JPH06208102A - Driving method of liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To write selective information making a low resistance of a MIM element in a selected period, and to restrain the leakage of information making a high resistance of the MIM element in the nonselected period, in a liquid crystal display device in which MIM elements are used as nonlinear elements. CONSTITUTION:Picture elements are constituted by electrically and successively connecting MIM nonlinear elements, picture element electrodes, and liquid crystal layers between data signal electrodes and scanning signal electrodes. The data signal changes between an ON electric potential and an OFF electric potential, and the scanning signals are set to high-voltage selective electric potentials VD, VE that are applied to both ends of the MIM element respectively in the positive or negative polarity selected period. The writing voltage to be applied to the picture element in the positive or negative polarity selected period is set to be 12V or more. The scanning signals become nonselective electric potentials VG, VH representing different electric potentials to each other in the nonselected period at the time directly after the positive or negative polarity selective period, and also the respective nonselective electric potentials VG, VH are set to the electric potentials between the selective potentials VD, VE of the polarity corresponding thereto and the intermediate electric potentials VN, VM of the ON, OFF electric potentials of the data signals.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display type image receiving device and a method of driving the display device. The image receiving device mentioned here means a device for inputting an image signal such as a video signal of a television or a video signal of a computer and displaying it as an image. Of course, it is possible to configure a television by combining a tuner portion including a circuit before video detection and an audio output device, and it is also possible to incorporate it into a computer as an image monitor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, such a field is called a television monitor or a monitor display, and a CRT is the mainstream display device. The CRT can display bright and clear images, but has the drawbacks of being heavy, large, using a high voltage, consuming a lot of power, and causing eye strain. Liquid crystal display devices have come to the fore as a display device to counter CRTs in combination with technological advances. Liquid crystal display devices have advantages over CRTs in that they are lighter, thinner, have low voltage, low power, and have a light-receiving type so that the eyes do not get tired. However, in general, a liquid crystal display device requires a large number of drive electrodes when the number of pixels is large, and even if the multiplex drive is performed, the multiplicity (reciprocal of the duty ratio) is limited and is about 60 at most. Even for a small television receiver, the number of scanning lines needs to be around 240, or around 120, so that it is technically difficult to drive the multiplex as it is. Furthermore, since it is necessary to express black and white halftones in the image, the control increases the difficulty.

In order to avoid these difficulties, active matrix display devices and so-called multiple matrix systems have been considered. The active matrix display device is further classified into a TFT type and a silicon substrate type. In the TFT type, polysilicon or amorphous silicon is formed on a transparent substrate, and switching transistors are placed there.
It requires sophisticated IC technology, and it is difficult to manufacture a large number of pixels without defects, and even if completed, it is expensive. Although the silicon substrate type is slightly easy to manufacture, it is opaque, so that the twisted nematic (TN) type cannot be adopted, and the liquid crystal uses the GH type or the DSM type, and a good contrast cannot be obtained. Another drawback is that the active matrix display device cannot be a large display device. The so-called multi-matrix method is a method in which the number of scanning electrodes is substantially halved or ¼ and instead the number of signal electrodes is doubled or quadrupled. Not only does the number of signal electrodes increase extremely and the driving circuit is burdened, but it is necessary to store a considerable amount of image information in order to select 2 to 4 scanning lines at the same time, and AD conversion and a memory circuit are also added. There must be. As a result, it causes technical difficulties and price increase.

As the display type of the liquid crystal display device, there are a dynamic scattering mode (DSM) type, a guest host (GH) type, and a twisted nematic (TN) type, but the power consumption is low, The TN type is excellent in terms of good contrast. Therefore, when simply called a liquid crystal display device, it indicates a TN type, which is a mainstream product. A drawback for the TN type (as well as other types) is that it becomes difficult to drive multiplex with a high degree of multiplicity. The cause of the characteristic is that the difference between the threshold voltage and the saturation voltage in the characteristic of voltage vs. contrast is large, and the characteristic gradually rises. The difference between the effective voltage values of ON and OFF of the multiplex drive becomes smaller as the duty ratio becomes smaller, and a sufficient contrast margin cannot be secured. As a means for solving this difficulty, a liquid crystal display device in which a non-linear element is arranged on at least one of the pixel electrodes can be considered.

Non-linear elements include varistor elements, metal-insulator-metal (hereinafter abbreviated as MIM) elements, diode elements,
A discharge tube element or the like, which has a non-linear characteristic of high resistance in a low voltage region and low resistance in a high voltage region. By arranging the non-linear element for each pixel, it is possible to extremely increase the multiplicity of the multiplex drive.

[0006]

By the way, when a liquid crystal display device is driven by using, for example, column electrodes for data signals and row electrodes for scanning signals, the same column electrode is also used as a data signal supply electrode. For a large number of pixels on one column, the non-linear elements forming each pixel are sequentially turned on (set to have a low resistance) in response to the scanning signal to the row electrode to select information such as white and black for a selection period. Writing inside (charging the liquid crystal layer). Further, in the non-selection period, it is necessary to maintain the non-linear element at a high resistance and hold the written information.

