Liquid crystal apparatus.

0001The present invention relates to a liquid crystal apparatus used to display several kinds of characters, marks, images or the like, and more particularly to a highly reliable liquid crystal apparatus in which the lead electrodes in a liquid crystal device are surely connected to the lead electrodes of a drive circuit board with less resistance.

0002Recently, liquid crystal apparatus have been designed to be used for television display, graphic display and the like, and therefore, it has become popular to develop liquid crystal apparatus having a large capacity and a high density and to put it practically used. Such a kind of liquid crystal apparatus have drive circuit boards which are connected to a liquid crystal device.

0003In the conventional liquid crystal apparatus, in order to connect a liquid crystal device with a drive circuit board the following method is adopted. That is, an electrical conductive rubber connector is disposed between each lead electrode of the liquid crystal device and the associated lead of the drive circuit board, and both are retained, as necessary, from the outside by a retaining mechanism such as a spring member to electrically connect both lead electrodes.

0004The electrical conductive conductive rubber connector is formed of several conductive layers each of which is made of an insulating material such as silicone rubber or the like, containing electrical conductive powder such as carbon powder, metal powder or the like, and which are arrayed at predetermined pitches, each conductive layer being formed so as to have a thickness which is less than the width of a lead electrode and also less than a space between lead electrodes. This conductive layer is produced such that a silicone rubber in a normally liquid form containing electrical powder dispersed therein is disposed between magnets to collect the electrical conductive material around magnetic poles, and is hardened in this condition.

0005With the electrical conductive rubber connector, there has been raised such a problem that the electrical conductivity of the boundary between each adjacent conductive layer and insulator in the electrical conductive rubber connector gradually varies, resulting in difficulty in thinning the connector and in low accuracy, and therefore, it has been difficult to carry out the connection of several lead electrodes with a high density, thereby the connector has been disable to have reliability.

0006Further, in the above method, since a retaining mechanisms are generally required, and therefore, there has been raised a problem of difficulty in thinning and miniaturizing of the products.

0007In order to dissolve the above-mentioned problem, there has been studied a method of connecting lead electrodes, in which an anisotropic conductive layer made of organic resin containing electrical conductive particles having substantially equal particle sizes is disposed between the lead electrodes of a liquid crystal device and a drive circuit board, and is subjected to thermocompression bonding so that the simple substance of the electrical conductive particles between the lead electrodes of the liquid crystal device and the drive circuit board made in presscontact with each other to connect both lead electrodes with each other.

0008However, since the lead electrodes of a common electrode for a liquid crystal device and the lead electrode of the drive circuit board are formed to have a relatively wide width such as, for example, about 2 mm in the arrangement of the conventional liquid crystal apparatus. This is due to that the electrical resistance is reduced to surely transmit signals.

0009Accordingly, with the above method, no relieving places are there for organic resin in such a part that the wide lead electrodes of the common electrode and the associated lead electrodes of the circuit board are virtically arranged, and therefore, a large amount of organic resin exists while the thickness of the anisotropic electrical conductive layer is unaltered. Accordingly, the contactness of the electrical conductive particle comes to be inferior, resulting in a large contact resistance, and in the worst case, the electrical connection cannot be obtained, which raised another problem.

0010For example, in the case of an active matrix type liquid crystal apparatus in which electrical connection is made by the above-metioned method, an electrical resistance of about 0.2 to 0.5 Ω/lead exists between the lead electrodes of the liquid crystal device other than the lead electrode and the associated lead electrodes of the circuit board, while an electrical resistance of about 1.0 to 1.5 Ω/lead exists between the lead electrodes of the common electrode and the associated lead electrodes of the circuit board. Further, for the test of reliability, under the atmosphere in which, for example, the temperature is 80°C and the humidity is 95% when a liquid crystal apparatus is left for 10 to 100 hours, the former resistance is changed to about 20 Ω/lead, while the latter resistance is changed to about 200 Ω/lead.

0011Further, as the above time is made to be long, the former resistance is limited so that it is slightly increased while the latter resistance is abruptly increased to have a value in a range form several kΩ to several hundred kΩ, and in the worst case, an open circuit is effected.

