Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 10/971,007, filed Oct. 25, 2004, and claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-85233, filed Nov. 27, 2003, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a flat panel display device and, more particularly, to a flat panel display device in which both the wiring width of a common power supply line and the panel size may be reduced by allowing the common power supply line (Vdd line) to be constantly curved. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
       FIG. 1A  is a schematic plan view of light emitting region and non-light emitting region of an organic electroluminescent (EL) device, and  FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I of  FIG. 1A  for showing a stacked structure of the common power supply line of the organic EL device. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1A , the organic EL device comprises a light emitting region  100  and a non-light emitting region  200 , and the non-light emitting region  200  is positioned in a periphery of a panel. A common power supply line  54  is arranged in the non-light emitting region  200  of the periphery of the panel to supply a common voltage to the light emitting region  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1B , a buffer layer  15 , a gate insulating layer  30 , and an interlayer insulating layer  40  may be sequentially stacked. A common power supply line  54  may be arranged on the interlayer insulating layer  40  in the non-light emitting region  200  of the periphery of the panel and formed of the same material as source/drain electrode. 
     In the related art, a signal line such as a gate line is not formed below the common power supply line  54  in order to prevent an electrical short. Thus the common power supply line  54  is fabricated with a width of about 1.5 mm so as to maintain constant wiring resistance. Consequently the total size of the panel increases. 
     Furthermore, in the conventional organic EL device, the size of the panel increases due to wiring width of the common power supply line  54  arranged in the light emitting region  100  as well as that of the common power supply line  54  arranged in the non-light emitting region  200  in the periphery of the panel. 
       FIG. 2A  is a plan view for showing a plan structure of the light emitting region of the organic EL device of  FIG. 1A , and  FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of  FIG. 2A . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , the light emitting region of the organic EL device may include A region where a pixel electrode and a driving thin film transistor are formed on a transparent insulating substrate  10 , B region where a common power supply line is wired, and C region where a capacitor is formed. 
     A buffer layer  15  is formed on the insulating substrate  10 , and a driving thin film transistor including a semiconductor layer  20  having source/drain regions  21  and  22  and a channel region  23 , a gate electrode  31 , and source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  connected to the source/drain regions  21  and  22  through contact holes  41  and  42 , is formed in a region above the buffer layer  15  in the A region, and a capacitor comprised of a first electrode  32  and a second electrode  53  is formed in the C region. 
     A gate insulating layer  30  is formed between the semiconductor layer  20 , and a gate electrode  31  and a first electrode  32 . An interlayer insulating layer  40  is formed between the gate electrode  31  and the first electrode  32 , and source/drain electrodes  51 ,  52  and a second electrode  53 . Then a passivation layer  60  is formed. 
     A pixel electrode  70  is formed as an anode electrode on the passivation layer  60 , and is connected to one of the source/drain electrodes  51  and  52 , for example, to the drain electrode  52  through the via hole  61 , and a planarizing layer  80  having an opening  81  for exposing some portion of the pixel electrode  70  may be formed on the passivation layer  60  including the pixel electrode  70 . 
     An organic light-emitting layer  90  may be formed on the opening  81 , and a cathode electrode  95  may be formed on the organic light-emitting layer  90 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A , the organic EL device comprises a plurality of signal lines, namely, a gate line  35  for applying a scanning signal, a data line  55  for applying a data signal, and a common power supply line  54  for applying a common voltage Vdd to all pixels to provide a reference voltage necessary for driving the driving thin film transistor. 
     Pixels may be arranged per pixel region defined by these signal lines  35 ,  54 , and  55 , wherein each pixel may be comprised of a plurality of thin film transistors connected to those signal lines, one capacitor, and an organic EL device. 
     In the conventional organic EL device, the gate line  35  and the first electrode  32  of the capacitor may be formed when the gate electrode  31  may be formed, and the data line  55 , the power supply line  54 , and a second electrode  53  of the capacitor may be formed when the source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  may be formed. In this case, the second electrode  53  of the capacitor and one of the source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  have structures extended from the common power supply line  54 . In other words, the common power supply line  54  may be concurrently formed while the source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  are formed. 
