Patent Application
20170108983
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a display device, and more particularly to a touch display panel and touch display unit substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, kinds of electronic products are developed in a tendency of integrating their touch elements in the display panel, to reduce the space required by the keyboard or the control buttons, and the area of the screen can be arranged in a more spacious way. Therefore, the application of the touch display panel is more and more popular and wide. In general, the sensing element, such as the sensing electrode, can be equipped into the display panel, alternately, the sensing element, such as the touch panel, can be affixed to the outer side of the display panel to form the touch display panel.
The thickness of the touch display panel can be reduced and the assembly of electronic products can be more simplified by equipping the touch sensing element in the display panel. However, under the built-in design, the circuit with respect to the sensing element needs to be densely manufactured inside the display panel, which increases the required steps in the manufacturing process of the display panel and may affect the electrical property of the sensing element. For example, the coupling between the sensing element and other elements or circuits may increase the loading of the sensing element, which affects the sensing capability and the sensing quality of the sensing element. Therefore, when the sensing element is equipped inside the touch display panel, the issue about how to integrating the sensing elements in the display panel without complicating the manufacturing process and still maintaining the performance of the sensing element need to be considered.
The touch display panel of the present disclosure includes a substrate, a sensing electrode layer, a metal layer and an active unit layer. The sensing electrode layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a plurality of sensing electrodes, wherein the sensing electrodes are separated from one another and arranged in an array. The metal layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a plurality of signal lines. One of the signal lines is used for transmitting a signal between one of the sensing electrodes and a driving circuit. The active unit layer is disposed on the substrate and is located between the sensing electrode layer and the metal layer.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the active unit layer includes a plurality of active units, wherein the plurality of active units is arranged in array. The metal layer further includes a plurality of shielding pads, wherein the active units overlap the shielding pads. One of the sensing electrodes overlaps N active units, wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1 and smaller than the total number of the plurality of active units. The active unit layer further includes a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines. One of the plurality of scanning lines connects one of the plurality of active units, to control the on and off of one of the plurality of active units. One of the data lines connects one of the plurality of active units. One of the active units allows the passage of the display signal of one of the plurality of data lines when one of the plurality of active units is turned on, wherein the extending direction of one of the plurality of signal lines is paralleled to the extending direction of one of the plurality of data lines.
The touch display unit substrate of the present disclosure includes a substrate, a sensing electrode, a signal line, an active unit, a scanning line and a data line. The signal line and the sensing electrode are both disposed on the substrate. The sensing electrode is electrically connected to the signal line, wherein the signal line is used for transmitting a signal between the sensing electrode and a driving circuit. The active unit is disposed between the signal line and the sensing electrode. The scanning line connects the active unit, to control the on and off of the active unit. The data line connects the active unit, wherein the active unit allows the passage of the display signal of the data line when the active unit is turned on. The extending direction of the signal line is paralleled to the extending direction of the data line.
Based on the above, in the touch display panel according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal line can be manufactured by materials having lower resistance. Besides, the coupling capacitance of the signal line coupled to the sensing electrode is reduced.
To make the above features and advantages of the disclosure more comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with drawings are described in detail as follows.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. In addition, the formation of a first feature connecting a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Alternately, the description that a first feature connects a second feature may be understood as the first feature electrically connects the second feature. Further, when one feature on a substrate is described as overlapping another feature, it may be understood that the two features are overlapped when being viewed in the direction perpendicular to the substrate plane.