0012One object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal apparatus in which electrical connection between a liquid crystal device and a drive circuit with the use of an anisotropic electrical conductive layer can be uniformly made.

0013Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal apparatus in which electrical connection between a liquid crystal device and a drive circuit board with the use of an anisotropic electrical conductive layer can be made with a relatively low electrical resistance.

0014Still another object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable liquid crystal apparatus.

0015The present invention provides a liquid crystal apparatus having a liquid crystal device in which liquid crystal is held between a substrate on which a common electrode is formed and a substrate on which a plurality of pixel electrodes are formed, and in which lead electrodes for applying voltage to the common electrode and the pixel electrodes being led from one of the substrate, a circuit board formed thereto with lead electrodes, and an anisotropic conductive layer disposed between the lead electrodes of the liquid crystal device and those of the circuit board and made of organic resin containing several electrical conductive particles having substantially equal particle sizes, the simple substrate of the electrical conductive particles makes in direct contact with the lead electrodes with each other, which is characterized in that at least one of the lead electrode and the lead electrode of the circuit board corresponding to the lead electrode of the common electrode are spaced, and the pitches and width of the lead electrodes of at least one of the liquid crystal device and the circuit board are within the range of ± 30% around the respective averaged values thereof. <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a circuit in an active matrix type liquid crystal apparatus;</li><li>Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an active matrix type liquid crystal apparatus;</li><li>Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating a liquid crystal apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 4 is an enlarged schematic plan view illustrating an essential part of Fig. 3;</li><li>Figs. 5a and 5b are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the liquid crystal apparatus shown in one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 5a showing before thermocompression bonding and Fig. 5b showing after thermocompression bonding;</li><li>Figs. 6a and 6b are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a conventional liquid crystal apparatus in which anisotropic conductive layers are used, Fig. 6a showing before thermocompression bonding and Fig. 6b showing after thermocompression bonding;</li><li>Figs. 7a and 7b are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a liquid crystal apparatus in another embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 7a showing before thermocompression bonding and Fig. 7b showing after thermocompression bonding;</li><li>Fig. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a liquid crystal apparatus in further another embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view illustrating an essential part of a liquid crystal apparatus shown in Fig. 8;</li><li>Fig. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a circuit in the liquid crystal apparatus of Fig. 8, for explaining a repairing condition thereof when a wire breakage occurs.</li></ul>

0016The embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

0017Fig. 1 shows a circuit diagram for an active matrix type liquid crystal apparatus. Several data lines X_i (i = 1, 2, 3 ... n) and several gate lines Y_j (j = 1, 2, 3 ... n) substantially orthgonal to the former are formed in the array substrate 101. A TFT (thin film transistor) 102 is formed at each of the positions of crossing points between the data lines X_i and the gate lines Y_j. Further, drain electrodes of the TFTs 102 are connected to the data lines for each column, and gate electrodes are connected to the gate lines Y_j for each row.

0018A transparent pixel electrode 103 is formed in each of matrix-like areas defined by the data lines X₁ and the gate lines Y_j, and is connected to a source electrode of each TFT 102.

0019The gate lines Y_j correspond to scanning lines and are connected to a scanning circuit 104. Further, the data lines X_i are connected to a hold circuit 105 for feeding display signals in one horizontal line unit.

0020Further, a common electrode 106 is arranged opposing the transparent pixel electrodes 103, and liquid crystal 107 is sandwiched between the common electrode 106 and the transparent electrodes 103.

0021As shown in Fig. 2, the common electrode 106 is formed on a transparent substrate 109 which is opposed to the array substrate 101 and held by a spacer 108. Further, the transparent substrate 109 is also formed therein with filters for red (R), green (G) and blue (B) colors, corresponding to the transparent pixel electrodes 103, and a polarizing plate 110 is set on the outer surface of the transparent substrate 109 and the array substrate 101.

0022In the liquid crystal device having the above-mentioned arrangement, when a voltage is applied to, for example, the gate line (Y₁) while a high level data is fed to the data line X₁, the TFT 102 at the crossing point between the gate line Y₁ and the gate line X₁ is energized so that a voltage is accumulated between the transparent pixel electrode 103 at this position and the common electrode 106, resulting in the liquid crystal 107 being oriented, and therefore, light can pass through this part when the transmission axes of two polarizing plates 110 are about parallel each other. Thus, pixels through which light is transmitted are selected in accordance with signals from the data lines X_i so that it is possible to display an image. The gate lines Y_j are scanned at a predetermined frequency, and therefore, accumulated voltage at pixel electrodes are rewritten at this frequency.

