KR20060079696A - Thin film transistor array panel and method for repairing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

In a repairing method of a thin film transistor array panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a gate line including an auxiliary gate line extending in parallel, and including a first portion and a second portion extending in parallel with each other, A common electrode line including at least one common electrode to be connected, a gate line and a data line insulated from and intersecting with the common electrode line, a drain electrode separated from the data line, and connected to the drain electrode and alternately arranged in parallel with the common electrode In the thin film transistor array panel including at least one pixel electrode and a pixel electrode line having a protrusion connecting the plurality of pixel electrodes in common and overlapping the auxiliary gate line, first, a shorting of two portions where the common electrode line and the data line cross each other is performed. One common connecting two shorted parts and two shorted parts Disconnect the pole from the common electrode.

Thin film transistor, horizontal electric field, short circuit, disconnection, common electrode, pixel electrode

Description

Thin film transistor array panel and method for repair thereof {Thin film transistor array panel and method for repairing the same}

1 is a layout view of a thin film transistor array panel for a liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the thin film transistor array panel of FIG. 1 taken along lines II-II 'and III-III',

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thin film transistor array panel and a repair method thereof, and more particularly, to a thin film transistor array panel used as a substrate of a liquid crystal display device and a manufacturing method thereof.

The liquid crystal display is one of the most widely used flat panel display devices. The liquid crystal display includes two display panels on which field generating electrodes such as a pixel electrode and a common electrode are formed, and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. Is applied to generate an electric field in the liquid crystal layer, thereby determining the orientation of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer and controlling the polarization of incident light to display an image.                         

Among the liquid crystal display devices, a liquid crystal display device having a structure in which a plurality of pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix form on one display panel and one common electrode covering the entire surface of the display panel on the other display panel has been mainstream. In-plane switching mode (IPS) liquid crystal displays are being developed to form and drive liquid crystal molecules. Such horizontal field type liquid crystal display devices are known to be advantageous in implementing a wide viewing angle.

The display of an image in such a liquid crystal display is performed by applying a separate voltage to each pixel electrode. To this end, a thin film transistor, which is a three-terminal element for switching a voltage applied to a pixel electrode, is connected to each pixel electrode, and a gate line for transmitting a signal for controlling the thin film transistor and a data line for transmitting a voltage to be applied to the pixel electrode are provided. Install on the display panel. In this case, in the male electric field type, the pixel electrode is linear, and the common electrode is also linear to face the pixel electrode and be installed on the same display panel.

One of the causes of the increase in manufacturing cost in the process of manufacturing such a liquid crystal display is a signal defect caused by a pixel defect, which is caused by disconnection or short circuit of the signal line. It should be possible.

The present invention provides a thin film transistor array panel and a repair method thereof capable of easily repairing defects in order to solve such a problem.

In the present invention for achieving the above object, the common electrode line and the gate line are arranged in double to use to repair the disconnected data line.

A thin film transistor array panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a gate line including an auxiliary gate line extending side by side, parallel to each other, and insulated from and cross the common electrode line, the gate line, and the common electrode line including one or more common electrodes. One or more pixel electrodes connected to the data line, the drain electrode separated from the data line, and the drain electrode, and alternately arranged in parallel with the common electrode, and a protrusion that connects the plurality of pixel electrodes in common and overlaps the auxiliary gate line. It includes a pixel electrode line having.

The common electrode line extends in parallel and parallel to each other in a pair, and the common electrode preferably connects the pair of common electrode lines to each other.

Preferably, the pixel electrode line includes a first portion and a second portion overlapping each of the pair of common electrode lines, the first portion is connected to the drain electrode, and the second portion is connected to the protrusion. The line is preferably disposed adjacent to the common electrode line overlapping the second portion.