     The common power supply line  54  in the light emitting region  100  may also be stacked in the same manner as the non-light emitting region  200  of the periphery of the panel, which causes the panel size to be increased due to wiring width of the common power supply line  54 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a flat panel display having a wiring structure of a power supply line capable of maintaining wiring resistance of the conventional structure while reducing the width of the power supply line. Note that, as used herein, the term “curved” does not require a smooth transition, but is rather to be viewed in contrast to shapes that are substantially straight for long distances. For example, layer  54  is straight in  FIG. 1B  and curved in  FIG. 4B , although that particular curvature is just one example. 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there may be provided a flat panel display device, which may include a light-emitting layer portion having a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic light-emitting layer between the first and second electrodes; at least two thin film transistors for controlling the light-emitting layer portion; a scanning signal line for supplying a scanning signal to the thin film transistor; a data signal line for supplying a data signal to the thin film transistor; a light emitting region having a common power supply line for supplying current to the light-emitting layer portion; and a peripheral common power supply line connected to the common power supply line and having at least one curved portion on a non-light emitting region except the light emitting region. 
     In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there may be provided a flat panel display device, which may include an insulating substrate; a buffer layer formed on the entire surface of the insulating substrate; a gate insulating layer formed above the buffer layer; an interlayer insulating layer formed above the gate insulating layer and patterned to be curved; and a common power supply line formed above the interlayer insulating layer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other features of the present invention will be described in reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings. 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic plan view of a light emitting region and a non-light emitting region of a conventional organic electroluminescent (EL) device. 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I of  FIG. 1A  for showing a stacked structure of a common power supply line of the conventional organic EL device; 
         FIG. 2A  is a plan view for showing a plan structure of the light emitting region of the organic EL device of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic plan view of a light emitting region and a non-light emitting region of an organic EL device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I′-I′ of  FIG. 3  for showing a stacked structure of a common power supply line of a flat panel display device in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I′-I′ of  FIG. 3  for showing a stacked structure of a common power supply line of a flat panel display device in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of  FIG. 2A  for showing a stacked structure of a flat panel display device in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the II-II line for showing a stacked structure of a flat panel display device in accordance with a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the specification. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic plan view of a light emitting region and a non-light emitting region of an organic EL device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I′-I′ of  FIG. 3  for showing a stacked structure of a common power supply line of a flat panel display in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A , the organic EL device in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a buffer layer  15  formed on the entire surface of a substrate  10 , which may be commonly used for a light emitting region  100  and a non-light emitting region  200 . A semiconductor layer may then be formed using polycrystalline silicon in the light emitting region  100 , and a gate insulating layer  30  may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate. 
     Next, a gate electrode (not shown) may be formed above the semiconductor layer of the light emitting region  100  on the gate insulating layer  30 , and an interlayer insulating layer  40  may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate  10  including the gate electrode. The interlayer insulating layer  40  of the light emitting region  100  may be etched to form first and second contact holes for exposing source/drain regions (not shown), respectively, and the interlayer insulating layer  40  in which a common power supply line  54  may be formed in the non-light emitting region  200  may be concurrently patterned to be curved by etching in a longitudinal direction (namely, y axis of  FIG. 3 ) as shown in  FIG. 4A . 
     In this case, the interlayer insulating layer  40  of the non-light emitting region  200  acts to reduce the wiring width while enabling the common power supply line  54  to maintain a typical wiring resistance, and there should preferably be at least one such curved portion. The curved portion may be preferably uneven, and a distance (b) between curved portions should preferably be at least two times a stacked thickness (a) of the common power supply line  54 . 
     After the interlayer insulating layer  40  may be patterned, a metal electrode material may be deposited and patterned on the entire surface of the substrate  10  to thereby form source/drain electrodes (not shown) to be contacted with the source/drain regions through the first and second contact holes in the thin film transistor of the light emitting region  100 , respectively, and the common power supply line  54  extended from one of the source/drain electrodes in the non-light emitting region  200 . 
     In the present embodiment, etching for the interlayer insulating layer  40  of the non-light emitting region  200  where the common power supply line  54  will be formed may be progressed with an etching process for forming the contact holes at the same time, which does not require a mask process and the common power supply line may be formed to have constant curved portions, and when the same wiring resistance may be maintained as unit area through which current flows increases, the wiring width may be reduced compared to that of a conventional wiring structure to thereby reduce the total panel size. 
       FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I′-I′ of  FIG. 3  for showing a stacked structure of a common power supply line of a flat panel display in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4B , the same method as the first exemplary embodiment may be performed from its start to the process for forming the gate insulating layer. 
     A gate metal material may also be deposited on a region where the common power supply line  54  of the non-light emitting region  200  will be formed when the gate electrode of the light emitting region  100  is formed. The gate electrode material may be patterned in the light-emitting region  100  to form the gate electrode and the gate electrode material may remain in the non-light emitting region  200 . 
     Next, an interlayer insulating layer  40  may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate  10  on the gate insulating layer  30 . The interlayer insulating layer  40  of the light emitting region  100  may be etched to form first and second contact holes for exposing source/drain regions (not shown), respectively while the interlayer insulating layer  40  where the common power supply line  54  will be formed in the non-light emitting region  200  may be concurrently patterned to be curved by etching in a longitudinal direction (namely, y axis direction of  FIG. 3 ) as shown in  FIG. 4B . 
     In this case, the interlayer insulating layer  40  of the non-light emitting region  200  acts to reduce a wiring width while allowing the common power supply line  54  to maintain a typical wiring resistance, and at least one such curved portion should preferably be present. The curved portion may be preferably uneven, and a distance (b) between curved portions should preferably be at least two times a stacked thickness (a) of the common power supply line  54 . 
     After the interlayer insulating layer  40  may be patterned, a metal electrode material may be deposited and patterned on the entire surface of the substrate  10  to thereby form source/drain electrodes (not shown) to be contacted with the source/drain regions through the first and second contact holes in the thin film transistor of the A region, respectively, and the common power supply line  54  extended from one of the source/drain electrodes in the non-light emitting region  200  at the same time. In this case, the lower curved portion of the common power supply line  54  in the non-light emitting region  200  may be contacted with a gate metal material, namely, an auxiliary common power supply line  33 . 
     As a result, in accordance with the common power supply line  54  of the non-light emitting region  200  in the second exemplary embodiment, metal wiring has a double-wiring structure to thereby increase the width through which current may flow, which leads to the reduction of the width of the metal wiring compared to that of a conventional common power supply line when the same wiring resistance may be maintained. 
       FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of  FIG. 2A  for showing a stacked structure of a flat panel display device in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5A , an insulating substrate  10  including A region where a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor are formed, B region where a common power supply line may be arranged, and C region where a capacitor is formed may be prepared. A buffer layer  15  may be formed on the insulating substrate  10 . 
     A semiconductor layer  20  may then be formed on a portion where the thin film transistor will be formed in the A region, and a gate insulating layer  30  is formed on the entire surface of the substrate  10  including the semiconductor layer  20 . A gate electrode  31  may then be formed on the gate insulating layer  30  above the semiconductor layer  20  of the A region, and a first electrode  32  of the capacitor may be formed on the gate insulating layer  30  where the capacitor of the C region will be formed. One of n type and p type impurities, for example, p type impurities may be implanted into the semiconductor layer  20  to form source/drain regions  21  and  22 , and a portion of the semiconductor layer  20  below the gate electrode  31  acts as a channel region  23 . 
     An interlayer insulating layer  40  may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate  10  on the gate insulating layer  30  where the gate electrode  31  and the first electrode  32  of the capacitor may be already formed. The interlayer insulating layer  40  of the A region may be etched to form first and second contact holes  41  and  42  for exposing the source/drain regions  21  and  22 , respectively, and the interlayer insulating layer  40  of the B region where the common power supply line  54  will be formed may be concurrently patterned to be curved by etching in a longitudinal direction (namely, y axis of  FIG. 2A ) as shown in  FIG. 5A . 
     In this case, the interlayer insulating layer  40  of the B region acts to reduce a wiring width while allowing the common power supply line  54  to maintain a typical wiring resistance, and at least one such curved portion should preferably be present. The curved portion may be preferably uneven, and a distance (b) between curved portions should preferably be at least two times a stacked thickness (a) of the common power supply line  54 . 
     After the interlayer insulating layer may be patterned, a metal electrode material may be deposited and patterned on the entire surface of the substrate to thereby form source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  to be contacted with the source/drain regions  21  and  22  through the first and second contact holes  41  and  42  in the thin film transistor of the A region, respectively, and a common power supply line extended from one of the source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  above the B region at the same time. In the meantime, one of the source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  may be extended to form a second electrode  53  of the capacitor in the C region. 