0023Fig. 3 shows the external view of the active matrix type liquid crystal apparatus. As explained above, the center area of a liquid crystal device 112 composed of the array substrate 101, transparent substrate 109, the liquid crystal 107 sandwiched therebetween and the like, severs as liquid crystal display section 113. Further, as shown in Fig. 4, lead electrodes for applying voltage to the transparent pixel electrodes 103, and lead electrodes E_i (i = 1, 2, 3 ... n) of the common electrode 106 are provided along the four sides one of the substrates, for example, the array substrate 101.

0024Further, the lead electrodes of the common electrode 106 are spaced so that they have pitches and width substantially identical to those of lead electrodes for the transparent pixel electrodes 103. In this arrangement, for example, the lead electrodes E₁ to E₇ are allocated for the lead electrodes of the common electrode 106, and the lead electrodes E₈ to E_n are allocated for the lead electrodes for the transparent pixel electrodes 103.

0025Further, circuit boards 114, 115, 116 and 117, each composed of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) mounted thereof with a driver IC chip (not shown), are arranged along the sides of the liquid crystal device 112, respectively, having lead electrodes F_j (j = 1, 2, 3 ... n) corresponding to the lead electrodes.

0026The lead electrodes F_j of these circuit board 114, 115, 116 and 117 are connected to the lead electrodes E₁ of the liquid crystal device 112, as explained hereinbelow.

0027As shown in Fig. 5a, on the array substrate made of a glass substrate having a thickness of about 1.0 mm, aluminum lead electrodes having a width of 50 to 250 µm, for example, 165 µm and a thickness of about 1 µm are formed at pitches of 150 to 500 µm, for example, 330 µm. Further, on a film such as polyimide film or the like, having a thickness of about 25 µm, flexible tape lead electrodes F_j made of Cu + Ni + Au, having a width of 165 µm, and a thickness of 10 to 500 µm, for example, 18 um are formed at pitches of 330 µm. It is noted that the lead electrodes E₁ are allocated for the lead electrodes of the common electrode 106 and the lead electrodes of the transparent pixel electrodes 103 in the liquid crystal device 112, and therefore, have substantially identical pitches and widths.

0028Further, an anisotropic conductive layer 122 having a thickness of 10 to 30 µm, for example, 25 µm, and made of a thermoplastic resin binder 120 in which electrical conductive particles 121 such as Ni particles coated with a film made of Ni, alloy thereof or Au and having a particle size of 1 to 10 µm, for example, about 2 µm, are dispersed, is disposed between the lead electrodes E_i, F_j. It is noted that a film having a commercial name "Anisolm" available from Hitachi Chemical Industrial Co., or the like can be used as such an anisotropic conductive layer 122.

0029Then, they are heated and pressed under the condition of a temperature of 150°C and a pressure of 30 kg/cm² for 20 sec., and therefore, the anisotropic conductive layer 122 is dispressed so as to be connected, as shown in Fig. 5b.

0030With the liquid crystal apparatus in this embodiment having the above-mentioned arrangement, the interelectrode resistance was measured, it had a low value such as 0.2 to 0.5 Ω/lead over 240 leads, and an uniform result was obtained. Further, in this case the concentration of the electrical conductive particles per lead was such that about 10 to 20 particles were there.

0031Figs. 6a and 6b show a conventional liquid crystal apparatus using an anisotropic conductive layer 122.

0032In such a conventional liquid crystal device, the lead electrode e₁ of the common electrode and the associated lead electrode f₁ of the circuit board are formed to be wide. Accordingly, in such a part that the lead electrode e₁ and the lead electrode f₁ are arranged in the vertical direction, organic resin has no relieving place and therefore, the anisotropic conductive layer 122 has still a large thickness having a large amount of organic resin between the lead electrodes e₁, f₁ so that the contactness of the electrical conductive particles 121 is insufficient, resulting in incresing the contact resistance, and in the most worst case, no electrical connection cannot be obtained.

