KR20060133836A - Liquid crystal display device comprising test line connected to switching device - Google Patents

Abstract

An LCD is provided to make it unnecessary to cut a test line, thereby protecting a display area from static electricity generated during a cutting process, by switching the test line through control of a thin film transistor. An array substrate(302) has a display area(303) and a non-display area(304). A plurality of gate lines(305) and a plurality of data lines(306) are formed in the display area. Gate line testing lines(310a,310b) are connected to the gate lines in the non-display area. Switching elements(320) are respectively formed between the gate line testing lines and the gate lines. Test pads(330a,330b) are formed at the ends of the gate line testing lines. Switching lines(311a,311b) control the operation of the switching elements, respectively. Switching pads(331a,331b) are formed at the ends of the switching lines.

Description

Liquid crystal display device having a test line connected to a switching element {LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING TEST LINE CONNECTED TO SWITCHING DEVICE}

1 is a plan view of an array substrate having a general screen display and a non-screen display.

2 is a plan view illustrating in detail a test line of a screen non-display portion of an array substrate;

3 is a plan view showing the structure of a liquid crystal display panel of the present invention.

4 is a plan view showing the structure of a data line test line of a non-screen display of the present invention;

************* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings *************

300: mother substrate 301: liquid crystal display panel

302: array substrate 303: screen display area

304: screen non-display 305: gate line

306: data lines 310a, 310b, 360a, and 360b: test lines

311a, 311b, 370a, 370b: switching line

320: thin film transistor 330a330b, 380a, 380b: test pad

331a, 331b, 390a, 390b: switching pad

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having an inspection pattern of a liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal display panel inspection pattern.

A liquid crystal display device is an image display device which displays a desired image by individually supplying data signals according to image information to unit pixels arranged in a matrix form, and adjusting light transmittance of the unit pixels. .

The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel in which unit pixels are arranged in a matrix form, and a driver integrated circuit (IC) for driving the unit pixels.

The liquid crystal display panel is bonded to have a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate and a color filter substrate facing each other at regular intervals (commonly referred to as a cell-gap), and the liquid crystal layer is filled in the spaced intervals. It is formed.

The TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate are bonded by a seal line formed along the periphery of the effective image display portion. At this time, a spacer is formed on the TFT array substrate or the color filter substrate to maintain the cell-gap constantly.

The outer surface of the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate may further include a polarizing plate and a retardation plate. By selectively configuring such a plurality of components, a liquid crystal display device having high luminance and contrast characteristics is formed by changing the light traveling state or the refractive index.

A common electrode and a pixel electrode are formed in the liquid crystal display panel where the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate face each other and are bonded to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer. That is, by controlling the voltage applied to the pixel electrode while the voltage is applied to the common electrode, the light transmittance of the unit pixels can be individually controlled. As described above, in order to control the voltage applied to the pixel electrode for each unit pixel, a thin film transistor used as a switching element is formed in each unit pixel.

In particular, in a liquid crystal display device, a TFT array substrate is a place where many processes are concentrated in forming a liquid crystal display panel, and has a complicated structure and process compared to a color filter substrate.

Hereinafter, the structure of the TFT array substrate will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the TFT array substrate 100 is divided into a screen display area 110 where an image is implemented and a screen non-display part 120 at the edge of the screen display area.

In the screen display area 110, a plurality of gate lines 111 and 112 are arranged in parallel to each other, and a plurality of data lines 113 perpendicular to the gate lines are formed. In addition, a unit pixel area is defined by the intersection of the gate line and the data line.

In the unit pixel region, a TFT 115 is formed as a switching element in an area where the gate line and the data line cross each other, and the TFT is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 117 in the unit pixel.

Meanwhile, the screen non-display unit 120 includes a plurality of pads (not shown) for providing a signal to the screen display area. The pads include gate pads and data pads connected to each gate line and data line. In addition, after the array substrate is completed, the screen non-display part may include a test line for measuring the quantity defect of each unit pixel and a shorting bar for protecting the array substrate from static electricity generated during the manufacturing process of the array substrate. bars 125 and 126 are further formed. Since the shorting bar is connected to the gate line and the data line, respectively, the shorting bar may be formed in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the array substrate. In addition, since the shorting bar is removed in the cutting process after the liquid crystal display panel is completed, the shorting bar is formed outside the pad of the non-display part of the screen.

