Array substrate and repairing method thereofTechnical Field
The invention belongs to the technical field of liquid crystal display panels, and particularly relates to an array substrate and a repairing method thereof.
Background
The array substrate comprises criss-cross data lines and scanning lines, the data lines are very thin relative to the scanning lines, missing broken lines or climbing broken lines are easy to occur, and the probability of broken lines of the data lines is high due to the large number of the data lines (RGB pixel units are more than 3 times of resolution).
As shown in fig. 1, when a large-sized display panel is repaired by using a repair line, when acertain data line 10 has a broken line O, afirst end 30 of thedata line 10 is cut off, and then a second end of the data line is connected to awiring 21 on a chip (IC)20 side by melting, so that a data line signal needs to come out from thewiring 21 on the chip (IC)20 side, pass through aperipheral repair line 30, and enter the first end of thedata line 10. Since theperipheral repair line 30 is relatively long, the load of theperipheral repair line 30 is too large, resulting in a weak line of the repaired panel.
Generally, after the data line is manufactured, an appearance inspection is performed to find out an abnormal pattern by comparing the appearance of the abnormal pattern with that of a normal pattern, and then the abnormal pattern is repaired. If the broken line repair is performed after the data line manufacturing process (specifically, the LVCD mode is deposited by laser chemistry: metal source six carbon based tungsten W (CO))6The metal tungsten film is separated to be formed at the broken line position by the hydrolytic reaction under the action of the laser beam, so that the signal of the data line is conducted), and the repairing line repairing is not needed to be reserved to the A inspection or the SL inspection according to the figure 1, so that the bad repairing weak line is avoided, and the yield of the panel is greatly improved.
In an actual manufacturing process, the data line defect is repaired by appearance inspection after the manufacturing process of the data line, and the effect is as shown in fig. 2(a) of the pixel structure, and fig. 2(b) is a common repairing method for the broken data line after the manufacturing process of the data line.
As shown in fig. 2(a), the display substrate includes an underlying substrate (not shown); agate line 11 and astorage capacitance line 12 formed of a first metal layer on an underlying substrate; a gate insulating layer (not shown) covering the first metal layer; asemiconductor layer 21 on the gate insulating layer; adata line 31 formed of a second metal layer, asource electrode 32 and adrain electrode 33 on thesemiconductor layer 21 and electrically connected to thesemiconductor layer 21, and adata line layer 34 on the storage capacitor line; an inorganic insulating film (not shown) covering the second metal layer, afirst via hole 41 on the inorganic insulating film and on thedrain electrode 33, and asecond via hole 42 on thedata line layer 34; and apixel electrode 51 formed of an ITO material on the inorganic insulating film; the first via 41 electrically connects thedrain 33 to thepixel electrode 51, and the second via 42 electrically connects thedata line layer 34 to thepixel electrode 51.
As shown in fig. 2(b), a data line is broken after the second metal layer is processed, S1, arepair line 71 electrically connected to the data line is formed above and below the broken data line S1 by using a laser chemical deposition LVCD, and the material of therepair line 71 is the same as that of the second metal layer. Because the first metal layer is already formed during the second metal layer manufacturing process, and the laser chemical deposition LVCD uses laser photolysis, if the second metal layer is directly sputtered to form a film through the first metal layer (such as a storage capacitor line or a scan line), it is difficult to control the laser energy so that the two layers of metals are not welded. If the energy is too small, a tungsten film cannot be formed; if the energy is too large, the overlapped parts of the two layers of metal are electrically connected to form S-Cs (data lines and storage capacitor lines) short circuit, so that the line is not good when the lamp is turned on; even if some repairing is successful, in a later aging experiment, the micro-welding at the overlapped part of two layers of metal is deteriorated, and the line or point defect caused by short circuit also occurs.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to provide an array substrate and a repairing method thereof, wherein the opening rate of pixels is not reduced, and weak line defects are avoided during repairing.
The invention provides an array substrate, which comprises a gate line and a data line which are crisscrossed and spaced by an insulating layer, a pixel unit defined by the intersection of the gate line and the data line, a TFT switch positioned at the intersection of the gate line and the data line, a pixel electrode positioned in the pixel unit, a storage capacitance line formed simultaneously with the gate line and a repair device used for repairing the data line when the data line is disconnected; the repair device comprises 2 repair joints which are positioned in each pixel unit and are parallel to the gate lines and a plurality of storage repair lines which are longitudinally spanned on the storage capacitance lines; the 2 repair joints are respectively a first repair joint and a second repair joint, the first repair joint is connected with one end of the data line, and the second repair joint is connected with the other end of the data line; two adjacent repair joints of two adjacent rows of pixel units are respectively the repair joint of the pixel unit in the row and the repair joint of the pixel unit in the next row; the width of the storage repair line longitudinally spanning the storage capacitance line is larger than that of the storage capacitance line.