0033On the contrary, in the liquid crystal apparatus according to the present invention, the lead electrodes of the common electrodes in the liquid crystal device 112 and the lead electrodes of the circuit board corresponding to to the lead electrodes of the common electrode, are spaced. Accordingly, when the anisotropic conductive layer 122 is disposed between the lead electrodes and are subjected to thermocompression bonding, as shown in Fig. 5b, the anisotropic conductive layer 122 are depressed by the lead electrodes E₁, F₁ and therefore thinned while organic resin 120 is pushed out through the gaps between adjacent lead electrodes so that the electrical conductive particles 121 are held between the electrodes in the vertical direction to ensure electrical connection. Accordingly, since pressure is uniformly applied to the film during thermocompression bonding, and the relieving places for organic resin 120 can be formed, the thickness of the anisotropic conductive layer 122 are made uniform over the electrode section in its entirety, and therefore the contact resistance is made to be low and uniform.

0034Figs. 7a and 7b show a liquid crystal apparatus in another embodiment, in which the identical reference numerals are given to those indentical to the parts of Figs. 5a and 5b.

0035In this embodiment, the lead electrode E₁ of the common electrode in the liquid crystal device 112 has a width of about 2 mm, and there are provided several separated electrodes, for example, seven electrodes F₁ to F₇ corresponding to the above-mentioned single electrode E₁, and having pitches and a width substantially equal to those of the lead electrodes F_n of the circuit board. Even in such a liquid crystal apparatus, it is possible to obtain technical effects and advantages similar to those obtained by the liquid crystal apparatus in the aforementioned embodiment.

0036It is noted that errors occur during the production of the liquid crystal apparatus even though the pitches and widths of the lead electrodes are made to be indentical. Further, as it is understood from the above explanation, the way of spacing the lead electrodes of the common electrode and the lead electrodes corresponding the lead electrodes of the common electrodes is not always necessary to do such that they have the similar pitches and widths of the other lead electrodes. However, in order to satisfy uniformity, the lead electrodes preferably has pitches and widths ranges of ± 30% around their respective average values.

0037Figs. 8 and 9 show a liquid crystal device in further another embodiment of the present invention, in which indentical reference numerals are given to those indentical parts in the liquid crystal device of Figs. 3 and 4.

0038In this liquid crystal device, a series of pattern wirings 201 and 202 are formed on the rear side of the lead electrodes F_j of the drive circuit 114, along the direction in which the lead electrodes F_j are parallelly arranged. It is noted that the number of the pattern wirings is two in this case, but the number of the pattern wirings should not be limited to this number.

0039Further, pattern wirings 203 to 208 are formed similarly on the rear side of the lead electrodes of the drive circuit boards 115, 116 and 117.

0040Accordingly, the above-mentioned pattern wirings 210 to 208 serve to reinforce the output electrode sections of the flexible drive circuit boards 114 to 117 toward the lead electrode pitch direction. That is, even if the drive circuit boards 114 to 117 tend to expand and contract due to variations in temperature, humidity or the like, the tendency is restrained by the pattern wirings 201 to 208. As a result, in the case of that the output electrodes F_j of the drive circuit boards 115, 116 and 117 are connected to the substrate electrodes E₁ of the array substrate 101, being opposed to each other, no pitch deviation occurs therebetween, and therefore, it is possible to ensure satisfactory and accurate connection.

0041Further, in order to connect pattern wirings on each adjacent circuit boards, connecting patterns 211 and 212 are previously formed on, for example, the array substrate 101 as shown in Fig. 9, and connection is made with the use of a soldering process. Accordingly, in the case of that a loop is formed by, for example, the pattern wirings 201, 203, 205 and 207, if any wire breakage occurs in, for example, a wire breakage part 220 of the data line X_c, the electrode F_c or E_c is connected to the pattern wiring 201, and the part is connected to the electrode on the side opposite to the data line X_c through the intermediary of this pattern wiring. Thus, even though the wire breakage part would be there, data can be indirectly fed to a part of devices by way of the pattern wiring, and therefore, the devices to be fed with data can be all operated in a normal way.