Opto-electrical apparatus employing lateral mim device pairs

Abstract

An opto-electrical apparatus, such as, a liquid crystal display device, comprises a pixel electrode driving element a first conductor, an insulator and a second conductor formed in stacked sequence on the substrate with the insulator comprising a thicker barrier layer atop the first conductor compared to the side portions thereof. The second conductor is formed in two locations on the insulating side portions of the insulator as well as a portion of the top surface comprising the barrier layer. As a result, a pair of nonlinear devices are formed relative to the same insulator and are connected between a pixel electrode and inter-device interconnect so that an electrically aligned, series connected pair of MIM devices with opposite polarity formation both having nonlinear current/voltage characteristics. Concurrently, a pair of parasitic, secondary MIM devices are also formed in electrically aligned fashion between a pixel electrode and is inter-device interconnect, but the signal path developed through these secondary MIM, devices is characterized by including two thick barrier layers and has the same effect of doubling the barrier layer thickness and creating about twice the resistance and reducing by about one half the capacitance. As a result, deteriorating electrical characteristics due to presence of the secondary nonlinear device, are prevented so that there is a major improvement in the image quality and the reproducibility and yield of the opto-electrical apparatus.