Further, the repair device further comprises a gate repair line longitudinally straddling the gate line.
Further, the width of the gate repair line longitudinally spanning the gate line is larger than that of the gate line.
Furthermore, the repair device further comprises a repair pixel electrode line, and the repair pixel electrode line covers the second repair connector of the pixel unit of the current row and the first repair connector of the pixel unit of the next row; the repair pixel electrode wire and the pixel electrode are spaced at a certain distance.
The invention also provides a method for repairing the array substrate, which comprises the following steps:
step S1, the data line has broken line, the position of the broken line is in the area of the non-gate line;
step S2: judging that the first repairing joint and the second repairing joint at the two ends of the data line are closer to the broken line;
step S3: and selecting a storage repairing wire for repairing, connecting the first repairing joint and the storage repairing wire and connecting the second repairing joint and the storage repairing wire by adopting laser chemical deposition, and respectively forming a first connecting wire and a second connecting wire.
Further, the first connecting line is connected with the first repairing joint and the storage repairing line, and the second connecting line is connected with the second repairing joint and the storage repairing line.
The invention also provides a method for repairing the array substrate, which is characterized by comprising the following steps:
s1: the data line has a broken line, and the broken line is in the area of the gate line;
s2: judging that the second repair joints of the pixel units in the row and the first repair joints of the pixel units in the next row are closer to the broken line;
s3: and selecting the grid repairing line for repairing, connecting the second repairing joint and the grid repairing line of the pixel unit of the row and the first repairing joint and the grid repairing line of the pixel unit of the next row by adopting laser chemical deposition, and respectively forming a first connecting line and a second connecting line.
Further, the first connecting line is connected with the first repairing joint and the grid repairing line, and the second connecting line is connected with the second repairing joint and the grid repairing line.
The invention also provides a method for repairing the array substrate, which comprises the following steps:
s1: the crossing part of the data line and the gate line is broken, and a first data line cutting part between the gate line and the second repairing joint of the pixel unit in the current row and a second data line cutting part between the gate line and the first repairing joint of the pixel unit in the next row are cut off;
s2: and selecting a repair pixel electrode line for repair, welding a first overlapping position between the repair pixel electrode line and the second repair connector of the pixel unit of the current row, and welding a second overlapping position between the repair pixel electrode line and the first repair connector of the pixel unit of the next row.
The invention also provides a method for repairing the array substrate, wherein the data line of the pixel unit in the row is connected to the data line of the pixel unit in the next row through the second repairing joint, the first overlapping part, the repairing pixel electrode line and the second overlapping part of the pixel unit in the row, and the first repairing joint of the pixel unit in the next row
According to the array substrate and the repairing method thereof, the repairing joints and the repairing lines are mainly distributed between the adjacent rows of pixel units, so that the aperture opening ratio of pixels cannot be reduced; the gate repair line is disconnected with the data line before repair, so that coupling capacitance between the gate line and the data line cannot be formed, namely, the capacitance and resistance load of the gate line and the data line cannot be increased, and meanwhile, the toppling direction of liquid crystal molecules near the repair joint cannot be influenced by disconnection, namely, light leakage cannot occur in a dark state; after the broken line after the A detection and the SL detection is repaired, a data line layer metal cushion layer is arranged below the pixel electrode line electrically connected with the data line, so Cgs is reduced; the broken line can be repaired through the repair graph in the pixel, and the defect of weak line caused by repair line repair is avoided.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a broken line repairing of a conventional array substrate;
fig. 2(a) is a schematic view of a pixel structure of a conventional array substrate;
fig. 2(b) is a schematic diagram of a conventional repairing method for a pixel structure of an array substrate;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a pixel structure of an array substrate according to the present invention;
FIG. 3(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating the repair of the broken wire after the second metal layer process shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 3(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating the repair of a broken wire after the second metal layer process shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 3(c) is a schematic diagram of repairing the broken line after the second metal layer process shown in FIG. 3.
