method in which the substrate is attached to the substrate on the counter electrode side and a point defect is detected by applying an electric signal to a bus line wired on the substrate side in a state where liquid crystal is sealed. According to this method, the point defect can be easily detected visually. However, according to this method, since the point defect is detected after the product is once commercialized, it is impossible to correct the point defect. As a result, products with point defects must be discarded, resulting in a large cost loss.

Under such circumstances, various display devices having a structure capable of easily detecting a point defect and easily correcting the point defect have been proposed up to now. It is designed based on the principle described in.

This is to enclose the liquid crystal so that the display device can be turned on, detect a point defect, and detect the point defect, and the source bus line (signal line) closest to the pixel electrode of the defective pixel. Is a method of electrically conducting by irradiating a laser through the glass substrate. Then, the signal of the source bus line is directly input to the pixel electrode regardless of the signal from the gate bus line (scanning line).

In this way, in the normal picture element (normal picture element), only the source signal supplied within the selection time of the gate bus line is charged, and this is charged for one cycle (time until the next selection time comes). In this case, the source signal is always charged regardless of the selection / non-selection of the gate bus line in this case, and when viewed through one cycle, the effective value of the source voltage input during this period is Will join the liquid crystal. For this reason, the defective picture element lights up to the average brightness of all the picture elements attached to the source bus line to which the defective picture element belongs, which is neither a perfect bright spot nor a black dot.
Therefore, the defective picture element that has been subjected to this correction processing is not normally operating, but it is extremely difficult to identify it as a point defect.

As a conventional display device having a specific structure for realizing this, there is one shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

The display device shown in FIG. 7 has the following configuration.
The gate bus line 21 is formed on the substrate made of transparent glass.
And the source bus lines 23 are wired in a grid pattern, and the pixel electrodes 41 are arranged in the regions surrounded by the bus lines 21 and 23, respectively. The pixel electrode 4 is provided on the gate bus line 21.
The gate bus branch line 22 protruding toward 1 is branched, and a TFT 31 as a switching element is formed at the tip of the gate bus branch line 22. The width between the branch portion of the gate bus branch line 22 and the TFT 31 forming portion is narrower than other portions so that it can be easily cut using a laser beam or the like.

The TFT 31 forming portion of the gate bus branch line 22 serves as the gate electrode 22, and the source electrode 32 and the drain electrode are superposed on the gate electrode 22 to form the TFT 31.

In the display device having such a structure, the detection and correction of point defects are carried out by the following procedure. First, to detect a point defect, the substrate on which the TFT 31 is formed and the opposite substrate on which the opposite electrode is formed are bonded together, and the gate bus line 21, the source bus line 23, and the It is performed by applying an appropriate signal to the counter electrode and visually detecting the display state at that time. When the point defect is found, the pixel element in which the point defect is generated is repaired by irradiating energy such as laser light. In particular,
First, the narrow portion of the gate bus branch line 22 is irradiated with laser light to be cut, and then cut from the gate bus line 21. As a result, the gate electrode 22 of the TFT 31 becomes electrically floating.

Subsequently, the gate electrode 22 and the source electrode 32
Further, a portion where the gate electrode 22 and the drain electrode 33 are superposed is irradiated with laser light to punch it out with a small spot. Then, the upper and lower electrodes are electrically connected to each other through the peripheral portion of the punched hole. As a result,
The source bus line 23 and the pixel electrode 41 are electrically connected through the gate electrode 22, and the pixel electrode 41 is eventually short-circuited with the source bus line 23. Therefore, the defective picture element always has the same potential as the source signal and is lit with an average brightness, thereby achieving the purpose.

The display device shown in FIG. 8 has a special structure in which a redundant structure for short-circuiting the pixel electrode 41 and the source bus line 23 by irradiating a laser beam is provided in one unit. The redundant structure is disposed in the lower left portion of the pixel electrode 41, and has a gate bus line protrusion 47 protruding from the gate bus line, a source bus line protrusion 46 protruding from the source bus line 23, and a gate bus line protrusion. It is composed of a combination of conductor pieces 48 which are superposed on the portion 47 via an insulating film. In the initial state before restoration, each is electrically insulated.

