OPTICAL SENSOR

• US 20120228505A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HAN, Kun-Wook, KIM, Sung-Ryul, KIM, Woong-Kwon, KIM, Dae-Cheol, JEONG, Ki-Hun, BANG, Jung-Suk, YEO, Yun-Jong, CHO, Byeong-Hoon, CHIN, Hong-Kee, MUN, Sung-jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,796,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/338.4
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14665 Imagers using a photoconductor layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14692 Thin film technologies, e.g. amorphous, poly, micro- or nanocrystalline silicon

Abstract

An optical sensor includes a visible light sensor includes a visible light sensing transistor and an infrared light sensor includes an infrared light sensing transistor, wherein the visible light sensing transistor receives a first driving voltage through a first driving voltage line, the infrared light sensing transistor receives a second driving voltage through a second driving voltage line, and the visible light sensing transistor and the infrared light sensing transistor receive a reference voltage through a reference voltage line.

Claims

1. An optical sensor, comprising:

a visible light sensor comprising a visible light sensing transistor; and

an infrared light sensor comprising an infrared light sensing transistor,

wherein the visible light sensing transistor is configured to receive a first driving voltage through a first driving voltage line, the infrared light sensing transistor is configured to receive a second driving voltage through a second driving voltage line, and the visible light sensing transistor and the infrared light sensing transistor are both configured to receive a reference voltage through a reference voltage line.

2. The optical sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a first switching transistor connected to the visible light sensing transistor; and

a second switching transistor connected to the infrared light sensing transistor,

wherein an output terminal of the visible light sensing transistor is connected to an input terminal of the first switching transistor, and

an output terminal of the infrared light sensing transistor is connected to an input terminal of the second switching transistor.

3. The optical sensor of claim 2, wherein:

the first switching transistor is connected to a visible light sensing data line, and the second switching transistor is connected to an infrared light sensing data line.

4. The optical sensor of claim 3, wherein:

the first switching transistor is connected to a visible light sensing gate line, and the second switching transistor is connected to an infrared light sensing gate line.

5. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the visible light sensor comprises a first capacitor wherein a first terminal of the first capacitor is connected to an input terminal of the visible light sensing transistor, and a second terminal of the first capacitor is connected to an output terminal of the visible light sensing transistor, and

the infrared light sensor comprises a second capacitor wherein a first terminal of the second capacitor is connected to an input terminal of the infrared light sensing transistor, and a second terminal of the second capacitor is connected to an output terminal of the infrared light sensing transistor.

6. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the first driving voltage line and the second driving voltage line are disposed at different layers from each other.

7. The optical sensor of claim 6, further comprising:

a first connecting member disposed below the first driving voltage line and connected to the first driving voltage line through a first contact hole, the first connecting member being connected to the visible light sensing transistor through a second contact hole.

8. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the first driving voltage line is disposed at the same layer as the second driving voltage line.

9. The optical sensor of claim 8, further comprising:

a second connecting member disposed on the first driving voltage line and connected to the first driving voltage line through a contact hole, the second connecting member being connected to the visible light sensing transistor through the contact hole.

10. The optical sensor of claim 8, wherein:

the first driving voltage line is connected to the visible light sensing transistor through a contact hole.

11. The optical sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

an upper gate line connected to the reference voltage line, the upper gate line comprising a concave portion, a connection portion, and an upper gate electrode.

12. The optical sensor of claim 11, wherein:

the concave portion and the upper gate electrode are connected to each other by the connection portion, and the concave portion surrounds the upper gate electrode.

13. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the visible light sensing transistor comprises an input electrode comprising a first extended portion and the infrared light sensing transistor comprises an input electrode comprising a second extended portion.

14. An optical sensor, comprising:

a visible light sensor comprising a visible light sensing transistor; and

an infrared light sensor comprising an infrared light sensing transistor,

wherein the visible light sensing transistor and the infrared light sensing transistor are both configured to receive driving voltages through a driving voltage line, the visible light sensing transistor is configured to receive a first reference voltage through a first reference voltage line, and the infrared light sensing transistor is configured to receive a second reference voltage through a second reference voltage line.

15. The optical sensor of claim 14, further comprising:

a first switching transistor connected to the visible light sensing transistor; and

a second switching transistor connected to the infrared light sensing transistor,

wherein an output terminal of the visible light sensing transistor is connected to an input terminal of the first switching transistor, and

an output terminal of the infrared light sensing transistor is connected to an input terminal of the second switching transistor.

16. The optical sensor of claim 15, wherein:

the first switching transistor is connected to a visible light sensing data line, and the second switching transistor is connected to an infrared light sensing data line.

17. The optical sensor of claim 16, wherein:

the first switching transistor is connected to a visible light sensing gate line, and the second switching transistor is connected to an infrared light sensing gate line.

18. The optical sensor of claim 14, wherein:

the visible light sensor comprises a first capacitor wherein a first terminal of the first capacitor is connected to an input terminal of the visible light sensing transistor and a second terminal of the first capacitor is connected to an output terminal of the visible light sensing transistor, and

the infrared light sensor comprises a second capacitor wherein a first terminal of the second capacitor is connected to an input terminal of the infrared light sensing transistor, and wherein a second terminal of the second capacitor is connected to an output terminal of the infrared light sensing transistor.

19. An optical sensor, comprising

a plurality of visible light sensors each comprising a plurality of visible light sensing transistor;

and

a plurality of infrared light sensors each comprising a plurality of infrared light sensing transistors,

wherein the plurality of visible light sensing transistors and the plurality of infrared light sensing transistors are configured to receive driving voltages through a driving voltage line, the plurality of visible light sensing transistors are configured to receive a first reference voltage through a first reference voltage line, and the plurality of infrared light sensing transistors are configured to receive a second reference voltage through a second reference voltage line,

wherein the plurality of visible light sensing sensor are arranged such that each individual visible light sensing sensor may be electrically isolated from the first reference voltage line such that the remaining visible light sensing sensors remain electrically connected to the first reference voltage line, and

wherein the plurality of infrared light sensing sensors are arranged such that each individual infrared light sensing sensor may be electrically isolated from the second reference voltage line such that the remaining infrared light sensing sensors remain electrically connected to the second reference voltage line.

20. The optical sensor of claim 19, wherein:

the first driving voltage line and the second driving voltage line are disposed at different layers from each other.

21. The optical sensor of claim 19, wherein:

the first driving voltage line is disposed at the same layer as the second driving voltage line.