However, there is a problem that the information written in the selected period leaks from the current non-selected pixel in the selected period just before, which deteriorates the image quality.

Further, in general, the scanning signal to the row electrode has a positive selection period and a non-selection period, and a negative polarity selection period and a non-selection period so that positive and negative charges are alternately stored in the liquid crystal layer. Have The potential difference between the scanning signal and the data signal is applied to both ends of the pixel to drive the liquid crystal. A pixel is formed by electrically connecting a nonlinear element and a liquid crystal layer in series between a column electrode and a row electrode. The present inventor has proposed, as the non-linear element, a MIM composed of metal-insulating layer-metal.
I tried to adopt an element. The MIM element has its IV
As can be seen from the fact that the characteristics are approximated by the Pool-Frankel equation, it is not possible to set a clear threshold value and the threshold value is higher than that of amorphous silicon. .

In order to turn on and off the liquid crystal layer, it is necessary to apply an on and off voltage to both ends of the liquid crystal layer, and also, to reduce the resistance of the MIM element at both ends during the selection period. A sufficient voltage must be applied.

An object of the present invention is to improve the image quality by preventing the information written in the selection period from disappearing in the non-selection period, and further, in the selection period, it is always a non-linear element MIM. It is an object of the present invention to provide a driving method capable of driving a liquid crystal display device by applying a voltage sufficient to reduce the resistance of the element to both ends of the element.

[0011]

According to the present invention, liquid crystal is sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of nonlinear elements, and a plurality of pixels are provided on one substrate of the pair of substrates. Electrodes are formed, a plurality of second electrodes are formed on the other substrate of the pair of substrates, and the first electrode and the second electrode are formed.
The nonlinear element, the pixel electrode and the liquid crystal layer are electrically sequentially connected between the electrodes to form a pixel, and the voltage applied across the nonlinear element has a high resistance in a low voltage region, A MIM element having a metal-insulator-metal structure having a low resistance in a high voltage region, and a positive polarity selection period in which the liquid crystal layer forming each pixel is charged with a positive voltage based on the data signal, and And a subsequent non-selection period of positive polarity, and a negative selection period of charging the liquid crystal layer forming each pixel with a negative voltage based on the data signal and a subsequent non-selection period of negative polarity. In the method for driving a liquid crystal display device, the scanning signal is input to one of the first electrode or the second electrode and the data signal is input to the other electrode, and the data signal is the liquid crystal layer forming each pixel. The scanning signal changes between an ON potential and an OFF potential according to a voltage to be charged, and the scanning signal has a voltage applied to both ends of the MIM element during the selection period of the positive polarity and the negative polarity. The write voltage applied to the pixel, which is the potential difference between the selection potentials in the positive and negative selection periods and the data signal in the selection period, is set to 12
The scanning signal is set to V or higher, and the scanning signal becomes a non-selection potential indicating different potentials in the non-selection period immediately after the positive polarity and negative polarity selection periods, and the non-selection potentials have respective polarities corresponding to each other. By setting the potential between the selection potential and the intermediate potential between the ON and OFF potentials of the data signal, both ends of the MIM element are connected to both ends of the MIM element in each non-selection period immediately after the selection period of the positive polarity and the negative polarity. It is characterized in that the applied voltage, which varies depending on the voltage charged in the liquid crystal layer connected to the MIM element, is set in each of the low voltage regions.

[0012]

According to the present invention, each non-selection potential in each non-selection period immediately after the selection period of positive polarity and negative polarity is set to a potential between the selection potential of the corresponding polarity and the intermediate potential of the data signal. By doing so, the voltage applied to both ends of the non-linear element during the non-selection period, which varies depending on the voltage charged in the liquid crystal layer connected to the non-linear element, is set to the high voltage of the non-linear element. It can be set in the low voltage region that serves as resistance. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the crosstalk that occurs when the non-linear element forming the non-selected pixel is turned on during the non-selected period.

Further, since the liquid crystal layer is driven through the MIM element having a threshold value higher than that of amorphous silicon, positive and negative polarities are provided at both ends of the pixel in which the MIM element and the liquid crystal layer are electrically connected in series. The write voltage of 12 V or more is applied during the selection period of, and the OFF potential is applied to the liquid crystal layer so that the liquid crystal layer of the pixel can always be discharged when the data signal is at the OFF potential.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a structure of a liquid crystal display device using an MIM element, 11 is an upper polarizing plate, 12 is an upper substrate, and 1 is a substrate.
3 is an upper substrate transparent electrode, 14 is a liquid crystal layer, 15 is a surface-oxidized metal electrode, 16 is a pixel transparent electrode, 17 is a combined metal electrode for connecting the surface of the metal electrode 15 and the pixel transparent electrode 16, and 18 is a lower electrode. A substrate and 19 are lower polarizing plates. The MIM element is formed at the junction between the surface-oxidized metal electrode 15 and the combined metal electrode 17. In many cases, tantalum is used as the material of the metal electrode 15, and gold and nichrome are used as the material of the combined metal electrode 17.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a liquid crystal display device using MIM elements. The numbers in the figure correspond to those in FIG. In the figure, the upper substrate transparent electrode 13 is used as the scanning electrode, and the metal electrode 15 and the pixel transparent electrode 16 are used as the signal electrodes. However, the vertical and horizontal relationships may be reversed, and the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes may be exchanged. It is the same even if you reverse.