The edge configuration of the array substrate on which the gate line shorting bars 125 and 126 are formed will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

Gate pads 121a and 121b and data pads 123 are provided at the ends of the gate lines 111 and 112 and the data lines 113, respectively, and the ends thereof are the gate line shorting bars 125 and 126 and the data line shorting bars. and shorting bar 127, respectively. Here, the even-numbered gate lines 112 are separated from the first gate shorting bar 125 by an even line short circuit 131, and only odd-numbered gate lines 111 are formed in the first gate. It is connected to the shorting bar 125. The even-numbered gate lines 112 are respectively connected to the second gate line shorting bar 126. That is, the shorting bar binds the gate line to the odd-numbered and even-numbered lines. The data line shorting bar 127 may also be configured to bind odd-numbered and even-numbered data lines to each other, and may tie all data lines to one shorting bar.

The gate line shorting bar and the data line shorting bar serve to prevent static electricity that may occur in the process of manufacturing the TFT array substrate and inspect each unit pixel and the wiring for short circuit after the TFT array substrate manufacturing process is completed. It serves as a test wiring.

After the array substrate is completed, a short circuit between the gate line and the data line of the pixel area is inspected through the gate line shorting bar and the data line shorting bar to check the defects of the unit pixels formed on the array substrate. The inspection may be performed by flowing a current through the shorting bars and inspecting the pixel region. That is, when a current is applied through the shorting bar, the pixel of the gate line or data line which has a short circuit does not operate normally and appears to be defective.

After the short test is completed, the shorting bar is removed in the subsequent cutting process.

That is, after the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate are completed and the disconnection inspection of the TFT array substrate is completed, the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate undergo a bonding process. After the bonding process, the liquid crystal display panel including a plurality of unit liquid crystal panel is separated into a unit liquid crystal display panel through a cutting process and the liquid crystal is filled in the liquid crystal space formed between the unit liquid crystal display panels to complete the liquid crystal display panel.

Subsequently, the completed liquid crystal display panel is further inspected for screen defects through an auto probe inspection.

However, as described in the above process, the liquid crystal display panel has a problem in that any shortage of the display panel cannot be detected between the cutting process and the auto probe inspection because the shorting bar, that is, the test line is removed by the cutting process. In addition, since the test lines are removed by a physical cutting process using a scribe wheel, static electricity or the like may occur in the cutting process, thereby causing a problem of damaging the display unit.

Therefore, the present invention provides a new test line structure that does not need to be removed by a cutting process and can inspect whether a gate line and a data line are shorted. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an inspection line and a pad structure that can inspect the liquid crystal display panel at any time before the auto probe inspection.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an array substrate including a screen display unit and a screen non-display unit; A plurality of gate lines formed on the screen display unit and a plurality of data lines perpendicular to the gate lines; A gate line test line formed on the non-display portion and connected to the gate lines; A switching element formed between the gate line test line and the gate line and switching the gate line test line and the gate line; A voltage applying pad formed at one end of the gate line test line; A switching line for controlling the switching element; It provides a liquid crystal display device having a switching pad formed on one end of the switching line.

The present invention also includes a data line test line formed in the non-screen display unit and connected to the data lines; A switching element formed between the data line test line and the data line and switching the data line test line and the data line; A voltage applying pad formed at one end of the data line test line; It provides a liquid crystal display device further comprising a switching pad for controlling the switching element.

The gate line test line may further include: a first gate line test line connected to an odd-numbered gate line; And a second gate line test line connected to the even-numbered gate line.

The data line test line may further include: a first data line test line connected to an odd data line; And a second data line test line connected to the even-numbered data line.

The switching element may be a thin film transistor, and the switching line is connected to a gate electrode of the thin film transistor.

The source electrode of the thin film transistor may be connected to the gate line test line or the data line test line, and the drain electrode of the thin film transistor may be connected to the gate line or data line.

The voltage is applied from the gate line test line to the gate line when the switching element is opened through the switching line.