The sensing electrode layer 110 is disposed on the substrate SUB1 and includes a plurality of sensing electrodes 112. The plurality of sensing electrodes 112 are separated from one another and arranged in an array. Each sensing electrode 112 is illustrated as rectangular pattern in
The sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110 can provide the function of touch-sensing. In particular, each sensing electrode 112 can conduct the mutual capacitance touch sensing or the self capacitance touch sensing. For the mutual capacitance touch sensing, one of two adjacent sensing electrodes 112 can be a scanning electrode and the other of the two sensing electrodes 112 can be a reading electrode. Under this circumstance, the scanning electrode is used to receive the touch scanning signals, and the reading electrode is used to readout the sensed capacitance when the corresponding scanning electrode receives the touch scanning signals. In another embodiment, the scanning electrode can be disposed outside the sensing electrode layer 110 in the touch display panel 100, and the sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110 can function as the reading electrodes to accomplish the function of mutual capacitance touch sensing. In another embodiment, the reading electrode can be disposed outside the sensing electrode layer 110 in the touch display panel 100, and the sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110 can function as the scanning electrodes to accomplish the function of mutual capacitance touch sensing. For the self capacitance touch sensing, the capacitance sensed by each sensing electrode 112 can be directly readout by itself to accomplish the touch sensing. In other words, the touch sensing mode of the sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110 is not restricted.
In the embodiment, the display region of the touch display panel 100 is approximately wholly covered by the sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110. In other embodiment, the display region is partially covered by the sensing electrodes 112. Besides, not only can the sensing electrodes 112 provide the function of touch control, the sensing electrodes 112 can also function as a common electrode, to provide the electric field to drive the display medium layer DM. In addition, the sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110 can perform the functions of display and touch sensing alternately. When performing the function of display, a common potential can be inputted into the sensing electrodes 112. When performing the function of touch sensing, a touch scanning signal for touch sensing control can be inputted into the sensing electrodes 112 and then the sensing electrodes 112 can be used to read the sensed capacitance.
To accomplish the function of touch sensing, the sensing electrodes 112 need to be insulated from one another. Therefore, the shapes of the sensing electrodes 112 are separated from one another and have no substantially contact. In addition, the signals of the sensing electrodes 112 need to be transmitted independently. Therefore, the metal layer 120 is disposed on the substrate SUB1 and can include a plurality of signal lines 122, to electrically connect the sensing electrode 112 separately. In particular, one of the signal lines 122 electrically connects one of the sensing electrodes 112 and a driving circuit 10. The signal line 122 is used for transmitting a signal between one of the sensing electrodes 112 and a driving circuit 10. That is, the touch scanning signals output by the driving circuit 10 can be transmitted to the sensing electrodes 112 through one of the signal lines 122. In addition, the signals sensed by sensing electrodes 112 can be transmitted to the driving circuit 10 through one of the signal lines 122. The driving circuit 10 is disposed on the SUB1 in the embodiment. But in other embodiments, the driving circuit 10 is not disposed on the SUB1 but is disposed on another substrate, for example but not limit to a flexible printed circuit or a printed circuit board.
To transmit signals to the driving circuit 10, one end of the signal lines 122 can extends beyond the outermost sensing electrode 112. Therefore, the signal lines 122 each is only electrically connected to one of the sensing electrodes 112, but the traces of the signal line 122 can cross over the sensing electrodes 112 that are not electrically connected to the signal line 122. The coupling between the signal line 122 and the sensing electrodes 112 that are not electrically connected to the signal line 122 may cause a parasitic capacitance which increases the loading of the signal lines 122 and the sensing electrodes 112. The effect of such parasitic capacitance may affect the sensing capability and sensing sensitivity of the sensing electrodes 112.
In the embodiment, the active unit layer 130 is disposed on the substrate SUB1 and is located between the sensing electrode layer 110 and the metal layer 120. Therefore, the distance between these signal lines 122 of the metal layer 120 and these sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110 is increased so as to reduce the coupling between these signal lines 122 and these sensing electrodes 112. Thus, the loading on the signal lines 122 caused by the coupling is reduced. In addition, the components of the active unit layer 130 can also provide the shielding function between the signal lines 122 of the metal layer 120 and the sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110, to further reduce the loading on the signal lines 122 caused by the coupling of sensing electrodes 112. In the embodiment, because the active unit layer 130 is located between the signal lines 122 of the metal layer 120 and the sensing electrodes 112 of the sensing electrode layer 110, the touch display panel 100 can further include a plurality of connecting conductors 140, to electrically connect the sensing electrode 112 to the corresponding signal lines 122.