In a repairing method of a thin film transistor array panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a gate line including an auxiliary gate line extending in parallel, and including a first portion and a second portion extending in parallel with each other, A common electrode line including at least one common electrode to be connected, a gate line and a data line insulated from and intersecting with the common electrode line, a drain electrode separated from the data line, and connected to the drain electrode and alternately arranged in parallel with the common electrode In the thin film transistor array panel including at least one pixel electrode and a pixel electrode line having a protrusion connecting the plurality of pixel electrodes in common and overlapping the auxiliary gate line, first, a shorting of two portions where the common electrode line and the data line cross each other is performed. One common connecting two shorted parts and two shorted parts The electrode is separated from the common electrode line.

At this time, the pixel electrode line and the drain electrode which are disposed on both of the two shorted parts are separated, and the pixel electrode line and the common electrode line which are arranged on both of the shorted two parts are shorted, the auxiliary gate line and the protrusion part are shorted, and the gate line It is preferable to disconnect a part of the auxiliary gate line short-circuited from the projection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. Like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the specification. When a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be "on" another part, this includes not only the other part being "right over" but also another part in the middle. On the contrary, when a part is "just above" another part, there is no other part in the middle.                     

First, a structure of a thin film transistor array panel for a liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a layout view of a thin film transistor array panel for a liquid crystal display according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are cut along the lines II-II 'and III-III' of FIG. It is sectional drawing.

1 and 2, a plurality of common electrode lines 131a and 131b paired with a plurality of gate lines 121 are formed on the insulating substrate 110.

The gate line 121 mainly includes an auxiliary gate line 122 extending in the horizontal direction and separated from each other, extending in the horizontal direction, and connected through the gate connection part 123, and transmitting a gate signal. Each gate line 121 has a plurality of protrusions forming a plurality of gate electrodes 124. Each of the gate lines 121 may have an end portion having a large area for connecting another layer or an external device.

Each pair of common electrode lines 131a and 131b mainly extends in the horizontal direction, and is disposed between the gate lines 121 and the gate lines 121 that are adjacent to each other, and are disposed adjacent to the gate lines 121. It is. The pair of common electrode lines 131a and 131b mainly extend in the vertical direction, and include a plurality of common electrodes 133 and 134 electrically connecting the common electrode lines 131a and 131b to each other. The common electrode 134 has a wider width than the remaining common electrode 133, but may not be. The common electrode lines 131a and 131b deliver a reference voltage such as a common voltage.

The gate line 121 and the common electrode lines 131a and 131b are metals of low resistivity, for example, aluminum-based metals such as aluminum (Al) and aluminum alloys, and silver-based metals such as silver (Ag) and silver alloys. , Copper (Cu) or a copper alloy may be formed of a copper-based conductive film, in addition to such a conductive film may include another conductive film. Other conductive films are, in particular, materials having excellent physical, chemical and electrical contact properties with indium tin oxide (ITO) and indium zinc oxide (IZO), such as chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), molybdenum alloys, tantalum (Ta), or Titanium (Ti) or the like. Good examples of such a combination of conductive films include molybdenum or molybdenum tungsten alloys or chromium / aluminum-neodymium alloys.

Side surfaces of the gate line 121 and the common electrode lines 131a and 131b are inclined with respect to the surface of the substrate 110, and the inclination angle is preferably about 30-80 °.

A gate insulating layer 140 made of silicon nitride (SiNx) is formed on the gate line 121 and the common electrode lines 131a and 131b.

A plurality of semiconductors 154 made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si), polycrystalline silicon, or the like are formed on the gate insulating layer 140. Each of the semiconductors 154 mainly extends in the vertical direction and extends over the common electrode lines 131a and 131b, from which a plurality of protrusions extend toward the gate electrode 124.                     

On the semiconductor layers 151 and 154, a plurality of island-like ohmic contacts 163 and 165 made of a material such as n + hydrogenated amorphous silicon doped with silicide or n-type impurities at a high concentration are formed. It is. The islands of ohmic contact 163 and 165 are disposed on the semiconductor 154 in pairs facing each other with respect to the gate electrode 124.

Side surfaces of the semiconductor 154 and the ohmic contacts 163 and 165 are also inclined with respect to the surface of the substrate 110, and the inclination angle is preferably 30-80 °.

