IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,669,178
Granted Patent B2
US 11,669,178 · App. 16/936,245 · Granted Jun 6, 2023

Electronic device display with array of discrete light-emitting diodes

Inventors: Wei Chen (Palo Alto, CA); Steven P. Hotelling (Los Gatos, CA); John Z. Zhong (Saratoga, CA); William C. Athas (San Jose, CA); Wei H. Yao (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/0412G06F3/044G06F3/0443G06F3/04164G06V40/1306G06V40/1318G09G3/03G09G3/32H04N9/30G06F2203/04102G09G2360/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,669,178
App. No.
16/936,245
Granted
Jun 6, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device may include a display. The display may be formed by an array of light-emitting diodes mounted to the surface of a substrate. The substrate may be a silicon substrate. Circuitry may be located in spaces between the light-emitting diodes. Circuitry may also be located on the rear surface of the silicon substrate and may be coupled to the array of light-emitting diodes using through-silicon vias. The circuitry may include integrated circuits and other components that are attached to the substrate and may include transistors and other circuitry formed within the silicon substrate. Touch sensor electrodes, light sensors, and other components may be located in the spaces between the light-emitting diodes. The substrate may be formed from a transparent material that allows image light to reach a lens and image sensor mounted below the substrate.

Claims (32)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

signal lines embedded in the semiconductor substrate;

an array of light-emitting diode pixels soldered to the semiconductor substrate and configured to display images, wherein the signal lines embedded in the semiconductor substrate convey drive signals to the array of light-emitting diodes and wherein the array of light-emitting diode pixels includes first and second light-emitting diode pixels separated by a gap on the semiconductor substrate; and

a fingerprint sensor located on the semiconductor substrate in the gap between the first and second light-emitting diode pixels.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises a capacitive fingerprint sensor.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises an optical fingerprint sensor.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises a light detector that detects light that is emitted from the light-emitting diode pixels and reflected from a finger.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the light-emitting diode pixels comprise discrete crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diodes.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the fingerprint sensor is located at least partially behind the array of light-emitting diode pixels.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a transparent cover layer overlapping the array of light-emitting diode pixels.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the transparent cover layer comprises glass.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a substrate;

an array of light-emitting diode pixels each having a terminal that is bonded to the substrate using a conductive bonding material;

a sensor mounted to the substrate and located at least partially behind the array of light-emitting diode pixels, wherein the sensor has an array of detectors that are interspersed with the light-emitting diode pixels, and wherein the detectors are embedded within the substrate; and

control circuitry that gathers fingerprint data from the sensor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the substrate has an upper surface on which the array of light-emitting diode pixels is located and wherein the sensor is located at least partially behind the upper surface.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of: an optical sensor and a capacitive sensor.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the light-emitting diode pixels comprise discrete crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diodes.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a substrate;

metal traces on the substrate;

an array of pixels on the substrate;

a dielectric stack on an upper surface of the substrate;

an interconnect that passes through the dielectric stack and that conveys drive signals from the metal traces to the array of pixels;

channels located between some of the pixels; and

a fingerprint sensor on the substrate that receives fingerprint data through the channels, wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises first and second detectors and wherein at least one of the pixels is located between the first and second detectors.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the fingerprint sensor is located at least partially behind the array of pixels.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the pixels comprise discrete crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diodes.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 14453574 · Aug 6, 2014
Related Publication 20200348789A1 · Nov 5, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,681,595