Redundant conductor structures for thin film FET driven liquid crystal displays

Abstract

Redundancy is provided in the data and gate lines of the liquid crystal display device for improved reliability and greater fabrication yield. The data lines in particular are preferably fabricated in a multilayer structure with two conductive layers sandwiching a narrow insulating strip. The presence of the insulating strip permits the upper conductive line to be formed without step jumps which can exhibit a tendency for poor electrical connection. The upper and lower conductive layers of the data line are in contact for the length of the lower data line, contact being made on either side of the narrower insulating strip. Similar redundancy, without the necessity of providing an intermediary insulating layer is also provided for the gate lines. The redundancy provided in the present invention is particularly suitable for fabrication methods employed in thin film FET driven LCD devices.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A liquid crystal display comprising: a pair of flat substrates, at least one of which is transparent;   a quantity of liquid crystal material disposed and contained between said substrates;   an array of pixel electrodes disposed on at least one of said substrates;   at least one ground plane electrode disposed on the other one of said substrates, so that liquid crystal material is disposed between said pixel electrodes and any of said ground plane electrodes, with at least one of said ground electrodes and said array of pixel electrodes being transparent;   an array of thin film field effect transistor switch elements associated with said pixel electrodes;   a set of electrically conductive data lines, said data lines having a multilayer structure including an insulative layer, said multilayer structure extending for at least a portion of the length of said data lines, with at least two of these layers comprising conductive material disposed above and below said insulative layer and in electrical contact along a portion of the length of said data lines; and   a set of electrically conductive gate lines, said switch elements, said data lines and said gate lines being electrically connected so as to permit voltages appearing on said data lines to be applied to select pixel electrodes in accordance with signals present on said gate lines, said gate lines and said data lines being insulated from one another by means of said insulative layer in said multilayer data lines, said multilayer insulative layer extending across said gate lines so that data line conductors cross said gate lines without traversing substantially vertical step discontinuities.   
     
     
       2. The display of claim 1 in which said switch elements include a gate metal layer, a gate insulating layer and distinct source and drain patterns in a metal layer overlying said gate insulation layer. 
     
     
       3. The display of claim 2 in which said multilayer structure includes three layers. 
     
     
       4. The display of claim 3 in which said data lines include a first, conductive layer disposed in the same layer as said gate metal. 
     
     
       5. The display of claim 4 in which said first data line layer includes gaps through which said gate lines pass. 
     
     
       6. The display of claim 5 in which said data lines include a second, insulating layer disposed in the same layer as said gate insulation. 
     
     
       7. The display of claim 1 in which said data lines include a third, substantially continuous, conductive layer disposed over said insulating layer. 
     
     
       8. The display of claim 6 in which said data lines include a third, substantially continuous, conductive layer disposed in the same layer as said source and drain metal patterns. 
     
     
       9. The display of claim 1 in which said electrical contact is made on either side of said insulation layer. 
     
     
       10. The display of claim 1 in which said gate lines include first and second conductive layers. 
     
     
       11. The display of claim 2 in which said gate lines comprise conductive material in .[.said.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.first layer thereof lying in the same layer as said gate metal with .[.said.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.second layer .Iadd.of .Iaddend.conductive material applied in the same layer as said source and drain patterns. 
     
     
       12. The display of claim 11 in which said second layer of said gate lines include gaps through which said data lines pass. 
     
     
       13. The display of claim 11 in which said first layer of said gate lines is substantially continuous. 
     
     
       14. The display of claim 1 in which said electrically conductive gate lines, said switch elements, and said data lines are electrically connected so as to reverse the roles of said gate lines and said data lines with respect to their extending in horizontal and vertical directions. 
     