Here, the characteristics of this MIM element are, for example, "IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES, VOL.ED".
-28, NO.6, JUNE 1981 ”. The current-voltage characteristics of this MIM element are approximated by the Pool-Frankel equation, and it is difficult to determine a clear threshold value from this current-voltage characteristics at one point.

FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of one pixel, that is, a portion where one scanning electrode and one signal electrode intersect. It comprises an equivalent capacitance (CM) 22 of a non-linear element, an equivalent resistance (RM) 21, a capacitance (CL) 24 of a liquid crystal layer, a resistance (RL) 23, and a wiring resistance (RK) 25 up to a pixel. Of these, RM is non-linear and changes with applied voltage.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the arrangement of electrodes and pixels of the liquid crystal display device of the embodiment. X1, X2, ..., Xi, ...
, Xn -1, Xn are signal electrodes, n is the total number thereof, and i is an arbitrary number. Y1, Y2, ... Yj, ...
Ym -1, Ym are scan electrodes, m is the total number thereof,
j is an arbitrary number. P11, P21, ..., Pij ..., P
n −1, m, Pn and m are each pixel, and the total number is n · m.

FIG. 5A shows a conventional circuit configuration of a portion related to the scan electrode signal. A TV video signal is used as an example of the input signal. The video signal VID is input to a well-known sync separation circuit 41, and the circuit 41 outputs a horizontal sync signal HSP and a vertical sync signal VSP. Signal H
SP is used as a clock signal for the multi-stage shift register 43. The signal SCQ reset by the output of the first stage of this shift register and reset by the signal VSP
Becomes the data input of the multi-stage shift register 43. Each output of the multi-stage shift register defines a selection potential period corresponding to each scan electrode Y1 to Ym. In this conventional example, the output from the second stage onward becomes each control signal of the dual analog switch group 44. When the control signal is "0", the non-selection potential signal NEL becomes the output of the analog switch, that is, the scan electrode signal when the control signal is "1".

The flip-flop 46 uses the inverted signal of the signal VSP as a clock signal and divides it to generate an AC signal A.
Output CS. The signal ACS is a control signal for the dual analog switches 47 and 48, and is a non-selection potential VM of the first field and a non-selection potential V of the second field.
Switch N to output the non-selection potential signal. This is equivalent to the V-5V voltage averaging method, and assuming that the voltage width is 20V, each potential is VE = 0V, VD = 20V, VM = 4V, VN = 1.
It will be about 6V. In a normal television scanning system, the field frequency is 60 Hz and the first field is 262.5.
The book is scanned, and interlaced scanning is performed, and one frame is set in the second field. In this conventional example, one scanning period and one selection period are equivalent, the number of scanning electrodes is 260 or less, and scanning of the upper and lower ends is not used, so about 240 lines are required. Further, two scanning periods may be one selection period, and in that case, the number of scanning electrodes is about 120.

FIG. 5B shows waveforms of main signals. The signals VSP to ASC are binary signals of the control system, and the scan electrode signals Y1 and Yj are VE, VD, VN, and VM.
Is a four-valued signal.

FIG. 6 shows a portion related to the signal electrode signal in the circuit configuration of the embodiment. The oscillator circuit 51 is well known and has a frequency of about 8 MHz to 12 MHz. The frequency dividing circuit 52 performs frequency division from 2 stages to 4 stages, 2 MHz to 6 MH
The z clock signal PSP is output. This is also reset by the inverted signal of the scanning system clock signal HSQ.
The signal set by this signal and reset by the output of the first stage of the multi-stage shift register 53 becomes the data input of the multi-stage shift register 53. The signal PSP becomes the clock signal, and the shift register 53 is sequentially operated at regular intervals.
Is set to "1". Each output individually becomes a control signal for the analog switch 54, and its output becomes each of the signal electrode signals X1 to Xn. Analog switch 54
Input signal is an AC video signal AVO, and X1 to Xn
The signal AVO is sequentially applied to each of them in a short time.