The active unit layer 130 includes a plurality of active units 132, and the active units 132 are arranged in array. In the embodiment, the active units 132 are located in the display region of the touch display panel 100 to function as the driving unit of the display pixel unit. Simultaneously, the sensing electrodes 112 are also disposed in the display region. One single sensing electrode 112 may overlaps N active units 132, wherein N is a positive integer greater than 1 and N is smaller than the total number of the active units 132. When the shape of the sensing electrode 112 and the active unit 132 project onto the substrate SUB1, the projection of the active unit 132 will be located in the projection of the sensing electrode 112. Furthermore, a sensing electrode 112 may overlap N display pixel units. Nevertheless, the layout resolution of the sensing electrode 112 can be adjusted according to the resolution demanded by the touch control function.
The active units 132 are normally a thin film transistor and use semiconductor material to accomplish the function of turn-on and turn-off. When most of semiconductor materials are exposed to light, a leakage current may be generated, which affects the characteristic of the active unit 132, such as the increase of the leaking current under off state. Therefore, the metal layer 120 of the touch display panel 100 further includes a plurality of shielding pads 124, wherein the active units 132 overlap the shielding pads 124 correspondingly. That is, when the shape of the shielding pads 124 project onto the substrate SUB1, the active units 132 will be located in the projection of the shielding pads 124. By the disposition of the shielding pads 124, the active units 132 can be prevented from being exposed to light. As a result, the active units 132 can have steady component characteristics.
In this embodiment, the shielding pads 124 and the signal lines 122 are manufactured with the same layer. The manufacturing of the shielding pads 124 and the signal lines 122 includes forming a metal layer on the substrate SUB1 and patterning the metal layer using a photomask to form the shielding pads 124 and the signal lines 122 simultaneously. In this way, the manufacture of the signal lines 122 needs no other metal layers, and the design of the metal layer 120 including both the signal lines 122 and shielding pads 124 would not complicate the manufacturing process of touch display panel 100. However, in other embodiment, the shielding pads 124 and the signal lines 122 are patterned through different process or photomasks. The metal layer 120 in the embodiment is closer to the substrate SUB1 compared to the active unit layer 130. In such a stacking order, the metal layer 120 is manufactured before the formation of the active unit layer 130. Therefore, the manufacturing temperature of the metal layer 120 can be higher than the withstand temperature of the composition material of the active unit layer 130. The metal layer 120 can be manufactured in a process condition with a higher temperature, so a greater chance to choosing the low-resistance material(s) can be provided. If the signal lines 122 have low resistance, the signal lines 122 can have narrower line width, making the coupling capacitance of the signal lines and other conductors lower but still maintaining a sufficient effect of signal transmission. In addition, the metal layer 120 is closer to the substrate SUB1 and there are many layers stacked on the metal layer 120, so the signal lines 122 of the metal layer 120 are relatively not easy to be scratched in the subsequent manufacturing process.
In addition, the touch display unit substrate 200 can further include a pixel electrode PE connected to the active unit 132, and the pixel electrode PE can overlaps the sensing electrode 112. When the active unit 132 is on, the active unit 132 allows the passage therethrough of the display signal on the data line DL to transmit the display signal to the pixel electrode PE. In the meanwhile, a common potential is input into the sensing electrodes 112, such that the potential difference between the pixel electrode PE and the sensing electrode 112 generates the driving electric field to drive the display medium layer DM depicted in
In the present embodiment, the active unit 132 includes a gate G and a semiconductor layer SE, and the gate G is substantially the portion where the scanning line SL overlaps the semiconductor layer SE. The semiconductor layer SE includes a channel region CH, a source region S and a drain region D. In
As shown in
The signal lines 122 and the shielding pad 124 are constituted by the same layer, like the metal layer 120 depicted in
The third insulating layer I3 is stacked on the second insulating layer I2 and covering the scanning line including the gate G, and the data line DL is disposed on the third insulating layer I3. The planarization layer PL covers the data line DL, and the sensing electrode 112 is disposed on the planarization layer PL. The passivation layer PV is disposed on the planarization layer PL. The sensing electrode 112 is disposed on the planarization layer PL, and the pixel electrode PE is disposed on the passivation layer PV. Therefore, the passivation layer PV is located between the pixel electrode PE and the sensing electrode 112.
