IP Library Granted Patent US 9,817,536
Granted Patent B2
US 9,817,536 · App. 15/070,241 · Granted Nov 14, 2017

Touch panel

Inventors: Hideaki Shishido (Kanagawa, JP); Yoshiharu Hirakata (Kanagawa, JP); Daisuke Kubota (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
G06F3/044G02F1/1333G06F2203/04112
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,817,536
App. No.
15/070,241
Granted
Nov 14, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

To provide a thin touch panel, a touch panel with high visibility, a lightweight touch panel, or a touch panel with low power consumption. A pair of conductive layers included in a capacitive touch sensor have a mesh shape including a plurality of openings. Furthermore, a material blocking visible light is provided to overlap with a region between two display elements in a plan view; thus, a light-blocking layer can be obtained. Furthermore, the pair of conductive layers included in the touch sensor are provided between a pair of substrates included in the touch panel, and a conductive layer capable of supplying a constant potential is provided between a circuit which drives a display element and the pair of conductive layers.

Claims (73)

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first substrate;

first to fourth conductive layers over the first substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer,

wherein the fourth conductive layer is apart from the third conductive layer on a same plane,

wherein the liquid crystal layer is over the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer,

wherein the second conductive layer is over the liquid crystal layer,

wherein the first conductive layer is over the second conductive layer,

wherein the first conductive layer is configured to block visible light and has a mesh shape comprising a plurality of openings,

wherein the second conductive layer is configured to transmit visible light and has a portion overlapping with the first conductive layer, a portion overlapping with the third conductive layer, and a portion overlapping with the fourth conductive layer,

wherein the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer are each configured to reflect visible light,

wherein the third conductive layer comprises a portion overlapping with one of the plurality of openings,

wherein the fourth conductive layer comprises a portion overlapping with another one of the plurality of openings, and

wherein part of the first conductive layer is between the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer in a plan view.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second conductive layer functions as a common electrode, and

wherein the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer each function as a pixel electrode.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the second conductive layer is electrically connected to a terminal supplied with a constant potential.

4. The touch panel according to claim 1 ,

wherein a second substrate is over the first conductive layer, and

wherein the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are formed over the second substrate.

5. The touch panel according to claim 1 ,

wherein a spacer is over the third conductive layer and below the second conductive layer, and

wherein the spacer comprises a portion overlapping with the first conductive layer.

6. The touch panel according to claim 1 ,

wherein a transistor is between the liquid crystal layer and the first substrate,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the third conductive layer, and

wherein the transistor comprises a semiconductor layer containing an oxide semiconductor.

7. The touch panel according to claim 6 ,

wherein the transistor comprises a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode,

wherein the first gate electrode is below the semiconductor layer,

wherein the second gate electrode is over the semiconductor layer, and

wherein the second gate electrode, the semiconductor layer, and the third conductive layer overlap with one another in a region.

8. The touch panel according to claim 7 , wherein the second gate electrode and the semiconductor layer contain a same metal element.

9. A touch panel comprising:

a first substrate;

first to fourth conductive layers over the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer; and

a first coloring layer and a second coloring layer,

wherein the fourth conductive layer is apart from the third conductive layer on a same plane,

wherein the liquid crystal layer is over the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer,

wherein the second conductive layer is over the liquid crystal layer,

wherein the first conductive layer is over the second conductive layer,

wherein the first conductive layer is configured to block visible light and has a mesh shape comprising a plurality of openings,

wherein the second conductive layer is configured to transmit visible light and has a portion overlapping with the first conductive layer, a portion overlapping with the third conductive layer, and a portion overlapping with the fourth conductive layer,

wherein the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer are each configured to reflect visible light,

wherein the third conductive layer comprises a portion overlapping with one of the plurality of openings,

wherein the fourth conductive layer comprises a portion overlapping with another one of the plurality of openings,

wherein part of the first conductive layer is between the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer in a plan view,

wherein the first coloring layer and the second coloring layer are over the third conductive layer,

wherein the first coloring layer comprises a region overlapping with the one of the plurality of openings,

wherein the second coloring layer comprises a region overlapping with the another one of the plurality of openings, and

wherein the first conductive layer comprises a portion overlapping with both the first coloring layer and the second coloring layer.

10. The touch panel according to claim 9 ,

wherein the second conductive layer functions as a common electrode, and

wherein the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer each function as a pixel electrode.

11. The touch panel according to claim 9 , wherein the second conductive layer is electrically connected to a terminal supplied with a constant potential.

12. The touch panel according to claim 9 ,

wherein a second substrate is over the first conductive layer, and

wherein the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are formed over the second substrate.

13. The touch panel according to claim 9 ,

wherein a spacer is over the third conductive layer and below the second conductive layer, and

wherein the spacer comprises a portion overlapping with the first conductive layer.

14. The touch panel according to claim 9 ,

wherein a transistor is between the liquid crystal layer and the first substrate,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the third conductive layer, and

wherein the transistor comprises a semiconductor layer containing an oxide semiconductor.

15. The touch panel according to claim 14 ,

wherein the transistor comprises a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode,

wherein the first gate electrode is below the semiconductor layer,

wherein the second gate electrode is over the semiconductor layer, and

wherein the second gate electrode, the semiconductor layer, and the third conductive layer overlap with one another in a region.

16. The touch panel according to claim 15 , wherein the second gate electrode and the semiconductor layer contain a same metal element.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2016
From: SHISHIDO, HIDEAKI; HIRAKATA, YOSHIHARU; KUBOTA, DAISUKE
To: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 037979/0542 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-053631 · Mar 17, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160274699A1 · Sep 22, 2016