Semiconductor device

• US 8,384,657 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kato, Kiyoshi, Saito, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US13/367,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87-104, 345204-215
• US Class Current: 345/104
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13454 Drivers integrated on the active matrix substrate G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/123 pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1218 with a particular composition or structure of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1288 employing particular masking sequences or specially adapted masks, e.g. half-tone mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/13 combined with thin-film or thick-film passive components
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78621 : with LDD structure or an extension or an offset region or characterised by the doping profile
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78645 : with multiple gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 : Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays

Abstract

A variable capacitor is formed from a pair of electrodes and a dielectric interposed between the electrodes over a substrate, and an external input is detected by changing capacitance of the variable capacitor by a physical or electrical force. Specifically, a variable capacitor and a sense amplifier are provided over the same substrate, and the sense amplifier reads the change of capacitance of the variable capacitor and transmits a signal in accordance with the input to a control circuit.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first substrate;

a first circuit over the first substrate, the first circuit comprising a sense amplifier and a switch;

a second circuit over the first substrate;

a variable capacitor over the first circuit and the second circuit;

a display portion over the first substrate; and

a second substrate over the variable capacitor and the display portion,

wherein the variable capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a dielectric interposed therebetween,

wherein the first circuit reads a capacitance change of the variable capacitor,

wherein the second circuit controls the display portion based on the capacitance change,

wherein a first terminal of the sense amplifier is electrically connected to the variable capacitor and the switch, and

wherein a reference voltage is applied to a second terminal of the sense amplifier.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first circuit is a read-out circuit, and

wherein the second circuit is a controller circuit including a central processing unit, a random access memory, an image processing circuit and an interface circuit.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate includes a glass or a plastic.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance change depends on a shape of the dielectric.

5. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a first circuit over the substrate, the first circuit comprising a sense amplifier and a switch;

a second circuit over the substrate;

a variable capacitor over the first circuit and the second circuit; and

a display portion over the substrate,

wherein the variable capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a dielectric interposed therebetween,

wherein the first circuit reads a capacitance change of the variable capacitor,

wherein the second circuit controls the display portion based on the capacitance change,

wherein a first terminal of the sense amplifier is electrically connected to the variable capacitor and the switch, and

wherein a reference voltage is applied to a second terminal of the sense amplifier.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5,

wherein the first circuit is a read-out circuit, and

wherein the second circuit is a controller circuit including a central processing unit, a random access memory, an image processing circuit and an interface circuit.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the substrate includes a glass or a plastic.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the capacitance change depends on a shape of the dielectric.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a first circuit over the substrate, the first circuit comprising a sense amplifier and a switch;

a second circuit over the substrate;

a variable capacitor over the first circuit and the second circuit; and

a display portion over the substrate,

wherein the first circuit reads a capacitance change of the variable capacitor,

wherein the second circuit controls the display portion based on the capacitance change,

wherein a first terminal of the sense amplifier is electrically connected to the variable capacitor and the switch, and

wherein a reference voltage is applied to a second terminal of the sense amplifier.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the first circuit is a read-out circuit, and

wherein the second circuit is a controller circuit including a central processing unit, a random access memory, an image processing circuit and an interface circuit.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the substrate includes a glass or a plastic.

12. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first substrate;

a first circuit over the first substrate, the first circuit comprising a sense amplifier and a switch;

a second circuit over the first substrate;

a variable capacitor over the first circuit and the second circuit;

a display portion over the first substrate; and

a second substrate over the variable capacitor and the display portion,

wherein the first circuit reads a capacitance change of the variable capacitor,

wherein the second circuit controls the display portion based on the capacitance change,

wherein a first terminal of the sense amplifier is electrically connected to the variable capacitor and the switch, and

wherein a reference voltage is applied to a second terminal of the sense amplifier.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12,

wherein the first circuit is a read-out circuit, and

wherein the second circuit is a controller circuit including a central processing unit, a random access memory, an image processing circuit and an interface circuit.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the first substrate includes a glass or a plastic.