IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,625,114
Granted Patent B2
US 11,625,114 · App. 17/502,663 · Granted Apr 11, 2023

Array substrate and display device

Inventor: Junichi Morinaga (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G06F3/0412G02F1/1368G02F1/13338G02F1/133345G02F1/134309G02F1/136209G02F1/136286G06F3/0443G06F3/04164H01L27/124G02F1/133514
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,625,114
App. No.
17/502,663
Granted
Apr 11, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An array substrate includes gate lines, source lines, switching components, position detecting electrodes, a light blocking portion, and position detecting lines. The position detecting electrodes are disposed in a layer lower than the gate lines and the source lines to detect input positions at which the position input operation is performed with a position input body based on electrostatic capacitances between the position input body and the position detecting electrodes. The light blocking portion is disposed in a layer lower than channel regions of the switching components and opposite the channel regions with a lower insulating film between the light blocking portion and the channel regions. The position detecting lines are formed from sections of a conductive film from which the light blocking portion is formed and coupled to the position detecting electrodes.

Claims (77)

1. An array substrate comprising:

gate lines;

source lines crossing the gate lines;

switching components including:

gate electrodes coupled to the gate lines;

channel regions disposed in a layer lower than the gate electrodes and opposite the gate electrodes with a gate insulating film between the gate electrodes and the channel regions, the channel regions being formed from a semiconductor film;

source regions coupled to the source lines and first ends of the channel regions; and

drain regions coupled to second ends of the channel regions;

position detecting electrodes disposed in a layer lower than the gate lines and the source lines to detect input positions at which the position input operation is performed with a position input body based on electrostatic capacitances between the position input body and the position detecting electrodes;

a light blocking portion disposed in a layer lower than the channel regions and opposite the channel regions with a lower insulating film between the light blocking portion and the channel regions; and

position detecting lines formed from sections of a conductive film from which the light blocking portion is formed and coupled to the position detecting electrodes,

wherein:

the position detecting electrodes include resistance-reduced portions formed by reducing resistances of sections of the semiconductor film.

2. The array substrate according to claim 1 , further comprising pixel electrodes coupled to the drain regions of the switching components, wherein

the pixel electrodes are arranged at intervals such that at least one of the source lines is disposed between adjacent two of the pixel electrodes,

the resistance-reduced portions include pixel electrode opposite sections and joint sections,

the pixel electrode opposite sections are opposite at least sections of the pixel electrodes with an insulating film between the pixel electrode opposite sections and the pixel electrodes,

the joint sections crossing the source lines are coupled to adjacent two of the pixel electrode opposite sections opposite the adjacent two of the pixel electrodes, and

the joint sections have a dimension in an extending direction in which the source lines extend less than a dimension of the pixel electrode opposite sections in the extending direction.

3. The array substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the position detecting lines include sections opposite the source lines with an insulating film between the sections of the position detecting lines and the source lines.

4. The array substrate according to claim 3 , wherein

the position detecting electrodes are arranged at intervals such that at least one of the source lines is disposed between adjacent two of the position detecting electrodes,

the array substrate further comprises dummy position detecting lines opposite the source lines between the position detecting electrodes with an insulating film between the dummy position detecting lines and the source lines, and

the dummy position detecting lines are not coupled to the position detecting electrodes.

5. The array substrate according to claim 1 , further comprising:

pixel electrodes coupled to the drain regions of the switching components; and

a common electrode opposite the pixel electrodes with an insulating film between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode, wherein

the pixel electrodes and the common electrode are in layers upper than the gate lines and the source lines.

6. The array substrate according to claim 5 , further comprising a signal source coupled to the position detecting lines to supply position detecting signals to the position detecting lines, wherein

the position detecting electrodes are arranged at intervals, and

the signal source supplies position detecting signals to the position detecting lines coupled to a first group of the position detecting electrodes and position detecting signals in opposite phase to the position detecting lines coupled to a second group of the position detecting electrodes adjacent to the first group of the position detecting electrodes.

7. A display device comprising:

the array substrate according to claim 1 ; and

an opposed substrate opposite the array substrate.