The liquid crystal display panel is formed by bonding the lower array substrate and the upper color filter substrate. Before the two substrates are bonded to each other, a short circuit between the unit pixel and the gate line and the data line formed on the array substrate needs to be checked. Therefore, when the array substrate is completed, a short check is performed before bonding. In addition, unit pixels may be damaged by static electricity generated during the manufacturing process of the array substrate. In order to prevent the defect, gate lines and data lines on the array substrate are connected to each other. The gate lines and data lines connected to each other are bonded to each other and separated from each other in the cutting process.

A shorting bar electrically connects the gate line and the data line to each other. The shorting bar is not only used for short-circuit inspection, but also referred to as a test line because it is used as a wiring for inspecting a defective quantity of unit pixels.

In the present invention, the wiring is referred to as a test line because it is used for inspecting short-circuits of gate lines and data lines and defects of unit pixels, and for any inspection that can be made before the auto probe process.

Hereinafter, the structure of the liquid crystal display panel including the test line of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 is a schematic plan view of the entire liquid crystal display panel, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of region B of FIG. 3, that is, the data line test line of the present invention.

3 and 4, the liquid crystal display panel 301 of the present invention includes a first substrate 302 formed on the mother substrate 300 and a second substrate facing and bonded to the first substrate 301. Equipped. The first substrate 302 may be an array substrate and the second substrate may be a color filter substrate.

The first substrate 302 includes a screen display unit 303 and a screen non-display unit 304.

Since the second substrate corresponds to the screen display unit 303 of the first substrate 302, the first substrate 302 is larger than the second substrate 303. The outer portion of the screen display unit is an area where the various pads and driving circuits are connected as the screen non-display unit 304.

A plurality of gate lines 305 and a plurality of data lines 306 perpendicular to the gate lines 305 are formed in the screen display unit 305. The unit pixel is defined by the gate line 305 and the data line 306.

The screen non-display unit 304 is provided with a single gate pad 340 of the gate line 305 and a single data pad 350 of the data line 306. The gate pad 340 and the data pad 350 may be formed in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the liquid crystal display panel, respectively.

Meanwhile, gate line test lines 330a and 330b are further formed on the outer side of the gate pad 340 to electrically connect the gate lines 303 to each other. In addition, data line test lines 360a and 360b may be further formed at one end of the data line 305 to electrically connect the data line 305 to each other. The data line test lines 360a and 360b may be formed outside the data pad 350 or may be formed in the opposite direction to the data pad 350.

3 illustrates that the data line test lines 360a and 360b face each other with the pixel display area interposed therebetween.

The gate line test line and the data line test line may be one wire or a plurality of wires. When formed with a single wiring, adjacent gate lines or adjacent data riders may be shorted to each other, and thus an error may occur during a short circuit test. Thus, the present invention provides two gate line test lines and two data line test lines. Each is composed of wiring.

That is, the gate line test line of the present invention includes a first gate line test line 330a and a second gate line test line 310b. The first gate line test line 310a is connected to odd or even gate lines, and the second gate line test line 310b is connected to even or odd gate lines. That is, when the first gate line test line 310a is connected to the odd-numbered gate line, the second gate line test line 310b is connected to the even-numbered gate line.

Meanwhile, test pads for applying a voltage are formed at one end of each of the first and second gate line test lines 310a and 310b. That is, the first test pad 330a formed at one end of the first gate line test line 330a and the second test line pad 330b formed at one end of the second gate line test line 330b are formed. have. The test pads 330a and 330b may be formed at edges of the non-screen display unit.

The thin film transistor 320, which is a switching element, is formed between the gate line test lines 310a and 310b and the gate line. The thin film transistor 320 is formed for each gate line.

The source electrode of the thin film transistor 320 is connected to the gate line test lines 310a and 310b, and the drain electrode of the thin film transistor is connected to the gate line 304. In addition, switching lines 331a and 331b for controlling the channel of the thin film transistor are formed in parallel with the gate line test lines 310a and 310b. The switching lines 331a and 331b are connected to the gate electrode of the thin film transistor and turn on / off a channel of the thin film transistor.

That is, when a voltage is applied by the switching line, a channel of the thin film transistor is opened, and voltages applied through the gate line test line 310a are provided to the gate lines. The short circuit of the gate lines may be checked by the voltage.