The circuit for forming the signal AVO is shown in the lower left part of FIG. The characteristic of this signal is that there is a negative video signal between the potentials VD and VS, and this is switched by the AC signal ACS. Here, the potentials VS and VF are potentials that completely turn off the selected pixel, and in the previous example, VS =
12V, VF = about 8V. The video signal VID becomes the base input of the transistor 61 via the capacitor, and this becomes the current amplification as it is due to the emitter follower type. This output is properly standardized by a variable resistor and becomes the next input. At this time, by appropriately setting the bias potential of the base input, the synchronizing pulse in the blanking period included in the video signal is suppressed and the image information is mainly extracted. The structure of the transistor 62 is a grounded-emitter type, which is inverted, and a signal amplified between VD and VS is output to the collector. Further, this is current-amplified by the emitter follower type transistor 63 to obtain a negative video signal. On the other hand, the video signal VID is input to the transistor 64 via the capacitor. This is a grounded-emitter type, and the collector output is inverted. This is made by sufficiently applying negative feedback, and the amplification factor is 1 or less, but the collector resistance is made variable and standardized appropriately. The synchronization pulse is suppressed by setting the bias voltage of the base input. Next, the transistor 6
The signal is further reversed by 5 and returned to the positive polarity, and the signal amplified between VF and VE is output to the collector. This is current-amplified by the emitter follower type transistor 66 to obtain a positive polarity video signal. The two systems of video signals thus obtained are input to the dual analog switch 67, switched by the AC signal ACS in synchronization with the scanning system signal, the AC video signal AVO is output, and the analog switch group 54
And input.

Regarding the formation of the AC video signal AVO,
Although a normal transistor configuration is used, an OP amplifier configuration is also a good method in order to improve linearity and band characteristics.

Although this display device has a non-linear element, it is not an active matrix having a latch circuit, but image information is stored by utilizing AD conversion or the like, and a duty ratio of 1/260 is obtained by a normal voltage averaging method. It does not drive. Although it is not an active matrix for arranging switching transistors, it is a completely new method and device for directly writing and displaying an image without storing information. The feasibility of this method will be described as an operating principle. Of course, it has already been fully confirmed experimentally.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation principle as a whole. Since it is the principle, we will explain one arbitrary pixel,
In addition, the first half and the second half of the AC operation are changes in polarity and are equivalent operations, so AC is not particularly considered. FIG. 7A is an equivalent circuit of a pixel to which corresponding image information is about to be written. CM is the capacitance of the non-linear element, RM is its resistance, CL is the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer, RL is its resistance, RK is the wiring resistance, E is the image output potential, and VL is the voltage applied to the liquid crystal phase. The frequency of the write clock signal PSP is 3M
In Hz, the writing time (WT) is about 3 × 10 ^-7 seconds. It is the closing time of the switch in the figure. If there is no charge in CM and CL in the initial stage, the transient phenomenon is solved as follows. However, it was approximated as RK << RM and RL.

[Equation 1]

[Equation 2]

[Equation 3] Examining the order of each constant, CM is 10 ^-13 F, RM
When ON, 10 ^{6 -10 9} Ω, CL is 10 ^-12 F, R
L is 10 ⁹ Ω and RK is 10 ⁴ Ω or less. τ A is 10
^{At -9} seconds or less, τB becomes 10 ^-6 seconds or more. At t = WT, the first term remains and the second term is almost zero. That is, it is as follows.

[Equation 4] Even if the analog switch is turned off, electric charge is stored between the output terminal and the electrode. This is an ordinary CMOS type and has a capacitance of about 5 pF. Writing to the pixels after the writing time is performed by this. This equivalent circuit is shown in FIG. In this case, RK is ignored because it takes a longer time than in (a). Let ST be the remaining selective scanning time in the corresponding pixel. Solving the transient phenomenon after the writing time is as follows. At t = 0, VL = ECM /
(CL + CM) and approximate appropriately.

[Equation 5] In the above equation, τB is the same as before, and τC = CK (RL
+ RM), τ C is 10 ⁻³ or more, and there is almost no charge transfer to the non-selected pixels, so the state at the end of the scanning period is as follows.

[Equation 6] Here, CM / (CL + CM) is 0.1 or less, and R
L / (RL + RM) is almost 1 at the beginning. Therefore, VL increases with time, approaching RL / (RL + RM). However, RM increases as E-VL decreases, and RL / (RL + RM) decreases to a well-balanced value. Let this be α. That is, the maximum value of VL is αE. On the other hand, τB is 10 ^-6 seconds to 10 ^-4
It will be delayed until a second. One scanning period (1H) of a normal video signal is 6.35 × 10 ⁻⁵ seconds, which is close to the order of τ B. For the leftmost pixel, 1H is the scanning time. The scanning time of 0.2H is left for the rightmost pixel, and the selected pixel information of the previous one is mixed for 0.8H, but no practical problem occurs in a normal image. Thus, VL = αE until the next non-selective writing.