Detailed Description
The present invention is further illustrated by the following figures and specific examples, which are to be understood as illustrative only and not as limiting the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalent modifications thereof which may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the present specification.
For the sake of simplicity, the drawings only schematically show the parts relevant to the present invention, and they do not represent the actual structure as a product. In addition, in order to make the drawings concise and understandable, components having the same structure or function in some of the drawings are only schematically illustrated or only labeled. In this document, "one" means not only "only one" but also a case of "more than one".
The array substrate comprises a TFT switch, wherein the TFT switch comprises a grid electrode, a semiconductor layer arranged opposite to the grid electrode, and a source electrode and a drain electrode which are electrically connected with the semiconductor layer, and the semiconductor layer is amorphous Silicon (a-Si) or oxide (IGZO) or Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon (LTPS). The array substrate of the invention is In a Vertical Alignment (VA) mode, or In a horizontal Alignment (IPS) mode, or a Twisted Nematic (TN) mode.
As shown in fig. 3, the array substrate of the present embodiment includes a bottom substrate (not shown); agate line 11 and astorage capacitance line 12 formed of a first metal layer on an underlying substrate; a gate insulating layer (not shown) covering the first metal layer; asemiconductor layer 21 on the gate insulating layer; adata line 31 formed of a second metal layer and crisscrossed with thegate line 11, asource electrode 32 and adrain electrode 33 on thesemiconductor layer 21 and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer, and adata line layer 34 on thestorage capacitor line 12; an inorganic insulating film (not shown) covering the second metal layer, afirst via hole 41 formed on the inorganic insulating film and located on thedrain electrode 33, and asecond via hole 42 located on thedata line layer 34; and apixel electrode 51 formed of an ITO material on the inorganic insulating film; the first via 41 electrically connects thedrain 33 to thepixel electrode 51, and the second via 42 electrically connects thedata line layer 34 to thepixel electrode 51. Wherein thegate lines 11 and thedata lines 31 are criss-crossed to form a pixel unit, the TFT switches are located at intersections of thegate lines 11 and thedata lines 31, and thepixel electrodes 51 are located in the pixel unit.
According to fig. 3, a gate insulating layer is interposed between thegate line 11 and thedata line 31.
In this embodiment, the repair pattern is provided by the area without any second metal layer pattern in the first metal layer pattern.
The array substrate further comprises repair devices distributed between adjacent rows of pixel units, wherein each repair device comprises 2 repair joints which are positioned in each pixel unit and are parallel to thegate line 11, repair pixel electrode lines E which are arranged between two adjacent rows of pixel units and are overlapped with two adjacent repair joints, a plurality of storage repair lines C which longitudinally span thestorage capacitor lines 12, and gate repair lines D which longitudinally span thegate line 11. Wherein, 2 repair joints, a storage repair line C and a grid electrode repair line D are all made of a second metal layer and are formed synchronously with the data line 31 (namely formed by exposure and development of a data line mask); the repair pixel electrode line E is formed with a mask for forming thepixel electrode 51, i.e., formed simultaneously with thepixel electrode 51.
The 2 repair joints are respectively a first repair joint A and a second repair joint B, the first repair joint A is connected with one end of thedata line 31, and the second repair joint B is connected with the other end of thedata line 31; two adjacent repair joints of two adjacent rows of pixel units are respectively a second repair joint B and a first repair joint A ', the second repair joint B is the repair joint of the pixel unit of the row, and the second repair joint A' is the repair joint of the pixel unit of the next row. The repairing pixel electrode line E covers or overlaps the second repairing joint B of the pixel unit of the row and the first repairing joint A' of the pixel unit of the next row; the repair pixel electrode line E is spaced apart from thepixel electrode 51 by a certain distance.
The width of the storage repair line C longitudinally striding on thestorage capacitance line 12 is larger than that of thestorage capacitance line 12, and the width of the gate repair line D longitudinally striding on thegate line 11 is larger than that of thegate line 11.