When the thin film transistor 320 is not opened through the switching line, the gate lines 305 are separated from the gate line test lines 310a and 310b. Therefore, after the array substrate is completed, the short circuit of the gate lines is inspected by operating the thin film transistor 320 by the switching lines 331a and 331b and applying a voltage by the gate line test lines 310a and 310b. do.

When no voltage is applied to the thin film transistor through the switching lines 331a and 331b, the gate lines are electrically separated from each other.

FIG. 3 shows that the gate line test lines 310a and 310b of the present invention are composed of a first gate line test line 310a and a second gate line test line 310b, and each gate line is formed by the thin film transistor. And a connection with the second gate line test line.

The data line 306 is connected to the data line test lines 360a and 360b like the gate line 305. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the data lines are divided into odd data lines, which are odd-numbered lines, and even data lines, which are even-numbered lines, and the odd data lines are first data lines. The connection with the test line 360a and the even data lines are connected with the second data line test line 360b.

Test pads 380a and 380b are formed at one end of each of the first and second data line test lines 360a and 360b.

The thin film transistor 320, which is a switching element, is formed between the data line test lines 360a and 360b and the data line 306.

The source electrode of the thin film transistor 320 is connected to the data line test lines 360a and 360b and the drain electrode of the thin film transistor 320 is connected to the data line 306, respectively.

Meanwhile, switching lines 370a and 370b connected to the gate electrode of the thin film transistor and operating the thin film transistor are further formed in parallel with the data line test lines 360a and 360b.

Switching pads are formed at one end of the switching lines 370a and 370b. When the thin film transistor is operated through the switching pads 390a and 390b, a voltage is applied from the data line test lines 360a and 360b to check a short circuit of the data line.

The switching lines 331a, 331b, 370a, and 370b, the switching element 320, the gate line test lines 310a and 310b, and the data line test lines 360a and 360b are formed on the screen non-display area and are removed in the cutting process. no need. Therefore, it is possible to fundamentally prevent the screen display area from being damaged by static electricity or the like that may occur in the cutting process.

In addition, conventionally, when the test line is removed by the cutting process, there is no means for inspecting elements of the screen display unit until the liquid crystal display panel is subjected to auto probe inspection. However, the test line of the present invention is not removed, and the test lines can be separated and connected to the gate line or the data line by a switching element, so that the test can be performed at any time.

In particular, after a cell process of attaching the liquid crystal display panel, a domain defect in which a blurred image is generated in a part of the screen may be easily removed by applying a high voltage through a test line having the above configuration.

The present invention enables the test line for testing the gate line and the data line of the screen display unit to be controlled by the thin film transistor, so that the test line does not need to be removed separately in the cutting process, thereby protecting the screen display from static electricity generated during the cutting process. can do. In addition, the present invention can inspect the screen display unit at any time by not removing the test line, thereby making it easy to detect a failure of the screen display unit.

Claims (8)

An array substrate including a screen display unit and a screen non-display unit; A plurality of gate lines formed on the screen display unit and a plurality of data lines perpendicular to the gate lines; A gate line test line formed on the non-display portion and connected to the gate lines; A switching element formed between the gate line test line and the gate line and switching the gate line test line and the gate line; A voltage applying pad formed at one end of the gate line test line; A switching line for controlling the switching element; And a switching pad formed at one end of the switching line. The display device of claim 1, further comprising: a data line test line formed on the screen non-display portion and connected to the data lines; A switching element formed between the data line test line and the data line and switching the data line test line and the data line; A voltage applying pad formed at one end of the data line test line; And a switching pad for controlling the switching element. The gate line test line of claim 1, wherein the gate line test line comprises: a first gate line test line connected to an odd-numbered gate line; And a second gate line test line connected to the even-numbered gate line. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data line test line comprises: a first data line test line connected to an odd data line; And a second data line test line connected to the even-numbered data line. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the switching element is a thin film transistor. The liquid crystal display of claim 5, wherein the switching line is connected to a gate electrode of the thin film transistor. The liquid crystal display of claim 5, wherein a source electrode of the thin film transistor is connected to the gate line test line or a data line test line, and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor is connected to the gate line or data line. . The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein a voltage is applied from the gate line test line to the gate line when the switching element is opened through the switching line.

Images