JP2598255B2 - Electrode structure - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electrode structure, and more particularly to an electrode structure used for an optical modulation element such as liquid crystal or electroluminescence, or a means for performing various types of modulation using an electric field. The present invention relates to an electrode structure used in a method for applying a potential to an electrode to be used.

[Summary of Disclosure] In this specification and the drawings, in a method for applying a potential to an electrode used for an optical modulation element or the like, a plurality of conductors are provided via a resistor on a conductive film forming an electrode surface. By applying a potential corresponding to a combination of potentials applied to the conductors to the conductive films between the conductors, a substantially uniform potential is obtained over each of the divided electrode surfaces, and the power supply It discloses a technique that can greatly reduce the number.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as a typical method for applying an electric potential to an electrode surface in an optical modulation element such as a liquid crystal or electroluminescence, or a means for performing various kinds of modulation using an electric field, a ninth method is known.
As shown in the drawing, a signal supply line 101 is connected to each electrode 100, and a desired voltage is applied to each of the signal supply lines 101 to set the potential of the electrode 100.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, each electrode 100 has an independent structure, and the signal supply line 101 is connected to one end thereof. Is a striped thin film deposited on a glass substrate,
Due to a rupture in the middle of the stripe or the like, the potential becomes unstable on the side away from the signal supply source 102, or the electrode 100
In order to apply a desired potential to each of the power supplies, a power source 103 corresponding to each potential must be provided.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems,
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrode structure for implementing a potential applying method for obtaining a substantially uniform potential over the entire divided electrode surface and greatly reducing the number of power supplies.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the present invention, a pair of conductors is provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of a striped conductive film, and each of the pair of conductors is independently selected from a plurality of reference potentials. An electrode structure used in a potential applying method of applying a predetermined potential to the conductive film by a combination of reference potentials applied to the pair of conductors, wherein the conductive film and the pair of conductors An electrode structure characterized by interposing a resistor having a resistance sufficiently higher than the resistance of the conductive film so that a substantially uniform potential is applied in the width direction of the conductive film. It is.

[Operation] By arranging a plurality of conductors on the conductive film at desired intervals, the conductive film and the like are separated for each line. On the other hand, since the plurality of conductors are provided via high-resistance resistors, respectively, independent potentials can be given to the respective conductors, and the potential corresponding to the combination of potentials is a conductive film between the conductors. And so on.

Example FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the electrode structure of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electrode.

The electrode configuration in both figures is such that a plurality of conductors 3 and 4 are formed on an electrode surface 1 formed of a conductive film (relatively low-resistance resistance film) via a relatively high-resistance resistor (dielectric) 2. Are arranged.

The electrode surface 1 is made of ITO, SnO ₂ , In ₂ O ₃
And the like, or a thin metal film such as Au.

The resistor 2 is a resistor having a relatively high resistance, and is formed of polyester or the like obtained by kneading a small amount of conductive fine powder such as metal-doped Si, Se or carbon.

The conductors 3 and 4 are made of Al, Au or the like, and are formed on the resistor 2.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are explanatory diagrams of a method of applying a desired potential to the electrode surface 1 in the above-described electrode configuration. Third
In the figure, a first conductor 3 is connected to a first power supply 6a, and a second conductor 4 is connected to a second power supply 6b, and their voltages are Va and Vb. Here, for simplicity of explanation, the voltage Va and Vb of the two power 6a and 6b are both V _1, V _2, V ₃
It is assumed that there are three stages.

The potential between the conductors 3 and 4 is, as shown in FIG.
Although it changes between the resistor regions 2a and 2b and the electrode surface region 1a, it is determined by the combination of the applied voltages Va and Vb.
Ie, V intermediate value when the V _12, V ₁ and V ₃ of the substantially intermediate value when V _1, V ₁ and V ₂ when the Va and Vb combination both V ₁ of the
₁₃ (V _2), V ₂₃ approximately intermediate values when V _2, V ₂ and V ₃ when together V _2, as referred to both of V ₃ when the V _3, the potential of the electrode surface 1 is five different It is determined.

Hereinafter, conditions for applying this potential substantially uniformly between the conductors 3 and 4 over the entire area of the electrode surface 1 will be described.

