JP2006195216A - Electrooptical apparatus and electronic equipment using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrooptical apparatus in which each pixel of a screen is divided and in which an area of the divided pixel can be made larger by connecting the divided pixels in series. <P>SOLUTION: The electrooptical apparatus includes; a plurality of pixels 50 arranged in matrix; a plurality of common electrode wirings (Vcom) arranged between pixel rows along extending direction of the pixel rows for every two pixel rows of a plurality of pixels; and a plurality of driving circuits(61) for driving each pixel, which are arranged between two pixel rows. Each pixel of the pixel rows is composed of a plurality of divided pixels(54) which are connected in series and one end section of the plurality of divided pixels is connected to a driving circuit and the other end section is connected to the common electrode wiring. The number of common electrode wirings is reduced and the pixel is made relatively large. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electro-optical device that forms an image by receiving an electric signal that carries image information, and more particularly, to an improvement in a pixel array that forms a display screen.

An example of an image display device that displays an image on a screen is an organic EL display device. In general, an organic EL display device has pixel electrodes arranged on a substrate, a light emitting layer (organic EL layer) is individually formed on each pixel electrode, and a common electrode layer is formed on the light emitting layer of each pixel. It is comprised (for example, patent document 1).
JP 2003-114626 A

  In the organic EL display device, since the light emitting layer operates by current driving, the total current consumption (driving current) increases as the display area increases. In a large screen organic EL display device, power source capacity, wiring capacity, power consumption, and the like are problematic.

  Therefore, the applicant divides one pixel into a plurality of parts and connects them in series to reduce the current flowing through one pixel and reduce the current consumption of the entire screen (increase the applied voltage across the series pixels). An organic EL display device configured to obtain an equivalent amount of light emission is being studied.

  However, in order to connect the divided pixels in series, a general configuration in which the cathode or anode is the common electrode of each pixel cannot be adopted, and it is necessary to pattern the cathode and anode of the pixel together. Occurs. Patterning is difficult because originally fine pixels are further patterned.

  In addition, the aperture efficiency of the pixel is lowered due to the insulation separation between the divided pixels and the increase in wiring.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an electro-optical device in which each pixel of a screen is divided and an area of the divided pixels can be configured to be larger in an electro-optical device in which the divided pixels are connected in series. For the purpose.

  In order to achieve the above object, an electro-optical device according to an aspect of the invention includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and two pixel columns of the plurality of pixels between pixel columns along the extending direction of the pixel columns. A plurality of common electrode wirings and a plurality of driving circuits arranged between the two pixel columns to drive each pixel, wherein each pixel of the pixel column is divided into a plurality of divisions connected in series It consists of pixels, and one end of the plurality of divided pixels is connected to the drive circuit, and the other end is connected to the common electrode wiring.

  With such a configuration, the number of common electrode wirings can be reduced and the pixels can be relatively enlarged.

  Preferably, the circuit layout of one of the two pixel columns and the other pixel column is a line symmetric circuit layout with an intermediate position between the two pixel columns as an axis of symmetry.

  Preferably, the drive circuit is configured to drive a plurality of pixels existing adjacent to each other between the common electrode lines.

  In addition, the electronic apparatus of the present invention improves performance by using the above-described electro-optical device.

  Here, the electro-optical device refers to a device including a liquid crystal element, an electrophoretic element having a dispersion medium in which electrophoretic particles are dispersed, an EL element, and the like, and an apparatus in which a thin film transistor or the like is applied to a driving circuit, Such an electro-optical device may be applied to an electronic apparatus.

  The electronic apparatus refers to a general apparatus having a certain function provided with the electro-optical device according to the present invention, and includes, for example, an electro-optical device and a memory. The configuration is not particularly limited, but for example, an IC card, a mobile phone, a video camera, a personal computer, a head-mounted display, a rear-type or front-type projector, a fax machine with a display function, a digital camera finder, a portable TV, A DSP device, PDA, electronic notebook, electronic bulletin board, advertising display, etc. are included.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the electro-optical device according to the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating a pixel array and common electrode wiring of an organic EL display device that is an electro-optical device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a part of FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the color organic EL display device 100 is configured by arranging pixels 50 in a matrix. Here, the horizontal direction shown in the figure is referred to as a column direction, and the vertical direction is referred to as a row direction.