Detection and correction of point defects in this display device are performed in the following procedure. First, similarly to the above, the liquid crystal is turned on in a sealed state, and the point defect is visually detected.
When a point defect is detected, laser light is emitted through the glass substrate to cut the root of the gate bus line protrusion 47.
Then, the overlapping portion of the gate bus line protruding portion 47 and the source bus line protruding portion 46 is irradiated with laser light to connect them. Subsequently, the overlapping portion of the gate bus line protruding portion 46 and the conductor piece 48 is irradiated with laser light to connect them. Here, the conductor piece 48 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 41 in advance. Therefore, by irradiating the laser beam three times, the source bus line 23 and the pixel electrode 41 are short-circuited, and the same purpose as described above is achieved.

In the display device shown in FIG. 9, the source bus line projecting portion 46, a conductor piece (first conductor piece) 49 having one end portion superposed below the source bus line projecting portion 46, and the conductor piece. Conductor piece 48 superimposed on the other end of 49
(Second conductor piece) or the like is used to form a redundant structure. In this display device, laser light is irradiated to the overlapping portion of the source bus line protruding portion 46 and the conductor piece 49 and the overlapping portion of the conductor piece 49 and the conductor piece 48, so that the source bus line is finally irradiated. 23 and the pixel electrode 41 are short-circuited to achieve the above object.

By the way, in each of the above-mentioned conventional examples, the short circuit between the source bus line 23 and the pixel electrode 41 must be larger than the resistance value of the TFT 31 at the selected time.
This is because the effective value of the voltage applied to the picture element electrode 41 becomes small unless the picture element is quickly charged with the signal from the source bus line 23 which changes at each writing time of the TFT 31. This condition can be sufficiently satisfied in the repair process using the laser beam.

[0018]

As described above, in each of the above conventional examples, the point defect is made inconspicuous by short-circuiting the pixel electrode and the source bus line for applying a signal to the pixel electrode. Although the correction method is adopted, this correction method has the following drawbacks.

That is, since the redundant structure is irradiated with the laser beam, the conductor is crushed, and accordingly, some fragments are generated. This piece is naturally a conductor.
Therefore, the fragment causes a "bridge" between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode on the TFT side substrate. This state is
This means that the counter electrode and the source bus line leaked through the pixel electrode, and appears as a display line defect. Therefore, it means that the defect is more serious than the mere point defect.

The probability of occurrence of such a leak (hereinafter referred to as S-C leak) varies depending on the conditions for irradiating the laser beam and the type of conductor, but it is difficult to completely suppress the occurrence. Further, even if the S-C leak does not occur at the beginning of the repair, the state of the fragments changes for some reason (for example, when pressure is applied to the repair part) at a later date, and conduction occurs between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode. Can happen.
This causes serious problems related to the issue of product reliability.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. When correcting a point defect by irradiation with laser light or the like, S-C leak does not occur, and as a result, reliability is improved. It is an object to provide an active matrix display device that can be manufactured.

[0022]

In the active matrix display device of the present invention, a display medium, of which optical characteristics are modulated in response to an applied voltage, is inserted between a pair of upper and lower substrates, at least one of which has translucency. Scanning lines and signal lines for generating a display pattern are arranged in a grid pattern on the inner surface of one of the substrates, and picture element electrodes are arranged in each of the regions surrounded by the scanning lines and the signal lines. In an active matrix display device in which switching elements are electrically connected to the element electrodes, the scanning lines, and the signal lines, a scanning line branch line whose base end side has a width narrower than that of the front end side is branched from the scanning line, While the switching element is formed above or below the tip of the scanning line branch line, it corresponds to the region of the inner surface of the other substrate excluding the scanning line branch line and the switching element forming portion. Minute counter electrode is formed by patterning, the objects can be achieved.

Further, in the active matrix display device of the present invention, a display medium whose optical characteristics are modulated in response to an applied voltage is inserted between a pair of upper and lower substrates, at least one of which has a light transmitting property, and an inner surface of one substrate is inserted. Scanning lines and signal lines for generating a display pattern are arranged in a grid pattern, and pixel electrodes are arranged in each of the regions surrounded by the scanning lines and signal lines. In an active matrix display device in which a switching element is electrically connected to a scanning line and the signal line, the signal line and the scanning line adjacent to the signal line protrude toward the pixel electrode, and the pixel A signal line protrusion and a scanning line protrusion that are electrically non-contact with the electrodes are formed, and the signal line is superimposed on the scanning line protrusion with an insulating film interposed therebetween. tip A conductor piece that is in electrical contact with the pixel electrode and that is not in electrical contact with the signal line protrusion is overlapped with an insulating film interposed therebetween, while the scanning line protrusion is formed on the inner surface of the other substrate. The counter electrode is patterned in a portion corresponding to a region other than the signal line protruding portion and the conductor piece forming portion, whereby the above object is achieved.