A plurality of date lines 171, a drain electrode 175, and a plurality of pixel electrodes 177a and 177b are formed on the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 and the gate insulating layer 140, respectively.

The data line 171 mainly extends in the vertical direction and crosses the gate line 121 and the common electrode lines 131a and 131b and transmits a data voltage. Each data line 171 preferably has a wide end portion for contact with another layer or an external device.

Each drain electrode 175 is separated from the data line 171 on the gate electrode 124. Each of the data lines 171 includes a plurality of protrusions disposed above the gate electrode 124, and the protrusions form a source electrode 173 partially surrounding one end of the drain electrode 175. One gate electrode 124, one source electrode 173, and one drain electrode 175 together with the semiconductor 154 form one thin film transistor (TFT), and a channel of the thin film transistor. ) Is formed in the semiconductor 154 between the source electrode 173 and the drain electrode 175.

The pixel electrodes 177a and 177b are disposed in an area surrounded by the gate line 121 and the data line 171, and are parallel to the common electrodes 133 and 134 and alternately disposed with the common electrodes 133 and 134. Each of the pixel electrodes 177a and 177b overlaps the pair of common electrode lines 131a and 131b, and is connected through the pixel electrode lines 176a and 176b connected to the drain electrode 175. The pixel electrode line 176b adjacent to the auxiliary gate line 122 has a protrusion 178 that passes through the auxiliary gate line 122 and overlaps the gate connection part 123, and faces the pixel electrode line adjacent to the gate line 121. 176a is connected to the drain electrode 175.

The pixel electrodes 177a and 177b are physically and electrically connected to the drain electrode 175 to receive a data voltage from the drain electrode 175. The pixel electrodes 177a and 177b to which the data voltage is applied rearrange the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer by generating an electric field together with the common electrodes 133 and 134.

The pixel electrodes 177a and 177b and the common electrodes 133 and 134 form capacitors (hereinafter referred to as "liquid crystal capacitors") to maintain the applied voltage even after the thin film transistor is turned off. Another capacitor connected in parallel with the liquid crystal capacitor is placed to reinforce the voltage, which is called a "storage electrode". The storage capacitor is made by overlapping the pixel electrode lines 176a and 176b with the common electrode lines 131a and 131b.

The data line 171, the drain electrode 175, and the pixel electrodes 177a and 177b may be aluminum-based, such as aluminum (Al) or an aluminum alloy, or chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), or molybdenum (Mo). And alloys thereof (eg, molybdenum-tungsten (MoW) alloys). The side surfaces of these 171, 173, 177a, and 177b are also inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the substrate.

Although not shown, the planarization characteristics are excellent and photosensitivity is provided on the data line 171, the drain electrode 175, and the pixel electrodes 177a and 177b and the portions of the semiconductor 151 that are not covered by them. Organic matter, low dielectric constant insulating materials such as a-Si: C: O and a-Si: O: F formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), or inorganic materials such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide A passivation layer 180 is formed. The passivation layer (not shown) may have a double layer structure of the lower inorganic layer and the upper organic layer so that the channel portion of the semiconductor 151 does not directly contact the organic material.

In addition, the passivation layer 180 may have a contact hole exposing one end of the data line 171 and the gate line 121, and the ends of the gate line 121 and the data line 171 to which the driving circuit is connected. The portion preferably includes a contact auxiliary member of ITO or IZO, and an auxiliary signal line connected to the data line 171 or the gate line 121 may be added to the same layer as the contact auxiliary member.

In the repairing method of the thin film transistor array panel according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when disconnection occurs in the portion O of the data line 171, the data line 171 is disposed up and down around the disconnected portion O. The laser beams are irradiated to the portions S1 and S2 where the and common electrode lines 131a and 131b cross each other to short the data line 171 and the common electrode lines 131a and 131b. The common electrode lines 131a and 131b short-circuited to the data line 171 by irradiating a laser to portions P11, P12, P21 and P22 of both common electrode lines 131a and 131b of each of the two shorted portions S1 and S2. A part of) is separated from the common electrode lines 131a and 131b. At this time, the portions P11 and P21 irradiated with the laser are directed to the data line 171 so that the signal transmitted to the disconnected data line 171 can be diverted through the common electrode 134 adjacent to the data line 171. It is located at least outside the portion where the common electrode 134 is connected, and is located in the same direction with respect to the data line 171. As such, when the disconnected data line 171 is repaired, the data signal transmitted through the disconnected data line 171 is bypassed through the common electrode 134 shorted to the data line 171 and transferred to the corresponding pixel. do.

