IP Library Granted Patent US 7,233,023
Granted Patent B2
US 7,233,023 · App. 11/008,998 · Granted Jun 19, 2007

Electro-optical device, driving circuit, and electronic apparatus

Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,233,023
App. No.
11/008,998
Granted
Jun 19, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

To prevent an electrostatic discharge in transistors constituting a driving circuit built in a substrate. The shift register and the level shifter constituting a scanning line driving circuit include TFT elements respectively which employing the polysilicon layer formed on the element substrate as a semiconductor layer. Each TFT element constituting the level shifter has a gate electrode opposing the channel region of the polysilicon layer with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. Each polysilicon layer is shared by a plurality of TFT elements with being separated from each other. The total area ‘S’ of each polysilicon layer which opposes the gate electrode of the TFT element is 3000 μm 2 or less.

Claims (35)

1. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a substrate on which a plurality of pixels are arranged; and

a driving circuit for generating driving signals to drive the plurality of pixels respectively, by using a plurality of transistors formed on a surface of the substrate,

wherein each of the plurality of transistors has a gate electrode opposing a channel region of a polysilicon layer with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, the channel regions of the polysilicon layers being separated from each other, in at least one of the transistors,

the total area of the channel regions of the polysilicon layers which oppose the gate electrode of the at least one transistor is 3000 μm 2 or less, and

a level shift circuit for generating a signal with a larger voltage amplitude than that of an input signal by using the plurality of transistors, and for outputting the signal to each pixel as the driving signal, wherein

the level shift circuit includes m unit circuits (m is a natural number equal to or greater than 2) which are arranged in the pixel arrangement direction and each of which outputs the driving signal, and

the polysilicon layers of the level shift circuit are separated from each other, in every block which divides m unit circuits into 2 through m/2.

2. An electro-optical device comprising:

a substrate on which a plurality of pixels are arranged;

a shift register circuit which sequentially shifts a pulse signal in accordance with a clock signal by using a plurality of transistors formed on a surface of the substrate and outputs the pulse signal; and

a level shift circuit which generates, by using the plurality of transistors formed on the surface of the substrate, a signal with a larger voltage amplitude than that of the signal output from the shift register circuit, and then outputs it as a driving signal to each pixel,

wherein, each of the transistors of the shift register circuit and the level shift circuit has a gate electrode opposing a channel region of a polysilicon layer with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, the channel region of the polysilicon layers being separated from each other, in at least one of the transistors, and

the total area of the channel regions of the polysilicon layers which oppose the gate electrodes of the at least one transistor formed on each polysilicon layer in the level shift circuit is smaller than the total area of the channel regions of the polysilicon layers which oppose the gate electrodes of the at least one transistor formed on each polysilicon layer in the shift register circuit.

3. The electro-optical device according to claim 2 , wherein, the total area of the channel regions of the polysilicon layers opposing the gate electrodes of one or more transistors formed on each polysilicon layer in the level shift circuit is 3000 μm 2 or less.

4. An electronic apparatus comprising an electro-optical device according to claim 1 as display means.

5. A driving circuit of an electro-optical device, for generating a driving signal for driving each pixel of the electro-optical device, by using a plurality of transistors formed on a surface of a substrate,

wherein each of the plurality of transistors has a gate electrode opposing a channel region of a polysilicon layer with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, the channel regions of the polysilicon layers being separated from each other, in at least one of the transistors, and

the total area of the channel regions of the polysilicon layers which oppose the gate electrodes of the at least one transistor is 3000 μm 2 or less, and comprising:

a level shift circuit for generating a signal with a larger voltage amplitude than that of an input signal by using the plurality of transistors, and for outputting the signal to each pixel as the driving signal, wherein

the level shift circuit includes m unit circuits (m is a natural number equal to or greater than 2) which are arranged in the pixel arrangement direction and each of which outputs the driving signal, and

the polysilicon layers of the level shift circuit are separated from each other, in every block which divides m unit circuits into 2 through m/2.

6. A driving circuit of an electro-optical device for generating a driving signal for driving each of a plurality of pixels of the electro-optical device, comprising:

a shift register circuit which sequentially shifts a pulse signal in accordance with a clock signal, by using a plurality of transistors formed on the surface of a substrate, and outputs the pulse signal; and

a level shift circuit which generates, by using the plurality of transistors formed on the surface of the substrate, a signal with a larger voltage amplitude than that of the signal output from the shift register circuit, and then outputs the signal as a driving signal to each pixel,

wherein, each transistor of the shift register circuit and the level shift circuit has a gate electrode opposing a channel region of a polysilicon layer with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, the channel regions of the polysilicon layer being separated from each other, in at least one of the transistors, and

the total area of the channel regions of the polysilicon layers which oppose the gate electrodes of the at least one transistor formed on each polysilicon layer in the level shift circuit is smaller than the total area of a region of the polysilicon layer which opposes the gate electrodes of the at least one transistor formed on each polysilicon layer in the shift register circuit.

7. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a substrate on which a plurality of pixels are arranged;

a driving circuit for generating driving signals to drive the plurality of pixels respectively, by using a plurality of transistors formed on a surface of the substrate;

a level shift circuit for generating a signal with a larger voltage amplitude than that of an input signal by using the plurality of transistors, and for outputting the signal to each pixel as the driving signal,

wherein each of the plurality of transistors has a gate electrode opposing a channel region of a polysilicon layer with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, the channel regions of the polysilicon layers being separated from each other, in at least one of the transistors,

the total area of the channel regions of the polysilicon layers which oppose the gate electrode of the at least one transistor is 3000 μm 2 or less, and the insulating layer has a thickness between 50 nm and 100 nm using an insulating material having a dielectric constant of 4 or less,

the level shift circuit includes m unit circuits (m is a natural number equal to or greater than 2) which are arranged in the pixel arrangement direction and each of which outputs the driving signal, and

the polysilicon layers of the level shift circuit are separated from each other, in every block which divides m unit circuits into 2 through m/2.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2016
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: INTELLECTUALS HIGH-TECH KFT
Reel/Frame 039300/0295 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2016
From: INTELLECTUALS HIGH-TECH KFT
To: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 039301/0043 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2004
From: TOYA, TAKASHI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 016083/0842 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2003-417319 · Dec 15, 2003 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050127369A1 · Jun 16, 2005