FIG. 7C is an equivalent circuit at the time of writing immediately after the non-selection. In this case, RM is 10 ¹⁰ Ω or more, which is treated as infinite as compared with other constants, and is omitted in the figure. EN is a write potential when not selected. At t = 0, V
Solving the transient phenomenon with L = αE and VM = (1-α) E gives the following.

[Equation 7] At t = WT, only the second term remains. After the unselected write time, this second term may be used as the expression for VL. Because the charge on CL flows only through CM, which is much smaller than CL and can be almost ignored. The next write operation at the time of non-selection and the same consideration thereafter will be as follows.

[Equation 8] However, EN 'is a new writing potential. Approximately E
N will be offset. After all, a rough formula is as follows. t is measured from the time of selective writing to the pixel. En (t) is a non-selected write potential in each case, and the RM (E) value is a value settled down at the time of selection.

[Equation 9] If .tau.B is about 1/10 of one field period, RM is about the same as RL, and CM is considerably smaller than CL, sufficient contrast can be obtained and the effect of non-selection can be suppressed.

Further, in the first and second fields, by changing the intermediate potential between the ON and OFF potentials of the data signal, the polarity of the charge stored in the liquid crystal layer is inverted only by the waveform of the scanning signal, as compared with the conventional case. Then, the amplitude of the selection potential of the scanning signal over the first and second fields can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power supply voltage of the liquid crystal drive device and the withstand voltage of the driver circuit.

However, it has been found that there is information leakage of neighboring pixels which was overlooked in the above description. The non-selected potential signal NEL is set so that the average of EN is 0 in the conventional example.
It is recommended that However, with respect to the current non-selected pixel that was selected and written immediately before, the electric potential applied to both ends of the MIM element connected to the non-selected pixel changes because the charge is stored in the liquid crystal layer. It is applied excessively as a bias potential.
A higher reverse voltage is applied to the MIM element of the charged non-selected pixel as compared with the fully discharged non-selected pixel, and RM becomes low, and the charge accumulated in the selected period leaks in the non-selected period. Will end up. If you look at the display device while driving,
The image at the bottom of the screen becomes a phenomenon of pulling the tail upward. It was observed that it occurs over 20 to 40 lines in the 260-line scanning configuration.

Further, referring to FIG. 7, description will be made using specific voltage values. A half cycle, that is, one polarity will be described, but the other half cycles are equivalent if the polarities are changed. The write voltage applied to both ends of each pixel during the selection period is 12V.
The above is, for example, 20 to 12 V, 20 V indicates ON (black in normally white) and 12 V indicates OFF (white in normally white).

It is assumed that black display is written at the time of selective writing in FIG. E = VM + VL = 20V, and as described above, VM is initially high and RM has a low resistance, and charges flow into the liquid crystal layer. At the end of the selective writing in (b), 9V is generated due to the charges flowing into the liquid crystal layer CL.
A voltage of about a certain level is generated. However, an accurate voltage can be obtained by specifically defining the physical characteristics of each element.

When the other scan electrode is selected and the white display is written, (c) is not selected, and EN = VM + VL = -4V is applied to this pixel. However, since VL = 9V, VM = −4V− VL = −
It becomes 13V, and -13V is applied to the non-linear element. The non-linear element is in a semi-conducting state, is easily discharged from the liquid crystal layer, and the black display changes to whitish. That is,
In other words, non-selected information is likely to be mixed.

The present invention remedies this drawback.
The scan electrode signal described in FIG. 5 (b) is improved. That is, the drive signal applied to the scan electrode has a selection potential during the selection period and a different non-selection potential before and after the selection period during the non-selection period. FIG. 8A shows a circuit configuration relating to scan electrode signals according to the embodiment of the present invention. The video signal VID is input to the sync separation circuit 81 and outputs a horizontal sync signal HSP and a vertical sync signal VSP. Signal HSP
Is inputted as a clock signal for the two-stage multi-stage shift registers 82, 83. The signal SCQ reset by the output QYO of the first stage of the shift register 82 and set by the signal VSP becomes the data input of the shift register 82. The output TY of the 21st stage of the shift register 83
Signal S reset by 20 and set by signal VSP
CT becomes the data input of the shift register 83. The respective outputs of the shift register 82 are Y1 to Ym of the respective scanning electrodes.
The selection potential period corresponding to is determined. In each selection period, the selection potential signal SEL is output to each scan electrode through the analog switch 84.

The flip-flop 86 uses the inverted signal of the signal VSP as a clock signal and divides it to generate an AC signal A.
Output CS. The signal ACS is a control signal for the dual analog switches 87, 88, 89,
The selection potential VD of the field and the selection potential VE of the second field are switched, the selection potential signal SEL is output from the analog switch 87, and the non-selection potentials VG and VH are switched, and the second non-selection potential signal HEL is switched to the analog switch 89. Outputs. Where VG is the potential between VD and VM, and VH
Is the potential between VE and VN.