     
       15. The display of claim 1 in which said switch elements comprise amorphous silicon field effect transistors. 
     
     
       16. A liquid crystal display comprising: a pair of flat substrates, at least one of which is transparent;   a quantity of liquid crystal material disposed and contained between said substrates;   an array of pixel electrodes disposed on said at least one substrate;   at least one ground plane electrode disposed on the other of said substrates, so that liquid crystal material is disposed between said pixel electrodes and said ground plane electrode said ground plane electrode and said array of pixel electrodes being transparent;   an array of thin film field effect transistor switch elements associated with said pixel electrodes, said transistor switch elements including source and drain electrodes with at least one of said electrodes exhibiting multiple finger projections;   a set of electrically conductive data lines said data lines having a multilayer structure including an insulative layer, said multilayer structure extending for at least a portion of the length of said data lines; and   a set of electrically conductive gate lines, said switch elements, said data lines and said gate lines being electrically connected to permit voltages appearing on said data lines to be applied to said pixel electrodes in accordance .Iadd.with .Iaddend.signals present on said gate lines said gate lines and said data lines being insulated from one another by means of said insulative layer, said insulative layer extending across said gate lines so that said data lines cross said gate lines without transversing substantially vertical step discontinuities.   
     
     
       17. The display of claim 16 in which said thin film field effect transistor switch elements include amorphous silicon transistors. 
     
     
       18. A liquid crystal display comprising: a pair of flat substrates, at least one of which is transparent;   a quantity of liquid crystal material disposed and contained between said substrates;   an array of pixel electrodes disposed on at least one of said substrate;   at least one ground plane electrode disposed on the other one of said substrates, so that liquid crystal material is disposed between said pixel electrodes and said ground plane electrodes, with at least one of said ground plane electrodes and said array of pixel electrodes being transparent;   an array of thin film field effect transistor switch elements associated with said pixel electrodes, said transistor switch elements having source and drain electrodes with at least one of said electrodes exhibiting multiple projections;   a set of electrically conductive data lines, said data lines having a multilayer structure including an insulative layer, said multilayer structure extending for at least a portion of the length of said data lines with at least two of said layers comprising conductive material in electrical contact along a portion of the lengths of said data lines; and   a set of electrically conductive gate lines, said switch elements, said data lines and said gate lines being electrically connected so as to permit voltages appearing on said data lines to be applied to select pixel electrodes in accordance with signals present on said gate lines, said gate lines and said data lines being insulated from one another by means of said insulative layer in said multilayer data lines, said multilayer insulative layer extending across said gate lines so that data line conductors cross said gate lines without traversing substantially vertical step discontinuities.   
     
     
       19. The display of claim 18 in which said switch elements include a gate metal layer, a gate insulation layer and distinct source and drain patterns in a metal layer overlying said gate insulation layer. 
     
     
       20. The display of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.19 .Iaddend.in which said multilayer structure includes three layers. 
     
     
       21. The display of claim 20 in which said data lines include a first, conductive layer disposed in the same layer as said gate metal. 
     
     
       22. The display of claim 21 in which said first data line layer includes gaps through which said gate lines pass. 
     
     
       23. The display of claim 22 in which said data lines include a second, insulative layer disposed in the same layer as said gate insulation. 
     
     
       24. The display of claim 23 in which said second insulative layer extends across said gate lines, whereby additional data line conductor lines cross said gate lines without traversing vertical step jumps. 
     
     
       25. The display of claim 24 in which .[.daid.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.data lines include a third, substantially continuous, conductive layer disposed over said second, insulative layer. 
     
     
       26. The display of claim 24 in which said data lines include a third, substantially continuous, conductive layer disposed in the same layer as said source and drain metal patterns. 
     
     
       27. The display of claim 24 in which said data lines include a third, substantially continuous, conductive layer in contact with said first, conductive layer. 
     
     
       28. The display of claim 27 in which said contact is made on either side of said insulation layer. 
     
     
       29. The display of claim .[.18.]. .Iadd.19 .Iaddend.in which said gate lines include first and second conductive layers. 
     
     
       30. The display of claim 29 in which said gate lines comprise conductive material in said first layer thereof lying in the same layer as said gate metal with said second layer conductive material applied in the same layer as said source and drain patterns. 
     
