PHOTODETECTOR

• US 20110291013A1
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: IKEDA, Takayuki, KUROKAWA, Yoshiyuki, TAMURA, Hikaru, IKEDA, Masataka, KOZUMA, Munehiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,772,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/338.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/144 Devices controlled by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0232 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device H01L31/0236 takes precedence; for photovoltaic cells H01L31/054; for photovoltaic modules H02S40/20

Abstract

Influence of external light is suppressed. With a photodetector including a photodetector circuit which generates a data signal in accordance with illuminance of incident light and a light unit which overlaps with the photodetector circuit, a first data signal is generated by the photodetector circuit when the light unit is in an ON state, a second data signal is formed by the photodetector circuit when the light unit is in an OFF state, and the first data signal and the second data signal are compared, so that a difference data signal that is data of a difference between the two compared data signals is generated.

Claims

1. A photodetector comprising:

a photodetector circuit;

a light unit comprising a light source, a light guide plate, and a fixing member; and

a data processing circuit,

wherein the light guide plate comprises a first face, a second face opposite to the first face, and a third face, and is configured to be in contact with an object at a part of the first face and to reflect a light emitted from the light source at the part where the object contacts the first face,

wherein the second face of the light guide plate is configured to face the photodetector circuit,

wherein the fixing member is configured to fix the light source to the third face of the light guide plate and to overlap with the light source and a portion of the light guide plate, and

wherein the photodetector circuit is configured to generate a data signal from the light reflected at the part.

2. The photodetector according to claim 1,

wherein the photodetector circuit comprises:

a first transistor;

a second transistor; and

a photodiode,

wherein a first terminal of the photodiode is connected to a first terminal of the first transistor,

wherein a second terminal of the first transistor is connected to a gate of the second transistor,

wherein the photodetector circuit performs a reset operation, performs an accumulation operation after the reset operation, performs a read operation after the accumulation operation, and generates the data signal,

wherein a potential of a second terminal of the photodiode is a first voltage in the reset operation and a second voltage in the accumulation operation and the read operation, and

wherein a potential of a gate of the first transistor is a third voltage in the reset operation and the accumulation operation and a fourth voltage in the read operation.

3. The photodetector according to claim 2,

wherein the first transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel.

4. A method for driving the photodetector according to claim 3, comprising the steps of:

performing a first reset operation of the photodetector circuit;

performing a first accumulation operation of the photodetector circuit after setting the light source to emit a first light;

performing a first read operation of the photodetector circuit;

generating a first data signal by the photodetector circuit;

performing a second reset operation of the photodetector circuit;

performing a second accumulation operation of the photodetector circuit after setting the light source to emit no light;

performing a second read operation of the photodetector circuit;

generating a second data signal by the photodetector circuit; and

generating a first difference data signal by the data processing circuit,

wherein the first difference data signal is a difference between the first data signal and the second data signal.

5. The method for driving the photodetector according to claim 4,

wherein the light source comprises a diode emitting the first light in an infrared region.

6. A photodetector comprising:

photodetector circuits arranged in matrix;

a light unit comprising a light source, a light guide plate, and a fixing member; and

a data processing circuit,

wherein the light guide plate comprises a first face, a second face opposite to the first face, and a third face, and is configured to be in contact with an object at a part of the first face and to reflect a light emitted from the light source at the part where the object contacts the first face,

wherein the second face of the light guide plate is configured to face the photodetector circuits,

wherein the fixing member is configured to fix the light source to the third face of the light guide plate and to overlap with the light source and a portion of the light guide plate, and

wherein each of the photodetector circuits is configured to generate a data signal from the light reflected at the part.

7. The photodetector according to claim 6,

wherein each of the photodetector circuits comprises:

a first transistor;

a second transistor; and

a photodiode,

wherein a first terminal of each of the photodiodes is connected to a first terminal of each of the first transistors,

wherein a second terminal of each of the first transistors is connected to a gate of each of the second transistors,

wherein each of the photodetector circuits performs a reset operation simultaneously and performs an accumulation operation simultaneously after the reset operation,

wherein each of the photodetector circuits performs a read operation sequentially after the accumulation operation and generates the data signal,

wherein a potential of a second terminal of each of the photodiodes is a first voltage in the reset operation and a second voltage in the accumulation operation and the read operation,

wherein a potential of a gate of each of the first transistors is a third voltage in the reset operation and the accumulation operation and a fourth voltage in the read operation.

8. The photodetector according to claim 7,

wherein each of the first transistors comprises an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel.

9. A method for driving the photodetector according to claim 8, comprising the steps of:

performing a first reset operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously;

performing a first accumulation operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously after setting the light source to emit a first light;

performing a first read operation of each of the photodetector circuits sequentially;

generating a first data signal by each of the photodetector circuits;

performing a second reset operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously;

performing a second accumulation operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously after setting the light source to emit no light;

performing a second read operation of each of the photodetector circuits sequentially;

generating a second data signal by each of the photodetector circuits; and

generating first difference data signals by the data processing circuit,

wherein each of the first difference data signals is a difference between each of the first data signals and each of the second data signals.

