KR20050066639A - Thin film transistor array substrate including repair line and repair method using thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a repair wiring structure that can be repaired when a short circuit occurs between a gate line and a data line due to static electricity. The present invention relates to a data line including a plurality of passes in a gate line and a plurality of passes in the plurality of passes. The gate line and the data line are formed to intersect so that even if a short circuit occurs, the short circuit line is removed and a signal can be applied through the remaining lines. The TFT array substrate having the repair line of the above structure can obtain the effect of easily removing the wiring in which the short circuit occurs and repairing the short circuit defect even if a short circuit occurs in the gate line and the data line.

Description

TFT array substrate with repair line and repair method using same {THIN FILM TRANSISTOR ARRAY SUBSTRATE INCLUDING REPAIR LINE AND REPAIR METHOD USING THEREOF}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a thin film transistor array substrate having a repair wiring portion that can be repaired when a gate line and a data line are contacted by static electricity flowing from the outside.

In general, a liquid crystal display device individually supplies a data signal according to image information to unit pixels arranged in a matrix, and adjusts the light transmittance of the unit pixels to display a desired image. It is a display device.

The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel in which unit pixels are arranged in a matrix form, and a driver integrated circuit (IC) for driving the unit pixels.

The liquid crystal display panel is bonded to have a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate and a color filter substrate facing each other to have a predetermined interval (commonly referred to as a cell-gap), and the liquid crystal layer is filled in the spaced intervals. It is formed.

The TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate are bonded by a seal pattern formed along the periphery of the effective image display portion. At this time, a spacer is formed on the TFT array substrate or the color filter substrate to maintain a constant cell gap.

The outer surface of the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate is provided with a polarizing plate and a retardation plate, and by selectively configuring a plurality of such components, by changing the progress of light or by changing the refractive index has a high brightness and contrast characteristics A liquid crystal display device is constructed.

A common electrode and a pixel electrode are formed in the liquid crystal display panel where the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate face each other and are bonded to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer. That is, by controlling the voltage applied to the pixel electrode while the voltage is applied to the common electrode, the light transmittance of the unit pixels can be individually controlled. As such, in order to control the voltage applied to the pixel electrode for each unit pixel, a thin film transistor used as a switching element is formed in each unit pixel.

In particular, in a liquid crystal display device, a TFT array substrate is a place where many processes are concentrated in forming a liquid crystal panel, and has a complicated structure and process compared to other liquid crystal display elements.

Hereinafter, the structure of the TFT array substrate will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the TFT array substrate 100 is divided into a screen display area 110 where an image is implemented and a screen non-display area at the edge of the screen display area.

In the screen display area, a plurality of gate lines 111 and 112 are arranged in parallel to each other, and a plurality of data lines 113 perpendicular to the gate lines are formed. In addition, the pixel area is defined by the intersection of the gate line and the data line.

In the pixel region, a TFT 115 is formed as a switching element in an area where the gate line and the data line cross each other, and the TFT is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 117 in the unit pixel.

The pixel electrodes and the TFTs are formed in unit pixels that form a matrix array and form a matrix array.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 2, an enlarged edge configuration of a liquid crystal display panel in which gate short wirings are formed, the gate lines 111 and 112 and the data lines 113 may be gate pads 121a for applying a signal on a screen non-display area. And 121b and a data pad 123, and ends thereof are connected to gate shorting wirings 125 and 126 and data shorting wirings 127, respectively. Here, the even-numbered gate line 112 is separated from the first gate short-circuit wire 125 by the even line short-circuit 131, and only the odd-numbered gate line 111 is separated from the first gate short-circuit wire 125. It is connected. The even-numbered gate lines 112 are connected to the second gate short wiring 126 to form a single body. The gate short circuit and the data short circuit serve to prevent static electricity that may occur in the process of manufacturing a TFT array substrate, and a short circuit for inspecting whether each unit pixel and a wire is shorted after the TFT array substrate manufacturing process is completed. It serves as a test wiring.

After the short-circuit inspection is completed, the gate short wiring and the data short wiring are removed in the cutting step in a later step.

That is, after the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate are completed and the disconnection inspection of the TFT array substrate is completed, the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate undergo a bonding process. After the bonding, the liquid crystal panel having a plurality of unit liquid crystal panels is separated into a unit liquid crystal panel through a cutting process and fills a liquid crystal in a liquid crystal space formed between the unit liquid crystal panels to complete the liquid crystal panel.