8. The array substrate accordingly to claim 1 , wherein

the resistance-reduced portions are arranged at intervals such that at least one of the gate lines is disposed between adjacent two of the resistance-reduced portions,

the position detecting electrodes include coupling portions formed from a conductive film that is different from the conductive film from which the gate lines are formed and from the semiconductor film, and

the coupling portions crossing the gate lines are coupled to the resistance-reduced portions.

9. The array substrate accordingly to claim 8 , wherein the coupling portions are formed from the conductive film from which the position detecting lines are formed.

10. An array substrate comprising:

gate lines;

source lines crossing the gate lines;

switching components including:

gate electrodes coupled to the gate lines;

channel regions disposed in a layer lower than the gate electrodes and opposite the gate electrodes with a gate insulating film between the gate electrodes and the channel regions, the channel regions being formed from a semiconductor film;

source regions coupled to the source lines and first ends of the channel regions; and

drain regions coupled to second ends of the channel regions;

position detecting lines; and

position detecting electrodes coupled to the position detecting lines to detect input positions at which position input operation is performed with a position input body based on electrostatic capacitances between the position input body and the position detecting electrodes, the position detecting electrodes being formed by reducing resistances of sections of a semiconductor film and in a layer lower than the gate lines and the source lines.

11. The array substrate according to claim 10 , wherein

the resistance-reduced portions are arranged at intervals such that at least one of the gate lines is disposed between adjacent two of the resistance-reduced portions,

the position detecting electrodes include coupling portions formed from a conductive film that is different from the conductive film from which the gate lines are formed and from the semiconductor film, and

the coupling portions crossing the gate lines are coupled to the resistance-reduced portions.

12. The array substrate according to claim 11 , wherein the coupling portions are formed from the conductive film from which the position detecting lines are formed.

13. The array substrate according to claim 11 , wherein the position detecting lines are coupled to the resistance-reduced portions included in the position detecting electrodes that are targets to be coupled.

14. The array substrate according to claim 11 , wherein the coupling portions include sections opposite the source lines with an insulating film between the sections of the coupling portions and the source lines.

15. The array substrate according to claim 10 , further comprising pixel electrodes coupled to the drain regions of the switching components, wherein

the pixel electrodes are arranged at intervals such that at least one of the source lines is disposed between adjacent two of the pixel electrodes,

the resistance-reduced portions include pixel electrode opposite sections and joint sections,

the pixel electrode opposite sections are opposite at least sections of the pixel electrodes with an insulating film between the pixel electrode opposite sections and the pixel electrodes,

the joint sections crossing the source lines are coupled to adjacent two of the pixel electrode opposite sections opposite the adjacent two of the pixel electrodes, and

the joint sections have a dimension in an extending direction in which the source lines extend less than a dimension of the pixel electrode opposite sections in the extending direction.

16. The array substrate according to claim 10 , wherein the position detecting lines include sections opposite the source lines with an insulating film between the sections of the position detecting lines and the source lines.

17. The array substrate according to claim 16 , wherein

the position detecting electrodes are arranged at intervals such that at least one of the source lines is disposed between adjacent two of the position detecting electrodes,

the array substrate further comprises dummy position detecting lines opposite the source lines between the position detecting electrodes with an insulating film between the dummy position detecting lines and the source lines, and

the dummy position detecting lines are not coupled to the position detecting electrodes.

18. The array substrate according to claim 10 , further comprising:

pixel electrodes coupled to the drain regions of the switching components; and

a common electrode opposite the pixel electrodes with an insulating film between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode, wherein

the pixel electrodes and the common electrode are in layers upper than the gate lines and the source lines.

19. The array substrate according to claim 18 , further comprising a signal source coupled to the position detecting lines to supply position detecting signals to the position detecting lines, wherein

the position detecting electrodes are arranged at intervals, and

the signal source supplies position detecting signals to the position detecting lines coupled to a first group of the position detecting electrodes and position detecting signals in opposite phase to the position detecting lines coupled to a second group of the position detecting electrodes adjacent to the first group of the position detecting electrodes.

20. A display device comprising:

the array substrate according to claim 10 ; and

an opposed substrate opposite the array substrate.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2021
From: MORINAGA, JUNICHI
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 057809/0428 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63107813 · Oct 30, 2020
Related Publication 20220137740A1 · May 5, 2022