  Each pixel 50 includes three color pixels, an R (red) pixel 51, a G (green) pixel 52, and a B (blue) pixel 53, and each color pixel includes, for example, four divided pixels 54. Accordingly, one pixel 50 is composed of 12 divided pixels 54. As will be described later, a plurality of divided pixels 54 constituting each color pixel 51, 52 and 53 are connected in series.

  A common electrode wiring Vcom extending in the column direction is arranged every two rows of the pixel column. The drive circuit chip 61 is arranged at the center position of each of the four pixels 50 adjacent between the two common electrode wirings Vcom. The drive circuit chip 61 drives the four pixels 50. The drive circuit chip 61 includes circuits such as a thin film transistor, a diode, a capacitor, and a resistor, and each color pixel of each pixel 50 according to the output of a data line and a gate line (not shown) arranged corresponding to each color of each pixel. The current supply to 51, 52 and 53 is individually controlled. Connection points between the wiring of the drive circuit chip 61 and the color pixels 51, 52, and 53 are indicated by black circles 61 in the drawing.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows drive wirings of four pixels by the drive circuit chip 61. The upper organic EL display substrate (or display layer) and the lower wiring substrate are shown superimposed (connected).

  4 to 6 are diagrams illustrating an example of an organic EL display device in which color pixels are configured by connecting divided pixels 54 in series.

  As shown in FIG. 4, four columns (R1 to R4, G1 to G4, B1 to B4) of divided pixels 54 are formed in the column direction for each color (R, G, B) in the pixel region 50 of the organic EL display device. ing. 5 and 6 show cross-sectional views in the A-A ′ direction of FIG. 4.

  FIG. 5 shows an example in which an organic EL display device is formed on one substrate. In the figure, 11 is a flexible substrate such as a resin, 12 is an insulating layer, 13 is a contact material, 14 is a thin film transistor, and 15 is an anode formed of a transparent electrode (ITO). Reference numeral 16 denotes an injection layer, 17 denotes an organic EL layer, and 18 denotes a cathode formed of aluminum / calcium. For patterning of the pixel electrode, a cathode separator 19 which is an inversely tapered insulating protrusion or laser etching can be used. For forming the organic EL layer 17, a droplet discharge (inkjet) method, a vapor deposition method, or the like can be used.

  The color pixels G <b> 1 to G <b> 4 (not shown) that are the divided pixels 54 are configured by the anode 15 to the cathode 18. Then, the cathode 18 of the color pixel G1 is connected to the anode 15 of the adjacent color pixel G2. Similarly, the color pixels G1 to G4 divided by connecting the color pixels G2 and G3 and the color pixels G3 and G4 are connected in series. The cathode 18 of the color pixel G4 can be connected to the common electrode Vcom. Therefore, when the thin film transistor 14 is operated, a current from the power supply wiring flows through the thin film transistor 14 → the contact material 13 → the color pixel G1 → the color pixel G2 → the color pixel G3 → the color pixel G4 → the common electrode Vcom. Light is emitted. The color pixel R51 and the color pixel B53 are configured similarly.

  FIG. 6 shows an example in which an organic EL display device is formed by bonding two substrates. In the figure, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

  In this example, the printed circuit board 11 and the organic EL board 23 are separately manufactured, and the printed circuit board 11 and the organic EL board 23 are bonded to each other via the connecting material 21 and the adhesive 22 between the terminals. A thin film transistor 14 is transferred onto the printed circuit board 11 by a peeling transfer method or the like. The anode 15 of the color pixel G1 is connected to the cathode 18 of the adjacent color pixel G2. Similarly, the color pixels G1 to G4 divided by connecting the color pixels G2 and G3 and the color pixels G3 and G4 are connected in series. The anode 15 of the color pixel G4 can be connected to the common electrode Vcom. Even in this configuration, when the thin film transistor 14 is operated, the current from the power supply wiring flows through the thin film transistor 14 → the contact material 21 → the divided color pixel G1 → the color pixel G2 → the color pixel G3 → the color pixel G4 → the common electrode Vcom. Green light is emitted according to the intensity. The color pixel R51 and the color pixel B53 are configured similarly.