     
       31. The display of claim 30 in which said second layer of said gate lines includes gaps through which said data lines pass. 
     
     
       32. The display of claim 30 in which said first layer of said gate lines is substantially continuous. 
     
     
       33. The display of claim 18 in which said electrically conductive gate lines, said switch elements and said data lines are electrically connected so as to reverse the roles of said gate lines and said data lines with respect to their extending in horizontal and vertical directions. 
     
     
       34. The display of claim 18 in which said switch elements comprise amorphous silicon field effect transistors. .Iadd. 
     
     
       35.  A liquid crystal display, comprising: a plurality of pixel cells arranged substantially in rows and columns;   a plurality of switch element means for turning on and off individual pixel cells, each switch element means having an interdigitated electrode structure and each coupled to a different one of said plurality of pixel cells;   a plurality of electrically conductive data lines, each of said data lines having a multilayer structure; and   a plurality of electrically conductive gate lines;   said switch element means, said data lines and said gate lines being electrically connected to permit voltages appearing on said data lines to be applied to selected pixel cells in accordance with signals present on said gate lines. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       36.  The liquid crystal display of claim 35 wherein each of said switching element means is a thin-film field effect transistor having at least one layer of semiconductor material. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. The liquid crystal display of claim 36 wherein said at least one layer of semiconductor material is amorphous silicon. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. The liquid crystal display of claim 37, wherein each of said field effect transistors comprises: a gate electrode connected to at least one gate line of said plurality of gate lines;   a source electrode connected to at least one data line of said plurality of data lines; and   a drain electrode connected to one of said plurality of pixel cells;   at least one of said source electrode and said drain electrode having multiple finger projections disposed adjacent at least one finger projection of another of said source and drain electrodes to form said   
     
     
        interdigitated electrode structure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.39.  The liquid crystal display of claim 35 wherein each of said plurality of data lines comprises: a first layer of conductive material disposed in the same layer as said gate lines with gaps;   a layer of insulation material disposed over said first layer; and   a second layer of conductive material disposed over said insulation layer and in contact with said first conductive layer along at least a portion of said data line, each data line second layer extending across each gate line and spaced therefrom by said insulation layer without traversing substantially vertical step discontinuities. .Iaddend. .Iadd.40. The liquid crystal display of claim 35 wherein each of said gate lines have a   
     
     
        multilayer structure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.41.  A liquid crystal display, comprising: a plurality of pixel cells arranged substantially in rows and columns;   a plurality of switch element means for turning on and off individual pixel cells, each switch element means having an interdigitated electrode structure and each coupled to a different one of said plurality of pixel cells;   a plurality of electrically conductive data lines; and   a plurality of electrically conductive gate lines wherein each of said plurality of gate lines comprises: a first layer of conductive material;   a layer of insulation material disposed over said first layer; and   a second layer of conductive material disposed over said insulation layer and in contact with said first conductive layer along at least a portion of said gate line, each gate line second conductive layer having gaps therein through which said data lines pass;     said switch element means, said data lines and said gate lines being electrically connected to permit voltages appearing on said data lines to be applied to selected pixel cells in accordance with signals present on   
     
     
        said gate lines. .Iaddend. .Iadd.42.  The liquid crystal display of claim 41 wherein each of said switching element means is a thin-film field effect transistor having at least one layer of semiconductor material. 
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.43.  The liquid crystal display of claim 42 wherein said at least one layer of semiconductor material is amorphous silicon. .Iaddend. .Iadd.44. The liquid crystal display of claim 43 wherein each of said field effect transistors comprises: a gate electrode connected to at least one gate line of said plurality of gate lines;   a source electrode connected to at least one data line of said plurality of data lines; and   a drain electrode connected to one of said plurality of pixel cells;   at least one of said source electrode and said drain electrode having multiple finger projections disposed adjacent at least one finger projection of another of said source and drain electrodes to form said   
     
