Active array static protection devices

Abstract

An active electrical array wafer includes a substrate on which are disposed a plurality of layers of electrically conductive components, such as sets of address lines (for example scan and data lines) that are electrically insulated from one another by a dielectric material. Static protection capacitors to protect against the discharge of static potential between the layers of electrically conductive components are disposed at selected points on the wafer. A static protection line is disposed so as to cross over scan or data lines extending from the active area of the array towards the edge of the wafer. A dielectric material, such as the dielectric material separating the scan and data lines in the active area of the array, is disposed between the static protection line and the crossing-over address line, thereby forming a capacitor in which the two electrodes are the overlying portions of the respective address line and the static protection line. The capacitance of the static protection capacitor is selected, for example by determining the width of the scan protection line, to cause the static protection capacitor to exhibit electrical breakdown before a static potential causes an electrical breakdown between conductive components in the active portion of the array.