  FIG. 8 shows a comparative example. In the figure, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In this comparative example, the supply electrode Vcom is arranged for each pixel column 50.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the two pixel columns 50 and 50 ′ are arranged in line symmetry so that each of the two pixel columns 50 and 50 ′ is connected to the anode or cathode of the pixel. 1) One common electrode Vcom is arranged. Therefore, the number of common electrodes Vcom can be reduced to ½ compared to the comparative example. Thereby, the number of lines to be processed is reduced.

  Further, by appropriately reducing (thinning) the width of the common electrode wiring Vcom, the area of the pixel portion region can be increased, and the area of the unit pixel can be increased. Since the pixel size can be increased, pixel patterning (processing) by laser etching can be easily performed.

  In addition, since the area of the pixel region can be increased, the aperture efficiency is improved. Further, the contact area of the connection member can be increased by increasing the pixel electrode.

(Electro-optical device and electronic equipment)
The electro-optical device manufactured by the above method is suitably used for an electronic device or the like. Specific examples of the electro-optical device and the electronic apparatus according to the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating examples of various electronic apparatuses that include the electro-optical device 100 (eg, an organic EL display device).

  FIG. 7A shows an application example to a mobile phone. The mobile phone 530 includes an antenna portion 531, an audio output portion 532, an audio input portion 533, an operation portion 534, and the electro-optical device 100 of the invention. .

  FIG. 7B shows an application example to a video camera. The video camera 540 includes an image receiving unit 541, an operation unit 542, an audio input unit 543, and the electro-optical device 100.

  FIG. 7C illustrates an application example to a television, and the television 550 includes the electro-optical device 100. The electro-optical device 100 can be similarly applied to a monitor device used for a personal computer or the like.

  FIG. 7D illustrates an application example to a roll-up television, and the roll-up television 560 includes the electro-optical device 100.

  In the above example, the organic EL display device is described as an example of the electro-optical device. However, the organic EL display device is not limited to this, and is configured using other various electro-optical elements (for example, an inorganic EL display device). The present invention can also be applied to a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device. The present invention can also be widely applied to various devices formed using a thin film semiconductor circuit layer (thin film device) peeling transfer technique. The electro-optical device is not limited to the above-described example, and can be applied to various electronic devices such as a fax machine with a display function, a digital camera finder, a portable TV, and an electronic notebook.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating a unit color pixel arrangement in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for conceptually explaining a state where one drive circuit chip is arranged for every four pixels. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a state where one drive circuit chip is arranged for every four pixels. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining that one pixel is composed of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) color pixels, and each color pixel is composed of a plurality of unit color pixels. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example of an organic EL display device (electro-optical device) that is driven by connecting color pixels in series. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another configuration example of an organic EL display device (electro-optical device) that is driven by connecting color pixels in series. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an electronic apparatus using the electro-optical device of the invention. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a comparative example that is taken into account for explaining the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

11, 23 Substrate, 12 Insulating layer, 13 Contact material, 14 Thin film transistor, 15 Transparent electrode (ITO) / Anode, 16 Injection layer, 17 Organic EL layer, 18 Cathode, 50 pixels, 51 color pixels (red), 52 color pixels (Green), 53 color pixels (blue), 54 divided pixels, 61 drive circuit chip, Vcom common electrode, 100 electro-optical device, 530 mobile phone, 531 antenna unit, 532 audio output unit, 533 audio input unit, 534 operation unit 540 video camera, 541 image receiving unit, 542 operation unit, 543 audio input unit, 550 television, 560 roll-up television

Claims (4)

A plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix;
A plurality of common electrode wirings arranged between the pixel columns along the extending direction of the pixel columns for every two pixel columns of the plurality of pixels;
A plurality of drive circuits arranged between the two pixel columns to drive each pixel,
Each pixel of the pixel column includes a plurality of divided pixels connected in series, one end of the plurality of divided pixels is connected to the drive circuit, and the other end is connected to the common electrode wiring. .   2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit layout of one of the two pixel columns and the other pixel column is a line-symmetric circuit layout with an intermediate position between the two pixel columns as an axis of symmetry.   The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the drive circuit is configured to drive a plurality of pixels that are adjacent to each other between the common electrode wirings.   An electronic apparatus using the electro-optical device according to claim 1.

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