US RE38,292 E1 · Method to prevent static destruction of an active element comprised in a liquid crystal display device

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device which utilizes an active matrix substrate and its substrate, and which is provided with a novel method of manufacture which can reduce the manufacturing process of amorphous silicon thin film transistors of reverse stagger construction, and an electrostatic protection means which is created using this method of manufacture. In a thin film transistor manufacturing process, along with forming an aperture for connecting the contact hole and the external terminal in a manufacturing process for a thin film transistor, utilization is made of ITO film as the wiring. The electrostatic protection means is formed from a bi-directional diode (electrostatic protection element) which is composed utilizing an MOS transistor connected between the electrode (PAD) for connecting the external terminal, and the joint electric potential line. The electrostatic protection element is substantially a transistor, with great current capacity, and utilizing the TFT formation process of pixel components in their existent state, the process can be formed without any complications.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a thin film element comprising the steps of:

(A) forming a gate electrode layer, and a gate electrode material layer on a substrate having the same material as the gate electrode layer;
(B) forming a gate insulation film on said gate electrode layer and gate electrode material layer;
(C) forming a channel layer and an ohmic contact layer on said gate insulation film that overlaps horizontally with said gate electrode layer;
(D) forming a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer that are connected to said ohmic contact layer;
(E) removing said ohmic contact layer from a region between said source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer by etching;
(F) forming a protective film for covering said source electrode layer said drain electrode layer and said gate electrode material layer;
(G) forming a first aperture wherein a part of said gate insulation film and the overlapping layer of the protective film and said gate electrode material layer are selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of one of the gate electrode layer and the gate electrode material layer and at the same times, forming a second aperture wherein a portion of the protective film on the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer are selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of one of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer;
and
(H) connecting an electrically conductive material layer through said first aperture and said second aperture to at least one of the gate electrode layer, the gate electrode material layer, the source electrode layer, and/or the drain electrode layer.

6 more elements

An active matrix substrate comprising:

a thin film transistor (TFT) connected to a scanning line, a signal line arranged in a matrix state, and a pixel electrode to compose pixel components;
protective means for preventing static electricity destruction using thin film transistors established between at least one of said scanning line and said signal line, or a region electrically equivalent to the at least one of said scanning line and said signal line, and a common electric potential region, said protective means for preventing electrostatic destruction includes a diode wherein a gate electrode layer in the thin film transistor and a source/drain electrode layer are connected;
and
a first aperture formed by selectively removing an insulation layer on said gate electrode layer and a second aperture formed in a same manufacturing process by selectively removing an insulating layer on said source/drain electrode layer, said gate electrode layer and said source/drain electrode layer electrically connected via said first aperture and said second aperture by an electrically conductive material layer composed of the same material as said pixel electrode.

1 more element

A method of manufacturing an active matrix substrate comprising the steps of:

(A) forming a gate electrode layer, and a gate electrode material layer on a substrate having the same material as the gate electrode layer;
(B) forming a gate insulation film on said gate electrode layer and gate electrode material layer;
(C) forming a channel layer having a gate electrode layer as a plane surface on the gate insulation film;
(D) forming a source/drain electrode layer connected to an ohmic contact layer and for forming a source/drain electrode material layer from the same material as the source/drain electrode layer in a predetermined region on said insulation film;
(E) forming a protective film for covering said source electrode layer, said drain electrode layer and said gate electrode material layer;
(F) forming a first aperture wherein a part of said gate insulation film and the overlapping layer of the protective film on the gate electrode layer and said gate electrode material layer are selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of one of the gate electrode layer and the gate electrode material layer and at the same times, forming a second aperture wherein a portion of the protective film on the source/drain electrode layer and source/drain electrode material layer are selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of one of the source/drain electrode layer and the source/drain electrode material layer;
and
(G) connecting an electrically conductive material layer to at least one of the gate electrode layer, the gate electrode material layer, the source/drain electrode layer and the source/drain electrode material layer through said first aperture and said second aperture.

5 more elements

A method of manufacturing a thin film element, comprising the steps of:

(A) forming a pixel gate electrode layer and a protective element gate electrode layer, which is formed of substantially the same material as said pixel gate electrode layer, above a substrate;
(B) forming a gate insulation film, a channel layer and an ohmic contact layer on said pixel gate electrode layer and said protective element gate electrode layer;
(C) forming a pixel source electrode layer, a pixel drain electrode layer, a protective element source electrode layer and a protective element drain electrode layer that are connected to said ohmic contact layer;
(D) removing said ohmic contact layer from a region between said pixel source electrode layer and said pixel drain electrode layer and from a region between said protective element source electrode layer and said protective element drain electrode layer by etching;
(E) forming a protective film for covering said pixel source electrode layer, said pixel drain electrode layer, said protective element source electrode layer and said protective element drain electrode layer;
(F) forming a first aperture wherein a part of said protective film on said pixel source electrode layer and said pixel drain electrode layer is selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of at least one of said pixel source electrode layer and said pixel drain electrode layer, and substantially simultaneously, forming a second aperture wherein a part of protective film on said protective element source electrode layer, said protective element drain electrode layer and said protective element gate electrode layer is selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of at least one of said protective element source electrode layer, said protective element drain electrode layer and said protective element gate electrode layer;
and
(G) forming an electrically conductive material layer on at least one of said first aperture and said second aperture.

5 more elements

A method of manufacturing an active matrix substrate, comprising the steps of:

(A) forming a pixel gate electrode layer and a protective element gate electrode layer, which is formed of substantially the same material as said pixel gate electrode layer, above a substrate;
(B) forming a gate insulation film on said pixel gate electrode layer and said protective element gate electrode material layer;
(C) forming a channel layer such that the gate insulation film is disposed between the channel layer and said pixel gate electrode layer, the gate insulation film also being disposed between the channel layer and said protective element gate electrode layer;
(D) forming a pixel source electrode layer, a pixel drain electrode layer, a protective element source electrode layer and a protective element drain electrode layer that are electrically connected to said channel layer;
(E) forming a protective film for covering said pixel source electrode layer, said pixel drain electrode layer, said protective element source electrode layer and said protective element drain electrode layer;
(F) forming a first aperture wherein a part of said protective film on said pixel source electrode layer and said pixel drain electrode layer is selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of at least one of said pixel source electrode layer and said pixel drain electrode layer, and substantially simultaneously, forming a second aperture wherein a part of protective film on said protective element source electrode layer, said protective element drain electrode layer and said protective element gate electrode layer is selectively etched for exposing a portion of a surface of at least one of the protective element source electrode layer, said protective element drain electrode layer and said protective element gate electrode layer;
and
(G) forming an electrically conductive material layer on at least one of said first aperture and said second aperture.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method to prevent static destruction of an active element comprised in a liquid crystal display device

Life of this patent

Method to prevent static destruction of an active element comprised in a liquid crystal display device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33