Further, in the active matrix display device of the present invention, a display medium whose optical characteristics are modulated in response to an applied voltage is inserted between a pair of upper and lower substrates, at least one of which is translucent, and the inner surface of one substrate is inserted. Scanning lines and signal lines for generating a display pattern are arranged in a grid pattern, and pixel electrodes are arranged in each of the regions surrounded by the scanning lines and signal lines. In an active matrix display device in which a switching element is electrically connected to a scanning line and the signal line, a signal line projecting portion that projects toward the pixel line electrode and is electrically non-contact with the pixel line electrode Is formed, and under the signal line protrusion,
One end of the first conductor piece that is electrically non-contact with any of the signal line, the scan line, and the pixel electrode is overlapped with an insulating film, and the other end of the first conductor piece is overlapped. A second conductor piece electrically contacting the pixel electrode and not electrically contacting the signal line projecting portion is superposed with an insulating film interposed between the second conductor piece and the first inner surface of the other substrate. The counter electrode is patterned in a portion corresponding to a region excluding the conductor piece, the signal line projecting portion, and the formation portion of the second conductor piece, thereby achieving the above object.

[0025]

According to the above structure, since the counter electrode is not formed on the other substrate side, that is, the portion corresponding to the redundant structure portion of the counter side substrate, the redundant structure portion is irradiated with laser light or the like. It is possible to reliably reduce the frequency of S-C leaks caused by the fragments of the conductor that occur during the repair work.

Since the switching element and the redundant structure portion are not usually "opening portions" of the display picture elements from the beginning, there is a problem in display even if the counter electrode is not present in this portion. There is no. Here, the opening means a portion that transmits light.

[0027]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show an active matrix display device of this embodiment, in which a liquid crystal 18 is enclosed between a pair of upper and lower transparent insulating substrates 1 and 2.
A plurality of gate bus lines 21, 21 ... That function as scanning lines and a plurality of source bus lines 23, ... That function as signal lines are arranged vertically and horizontally on the lower substrate 1, and both bus lines 21, The pixel electrodes 41 are arranged in a matrix in each of the rectangular regions surrounded by 23. A gate bus branch line 22 is formed on the gate bus line 21 so as to project toward the pixel electrode 41 side, and a TFT 31 is formed at a portion near the tip of the gate bus branch line 22. Therefore, a part of the gate bus branch line 22 is part of the gate electrode 2
Functions as 2. The TFT 31 functions as a switching element and is connected to the picture element electrode 41. The middle portion of the gate bus branch line 22 has a narrow width so that it can be easily cut by irradiation with laser light or the like.

The production procedure of this display device will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2, first, the gate bus line 21 is formed on the transparent insulating substrate 1. This preparation is generally
It is produced by depositing a single-layer or multi-layer metal such as a, Ti, Al, and Cr on the transparent insulating substrate 1 by the sputtering method, and then patterning. At this time, the gate bus line branch line 22 is simultaneously produced. In this example, the glass substrate 1 was used as the transparent insulating substrate 1. An insulating film such as Ta ₂ O ₅ may be formed as a base coat film under the gate bus line 21.

Next, the gate insulating film 13 is laminated on the gate bus line 21 (including the gate bus branch line 22).
In this embodiment, a SiN _x film is formed by plasma CVD method.
The gate insulating film 13 was deposited to a thickness of 00 nm. Note that FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the gate bus line 21 may be anodized to form the oxide film 12 made of Ta ₂ O ₅ on the surface. By doing so, the insulating film has a two-layer structure, so that the insulating property can be improved.

