Electrostatic sensing device

• US 10,714,632 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2018
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tianma Japan, Ltd. (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tianma Japan, Ltd. (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Takechi, Kazushige, Iwamatsu, Shinnosuke, Abe, Yutaka, Murakami, Yutaka, Yahagi, Toru, Katoh, Mutsuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoai-An D.
• Application Number:
  US16/221,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20190198678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 324457, 324458, 361207
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/12 Measuring electrostatic fields or voltage-potential
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/24 Arrangements for measuring quantities of charge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42384 for thin film field effect transistors, e.g. characterised by the thickness or the shape of the insulator or the dimensions, the shape or the lay-out of the conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66969 of devices having semiconductor bodies not comprising group 14 or group 13/15 materials comprising selenium or tellurium in uncombined form other than as impurities in semiconductor bodies of other materials, comprising cuprous oxide or cuprous iodide H01L21/02365
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78648 arranged on opposing sides of the channel
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78693 the semiconducting oxide being amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78696 characterised by the structure of the channel, e.g. multichannel, transverse or longitudinal shape, length or width, doping structure, or the overlap or alignment between the channel and the gate, the source or the drain, or the contacting structure of the channel H01L29/78612 takes precedence; transistors having a drain offset region or a lightly doped drain [LDD] H01L29/78621

Abstract

An electrostatic sensing device includes a sensor oxide semiconductor TFT, and a controller configured to control the sensor oxide semiconductor TFT. The sensor oxide semiconductor TFT includes an oxide semiconductor active layer, a source electrode connected with the oxide semiconductor active layer, a drain electrode connected with the oxide semiconductor active layer, a gate electrode behind the oxide semiconductor active layer, and a gate insulating layer between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor active layer The controller is configured to measure a difference from a reference current of a current flowing between the source electrode and the drain electrode, while applying a driving voltage to the gate electrode, and determine polarity of electrostatic charge of the measurement target based on direction of the difference from the reference current.

Claims

1. An electrostatic sensing device configured to measure electrostatic charge of a measurement target placed in front of the electrostatic sensing device, the electrostatic sensing device comprising:

a sensor oxide semiconductor TFT; and

a controller configured to control the sensor oxide semiconductor TFT,

wherein the sensor oxide semiconductor TFT includes;

an oxide semiconductor active layer;

a source electrode connected with the oxide semiconductor active layer;

a drain electrode connected with the oxide semiconductor active layer;

a gate electrode behind the oxide semiconductor active layer; and

a gate insulating layer between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor active layer, and

wherein the controller is configured to;

measure a difference from a reference current of a current flowing between the source electrode and the drain electrode, while applying a driving voltage to the gate electrode; and

determine polarity of electrostatic charge of the measurement target based on direction of the difference from the reference current.

2. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine intensity of an electrostatic field generated by the electrostatic charge of the measurement target based on the direction and amount of the difference.

3. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor oxide semiconductor TFT further includes:

a conductor layer in a floating state in front of the oxide semiconductor active layer; and

an insulating layer between the conductor layer and the oxide semiconductor active layer.

4. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 1, wherein material of the oxide semiconductor active layer is InGaZnO.

5. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor oxide semiconductor TFT is provided on a substrate, and

wherein the gate electrode is provided between the oxide semiconductor active layer and the substrate.

6. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 1, further comprising a second oxide semiconductor TFT configured to work as a switch,

wherein the second oxide semiconductor TFT includes:

a second oxide semiconductor active layer;

a second source electrode connected with the second oxide semiconductor active layer;

a second drain electrode connected with the second oxide semiconductor active layer;

a third electrode in front of the second oxide semiconductor active layer; and

a second insulating layer between the third electrode and the second oxide semiconductor active layer, and

wherein the controller is configured to apply a predetermined voltage to the third electrode in measuring the electrostatic charge of the measurement target.

7. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 6,

wherein the second oxide semiconductor TFT further includes:

a second gate electrode behind the second oxide semiconductor active layer; and

a second insulating layer between the second gate electrode and the second oxide semiconductor active layer, and

wherein the controller is configured to apply a predetermined voltage to the third electrode in measuring the electrostatic charge of the measurement target.

8. An electrostatic sensing device configured to measure electrostatic charge of a measurement target placed in front of the electrostatic sensing device, the electrostatic sensing device comprising:

a plurality of sensor oxide semiconductor TFTs arrayed on a substrate;

a plurality of switch oxide semiconductor TFTs on the substrate, the plurality of switch oxide semiconductor TFT each configured to select one of the plurality of sensor oxide semiconductor TFTs; and

a controller configured to control the plurality of sensor oxide semiconductor TFTs and the plurality of switch oxide semiconductor TFTs,

wherein each of the plurality of sensor oxide semiconductor TFTs includes;

a first oxide semiconductor active layer;

a first source electrode connected with the first oxide semiconductor active layer;

a first drain electrode connected with the first oxide semiconductor active layer;

a first gate electrode behind the first oxide semiconductor active layer; and

a first gate insulating layer between the first gate electrode and the first oxide semiconductor active layer,

wherein each of the plurality of switch oxide semiconductor TFTs includes;

a second oxide semiconductor active layer;

a second source electrode connected with the second oxide semiconductor active layer;

a second drain electrode connected with the second oxide semiconductor active layer;

a third electrode in front of the second oxide semiconductor active layer; and

a second insulating layer between the third electrode and the second oxide semiconductor active layer, and

wherein the controller is configured to;

apply a predetermined voltage to the third electrodes in measuring the electrostatic charge of the measurement target;

control the plurality of switch oxide semiconductor TFTs to select the plurality of sensor oxide semiconductor TFTs one by one;

measure a difference from a reference current of a current flowing between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, while applying a driving voltage to the first gate electrode of a sensor oxide semiconductor TFT selected from the plurality of sensor oxide semiconductor TFT; and

determine intensity of an electrostatic field generated by electrostatic charge of the measurement target based on direction and amount of the difference.

9. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 8,

wherein each of the plurality of switch oxide semiconductor TFTs further includes:

a second gate electrode behind the second oxide semiconductor active layer; and

a second gate insulating layer between the second gate electrode and the second oxide semiconductor active layer, and

wherein the controller is configured to apply a predetermined voltage to the third electrode in measuring the electrostatic charge of the measurement target.

10. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of sensor oxide semiconductor TFTs includes:

a conductor layer in a floating state in front of the first oxide semiconductor active layer; and

an insulating layer between the conductor layer and the first oxide semiconductor active layer.

11. The electrostatic sensing device according to claim 8,

wherein the third electrode of each of the plurality of switch oxide semiconductor TFTs is a part of an unseparated common conductor layer having a plurality of openings, and

wherein the plurality of openings are located in front of the plurality of sensor oxide semiconductor TFTs for an electric field generated by the electrostatic charge of the measurement target to pass through the plurality of openings.