In this case, in the process of cutting a liquid crystal panel including a plurality of unit liquid crystal panels, static electricity may be easily generated, and a short may occur in the gate line and the data line by the static electricity. When the gate line and the data line are short-circuited by static electricity, defects such as point defects or line defects may occur in the liquid crystal panel, thereby making it impossible to use the liquid crystal panel in which all the processes are completed.

In particular, in the cutting process, a short circuit due to static electricity is problematic in a region where the first gate line and the first data line cross each other.

The present invention aims to protect the liquid crystal display elements of the pixel region from static electricity generated in the process of cutting the liquid crystal panel into a unit liquid crystal panel, and includes a TFT array having a repair line capable of repairing even if a short circuit occurs due to static electricity. It is an object to provide a substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, the TFT array substrate of the present invention comprises a plurality of gate lines; A plurality of data lines perpendicular to the gate line; A gate short wiring connected to the gate line; A data short wiring connected to the data line; And a repair line formed between the gate short circuit line and the data line.

In addition, a TFT array substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of gate short-circuit wiring; A plurality of gate line groups respectively connected to the gate short circuit lines; A plurality of data lines perpendicular to the gate line; A data short wiring connected to the data line; And a repair line formed between the gate short circuit line and the data line.

TFT array substrate of the present invention according to another embodiment of the present invention is a gate line having a repair line consisting of a plurality of passes; A data line perpendicular to the gate line and having a repair line composed of a plurality of passes; A gate short wiring connected to the gate line; And a data short wiring connected to the data line.

Hereinafter, a structure of a TFT array substrate including an antistatic repair line according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

A plurality of gate lines 111 and 112 and a plurality of data lines 113 perpendicular to the plurality of gate lines are formed on the TFT array substrate 300 including the antistatic repair line according to the present invention. The gate lines 111 and 112 and the data line 113 cross each other to define a unit pixel region, and the thin film transistor 115 is formed in the unit pixel region as a switching element, and the TFT 115 is formed in the gate line. And a pixel electrode 117 through a drain electrode (not shown) which is a component of the TFT. Therefore, the TFT and the pixel electrode have a matrix arrangement in the screen display section of the TFT array substrate.

The gate lines 111 and 112 are divided into odd-numbered gate lines 111 and even-numbered gate lines 112, respectively, and the odd-numbered gate lines 111 are connected to a first gate line short-circuit wiring 125 and are even-numbered. The gate line 112 is connected to the second gate line short wiring 126. The even-numbered gate line is separated from the first gate short-circuit line by an even line short-circuit 131.

The first gate short wiring 125 and the second gate short wiring 126 remove static electricity that may be generated in the process of forming the TFT array substrate. The TFT array process includes a plurality of thin film forming processes, and static electricity may be generated due to the potential difference between the wirings during the process. In order to prevent the static electricity, the gate line and the data line are equipotential during the process of forming the gate line and the data line to suppress the generation of static electricity. The first and second gate line short-circuit lines serve to connect the gate lines and the data lines with each other to make the equipotential.

The gate line short-circuit wiring is also used as an inspection line for inspecting disconnection of the TFT array substrate after the TFT array substrate is completed.

Referring to the process of short-circuit inspection through the first and second gate short-circuit lines, after a gate line and a data line are completed, a gate voltage is applied through the first gate short-circuit line 125 to which odd-numbered gate lines are connected. do. After a gate voltage is applied, a data voltage is applied through the data line. As a result, the voltage is normally applied to the unit pixel without short circuit or disconnection failure, but the voltage is not applied to the unit pixel with disconnection or short circuit. By checking whether voltage is applied to the unit pixel, a short circuit is confirmed.

After the wiring short-circuit inspection by the first gate short-circuit is completed, a gate voltage is applied through the second gate short-circuit and a data voltage is applied to check whether the even-numbered gate line is short-circuited.

As described above, the reason for dividing the first gate short wiring and the second gate short wiring is that when a short circuit inspection is performed by connecting the entire gate line with one gate short wiring, a predetermined gate line may be adjacent even if a short occurs. Since a voltage may be applied through the gate line, and in this case, it may not be possible to determine whether a short circuit occurs, the voltage is divided into odd lines and even lines.

The data line 113 is connected to one data short wiring 127. The data short wiring 127 may also be configured of a plurality of short circuit wirings in the same manner as the gate short wirings 125 and 126.