FIG. 5 is an equivalent circuit of the electrode configuration shown in FIG. Here, one of the necessary conditions is the resistance r ₂ of the resistor _2.
By but sufficiently larger than the resistance r ₁ of the electrode surface 1, by configuring as such, cause a large voltage drop due to the resistor 2, to reduce the voltage drop at the electrode surface 1, a substantially constant potential Can be obtained.

The relationship between the resistance values will be described more specifically. For example, as shown in a plan view in FIG. 6, the width of the electrode surface 1 between the resistors 2 is a, and the sheet resistance value is about 100 Ω / sq. In this case, it is desirable that the resistance value of the resistor 2 sandwiched between the electrode surface 1 and the conductor 3 or 4 be at least 10 ⁴ Ω over the length a. Further, Joule heat due to current is generated in the resistor ₂ , and in order to minimize this, it is preferable that the resistor r2 is appropriately increased. Therefore, the resistor 2
As such, a semiconductor having a high withstand voltage or a semiconductor having a higher resistance value than that is suitable for use.

The next necessary condition is that the conductor 3 or 4 should have a sufficiently low electric resistance.
For this purpose, it is desirable to use a metal having a particularly low resistance and a sheet resistance of several + Ω / sq or less.

By satisfying the above conditions, a stable and constant potential can be applied to the electrode surface 1. In particular, even when the electrode surface 1 in the form of a thin-film stripe is away from the signal supply end, Since a more stable potential is applied to the body 3 or 4, even if a part of the electrode surface 1 is torn, the potential does not become unstable.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 7, when the signal supply terminals are alternately arranged in opposite directions with respect to the conductors 3 and 4, the above-described drop is further increased. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an application example of the electrode structure of the present invention. For example, an optical modulation element such as a liquid crystal or an electroluminescence, and a good modulation application as an electrode of various modulation elements based on an electric field effect. This is an application example as a means. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 10 denotes a modulating substance which exhibits optical or other modulation by an electric field effect, and 11 denotes a counter electrode which faces the electrode structure of the present invention via the modulating substance. The modulation material 10 performs various types of modulation by an electric field formed between the electrodes (1, 2, 3, and 4) configured according to the present invention and the counter electrode 11, and in order to perform this modulation effectively, , The resistance of the resistor 2 to the modulation material
If the resistance value between the electrodes is smaller than 10, the partial pressure to the modulation substance 10 can be sufficiently obtained. Further, the modulation material 10
It is desirable to perform various types of smooth modulation by selecting a resistor whose product, that is, a time constant, is smaller than a desired modulation response cycle.

Further, the electrode structure of the present invention may be formed in a shape in which the conductors 3 or 4 of the resistor 2 are shifted as shown in FIG.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of conductors are provided at desired intervals via a resistor on a conductive film forming an electrode surface, and given to each conductor. By applying a potential corresponding to the combination of potentials applied to the conductive films between the conductors, a substantially uniform potential is obtained over each entire surface of the electrode surface divided by the conductors, and the potential is modulated. The number of power supplies can be greatly reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 and 2 are a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams of potential application according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an equivalent circuit of the configuration of the embodiment. FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the electrode surface, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an application example of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the electrode configuration, and FIG. It is. 1: Electrode surface formed of conductive film or low resistance film, 2: Resistor, 3,4: Conductor, 5: Base, 6 ;, 6 .: Power supply.

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] A pair of conductors are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of a stripe-shaped conductive film, and a potential selected from a plurality of reference potentials is applied to each of the pair of conductors independently. An electrode structure used in a potential applying method of applying a predetermined potential to the conductive film by a combination of reference potentials applied to a body, wherein the width of the conductive film is between the conductive film and the pair of conductors. An electrode structure comprising a low antibody having a resistance sufficiently higher than the resistance of the conductive film so that a substantially uniform potential is applied in the direction. 2. The electrode structure according to claim 1, wherein said conductive film is a transparent conductive film. 3. The electrode structure according to claim 1, wherein said resistor is made of a material selected from metal-doped Si, Se and polyester containing conductive fine powder. 4. The electrode structure according to claim 1, wherein said conductor is A1 or Au.