The entirety of the active unit 132 constituted by the gate G and the semiconductor layer SE, the second insulating layer I2 between the gate G and the semiconductor layer SE, the scanning line SL, the data line DL, the third insulating layer I3 between the scanning line SL and the data line DL and the planarization layer PL covering the data line DL can be regarded as the active unit layer 130 in
For the signal line 122 electrically connected to the sensing electrode 112, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In addition, for the pixel electrode PE electrically connected to the drain region D, the second insulating layer I2 has a seventh opening O7, wherein the third insulating layer I3 has a eighth opening O8, and the second insulating layer I2 and the third insulating layer I3 both expose the drain region D by the seventh opening O7 and the eighth opening O8. The touch display unit substrate 200 further includes a drain connection conductor CD, and the drain connection conductor CD contacts the drain region D through the seventh opening O7 and the eighth opening O8. In addition, the planarization layer PL has a ninth opening O9, wherein the passivation layer PV has a tenth opening O10, the planarization layer PL and the passivation layer PV both expose the drain connection conductor CD by the ninth opening O9 and the tenth opening O10, and the pixel electrode PE contacts the drain connection conductor CD through the ninth opening O9 and the tenth opening O10. Under this circumstance, the sensing electrodes 112 has an electrode opening A112, wherein the area of the ninth opening O9 and the tenth opening O10 are located in the area of the electrode opening A112, to prevent the sensing electrode 112 from electrically connecting the pixel electrode PE directly.
In the embodiment, the first opening O1, the second opening O2, the third opening O3, the fifth opening O5, the sixth opening O6, the seventh opening O7 and the eighth opening O8 can be formed by performing the same patterning step before the manufacture of data line DL, connecting conductor 140 and the drain connection conductor CD, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in the feasible embodiments, different openings can be formed by performing multiple patterning steps. In addition, the data line DL, the connecting conductor 140 and the drain connection conductor CD can be obtained by patterning the same metal layer. Furthermore, the forth opening O4 and the ninth opening O9 can be formed by the same patterning step. In such way, although there are many layers interposed between the sensing electrode 112 and the signal line 122, the opening disposed for accomplishing the electrical connection between these two components needs no independent manufacturing steps. Therefore, the touch display unit substrate 200 can be manufactured by the existing process.
In the embodiment, the material of the first insulating layer I1, the second insulating layer I2, the third insulating layer I3 and the passivation layer PV may be silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride or other insulating material. The material of the planarization layer PL may be organic insulating material or other insulating materials capable of having sufficient layer thickness. The thickness of the planarization layer PL can be greater than the thickness of the first insulating layer I1, the second insulating layer I2, the third insulating layer I3 and the passivation layer PV, to provide an ideal planarization effect.