After the disconnection inspection of the TFT array substrate is finished, the color filter substrate formed through a separate process from the TFT array substrate is bonded and the cutting process is performed.

In the cutting process, the gate short wirings 125 and 126 and the data short wirings 127 are cut and removed.

At this time, the cutting line for cutting the TFT array substrate is between the gate short wirings 125 and 126 and the gate pad 121 and between the data short wiring 127 and the data pad 123.

The cutting process is a process of forming a crack on a substrate by a hard scribe wheel or scribe knife made of cemented carbide or diamond, and cutting the panel through a breaking process. Happens a lot. In particular, the static electricity may cause an insulation breakdown in which the insulating layer between the gate line and the data line is destroyed at the first crossing area 320 where the gate lines 111 and 112 and the first data line 113 close to the scribe line intersect. do. Due to the insulation breakdown, the gate line and the data line may be shorted and cause pixel defects.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the gate pads 121a and 121b are disposed between the gate pads 121a and 121b and the first intersecting region 320 in order to prevent dielectric breakdown at the first crossing area of the gate lines 111 and 112 and the first data line 113. A gate line is branched into a plurality of paths and intersects a data line branched into a plurality of paths on the branched gate line.

The plurality of branched gate lines and data lines facilitate repairing and repairing defective pixels when disconnection failure occurs due to static electricity.

In an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, a gate line branches into two gate lines and a repair line 330 overlapping the branched gate line is branched from the first data line 113a. To illustrate. The repair line 330 branching from the two gate lines 340a and 340b and the first data line 113a is called a repair line because it serves to recover a pixel damaged by static electricity generation.

Therefore, the gate line of the present invention has a first repair line 340a and a second repair line 340b between the gate pads 121a and 121b and the first data line 113a and the first repair line 340a. And the second repair line 340b intersect the third repair line 330 branching from the first data line 113a.

A process of repairing a pixel damaged by static electricity by a repair line having the above structure will be described.

The static electricity generated in the process of cutting the TFT array substrate by the scribe wheel, or the static electricity generated by external contact of the substrate proceeds along the gate line, and the first cross where the gate line and the first data line cross each other. Breakdown occurs mainly in the intersecting areas.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the gate line formed between the gate pads 121a and 121b and the first data line 113a is branched into the first repair line 340a and the second repair line 340b and the first data line ( The third repair line 330 branching from 113a is overlapped with the first repair line and the second repair line.

The first and second repair lines 340a and 340b and the third repair line 330 are insulated by a gate insulating layer. When static electricity generated from the outside enters through the gate line, the first and second repair lines 340a and 340a, Insulation breakdown occurs in a region where 340b) and the third repair line 330 overlap each other.

If breakdown occurs in one place, the electrostatic energy decreases rapidly, and the likelihood of breakdown by static electricity in other places decreases.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the third repair line 330 overlaps the first and second repair lines 340a and 340b, respectively, so that breakdown may occur at one place.

When the gate line and the data line are shorted by the dielectric breakdown, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the third repair line cut region 310 is cut by a laser or the like. When the repair line cut region 310 is cut, a signal may be applied through a spare repair line in which a short circuit does not occur, and the first crossing region 320 of the gate line and the first data line may be protected. .

3 illustrates a gate line branched into two repair lines as an embodiment of the present invention, but the repair line of the present invention is not limited to branching into two strands. When a plurality of overlap regions are formed by having a plurality of repair lines and a repair line branching to the first data line, a region shorted by static electricity can be dispersed, which can be efficient for repair.

The present invention is not limited to the case of having two gate short wirings as shown in FIG. The gate short wiring may form a single short wiring according to a model, and may have a structure in which all gate lines are connected. In this case, the repair line of the present invention may be formed between the gate pad and the first data line.

4 and 5, a structure in which a gate line and a first data line form a repair line at a first crossing area between the gate line and the data line will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, a TFT array substrate including a short circuit repair line by static electricity according to another embodiment of the present invention has a structure substantially the same as that of the above embodiment.

However, there is a difference in the structure of the repair line formed at the intersection of the gate lines 111 and 112 and the first data line 113a.

Referring to Figure 5 looks at the structure of a repair line according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of region B of FIG. 4, which is an intersection area where a gate line and a first data line cross each other, and the gate line 111 is branched into a plurality of repair lines 340a and 340b and the first data line ( 113 is also branched into a plurality of repair lines 330a and 330b.

