DISPLAY APPARATUS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROVIDED WITH THE SAME

• US 20090122039A1
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Katoh, Hiromi, Izumi, Yoshihiro, Nagai, Tomoyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/912,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122039A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/207
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13312 Circuits comprising photodetectors for purposes other than feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136227 Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/086 UV absorbing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/50 Protective arrangements

Abstract

In a display apparatus having an active matrix substrate, a counter substrate provided so as to be opposed to a pixel array region of the active matrix substrate, and a display medium provided in a gap between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate, an optical sensor (11) is provided in a peripheral region of the pixel array region in the active matrix substrate. In order to make it difficult for the optical sensor (11) to change with time, and suppress the influence of electromagnetic noise on the optical sensor (11), in an upper layer of the optical sensor (11), a surface protective film (24) is formed of a transparent insulation layer (20a) made of the same material as that of an interlayer insulation film in the pixel array region and having an effect of attenuating a UV-light transmittance and a transparent conductive layer (7a) formed of the same material as that of the pixel electrode in an upper layer of the transparent insulation layer (20a).

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

an active matrix substrate having a pixel array region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged;

a counter substrate placed so as to be opposed to the pixel array region of the active matrix substrate; and

a display medium placed in a gap between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate,

wherein in the pixel array region of the active matrix substrate, a plurality of electrode wires, a plurality of active elements, an interlayer insulation film provided in an upper layer of the plurality of electrode wires and the plurality of active elements, and a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the interlayer insulation film,

the display apparatus comprising an environment sensor provided in a peripheral region present on a periphery of the pixel array region in the active matrix substrate, and

a surface protective film provided in an upper layer of the environment sensor,

wherein the surface protective film includes a transparent insulation layer having an effect of attenuating UV-light transmittance, formed of the same material as that of the interlayer insulation film in the pixel array region, and a transparent conductive layer formed of the same material as that of the pixel electrode in an upper layer of the transparent insulation layer.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least partial constituent members of the environment sensor are produced by the same process as that of constituent members of the active elements.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor is formed monolithically on a principal plane of the active matrix substrate.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interlayer insulation film and the transparent insulation layer are formed by the same process, and the pixel electrodes and the transparent conductive layer are formed by the same process.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the active elements are thin film transistors, and the environment sensor is a photodiode having a lateral structure.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer attenuates a transmittance of UV-light contained in ambient light to 50% or less.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transparent conductive layer is an indium-tin oxide, and a thickness thereof is 140 nm or more.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer is electrically insulated from the pixel electrode, and is connected to a predetermined fixed potential.

9. An electronic device having the display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the environment sensor is an optical sensor, and

the electronic device includes a control circuit controlling a display brightness in accordance with lightness information of ambient light detected by the optical sensor.

10. An active matrix substrate having a pixel array region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged, comprising:

in the pixel array region, a plurality of electrode wires, a plurality of active elements, an interlayer insulation film provided in an upper layer of the plurality of electrode wires and a plurality of active elements, and a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the interlayer insulation film;

an environment sensor provided in a peripheral region present on a periphery of the pixel array region in the active matrix substrate; and

a surface protective film provided in an upper layer of the environment sensor,

wherein the surface protective film includes a transparent insulation layer having an effect of attenuating a UV-light transmittance, formed of the same material as that of the interlayer insulation film in the pixel array region, and a transparent conductive layer formed of the same material as that of the pixel electrode in an upper layer of the transparent insulation layer.