The signal line 122 is finished before the manufacture of the planarization layer PL. The signal line 122, the active unit 132, the scanning line SL and the data line DL are covered by the planarization layer PL. The height difference caused by the signal line 122, the active unit 132, the scanning line SL and the data line DL in the stacking direction of the layers can be mitigated through the planarization layer PL. This can help to enhance the manufacture yield of the touch display panel including the touch display unit substrate 200. In the case the touch display unit substrate 200 is applied to the touch display panel 100 in
As illustrated in
In the embodiment, at least the first insulating layer I1, the second insulating layer I2, the third insulating layer I3, the planarization layer PL, the passivation layer PV, the active unit 132, the scanning line SL and the data line DL are interposed between the layers where the sensing electrode 112 and the signal line 122 are located, which helps to reduce the coupling between the sensing electrode 112 and the signal line 122, so as to reduce the parasitic capacitance between the sensing electrode 112 and the signal line 122. In the meanwhile, the data line DL is located between the sensing electrode 112 and the signal line 122, so the data line DL can provide a further shielding effect to prevent the signal line 122 and the sensing electrode 112 from the increase of loading caused by the coupling between the sensing electrode 112 and the signal line 122. Therefore, the sensing electrode 112 can provide good touch sensing ability when performing touch sensing.
For the signal line 122 electrically connected to the sensing electrode 112, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In addition, for the pixel electrode PE electrically connected to the drain region D, the second insulating layer I2 has an eighth opening P8, the third insulating layer I3 has a ninth opening P9, and the second insulating layer I2 and the third insulating layer I3 both expose the drain region D via the eighth opening P8 and the ninth opening P9. Also, the touch display unit substrate 300 further includes a drain connection conductor CD, and the drain connection conductor CD contacts the drain region D through the eighth opening P8 and the ninth opening P9. In addition, the planarization layer PL has a tenth opening P10, wherein the planarization layer PL expose the drain connection conductor CD via the tenth opening P10, and the pixel electrode PE contacts the drain connection conductor CD through the tenth opening P10.
In the embodiment, the data line DL, the connecting conductor 140 and the drain connection conductor CD can be formed by patterning the same layer. The first opening P1, the second opening P2, the third opening P3, the sixth opening P6, the seventh opening P7, the eighth opening P8 and the ninth opening P9 can be manufactured by the patterning steps before the manufacture of the data line DL, the connecting conductor 140 and the drain connection conductor CD. Furthermore, the forth opening P4 and the tenth opening P10 can be made by the same patterning step. Although there are many layers interposed between the sensing electrode 112 and the signal line 122, the openings disposed for accomplishing the electrical connection between two components needs no independent manufacturing steps to be manufactured. Therefore, the touch display unit substrate 300 can be formed by the existing process. In addition, the touch display unit substrate 300 and the touch display unit substrate 200 described previously can both provide planarization effect by using planarization layer PL, so the touch display panel including the touch display unit substrate 300 can have ideal quality or yield.
In summary, in the touch display panel and touch display unit substrate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, an active unit layer is interposed between the sensing electrode and the signal line transmitting the signal of the sensing electrode, and the active unit layer is constituted by multiple layers. Therefore, the coupling between the sensing electrode and the signal layer can be significantly reduced, which helps to reduce the loading of the signal line and the sensing electrode caused by the parasitic capacitance on the sensing electrode. Also, the scanning line or the data line can overlap the signal line of the embodiment of the present disclosure, so the scanning line or the data line can be used as the shield between the signal line and the sensing electrode, so as to further reduce the possible parasitic capacitance on the sensing electrode caused by the signal line. In such way, the sensing electrode can provide ideal touch control ability. In addition, because the signal line is manufactured by the metal layer, the planarization layer can cover the signal line and the components of the active unit layer, such that the planarization layer can have planarization effect to enhance the quality or the yield of the touch display panel.
Even though the disclosure is disclosed through the embodiments as above, the embodiments are not used to limit this disclosure, and any person with ordinary skill in the art, without deviating from the teachings and scope of this disclosure, may make adjustments and refinements; therefore, the scope of protection of this patent is defined as following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 105110978 | Apr 2016 | TW | national |
This application claims the priority benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/242,320, filed on Oct. 16, 2015 and Taiwan application serial no. 105110978, filed on Apr. 8, 2016. The entirety of each of the above-mentioned patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62242320 | Oct 2015 | US |
