Patent ID: 6175394
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: G02F,H01L

Abstract:
A flat panel display, comprising:a contact pad for providing a signal to the flat panel display;a drive circuit coupled to receive the signal provided at the contact pad, the drive circuit controlling a pixel of the flat panel display in response to the signal;a guard ring adjacent to the contact pad; anda protective circuit element coupling the guard ring to the contact pad so that a transient signal applied to the contact pad is discharged to the guard ring, the protective circuit element comprising at least a floating gate transistor,the floating gate transistor comprising:a floating gate comprising a first layer of conductive material, a drain and a source formed in a second layer of conductive layer, and two conductive lines connected to and extending from the gate beneath the drain and source, respectively;a channel region comprising silicon coupling the source to the drain, and a gate insulator formed between the floating gate and the channel region, the gate insulator separating the floating gate from the channel region and from the source and drain, the gate insulator further separating the two conductive lines from both the drain and the sourcewherein the drain, the gate insulators and a first one of the two conductive lines define a drain-gate capacitor,wherein the drain, the gate insulator, and a second one of the two conductive lines define a source-gate capacitor, andwherein the drain-gate capacitor and the source-gate capacitor have respective capacitances of about a same magnitude.