ESD protection unit, array substrate, LCD panel and display device
An electro-static discharge (ESD) protection unit, an array substrate, a liquid crystal display panel and a display device. The ESD protection unit includes: a thin-film transistor (TFT); a first trace; and a second trace. A gate electrode of the TFT is exposed in a region that is formed by the first trace and the second trace and corresponds to a pixel unit, and the gate electrode of the TFT is configured to collect electric charges generated between the first trace and the second trace. A source electrode of the TFT is connected to the first trace and a drain electrode of the TFT is connected to the second trace.
1. An electro-static discharge (ESD) protection unit, comprising:
a thin-film transistor (TFT);
a first trace which is a first one of a gate line and a data line; and
a second trace which is a second one of the gate line and the data line;
wherein a source electrode of the TFT is directly connected to the first one of the gate line and the data line, and a drain electrode of the TFT is directly connected to the second one of the gate line and the data line; and
wherein a gate electrode of the TFT is exposed in an environment in a region that is formed by the first trace and the second trace and corresponds to a pixel unit, and when an electro-static discharge phenomenon occurs between the first trace and the second trace, the gate electrode of the TFT is configured to collect electric charges accumulated between the first trace and the second trace during the electro-static discharge phenomenon to turn on the TFT so that the first trace is connected to the second trace.
2. The ESD protection unit of claim 1 , wherein the TFT is a top-gate TFT.
3. The ESD protection unit of claim 1 , wherein the TFT is a bottom-gate TFT.
4. An array substrate comprising a plurality of ESD protection units of claim 1 , wherein:
in each of the ESD protection units, a gate electrode of a respective TFT is connected to a direct current (DC) negative voltage source, and the DC negative voltage source is configured to keep the respective TFT to be switched off when no electro-static discharge occurs.
5. The array substrate of claim 4 , wherein in each of the ESD protection units, the gate electrode of the respective TFT is connected to a bonding pad through a semi-conductor trace and the bonding pad is connected to the DC negative voltage source.
6. The array substrate of claim 5 , wherein the semi-conductor trace is an indium tin oxides (ITO) trace.
7. The array substrate of claim 4 , wherein the DC negative voltage source is provided by an integrated circuit connected to the array substrate.
8. A liquid crystal display panel comprising the array substrate of claim 4 .
9. A display device comprising the liquid crystal display panel of claim 8 .