Next, the semiconductor layer 14 and the etching stopper layer 15 are formed on the gate insulating film 1 by the plasma CVD method.
3 is formed continuously. The semiconductor layer 14 is composed of an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer, and the etching stopper layer 15 is composed of a SiN _x layer. The respective film thicknesses are 30 nm and 200 nm. Then, the etching stopper layer 15 is patterned, and then the n ⁺ -type a-Si layer 16 (contact layer) to which phosphorus is added is plasma C.
Stack by the VD method to a thickness of 80 nm. This n ⁺ type a-S
The i layer 16 is formed in order to improve the ohmic contact between the semiconductor layer 14 and the source electrode 32 or the drain electrode 33 laminated thereafter.

Next, the n ⁺ type a-Si layer 16 is patterned, and then a source metal is laminated by a sputtering method. As the source metal, generally, Ti, Al,
Although Mo, Cr and the like are used, Ti is used in this embodiment. Then, the Ti metal layer is patterned to obtain the source electrode 32 and the drain electrode 33. As a result, the TFT 31 having the structure shown in FIG. 2 is produced. This time,
Source bus line 23 and source bus line protrusion 4
6 are formed at the same time.

Next, a transparent conductive material to be the pixel electrode 41 is laminated. In this embodiment, the transparent conductive material is I
TO (Indium tin oxide) is laminated by a sputtering method and patterned to obtain a pixel electrode 41. The pixel electrode 41 is laminated and formed in a rectangular region surrounded by the gate bus line 21 and the source bus line 23 as described above, and its end portion is the end portion of the drain electrode 33 of the TFT 31 as shown in FIG. To be laminated. As a result, both are electrically connected.

A protective film 17 made of SiN _x is deposited on the entire surface of the glass substrate 1 on which the pixel electrodes 41 are formed.
The protective film 17 may have a window-like shape removed at the central portion of the pixel electrode 41. An alignment film 19 is formed on the protective film 17. As shown in FIG. 2, the counter electrode 3 and the alignment film 9 are formed on the glass substrate 2 facing the glass substrate 1. Then, the liquid crystal 18 as a display medium is sealed between the glass substrates 1 and 2 to complete the active matrix display device of this embodiment.

The counter electrode 3 is specifically formed by stacking an ITO film on the inner surface of the glass substrate 2 by a sputtering method.
Subsequently, the ITO film is patterned to be formed. However, in this embodiment, the counter electrode 3 is not formed on the entire inner surface of the glass substrate 2, but is not formed on the regions corresponding to the TFT 31 forming portion and the gate bus branch line 22 forming portion. That is, a pattern omission occurs in this portion. FIG. 1 shows this state, in which the counter electrode 3 is formed in the region shown by the broken line in the figure, and the counter electrode 3 is not formed in the white part.

Next, a method of correcting and correcting when a point defect occurs in this embodiment will be described. Of the picture element defects, TF
Defects that cannot be written sufficiently due to abnormality in T31 and defects due to leakage with the source bus line 23 to which the pixel electrode 41 belongs can be corrected by laser processing using the TFT 31 portion. The details are shown below in Figure 3.
Follow the instructions below.

First, the gate bus branch line 22 is irradiated with YAG laser light as an example of optical energy in a region 51 indicated by a broken line. This makes it possible to disperse the gate conductors of the irradiation part and bring them into an electrically insulated state. The irradiation of the laser light may be performed from the back side of the glass substrate 1,
Although it may be performed from the front surface side of the glass substrate 2, in the present embodiment, since the glass substrate 2 on the opposite side is covered with a light-shielding conductor and cannot be directly irradiated with laser light, it is irradiated from the back surface of the glass substrate 1. By this irradiation, the gate bus branch line 22
It is insulated from the gate bus line 21. At this time, a conductor fragment is generated, but since the counter electrode 3 has a pattern in the laser light irradiation region as described above, an SC leak occurs between the pixel electrode 41 and the counter electrode 3. There is very little concern.

Then, a region 52 corresponding to the overlapping portion of the gate electrode 22 and the source electrode 32 of the TFT 31 and a region 53 corresponding to the overlapping portion of the gate electrode 22 and the drain electrode 33 are irradiated with laser light. In the irradiated portion, the laser light can break through the gate insulating film 13 between the upper and lower conductors, whereby the upper and lower conductors can be short-circuited at the end of the irradiated portion. Fragments are also generated at this time, but similarly, since the counter electrode 3 does not exist in the portion corresponding to the irradiation portion, the probability of generating SC leak between the upper and lower conductors is extremely small.