10. The method for driving the photodetector according to claim 9,

wherein the light source comprises a diode emitting the first light in an infrared region.

11. A method for driving the photodetector according to claim 8, comprising the steps of:

performing a first reset operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously;

performing a first accumulation operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously after setting the light source to emit a first light;

performing a first read operation of each of the photodetector circuits sequentially;

generating a first data signal by each of the photodetector circuits;

performing a second reset operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously;

performing a second accumulation operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously after setting the light source to emit a second light;

performing a second read operation of each of the photodetector circuits sequentially;

generating a second data signal by each of the photodetector circuits;

performing a third reset operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously;

performing a third accumulation operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously after setting the light source to emit a third light;

performing a third read operation of each of the photodetector circuits sequentially;

generating a third data signal by each of the photodetector circuits;

performing a fourth reset operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously;

performing a fourth accumulation operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously after setting the light source to emit no light;

performing a fourth read operation of each of the photodetector circuits sequentially;

generating a fourth data signal by each of the photodetector circuits;

generating first difference data signals by the data processing circuit;

generating second difference data signals by the data processing circuit; and

generating third difference data signals by the data processing circuit;

wherein each of the first difference data signals is a difference between each of the first data signals and each of the fourth data signals,

wherein each of the second difference data signals is a difference between each of the second data signals and each of the fourth data signals, and

wherein each of the third difference data signals is a difference between each of the third data signals and each of the fourth data signals.

12. The method for driving the photodetector according to claim 11,

wherein the light source comprises a red light-emitting diode emitting the first light, a green light-emitting diode emitting the second light, and a blue light-emitting diode emitting the third light.

13. A photodetector comprising:

pixel circuits arranged in matrix;

photodetector circuits arranged in matrix;

a light unit comprising a light source, a light guide plate, and a fixing member; and

a data processing circuit,

wherein each of the pixel circuits and each of the photodetector circuits are arranged periodically over a face of a substrate,

wherein the light guide plate comprises a first face, a second face opposite to the first face, and a third face, and is configured to be in contact with an object at a part of the first face and to reflect a light emitted from the light source at the part where the object contacts the first face,

wherein the second face of the light guide plate is configured to face the photodetector circuits,

wherein the fixing member is configured to fix the light source to the third face of the light guide plate and to overlap with the light source and a portion of the light guide plate, and

wherein each of the photodetector circuits generates a data signal from the light reflected at the part.

14. The photodetector according to claim 13,

wherein each of the photodetector circuits comprises:

a first transistor;

a second transistor; and

a photodiode,

wherein each of the pixel circuits comprises;

a third transistor; and

a liquid crystal element,

wherein a first terminal of each of the photodiodes is connected to a first terminal of each of the first transistors,

wherein a second terminal of each of the first transistors is connected to a gate of each of the second transistors,

wherein each of the photodetector circuits performs a reset operation simultaneously and performs an accumulation operation simultaneously after the reset operation,

wherein each of the photodetector circuits performs a read operation sequentially after the accumulation operation and generates the data signal,

wherein a potential of a second terminal of each of the photodiodes is a first voltage in the reset operation and a second voltage in the accumulation operation and the read operation,

wherein a potential of a gate of each of the first transistors is a third voltage in the reset operation and the accumulation operation and a fourth voltage in the read operation,

wherein a first terminal of each of the third transistors is connected to a first terminal of each of the liquid crystal elements,

wherein each of the pixel circuits performs sequentially a display operation, and

wherein a potential of a gate of each of the third transistors is a fifth voltage in the display operation.

15. The photodetector according to claim 14,

wherein each of the first transistors comprises an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel, and

wherein each of the third transistors comprises an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel.

16. A method for driving the photodetector according to claim 15, comprising the steps of:

performing a first reset operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously;

performing a first accumulation operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously after setting the light source to emit a first light;

performing a first read operation of each of the photodetector circuits sequentially;

generating a first data signal by each of the photodetector circuits;

performing a second reset operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously;

performing a second accumulation operation of each of the photodetector circuits simultaneously after setting the light source to emit no light;

performing a second read operation of each of the photodetector circuits sequentially;

generating a second data signal by each of the photodetector circuits;

generating first difference data signals by the data processing circuit; and

performing the display operation of each of the pixel circuits sequentially,

wherein each of the first difference data signals is a difference between each of the first data signals and each of the second data signals.

17. The method for driving the photodetector according to claim 16,

wherein the light source comprises a diode emitting the first light in an infrared region.