Electronic device

• US 10,580,594 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2019
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jeong, Hwan-hee, Park, Yong-hwan, Kim, Yeontae, Kim, Taejoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Wills-Burns, Chineyere D
• Application Number:
  US16/381,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20190237273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 345174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/06 characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/014 Electro deposition

Abstract

An electronic device is provided, which includes a substrate, a protruding pattern, a first conductive pattern, an insulating layer, and a second conductive pattern. The protruding pattern is disposed on the substrate. The first conductive pattern is disposed on the substrate and covers the protruding pattern. The insulating layer is disposed on the first conductive pattern. The insulating layer includes an opening overlapping at least a portion of the protruding pattern. The second conductive pattern is disposed on the insulating layer. The second conductive pattern is connected to the first conductive pattern through the opening.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a substrate;

a protruding pattern disposed on the substrate to protrude upward;

a first conductive pattern disposed on the substrate and covering the protruding pattern;

an insulating layer disposed on the first conductive pattern and in which an opening overlapping at least a portion of the protruding pattern is defined; and

a second conductive pattern disposed on the insulating layer and connected to the first conductive pattern through the opening on the protruding pattern,

wherein the protruding pattern is disposed between the first conductive pattern and the substrate,

wherein a thickness of the protruding pattern is greater than a thickness of the insulating layer, and

wherein a contact portion of the first conductive pattern in contact with the second conductive pattern overlaps the protruding pattern in a plan view.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive pattern comprises a first portion exposed by the opening and a second portion covered by the insulating layer, and

the first portion protrudes upward from the second portion.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second conductive pattern covers an upper surface of the insulating layer and an upper surface of the first portion.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein an upper surface of the second conductive pattern comprises a first surface overlapping the first portion, a second surface overlapping the insulating layer, and a third surface configured to connect the first surface to the second surface, and

the first surface and the third surface are recessed from a portion of the second surface, which is adjacent to the third surface, to define a recessed part.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the second surface comprises a curved surface protruding upward along the protruding pattern.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the protruding pattern extends in a first direction, and

the second conductive pattern extends in a second direction crossing the first direction.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the opening extends along the protruding pattern.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the opening overlaps an entire surface of the protruding pattern in a plan view.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the opening extends along the second conductive pattern.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern extend in parallel to each other.

11. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the second conductive pattern comprises a plurality of patterns arranged in the first direction, and

the opening exposes portions, which overlap the protruding pattern, of each of the plurality of patterns.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the opening comprises a plurality of sub-openings arranged to be spaced apart from each other, and

the plurality of sub-openings respectively expose the portions of each of the plurality of patterns.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sub-openings are arranged along the protruding pattern.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein at least portions of the plurality of sub-openings are arranged along one pattern of the plurality of patterns to partially expose the one pattern.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a pixel array comprising a plurality of signal lines disposed on the substrate and a plurality of pixels configured to respectively receive electrical signals through the signal lines;

and

a touch array disposed on one side of the pixel array to detect touch provided from the outside,

wherein at least one of the pixel array and the touch array comprises the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising an encapsulation layer disposed between the pixel array and the touch array,

wherein the protruding pattern is disposed adjacent to the encapsulation layer in a plan view.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the protruding pattern surrounds the encapsulation layer in a plan view.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the touch array comprises:

a sensor disposed on the encapsulation layer to receive an external touch signal;

first lines connected to the sensor, disposed below the insulating layer, and of which at least a portion is provided as the first conductive pattern; and

second lines connected to the sensor, disposed on the insulating layer, and of which at least a portion is provided as the second conductive pattern, and

at least a portion of the first lines and at least a portion of the second lines are connected to each other through the opening on the protruding pattern.

19. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the protruding pattern comprises an insulating material.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the protruding pattern comprises an organic material.

21. An electronic device comprising:

a substrate;

an insulating pattern disposed on the substrate to protrude upward further than an area adjacent thereto;

a conductive pattern disposed on the substrate to cover the insulating pattern, and the conductive pattern overlaps the insulating pattern and an area adjacent to the insulating pattern in a plan view;

an insulating layer disposed between the conductive pattern and the insulating pattern and in which an opening overlapping at least a portion of the insulating pattern is defined,

wherein the insulating pattern is disposed between the conductive pattern and the substrate,

wherein the conductive pattern comprises a recessed part defined along the opening, and

wherein a protrude height of the insulating pattern is greater than a maximum thickness of the insulating layer.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein a upper surface of the conductive pattern comprises a first surface overlapping the insulating pattern, a second surface overlapping the insulating layer, and a third surface configured to connect the first surface to the second surface, and

the first surface and the third surface are recessed from a portion of the second surface, which is adjacent to third surface, to define the recessed part.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the second surface comprises a curved surface convex to upward.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the opening exposes an entire surface of the insulating pattern.

25. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the insulating layer overlaps only the insulating pattern in a plan view.