Touchscreen

• US 10,452,181 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanari, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US15/730,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20180107316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

A touchscreen includes an OLED, upper-layer inorganic films on the OLED, a lower-layer inorganic film stacked between the OLED and a substrate, and a touch sensor on the upper-layer inorganic film. The upper-layer inorganic films and the lower-layer inorganic film extend over a display area and a picture-frame area. A lower-layer wiring is formed of a conductive film stacked between the OLED and the substrate. A sensor wiring is formed of a conductive film on the upper-layer inorganic film. An inorganic film joining portion where the upper-layer inorganic films and the lower-layer inorganic film are directly joined together or joined together with another inorganic material interposed therebetween is provided in the picture-frame area. A contact portion that electrically connects the sensor wiring with the lower-layer wiring is provided, in a plan view, in the inorganic film joining portion or an area on the outside thereof.

Claims

1. A touchscreen comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed on the substrate and including an organic material layer, a lower electrode, and an upper electrode, the organic material layer including a light-emitting layer, the lower electrode and the upper electrode interposing the organic material layer therebetween;

an upper-layer inorganic film disposed, in a plan view, to extend over a display area where the plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged and an outer edge area located outside the display area, the upper-layer inorganic film being located on the light-emitting element;

a lower-layer inorganic film disposed to extend over the display area and the outer edge area and located between the light-emitting element and the substrate;

a lower-layer wiring located between the lower-layer inorganic film and the substrate;

a touch sensor disposed on the upper-layer inorganic film;

a sensor wiring disposed on the upper-layer inorganic film and connected to the touch sensor;

an inorganic film joining portion where the upper-layer inorganic film and the lower-layer inorganic film are directly joined together or joined together with another inorganic film interposed therebetween, the inorganic film joining portion being located in the outer edge area; and

a contact portion located, in a plan view, in the inorganic film joining portion or on a side of the inorganic film joining portion opposite to the display area, the contact portion electrically connecting the sensor wiring with the lower-layer wiring, wherein

the upper layer inorganic film includes a first upper layer inorganic film and a second upper layer inorganic film,

the touchscreen includes a sealing film that is a multilayer film composed of the first upper layer inorganic film, an organic film, and a second upper layer inorganic film, the sealing film covering the plurality of light emitting elements,

the first upper layer inorganic film is stacked on a surface of the upper electrode in the display area,

the organic film is interposed between the first and second upper layer inorganic films in the display area, and

the first and second upper layer inorganic films overlap and are in direct contact with each other in the outer edge area.

2. The touchscreen according to claim 1, wherein

the touch sensor includes a sensor electrode composed of a conductive film stacked on a surface of the second upper-layer inorganic film.

3. The touchscreen according to claim 1, further comprising a connection terminal area where a connection terminal composed of the lower-layer wiring is disposed, the connection terminal area being adjacent to the outer edge area, wherein

the contact portion is provided in the connection terminal area or a portion of the outer edge area that is adjacent to the connection terminal area.

4. The touchscreen according to claim 3, wherein

a display terminal connecting to a display wiring used for driving the light-emitting element and a sensor terminal connecting to the sensor wiring via the contact portion are disposed as the connection terminal in the connection terminal area, and

the touchscreen includes a flexible printed circuit including an overlap with the connection terminal area and connected in common to the display terminal and the sensor terminal.