By irradiating the laser beam three times, the source bus line 23 and the drain electrode 33, that is, the pixel electrode 41 can be short-circuited. As a result, the defective picture element in which the point defect has occurred is lit to the average brightness of all the picture elements along the adjacent source bus line 23, and it is extremely difficult to visually recognize it as a display defect.

The same laser beam is used to cut the conductor and the latter is melted by the same laser beam. This can be done by irradiating the laser beam under appropriate conditions.

4 and 5 show another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a gate bus line protruding portion 47 facing the pixel electrode 41 is formed on the gate bus line 21 adjacent to the gate bus line 21 on which the TFT 31 is formed,
The gate bus line protruding portion 47 and the source bus line 2
A redundant structure is formed by the source bus line protruding portion 46 and the conductor piece 48 and the like projected from No. 3, and the redundant structure is irradiated with laser light to correct the point defect.

The manufacturing procedure of this display device is substantially the same as that of the above embodiment. However, the gate bus line protruding portion 47
Are formed at the same time when the gate bus line 21 is patterned. The source bus line protrusion 46 and the conductor piece 48 are formed by patterning at the same time when the source bus line 23 is formed.

In this embodiment, the counter electrode 3 is patterned except for the portion corresponding to the redundant structure portion.
More specifically, the counter electrode 3 is formed in the shaded area in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the counter electrode 3 is not formed in the white part.

The point defect correction work in this embodiment is performed as follows. As shown in FIG. 5, first, a region 151 corresponding to the root of the gate bus line protruding portion 47.
Irradiate YAG laser light on. With this, it is possible to disperse the gate conductors of the irradiation portion to an electrically insulating state. At this time, fragments of the conductor are generated, but the counter electrode 3
Since the pattern is cut out in the laser irradiation region 151, there is very little concern that an SC leak will occur between the pixel electrode 41 and the counter electrode 3. By this operation, the gate bus line projecting portion 47 is insulated from the gate gate bus line 21.

Next, a region 15 corresponding to the overlapping portion of the gate bus line protrusion 47 and the source bus line protrusion 46.
2 and the region 153 corresponding to the overlapping portion of the gate bus line protrusion 47 and the conductor piece 48 is irradiated with laser light.
In the irradiated portion, the laser light can break through the gate insulating film 13 between the upper and lower conductors, thereby shorting the upper and lower conductors at the end of the irradiated portion. Fragments are also generated at this time, but the counter electrode 3 does not exist in the portions corresponding to the regions 152 and 153. Therefore, the probability of generating an SC leak between the upper and lower electrodes is extremely small. Therefore, by electrically connecting the upper and lower conductors at the two locations of the regions 152 and 153, the source bus line 23 and the conductor piece 4 are connected.
8, that is, the pixel electrode 41 can be short-circuited. As a result, the defective picture element in which the point defect has occurred is lit to the average brightness of all the picture elements along the adjacent source bus line 23. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to visually recognize as a display defect. The correction procedure is not limited to the above order.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a conductor piece 49 (first conductor piece) is provided in place of the gate bus line protrusion 47 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4, and the conductor piece 49 and the conductor piece 49 are provided. The redundant structure is formed by the source bus line projecting portion 46 overlapped with the base end portion of and the conductor piece 48 (second conductor piece) overlapped with the other end portion of the conductor piece 49. . In this structure, since the conductor piece 49 is not connected to the gate bus line 21 from the beginning, it is not necessary to disconnect the conductor piece 49 from the gate bus line 21. That is, the number of times of laser light irradiation is only required to be two. This also has the advantage that the area of the pattern of the counter electrode 3 can be reduced. Since a specific correction method is performed by irradiating the regions 152 and 153 similar to those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 with laser light, the details thereof will be omitted.

Although the whole of the illustrated embodiment is as described above, the present invention can be similarly applied to a display device provided with an additional capacitance in order to improve the display quality. Further, in each of the above embodiments, the TFT is used as the switching element, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a display device using a MOS transistor element, a diode or the like as the switching element.