The repair lines are formed to overlap each other in the region where the gate line and the first data line cross each other.

When static electricity generated from the outside enters through the gate line 111, an insulation breakdown occurs at an intersection of the first repair line 340a and the third data line 330a branching from the first data line, or the second Insulation breakdown may occur in a region where the repair line 340b and the fourth repair line 330b cross each other.

As shown in FIG. 5, when a short circuit occurs in the intersection area S between the first repair line 340a and the third repair line 330a, the E and F areas of the first repair line may be formed by using a laser or the like. Cutting to remove shorted gate lines and data lines.

In the above embodiment, the gate line and the data line each branch into a plurality of repair lines in the first crossing region and include a plurality of crossing regions. Only when insulation breakdown occurs due to static electricity entering through the gate line. In addition, there is an advantage in that short-circuit defects can be effectively repaired even when insulation breakdown occurs due to static electricity flowing through the data line.

That is, if a short circuit occurs in the short region S of FIG. 5 due to the static electricity flowing through the data line, the defective pixel may be repaired by cutting the cut regions of G and H of FIG. 5.

As described above, when static electricity is generated in the intersection area of the gate line and the first data line of the TFT array substrate, the gate line and the first data line are branched into a plurality of repair lines to repair defective pixels, respectively. If the breakdown occurs by forming a rep, the repair line in which the breakdown occurs may be cut, and a signal may be applied through another spare repair line, thereby effectively repairing a pixel in which a failure has occurred due to the breakdown.

In particular, this process effectively repairs a panel that can be used after various processes due to the attic failure if defects occur in the final stage after the TFT array substrate manufacturing process and the color filter substrate manufacturing process are completed. Can contribute to reducing defective panels.

1 is a plan view schematically showing the structure of a TFT array substrate of a liquid crystal display device;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a gate short wiring portion of the TFT array substrate of FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a plan view of a TFT array substrate having a repair line of the present invention.

4 is a plan view of a TFT array substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5 is an enlarged plan view of region B of FIG. 4;

***** Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing *****

111,112: gate line 113: data line

113a: first gate line 121: gate pad

123: data pad 131: even line short circuit

125,126: gate short wiring 127: data short wiring

340a, 340b, 330: Repair line 310: Cut area

320: first intersection region

Claims (18)

A plurality of gate lines; A plurality of data lines perpendicular to the gate line; A gate short wiring connected to the gate line; A data short wiring connected to the data line; And a repair line formed between the gate short wiring and the data line. The TFT array substrate of claim 1, wherein the repair line is branched from the gate line. The TFT array substrate according to claim 1, wherein a gate pad is further formed between the gate line wiring and the data line. The TFT array substrate according to claim 1, wherein the repair line is formed for each gate line. The TFT array substrate of claim 1, wherein the repair line has a plurality of passes. The TFT array substrate of claim 1, wherein the data line further comprises a repair line. The TFT array substrate of claim 6, wherein the repair line has a plurality of passes. The TFT array substrate of claim 1, wherein the repair line is formed between a first crossing area where the gate line intersects the gate line and the first data line. A plurality of gate short wirings; A plurality of gate line groups respectively connected to the gate short circuit lines; A plurality of data lines perpendicular to the gate line; A data short wiring connected to the data line; And a repair line formed between the gate short wiring and the data line. The TFT array substrate of claim 9, wherein the repair line is branched from the gate line. The TFT array substrate according to claim 9, wherein the repair line has a plurality of passes. 10. The TFT array substrate of claim 9, wherein the data line further comprises a repair line. 13. The TFT array substrate according to claim 12, wherein the repair line formed by branching from the data line intersects with the repair line formed by branching from the gate line in a plurality of regions. A gate line having a repair line composed of a plurality of passes; A data line perpendicular to the gate line and having a repair line composed of a plurality of passes; A gate short wiring connected to the gate line; And a data short wiring connected to the data line. 15. The TFT array substrate according to claim 14, wherein the repair line is formed in a first crossing area where the gate line and the data line cross each other. 16. The TFT array substrate according to claim 15, wherein the repair line formed on the gate line and the repair line formed on the data line intersect at the first crossing area. A step of cutting the repair line where the short circuit occurs when a gate line having a plurality of repair line forming portions and a data line having a plurality of repair line forming portions intersecting with the plurality of repair line forming portions are short-circuited. TFT array substrate repair method. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cutting step is a step of cutting with a laser.