Outputs TY1 to T of the shift register 83
Ym defines the second non-selection period corresponding to each scan electrode. This period is maintained at 20H after the selection period, but this is an example, and it is necessary to design appropriately according to the characteristics of the MIM display element. The potentials VG and VH also need to be set appropriately according to the characteristics of the device. TYj remains "1" during the selection period, but the selection potential SEL is set by the analog switch 84.
Is selected, so there is no problem. After all, as for the output of the analog switch 84, the first non-selection potential signal NEL is output to each scan electrode before the selection period, and the second non-selection potential signal HEL is output after the selection period. V of the second non-selection potential
If G and VH are set so that the potential difference applied to the MIM element of the pixel immediately after the image is written becomes the minimum on average, the image will have an upward tail as described above. The phenomenon can be extinguished or suppressed.

In other words, the non-selection potentials VG and VH are
This is the potential input to the scan electrode during the non-selection period immediately after each selection period of the first and second fields. Then, the potential difference between the non-selection potential VG or VH and the data signal for the current selection pixel is applied to both ends of the current non-selection pixel which is selected and written immediately before. The above current non-selected pixel has a data signal (selection information) in the immediately preceding selection period.
Electric charges are stored in the liquid crystal layer on the basis of. Therefore, due to the difference in the selection information, the charge stored in the liquid crystal layer, that is, the charging voltage of the liquid crystal layer is different, and therefore, the voltage applied to both ends of the MIM element connected to the current non-selected pixel described above. Voltage varies. In the present embodiment, the average voltage applied to the MIM element, which fluctuates according to the voltage charged in the liquid crystal layer of the current non-selected pixel just selected and written, approaches the minimum value. Non-selection potential V
G and VH are set.

In this way, the non-selection potential V immediately after the selection period
By setting G and VH, even when the charge voltage of the liquid crystal layer of the current non-selected pixel is high, a high reverse voltage is not applied to the MIM element unlike the conventional case, and the resistance of the MIM element is reduced. Since RM can maintain a high resistance, the information of the selected pixel will not be written in the current non-selected pixel.

FIG. 8B shows the waveforms of the main signals relating to FIG. 8A. The signals VSP to TY18 are binary signals of the control system and are stepwise analog signals that change between the scan electrode signals Y1, Yj, VE and VD.

The waveform of FIG. 8 (b) is shown in FIG. 5 (b).
This will be described in comparison with the waveform of. The data signal is output from the drive circuit in FIG. 6 regardless of which of the waveforms in each figure is used. Therefore, in the second field of each figure, the data signal changes between VD = 20V and VS = 12V, and VN
= 16V is the intermediate potential of the data signal. In this second field, since the selection potential VE = 0V, the write voltage to the selected pixel is 12V to 20V. Similarly in the first field, the data signal is VE = 0V, VS = 8V
And VM = 4V becomes the intermediate potential of the data signal. Since the selection potential VD in this first field is 20V, the write potential to the selected pixel is -12V to -20.
It becomes V. Thus, the write potential to the selected pixel is 1
MIM with a relatively high threshold voltage of 2V or more
The element can be made to have a low resistance during the selection period, and the liquid crystal layer can be charged with a desired voltage.

The difference between FIG. 8 (b) and FIG. 5 (b) is that the second non-selection potentials VG and VH are set immediately after the selection periods of the first and second fields. .

Therefore, in the case of FIG. 8 (b), as compared with the case of FIG. 5 (b), (VG-
VM), in the second field, the voltage applied to both ends of the currently unselected pixel immediately after the selection period increases by the potential of (VN-VH). In the case of FIG. 5 (b), a phenomenon that a high voltage is applied to both ends of the current non-selected pixel and a high voltage is applied to the MIM element to cause leakage is shown in FIG. 8 (B).
The leak is suppressed by the waveform of.

As the setting of the second non-selection potentials VG and VH, arbitrary VG and VH satisfying VM <VG <VD and VE <VH <VN are set, and the data signal is turned from ON potential to OFF.
The potential is changed to charge the liquid crystal layer, and the voltage applied across the MIM elements of the non-selected pixels in the non-selected period immediately after that is averaged. Similarly, VG and VH may be set variously to obtain an average voltage, and VG and VH when the average voltage approaches the lowest among them may be determined as the second non-selective potential.

Thus, in the present invention, although the MIM element in which it is difficult to set a clear threshold value to one point is used, the non-selection potentials VG and VH immediately after the selection period are applied to the MIM element of the current non-selected pixel. By setting the average voltage to approach the minimum value, the resistance R of the MIM element of the non-selected pixel is set.
It is possible to suppress the leakage of information due to the low resistance of M and display a clear image on the liquid crystal display device. Moreover, the addition of the circuit configuration is relatively simple and has a great effect.

Further, the non-selection potentials VG and V immediately after the selection period
By setting H as described above, the MIM
The drive margin that allows the voltage applied to both ends of the element to be set in the low voltage region is expanded, and the IV characteristic of the MIM element has the temperature dependence as shown in the Pool-Frankel approximation formula. Even if the element characteristics are not uniform, the information leak from the non-selected pixels can be prevented.

