Semiconductor device

Details Semiconductor device Semiconductor device

2001-11-29

2004-08-03

Shankar, Vijay (Department: 2673)

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system

Display driving control circuitry

C345S103000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06771258

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device (a driver IC) that drives a display device such as a LCD panel or the like.
2. Conventional Art
A conventional driver IC that drives a LCD panel is described with reference to
FIGS. 3-4
.
FIG. 3
shows a LCD module using a conventional semiconductor device. As shown in
FIG. 3
, a LCD module
40
includes a driver IC
31
, a LCD panel
20
and a glass substrate
41
. In other words, the driver IC
31
and the LCD panel
20
are mounted on the glass substrate
41
to form the LCD module
40
.
The LCD panel
20
has a plurality of regions
101
,
102
, . . . in a segment direction, and a plurality of regions
301
,
302
, . . . in a common direction. Here, by specifying one region in the segment direction and one region in the common direction, one pixel (dot) is specified. As an example, the LCD panel
20
has 160 regions along the segment direction, and also 160 regions along the common direction. In this case, the LCD panel
20
has 160×160 pixels.
The driver IC
31
has an elongated shape in one direction, and segment signal output terminals S
201
-S
360
of gold (Au) bumps for outputting segment signals are formed along a central section of one edge (an upper edge in the figure) in the longitudinal direction of a mounting surface thereof. Also, common signal output terminals C
201
-C
280
and C
281
-C
360
of gold (Au) bumps for outputting common signals are formed along sections on both sides of the central section of the one edge (the upper edge in the figure) in the longitudinal direction of the mounting surface of the driver IC
31
. Furthermore, input terminals Q
1
-Qn of gold (Au) bumps are formed along the other edge (a lower edge in the figure) of the longitudinal direction of the mounting surface of the driver IC
31
.
Transparent wirings LS
201
-LS
360
and LC
201
-LC
360
are formed on the glass substrate
41
. The regions
101
-
260
of the LCD panel
20
are connected to the segment signal output terminals S
201
-S
360
of the driver IC
31
by the wirings LS
201
-LS
360
, respectively. Also, the regions
301
-
380
of the LCD panel
20
are connected to the common signal output terminals C
201
-C
280
of the driver IC
31
by the wirings LC
201
-LC
280
, respectively, and the regions
381
-
460
of the LCD panel
20
are connected to the common signal output terminals C
360
-C
281
of the driver IC
31
by the wirings LC
360
-LC
281
, respectively.
FIG. 4
shows an internal structure of the driver IC
31
. In
FIG. 4
, the driver IC
31
includes a package
32
and a silicon substrate
33
that is sealed in the package
32
.
A segment signal output section
34
is formed along one edge (an upper edge in the figure) in a longitudinal direction of the silicon substrate
33
. Also, common signal output sections
35
-
36
are formed along both of the edges in a shorter edge direction of the silicon substrate
33
. Furthermore, a power supply section
37
, a control section
38
, and a RAM
39
are formed along the other edge (a lower edge in the figure) in the longitudinal direction of the silicon substrate
33
. The segment signal output section
34
, the common signal output sections
35
-
36
, the power supply section
37
, the control section
38
and the RAM
39
are mutually connected by wirings (not shown).
The segment signal output section
34
is connected to the segment signal output terminals S
201
-S
360
, and outputs segment signals through the segment signal output terminals.
The common signal output section
35
is connected to the common signal output terminals C
201
-C
280
, and outputs common signals through these common signal output terminals. The common signal output section
36
is connected to the common signal output terminals C
281
-C
360
, and outputs common signals through these common signal output terminals C
281
-C
360
.
The power supply section
37
, the control section
38
and the RAM
39
are connected to the input terminals Q
1
-Qn, and input a power supply potential, a control signal, image data and the like through these input terminals.
The power supply section
37
receives a power supply potential from the input terminal and performs a regulation thereof, and supplies a power to the common signal output sections
35
-
36
, the control section
38
and the RAM
39
.
The control section
38
is a logical circuit, which receives a control signal through the input terminal, and controls the segment signal output section
34
, the common signal output sections
35
-
36
, the power supply section
37
and the RAM.
The RAM
39
receives image data through the input terminal and stores the same.
Referring back to
FIG. 3
, segment signals are successively output from the segment signal output terminals S
201
-S
360
of the LCD driver
31
by the segment signal output section
34
described above. On the other hand, common signals are successively output from the common signal output terminals C
201
-C
280
and C
360
-C
281
of the LCD driver
31
by the common signal output sections
35
-
36
described above. Accordingly, the LCD panel
20
can be driven by the LCD driver
31
.
In the conventional driver IC
31
described above, the common signal output sections
35
-
36
are formed along both of the edges in a short edge direction of the silicon substrate
33
, as shown in
FIG. 4
, in order to optimize the area efficiency.
However, when the common signal output sections
35
-
36
are formed along both of the edges in a short edge direction of the silicon substrate
33
, the length of the silicon substrate
33
in the short-edge direction cannot be shortened, and therefore the length of the driver IC
31
in its short-edge direction cannot be shortened. This causes a problem in that it is difficult to narrow a frame section of the LCD module
40
to slim down the same. This problem is particularly noticeable in the case of a driver IC with numerous outputs.
Therefore, in view of the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device that can shorten the length of a driver IC in its short-edge direction, and narrow a frame section of a LCD module to slim down the same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the problems described above, a semiconductor device in accordance with the present invention pertains to a semiconductor device for supplying a first group of drive signals to a first group of signal electrodes and a second group of drive signals to a second group of signal electrodes of an image display apparatus that displays a two-dimensional image, the semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a first output section that is formed in a first region along a first edge in a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor substrate, and that outputs a specified number of drive signals among the first group of drive signals; a second output section that is formed in a second region along the first edge adjacent to the first region, and that outputs a second group of drive signals; a third output section that is formed in a third region along the first edge adjacent to the second region, and that output the remaining drive signals among the first group of drive signals; a first power supply section that is formed in a fourth region along a second edge in the longitudinal direction of the semiconductor substrate, and that supplies a power to at least the first output section; and a second power supply section that is formed in a fifth region along the second edge, and that supplies a power to at least the third output section.
The embodiment may further be provided with a storage section that is formed in a sixth region between the fourth region and the fifth region along the second edge and that successively stores input image data and supplies the same to the first through third output sections. Also, it may further be provided with a wiring that is formed above the first through third output sections through a dielectric layer for exchanging a

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