TOUCH SCREEN PANEL-INTEGRATED DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME

• US 20190332206A1
• Filed: 07/08/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: JANG, Jooyoung
• Granted Patent: US 10,739,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133388 with constructional differences between the display region and the peripheral region
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1343 Electrodes reflective electrodes G02F1/133553
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136236 using a grey or half tone lithographic process
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0413 Details of dummy pixels or dummy lines in flat panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections

Abstract

There are provided a display device and a method for fabricating the display device. The display device includes a thin-film transistor located in each pixel defined by intersection between a gate line extending in a first direction and a data line extending in a second direction on a substrate. A first electrode has a first layer connected to one of a source electrode or a drain electrode of the transistor through the first contact hole and a second layer located on the first layer and in the first contact hole. There is also a signal line including a first signal line layer formed on the first protective layer of the same material on the same layer as the first layer of the first electrode and a second signal line layer formed on the first signal line layer of the same material as the second.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a substrate having an active area and a non-active area;

a first thin-film transistor located in a first pixel in the active area, the first thin-film transistor having a source, a drain and a channel positioned between the source and the drain;

a gate line coupled to the first thin-film transistor;

a data line coupled to the first thin-film transistor;

a first protective layer located on the first thin-film transistor and in which a first contact hole is formed;

a first electrode including a first layer connected to a drain electrode of the first thin-film transistor through the first contact hole and a second layer on the first layer;

a first signal line on the first protective layer, the first signal line overlying portions of the first thin-film transistor;

a second electrode connected to the first signal line;

a second pixel in the active area, the second pixel having a second thin-film transistor and a second contact hole in the first protective layer; and

a second signal line on the first protective layer, the second signal line overlying portions of the second thin film transistor,

wherein the first signal line has two branches that extend into the non-active area, a first branch being located on a first side of the data line outside of the active area and a second branch being located on a second side of the data line outside the active area.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second signal line does not extend into the non-active area.

3. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a dummy pattern located in the non-active area adjacent to the second contact hole of the second pixel and including a first dummy pattern layer formed on the first protective layer of the same material and on the same layer as the first layer of the first electrode and a second dummy pattern layer formed on the first dummy pattern layer of the same material on the same layer as the second layer of the first electrode.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the dummy pattern formed between the first signal line and the second signal line.

5. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a second protective layer disposed on the first electrode and the signal line, and the second electrode is connected to the first signal line through a contact hole in the second protective layer.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the signal line is parallel with the data line.

7. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a third pixel and wherein the signal line of the first pixel from among the three pixels is extended to the non-active area and the signal lines of the other two pixels are located within the active area.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the two branches additionally include extension areas in the non-active area.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein one end of the second signal line is bent in a first direction.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein one end of the second signal line is disposed on a gate line coupled to the second thin-film transistor.

11. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first signal line includes a first signal line layer on the first protective layer and a second signal line layer on the first signal line layer, and

the first signal line and the first electrode have a same material for the first signal line layer of the first signal line and the first layer of the first electrode, and a same material for the second signal line layer of the first signal line and the second layer of the first electrode.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the second electrode electrically contacts with the second signal line layer of the first signal line.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second electrode functions as a common electrode to be applied with a common voltage through the first signal line in a display driving mode, and the second electrode functions as a touch electrode to be applied with a touch driving signal through the first signal line in a touch driving mode.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first signal line is selectively connected to the second electrode to transfer one of a common voltage in the display driving mode, and a touch driving signal in the touch driving mode.

15. A display device comprising:

a substrate having an active area and a non-active area;

a first thin-film transistor located in a first pixel in the active area;

a gate line coupled to the first thin-film transistor;

a data line coupled to the first thin-film transistor;

a first protective layer located on the first thin-film transistor and in which a first contact hole is formed;

a first electrode including a first layer connected to a drain electrode of the first thin-film transistor through the first contact hole and a second layer on the first layer;

a first signal line on the first protective layer, the first signal line overlying portions of the first thin-film transistor;

a second electrode connected to the first signal line;

a second pixel in the active area, the second pixel having a second thin-film transistor and a second contact hole in the first protective layer; and

a second signal line on the first protective layer, the second signal line overlying portions of the second thin film transistor,

wherein one end of at least one of the first signal line and the second signal line is bent in a first direction.

16. The display device of claim 15, the one end of at least one of the first signal line and the second signal line is overlapped to at least part of the gate line.

17. The display device of claim 15, the one end of at least one of the first signal line and the second signal line is overlapped to a boundary between the active area and the non-active area, or adjacent to a boundary between the active area and the non-active area.

18. The display device of claim 15, further comprising:

a dummy pattern located in the non-active area adjacent to the second contact hole of the second pixel and including a first dummy pattern layer formed on the first protective layer of the same material and on the same layer as the first layer of the first electrode and a second dummy pattern layer formed on the first dummy pattern layer of the same material on the same layer as the second layer of the first electrode.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein the dummy pattern formed between the first signal line and the second signal line.

20. The display device of claim 18, wherein the dummy pattern is separated from the one end of at least one of the first signal line and the second signal line.