[0048]

According to the active matrix display device of the present invention, since the counter electrode is not formed in the portion corresponding to the irradiation region of the laser light or the like which is irradiated to correct the point defect, the conductivity generated in the irradiation portion is reduced. S- due to body debris
The probability of occurrence of C leak can be significantly reduced. Therefore, according to the present invention, not only the defective picture element can be surely corrected at the time of correction, but also a new line defect does not occur thereafter. Therefore, the long-term reliability of the correction part is guaranteed, which can improve the yield of manufacturing the display device.
Significant cost reduction is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a TFT formation portion shown in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a redundant structure portion of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing another conventional example.

9 is a plan view showing another conventional example different from the conventional example of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Transparent Insulating Substrate (TFT Side Substrate) 2 Transparent Insulating Substrate (Counter Electrode Side Substrate) 3 Counter Electrode 18 Liquid Crystal 21 Gate Bus Line 22 Gate Bus Branch Line (Gate Electrode) 23 Source Bus Line 31 TFT 32 Source Electrode 33 Drain electrode 41 Picture element electrode 46 Source bus line protruding portion 47 Gate bus line protruding portion 48 Conductor piece 49 Conductor piece 51, 52, 53, 151, 152, 153 Laser light irradiation region

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Katsumi Irie             22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi             Within the corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A scan for generating a display pattern on the inner surface of one of the substrates, wherein a display medium whose optical characteristics are modulated in response to an applied voltage is inserted between a pair of upper and lower substrates, at least one of which has translucency. The lines and the signal lines are arranged in a grid pattern, and a pixel electrode is provided in each of the regions surrounded by the scanning line and the signal line, and a switching element is provided on the pixel electrode, the scanning line and the signal line. In the active matrix display device electrically connected to the scanning line branch line, the scanning line branch line whose base end side is narrower than the tip end side is branched from the scanning line, and the switching is performed above or below the tip end of the scanning line branch line. While an element is formed, the counter electrode is patterned on a portion of the inner surface of the other substrate corresponding to a region excluding the scanning line branch line and the switching element forming portion. Indicating device. 2. A scan for inserting a display medium whose optical characteristics are modulated in response to an applied voltage between a pair of upper and lower substrates, at least one of which has a light-transmitting property, so as to generate a display pattern on the inner surface of one substrate. The lines and the signal lines are arranged in a grid pattern, and a pixel electrode is provided in each of the regions surrounded by the scanning line and the signal line, and a switching element is provided on the pixel electrode, the scanning line and the signal line. In the active matrix display device electrically connected to the signal line and the scanning line adjacent to the signal line, the signal protruding toward the pixel electrode and electrically non-contact with the pixel electrode. Line protrusions and scanning line protrusions are formed respectively, the signal lines are superimposed on the scanning line protrusions with an insulating film sandwiched therebetween, and the pixel electrodes are electrically connected to the tips of the scanning line protrusions. To the signal line and the signal line protruding While the conductor pieces that are not in electrical contact with the section are overlapped with the insulating film sandwiched therebetween, the scanning line protruding portion, the signal line protruding portion, and the conductor piece forming portion on the inner surface of the other substrate are excluded. An active matrix display device in which a counter electrode is patterned in a portion corresponding to a region. 3. A scan for generating a display pattern on the inner surface of one of the substrates, wherein a display medium whose optical characteristics are modulated in response to an applied voltage is inserted between a pair of upper and lower substrates, at least one of which has a light-transmitting property. The lines and the signal lines are arranged in a grid pattern, and a pixel electrode is provided in each of the regions surrounded by the scanning line and the signal line, and a switching element is provided on the pixel electrode, the scanning line and the signal line. In the active matrix display device electrically connected to, the signal line is formed with a signal line projecting portion projecting toward the pixel electrode and electrically non-contacting with the pixel electrode. One end of a first conductor piece, which is not in electrical contact with any of the signal line, the scanning line, and the pixel electrode, is superposed below the protrusion through an insulating film, and the first conductor is provided. Electrically contact the pixel electrode with the other end of the piece While the second conductor piece electrically non-contacting with the signal line projecting portion is superposed via the insulating film, the first conductor piece, the signal line projecting portion, and the signal line projecting portion on the inner surface of the other substrate are An active matrix display device in which a counter electrode is patterned in a portion corresponding to a region excluding a portion where the second conductor piece is formed.