As is apparent from the description in FIG. 8B, the ON potential VE of the data signal at the first field VE = 0.
The intermediate potential between V and OFF potential VF = 8V is VN = 4V, and ON potential VD = 20V and OFF in the second field.
The intermediate potential of the potential VS = 12V is VN = 16V, and the intermediate potentials of the data signals in the first and second fields are different from each other. Further, as is clear from the above description, the non-selection potentials VG and VH of the first and second fields shown in FIG. 8B are the same as the selection potentials VD and VE of the corresponding field and the respective fields. Is set to a potential between the ON and OFF potentials of the data signal and the intermediate potentials VM and VN, respectively.

Although FIG. 8 shows an example in which the non-selection potential returns to the potential before the selection period 20H after the selection period,
It is assumed that the charge of the liquid crystal layer has been discharged. If the discharge is not excessive, the potential after the selection period may be maintained.

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention, the information written in the selection period is not lost in the non-selection period, the image quality can be improved, and both ends of the selected pixel are increased in the selection period. Since the write voltage of 12 V or more can be applied, it becomes possible to write the selection information in the liquid crystal layer connected to the MIM element with the MIM element having the threshold value higher than that of the amorphous silicon as the low resistance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a structure of a liquid crystal display device using an MIM element.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the liquid crystal display device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of one pixel.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an arrangement of electrodes and pixels of the liquid crystal display device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

5A and 5B are diagrams showing a circuit configuration and a signal waveform relating to a scan electrode signal in a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration relating to a signal electrode signal of an example.

7 (a), (b) and (c) are diagrams for explaining the operation principle.

FIG. 8A shows a circuit configuration relating to a scan electrode signal of the embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a main signal waveform diagram thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Upper Polarizer 12 Upper Substrate 13 Upper Substrate Transparent Electrode 14 Liquid Crystal Layer 15 Surface Oxidized Metal Electrode 16 Pixel Transparent Electrode 17 Bonding Metal Electrode 18 Lower Substrate 19 Lower Polarizer 21 Nonlinear Element Capacity 22 Its Resistance 23 Liquid Crystal Layer Capacitance 24 Its resistance 25 Wiring resistance X1, ..., Xn Signal electrode Y1, ..., Ym Scan electrode P11, ..., Pnm Pixel

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] September 21, 1993

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Claims]

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0008

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

Further, in general, the scanning signal to the row electrode has a positive selection period and a non-selection period, and a negative polarity selection period and a non-selection period so that positive and negative charges are alternately stored in the liquid crystal layer. Have The potential difference between the scanning signal and the data signal is applied to both ends of the pixel to drive the liquid crystal. A pixel is formed by electrically connecting a nonlinear element and a liquid crystal layer in series between a column electrode and a row electrode. By the way, a non-linear element of this kind is different from a three-terminal switching element such as a TFT in that a current flows as long as a voltage is applied to both ends of the non-linear element. When the charges flow into the layer, the information of the currently selected pixel is written in the currently unselected pixel, which causes a phenomenon that the image is trailed.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0010

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

An object of the present invention is to provide a driving method capable of improving the image quality by preventing the information written in the selected period from disappearing in the non-selected period.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0011

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0011]

Liquid crystal is sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and a plurality of first substrates are provided on one substrate of the pair of substrates.
Electrodes are formed, a plurality of second electrodes are formed on the other substrate of the pair of substrates, and the nonlinear element and the liquid crystal layer are electrically connected between the first electrode and the second electrode. Each of the pixels is configured to have a high voltage in a low voltage region and a low voltage is applied to both ends of the nonlinear element in a high voltage region, and the nonlinear element has a positive polarity in the liquid crystal layer forming each pixel. There is a positive selection period for charging a voltage and a subsequent non-selection period for a positive polarity, and a negative selection period for charging the liquid crystal layer constituting each pixel with a negative voltage and a subsequent negative polarity. In the method for driving a liquid crystal display device having a non-selection period, a scan signal is input to one of the first electrode or the second electrode and a data signal is input to the other electrode, and the data signal configures each pixel. To charge the liquid crystal layer The scanning signal changes according to the pressure, and the scanning signal is set to a selection potential in which the voltage applied to both ends of the non-linear element is the high voltage region in the selection period of the positive polarity and the negative polarity, respectively. Are non-selective potentials showing different potentials in the positive and negative polarity non-selection periods, and each of the non-selective potentials is the non-linear element in the non-selection period immediately after the positive and negative polarity selection periods. Of the voltage applied to both ends of the liquid crystal layer and varying depending on the voltage charged in the liquid crystal layer connected to the nonlinear element is set to a potential that approaches the minimum value. Is characterized by.