However, each of the common electrode lines 131a and 131b of both of the disconnected data lines 171 is disconnected from each other, and in order to connect them to each other, first, a part of the drain electrode 175 positioned on both sides of the repaired data line 171 ( Lasers are irradiated to P13 and P14 to separate the pixel electrode lines 176a from the drain electrodes 175, respectively. Subsequently, lasers are irradiated to the remaining pixel electrode lines 176b positioned on both sides of the repaired data line 171 and portions S3 and S4 of the common electrode line 131b overlapping the shortened circuits, 176b and 131b. The laser is irradiated to the protruding portion 178 of the pixel electrode line 176b adjacent to each of the shorted portions S3 and S4 and the portions S5 and S6 of the gate connection portion 123 overlapping each other. Then, the common voltage transmitted through the common electrode lines 131a and 131b is bypassed through a part of the auxiliary gate line 122 that intersects the repaired data line 171. In this case, in order to prevent the common voltage from being transferred to the gate line 121, the auxiliary gate line 122 adjacent to the portions S5 and S6 of which the protrusion 178 and the gate connection part 123 of the pixel electrode line 176b are short-circuited. A portion of the connection portions 123 P31, 32, P41 and 42 is irradiated with a laser to separate the gate connection portion 123 from which the protrusion 178 of the pixel electrode line 176b is shorted from the gate line 121.

In the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the signal transmitted through the disconnected data line is bypassed by using a part of the common electrode line and the auxiliary gate line, thereby easily repairing the disconnected data line.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present invention defined in the following claims are also provided. It belongs to the scope of rights.

Claims (7)

A gate line including an auxiliary gate line extending side by side, A common electrode line extending in parallel to each other and including one or more common electrodes, A data line insulated from and intersecting the gate line and the common electrode line, A drain electrode separated from the data line, At least one pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode and alternately disposed in parallel with the common electrode, and A pixel electrode line connecting the plurality of pixel electrodes in common and having a protrusion overlapping the auxiliary gate line; Thin film transistor array panel comprising a. In claim 1, The common electrode line extends in parallel and parallel to each other in a pair, the common electrode is a thin film transistor array panel connecting the common electrode line formed in pairs. In claim 2, The pixel electrode line includes a first portion and a second portion overlapping each of the pair of common electrode lines. In claim 3, The first portion is connected to the drain electrode, and the second portion is connected to the protrusion. In claim 4, The auxiliary gate line is disposed adjacent to the common electrode line overlapping the second portion. A gate line including an auxiliary gate line extending side by side, a common electrode line including at least one common electrode including a first portion and a second portion extending in parallel to each other and connecting the first portion and the second portion, the gate A data line insulated from and intersecting the line and the common electrode line, a drain electrode separated from the data line, one or more pixel electrodes connected to the drain electrode and alternately arranged in parallel with the common electrode, and a plurality of pixel electrodes A thin film transistor array panel comprising: a pixel electrode line having a protrusion connected to the common gate and overlapping the auxiliary gate line; Shorting two portions where the common electrode line and the data line cross each other; Separating one common electrode connecting the two shorted portions and the two shorted portions from the common electrode line Repair method of the thin film transistor array panel comprising a. In claim 6, Separating the pixel electrode line and the drain electrode disposed on both of the shorted two portions, Shorting the pixel electrode line and the common electrode line which are disposed on both sides of the shorted two parts; Shorting the auxiliary gate line and the protrusion part; Disconnecting a part of the auxiliary gate line shorted to the protrusion from the gate line; Repair method of a thin film transistor array panel further comprising.

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