Emission Control Line Driver With Indirect Gate Protection

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing emission control line drivers for organic light emitting display devices face challenges in preventing damage to inner circuit devices and ensuring output stability, particularly due to the risk of static electricity and charge accumulation affecting transistor gate electrodes connected directly to emission control lines.

Innovation Solution

The emission control line driver design includes a configuration of transistors and capacitors that indirectly connect transistor gate electrodes to the emission control lines, using protection units like resistors or capacitors to prevent static damage, and employs non-overlapping clock signals to manage voltage and emission control signals effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If transistor gate electrodes are directly connected to emission control lines, then the circuit structure is simple, but static electricity and charge accumulation can damage the transistors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecircuit structureVSAvoidtransistor damage prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces protection units (resistors or capacitors) as intermediary components between the emission control lines and transistor gate electrodes. These protection units act as mediators that prevent direct connection, thereby blocking static electricity and charge accumulation from damaging the transistors while maintaining the functional connectivity of the circuit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If protection units are added between emission control lines and gate electrodes, then transistor damage is prevented, but the circuit complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransistor damage preventionVSAvoidcircuit structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces protection units (resistors or capacitors) as intermediary components between the emission control lines and transistor gate electrodes. These protection units act as mediators that prevent direct connection, thereby blocking static electricity and charge accumulation from damaging the transistors while maintaining the functional connectivity of the circuit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If clock signals are used to control transistor switching, then emission control is achieved, but charge accumulation on gate electrodes can still cause damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemission control efficiencyVSAvoidcharge accumulation damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces protection units (resistors or capacitors) as intermediary components between the emission control lines and transistor gate electrodes. These protection units act as mediators that prevent direct connection, thereby blocking static electricity and charge accumulation from damaging the transistors while maintaining the functional connectivity of the circuit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protection units are positioned in advance between the emission control lines and gate electrodes to cushion against potential charge accumulation damage before it can occur. This preventive measure ensures that even when clock signals are used for emission control, the transistors are protected from voltage spikes and static discharge.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS9277622B2Emission control line driver

Publication Date: 2016.03.01 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD

AI summary

Each stage of an emission control line driver includes a first transistor connected to a first node, a first power source, and a first output terminal; a second transistor connected to second node, the first output terminal, and a second power source; a third transistor connected to a second input terminal, a first input terminal, and the first node; a fourth transistor connected to the first node, the first power source, and the second node; a first controller connected to the first to third input terminals to supply sampling signal to a second output terminal; and a second controller connected to the second input terminal and a fourth input terminal to control the voltage of the second node. The first controller includes a fifth transistor connected between the first power source and the second output terminal, and to the second controller or the first output terminal via a protection unit.