[Procedure Amendment 5]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0012

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0012]

The potential difference between the non-selection potential in the non-selection period immediately after the selection period and the data signal for the current selection pixel is provided at both ends of the current non-selection pixel (non-linear element + liquid crystal layer) selected and written just before. Will be applied. The above current non-selected pixel has a data signal (selection information) in the immediately preceding selection period.
Electric charges are stored in the liquid crystal layer on the basis of. Therefore, in the present non-selected pixel, the charge stored in the liquid crystal layer, that is, the charging voltage of the liquid crystal layer is different due to the difference in the selection information written in the immediately previous selection period. Therefore, the voltage applied across the non-linear element connected to the current non-selected pixel changes. In the present invention, the average of the applied voltage to the non-linear element that changes according to the voltage charged in the liquid crystal layer to which the current non-selected pixel that was selected and written immediately before is approached to the minimum, The non-selection potential in the non-selection period immediately after the selection period is set.

[Procedure correction 6]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0013

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

As described above, by setting the non-selection potential immediately after the selection period, even if the charge voltage of the liquid crystal layer of the currently non-selected pixel is high, a high reverse voltage is applied to the nonlinear element as in the conventional case. Since no resistance is applied and the resistance of the non-linear element can maintain a high resistance, the information of the selected pixel will not be written to the current non-selected pixel. In particular, since the current continues to flow in the nonlinear element as long as the voltage is applied across the nonlinear element, the leakage current can be minimized by setting the average voltage applied to the nonlinear element immediately after the selection period to approach the minimum value. Can be stopped. In this way, the non-selection potential immediately after the selection period can be optimally set, and the drive margin for setting the voltage applied to both ends of the nonlinear element in the non-selection period in the low voltage region can be expanded.

[Procedure Amendment 7]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0047

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

Although FIG. 8 shows an example in which the non-selection potential returns to the potential before the selection period 20H after the selection period,
It is assumed that the charge of the liquid crystal layer has been discharged. If the discharge is not excessive, the potential after the selection period may be maintained. Further, it goes without saying that the method of the present invention is not limited to the method using the MIM element of the above-described embodiment, but can be applied to a liquid crystal driving method using various non-linear elements through which a current flows as long as a voltage is applied across the MIM element.

[Procedure Amendment 8]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0048

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention, the non-selection potential immediately after the selection period is set so that the average of the voltages applied to the non-linear elements of the currently non-selected pixels approaches the minimum value. The leakage of information from the currently selected pixel to the currently unselected pixel can be minimized through the non-linear element having the characteristic that the current always flows as long as the voltage is applied to both ends thereof. In this way, by setting the resistance of the non-linear element of the non-selected pixel to a low resistance immediately after the selection period, it is possible to suppress leakage of information and display a clear image on the liquid crystal display device. Moreover, the addition of the circuit configuration is relatively simple and has a great effect. Furthermore, by setting the non-selection potential immediately after the selection period as described above, the drive margin that allows the voltage applied to both ends of the non-linear element during the non-selection period to be set in the low voltage region is expanded.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A liquid crystal is sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of nonlinear elements, and a plurality of pixel electrodes are formed on one substrate of the pair of substrates, A plurality of second electrodes are formed on the other substrate, and the non-linear element, the pixel electrode and the liquid crystal layer are electrically sequentially connected between the first electrode and the second electrode. A pixel is formed, and the nonlinear element is a metal-insulator-metal structure MIM element in which a voltage applied to both ends of the nonlinear element has a high resistance in a low voltage region and a low resistance in a high voltage region. The liquid crystal layer forming each pixel has a positive selection period for charging a positive voltage based on the data signal and a subsequent positive non-selection period in the liquid crystal layer forming each pixel. Charge a negative voltage based on the data signal In a method of driving a liquid crystal display device having a negative selection period and a subsequent negative non-selection period, a scan signal is input to one of the first electrode or the second electrode and a data signal is input to the other. The data signal changes between an ON potential and an OFF potential according to a voltage to be charged in the liquid crystal layer forming each pixel, and the scan signal is changed in the positive polarity and the negative polarity selection periods. Are set to selection potentials in which the voltage applied to both ends of the MIM element is in the high voltage region, and the selection potentials of the selection periods of the positive polarity and the negative polarity and the data signal of the selection period are The write voltage applied to the pixel is set to 12 V or more, which is a potential difference, and the scan signal has different potentials in the non-selection period immediately after the selection period of the positive polarity and the negative polarity. The non-selection potentials shown in FIG. 3 are set and the non-selection potentials are set to potentials between the selection potentials of the corresponding polarities and the intermediate potentials of the ON and OFF potentials of the data signal, respectively, The voltage applied to both ends of the MIM element in each non-selection period immediately after the negative selection period,
A method for driving a liquid crystal display device, characterized in that each of the voltages varying according to the voltage charged in the liquid crystal layer connected to the M element is set in the low voltage region.