The invention also provides a method for repairing the array substrate, which is used for modifying the broken line after the second metal layer is manufactured and comprises the following steps:
step S1, as shown in fig. 3(a), thedata line 31 has a broken line O, and the position of the broken line O is in the area where the non-gate line is located;
step S2: judging that the first repairing joint A and the second repairing joint B at the two ends of thedata line 31 are closer to the broken line O;
step S3: selecting a storage repair line C for repairing, namely connecting the first repair joint A and the storage repair line C and connecting the second repair joint B and the storage repair line C by adopting laser chemical deposition LVCD, and respectively forming a first connectingline 72 and a second connectingline 73, namely repairing a graph which does not pass through the first metal layer by the laser chemical deposition LVCD; the first connectingline 72 connects the first repair joint a and the storage repair line C, and the second connectingline 73 connects the second repair joint B and the storage repair line C;
the broken line O of thedata line 31 can be conducted by the above method, and thedata line 31 of the pixel unit of the current row is conducted from the first repairing joint a, the storage repairing line C, the first connectingline 72, the second connectingline 73 to the second repairing joint B.
Films 72 and 73 are respectively formed between the ends of the repair joints A-C and C-B, so that the repair joint A, C, B is electrically connected with theLVCD films 72 and 73, and the data line at the broken line position can be conducted.
The invention also provides a method for repairing the array substrate, which is used for modifying the broken line after the second metal layer is manufactured and comprises the following steps:
s1: as shown in fig. 3(b), thedata line 31 has a broken line O, and the broken line O is in the area of thegate line 11;
s2: judging that the second repair joint B of the pixel unit in the row and the first repair joint A' of the pixel unit in the next row are closer to the broken line O;
s3: and selecting a grid repairing line D for repairing, namely connecting a second repairing joint B and the grid repairing line D of the pixel unit of the row and a first repairing joint A 'and the grid repairing line D of the pixel unit of the next row by adopting laser chemical deposition LVCD (low voltage chemical deposition), and respectively forming a first connectingline 74 and a second connectingline 75, wherein the first connectingline 74 is connected with the second repairing joint B and the grid repairing line D of the pixel unit of the row, and the second connectingline 75 is connected with the first repairing joint A' and the grid repairing line D of the pixel unit of the next row.
The broken line O of thedata line 31 can be conducted by the above method, and thedata line 31 of the pixel unit in the current row is connected to thedata line 31 of the pixel unit in the next row through the second repair connector B, thefirst connection line 74, the gate repair line D and thesecond connection line 75.
The invention also provides a method for repairing the array substrate, which is used for modifying the broken line after the second metal layer is manufactured and comprises the following steps:
s1: as shown in fig. 3(c), there is a broken line O at the crossing of thedata line 31 and thegate line 11, a first data line cut 1 between thegate line 11 and the second repair tab B of the pixel unit in the current row and a second data line cut 2 between thegate line 11 and the first repair tab a' of the pixel unit in the next row;
s2: and selecting a repair pixel electrode line E for repair, welding a first overlappingpart 3 between the repair pixel electrode line E and the second repair joint B of the pixel unit of the current row, and welding a second overlappingpart 4 between the repair pixel electrode line E and the first repair joint A' of the pixel unit of the next row.
The broken line O of thedata line 31 can be conducted by the above method, and thedata line 31 of the pixel unit in the current row is connected to thedata line 31 of the pixel unit in the next row through the second repair connector B, the first overlappingpart 3, the repair pixel electrode line E, the second overlappingpart 4, and the first repair connector a' of the pixel unit in the next row.
The invention can not only repair the broken wire after the second metal layer manufacturing process, but also repair the broken wire during A detection and SL detection.
When the data line is broken, the data line can be repaired without laser film forming on the first metal layer, and short circuit failure caused by laser film forming on the first metal layer graph can be avoided.
According to the array substrate and the repairing method thereof, the repairing joints and the repairing lines are mainly distributed between the adjacent rows of pixel units, so that the aperture opening ratio of pixels cannot be reduced; the gate repair line is disconnected with the data line before repair, so that coupling capacitance between the gate line and the data line cannot be formed, namely, the capacitance and resistance load of the gate line and the data line cannot be increased, and meanwhile, the toppling direction of liquid crystal molecules near the repair joint cannot be influenced by disconnection, namely, light leakage cannot occur in a dark state; after the broken line after the A detection and the SL detection is repaired, a data line layer metal cushion layer is arranged below the pixel electrode line electrically connected with the data line, so Cgs is reduced; the broken line can be repaired through the repair graph in the pixel, and the defect of weak line caused by repair line repair is avoided.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing embodiments, and various equivalent changes (such as number, shape, position, etc.) may be made to the technical solution of the present invention within the technical spirit of the present invention, and these equivalent changes are all within the protection scope of the present invention.