     A driving thin film transistor of a pixel region of the flat panel display device in accordance with the present invention, may be supplied with power when one of the source/drain electrodes and the second electrode of the capacitor is connected to the common power supply line. 
     In the present embodiment, etching for the interlayer insulating layer of the B region where the common power supply line will be formed may be progressed with an etching process for forming the contact holes at the same time, which does not require a mask process and the power supply line may be formed to have constant curved portions, and when the same wiring resistance may be maintained as unit area through which current flows increases, the wiring width may be reduced compared to that of a conventional wiring structure to thereby reduce the total panel size. 
       FIG. 5B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the II-II line for showing a stacked structure of a flat panel display device in accordance with a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5B , the same method as the third exemplary embodiment may be performed from its start to the process for forming the gate insulating layer in the fourth exemplary embodiment. 
     A gate metal material may also be deposited on a region where the common power supply line  54  of the B region will be formed when the gate electrode  31  may be formed. The gate electrode material may be patterned to form the gate electrode  31  and a first electrode  32  of the capacitor, and the gate electrode material may remain on the B region. 
     One of n type and p type impurities, for example, p type impurities may then be implanted into the semiconductor layer  20  to form source/drain regions  21  and  22 , and a portion of the semiconductor layer  20  below the gate electrode  31  acts as a channel region  23 . 
     An interlayer insulating layer  40  may be formed on the entire surface of the substrate  10  on the gate insulating layer  30  where the gate electrode  31  and the first electrode  32  of the capacitor may be already formed. The interlayer insulating layer  40  of the A region may be etched to form first and second contact holes  41  and  42  for exposing the source/drain regions  21  and  22 , respectively, and the interlayer insulating layer  40  of the B region where the common power supply line  54  will be formed may be concurrently patterned to be curved by etching in a longitudinal direction (namely, y axis of  FIG. 2A ) as shown in  FIG. 5B . 
     In this case, the interlayer insulating layer  40  of the B region acts to reduce a wiring width while allowing the common power supply line  54  to maintain a typical wiring resistance, and at least one such curved portion should preferably be present. The curved portion may be preferably uneven, and a distance (b) between curved portions should preferably be at least two times a stacked thickness (a) of the common power supply line  54 . 
     After the interlayer insulating layer  40  may be patterned, a metal electrode material may be deposited and patterned on the entire surface of the substrate  10  to thereby form source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  to be contacted with source/drain regions  21  and  22  through the first and second contact holes  41  and  42  in the thin film transistor of the A region, respectively, and a common power supply line  54  extended from one of the source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  above the B region at the same time. In the meantime, one of the source/drain electrodes  51  and  52  may be extended to form a second electrode  53  of the capacitor in the C region. In this case, the lower curved portion of the common power supply line  54  in the B region may be contacted with a gate metal material, namely an auxiliary common power supply line  33 . 
     As a result, in accordance with the common power supply line of the B region in the fourth exemplary embodiment, metal wiring becomes a double-wiring structure to thereby increase the width through which current may flow, which leads to the reduction of the width of metal wiring compared to that of a conventional common power supply line when the same wiring resistance may be maintained. 
     In the meantime, it has been described that the common power supply line  54  of the light emitting region  100  and the common power supply line  54  of the non-light emitting region  200  are separately shaped to be curved in the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, however, the common power supply line  54  of the light emitting region  100  and the common power supply line  54  of the non-light emitting region  200  may be formed to be curved at the same time. 
     The flat panel display device employed in the present invention may include, but not limited to, an organic light emitting diode or a liquid crystal display device. 
     As mentioned above, the common power supply line may be formed to have its wiring structure curved or to have a double-wiring structure of the common power supply line, which allows the wiring width to be reduced when the same wiring resistance may be maintained, and also allows IR drop due to the wiring resistance to be minimized. In addition, the wiring width may be reduced to thereby reduce the total panel size of the flat panel display. It is understood that the disclosure has been made for purpose of illustrating the invention by way of examples and is not limited to limit the scope of the invention. And one skilled in the art can make amend and change the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Technology Category: 3