     
        interdigitated electrode structure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.45.  A liquid crystal display, comprising: a plurality of pixel cells arranged substantially in rows and columns;   a plurality of switch element means, each coupled to a different one of said plurality of pixel cells;   each of said switch element means comprising a thin-film field effect transistor having at least one layer of semiconductor material and an interdigitated electrode structure;   a plurality of electrically conductive data lines, each having a multilayer structure; and   a plurality of electrically conductive gate lines;   said switch element means, said data lines and said gate lines being electrically connected to permit voltages appearing on said data lines to be applied to select pixel cells in accordance with signals present on   
     
     
        said gate lines. .Iaddend. .Iadd.46.  The liquid crystal display of claim 45 wherein said at least one layer of semiconductor material is amorphous silicon. .Iaddend. .Iadd.47. The liquid crystal display of claim 46, wherein each of said field effect transistors comprises: a gate electrode connected to at least one gate line of said plurality of gate lines;   a source electrode connected to at least one data line of said plurality of data lines; and   a drain electrode connected to one of said plurality of pixel cells;   at least one of said source electrode and said drain electrode having multiple finger projections disposed adjacent at least one finger projection of another of said source and drain electrodes to form said interdigitated electrode structure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.48. The liquid crystal display of claim 45, wherein each of said plurality of data lines comprises:   first layer of conductive material disposed in the same layer as said gate lines with gaps;   a layer of insulation material disposed over said first layer; and   a second layer of conductive material disposed over said insulation layer and in contact with said first conductive layer along at least a portion of said data line, each data line second conductive layer extending across each gate line and spaced therefrom by said insulation layer without traversing substantially vertical step discontinuities. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.     The liquid crystal display of claim 45 wherein each of said gate lines has a multilayer structure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.50. The liquid crystal display of claim 49, wherein each of said plurality of gate lines comprises: a first layer of conductive material;   a layer of insulation material disposed over said first layer; and   a second layer of conductive material disposed over said insulation layer and in contact with said first conductive layer along at least a portion of said gate line, each gate line second conductive layer having gaps therein through which said data lines pass. .Iaddend. .Iadd.51. A liquid crystal display, comprising:   a plurality of pixel cells arranged substantially in rows and columns;   a plurality of thin-film field effect transistors, each having an interdigitated electrode structure and each coupled to a different one of said plurality of pixel cells to apply a voltage to said one pixel cell;   a plurality of electrically conductive data lines, each having a multilayer structure; and   a plurality of electrically conductive gate lines;   said field effect transistors, said data lines and said gate lines being electrically connected to permit voltages appearing on said data lines to be applied to select pixel cells in accordance with signals present on   
     
     
        said gate lines. .Iaddend. .Iadd.52.  The liquid crystal display of claim 51 wherein each of said field effect transistors comprises at least one layer of semiconductor material. .Iaddend. .Iadd.53. The liquid crystal display of claim 52 wherein said at least one layer of semiconductor material is amorphous silicon. .Iaddend. .Iadd.54. The liquid crystal display of claim 51 wherein each of said gate lines has a multilayer structure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.55. The liquid crystal display of claim 51, wherein each of said plurality of data lines comprises: first layer of conductive material disposed in the same layer as said gate lines with gaps;   a layer of insulation material disposed over said first layer; and   a second layer of conductive material disposed over said insulation layer and in contact with said first conductive layer along at least a portion of said data line, each data line second conductive layer extending across each gate line and spaced therefrom by said insulation layer without traversing substantially vertical step discontinuities. .Iaddend. .Iadd.56. The liquid crystal display of claim 51, wherein each of said plurality of gate lines comprises:   a first layer of conductive material;   a layer of insulation material disposed over said first layer; and   a second layer of conductive material disposed over said insulation layer and in contact with said first conductive layer along at least a portion of said gate line, each gate line second conductive layer having gaps therein through which said data lines pass. .Iaddend.