Touch actuated sensor configuration integrated with an OLED structure

• US 8,624,849 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Shih Chang, Hotelling, Steven Porter
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nadkarni, Sarvesh J
• Application Number:
  US12/426,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment, a passive touch sensor configuration is integrated with an OLED structure.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a touch actuated sensor configuration integrated with an OLED structure, the device comprising;

a first substrate and a second substrate;

the first substrate having a touch actuated sensor which includes;

on a first of two sides of the first substrate, at least one of a plurality of drive lines or a plurality sense;

a metallization formed on the first of the two sides of the first substrate routed to one of the plurality of drive lines or the plurality of sense lines;

wherein the second substrate on a first of two sides includes;

a first layer comprising driving thin-film transistors;

a second layer comprising an OLE material;

a first metallization sub-layer disposed on one side of the OLE material;

a second metallization sub-layer disposed on the other side of the OLE material;

the first and second layers being and arranged so that at least some of the thin-film transistors of the first layer of the second substrate are capable of electrically driving at least a portion of the OLE material;

wherein;

the two substrates are oriented so that the second side of the first substrate and the second side of the second substrate are oppositely directed toward each other; and

the metallization formed on the first of the two sides of the first substrate is routed to one of the plurality of drive lines or the plurality of sense lines and is electrically and physically connected to a metallization (612) on the second substrate.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch actuated sensor configuration comprises a capacitive touch actuated sensor configuration.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch actuated sensor configuration comprises an array of touch sensors, wherein the OLED structure comprises an array of OLED pixels.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the OLED structure includes transistors connected to the array of OLED pixels so as to electrically drive pixels of the array.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch actuated sensor configuration comprises an array of capacitive touch sensors, and wherein the capacitive touch sensors comprise a pattern of ITO patches.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch actuated sensor configuration comprises an array of capacitive touch sensors, and wherein the array of capacitive touch sensors and the OLED structure are electrically connected via a conductive paste.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the conductive paste comprises a cured conductive paste forming conductive patches providing electrical connections for the array of capacitive touch sensors.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second substrates of the device comprise glass and wherein the one or more glass substrates have been thinned.

9. A method of fabricating the device of claim 1, comprising:

fabricating the touch actuated sensor configuration on the first substrate and the OLED structure on the second side of the second substrate; and

combining the touch actuated sensor configuration and the OLED structure into a single module so that one or more respective touch sensors of the touch actuated sensor configuration are electrically connected within the single module to the OLED structure via a conductive paste.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuration and the structure are fabricated by separate processes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processes for fabricating the configuration occur at temperatures or pressures that are different from the processes for fabricating the structure.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising curing the conductive paste.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the curing the conductive paste comprises at least one of the following:

applying heat;

applying pressure;

applying radiation;

or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second substrates comprises a glass substrate;

and the method further comprising;

thinning the at least one of the first and second substrates that comprises the glass substrate.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the conductive paste comprises at least one of the following:

silver;

gold;

adhesive;

polymer;

or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the fabricating a touch actuated sensor configuration comprises fabricating a capacitive touch actuated sensor configuration that comprises at least one of the following:

a SITO configuration;

or a DITO configuration.

17. A device comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate;

the first substrate having a touch actuated sensor which includes;

on a first of two sides of the first substrate at least one of a plurality of drive lines or a plurality of sense lines;

a metallization formed on the first of the two sides of the first substrate routed to one of the plurality of drive lines or the plurality of sense lines;

wherein the second substrate on a first of two sides includes;

a first layer comprising driving thin-film transistors;

a second layer comprising an OLE material;

a first metallization sub-layers disposed on one side of the OLE material;

a second metallization sub-layer disposed on the other side of the OLE material;

the first and second layers of the second substrate arranged so that at least some of the thin-film transistors of the first layer of the second substrate are capable of electrically driving at least a portion of the OLE material;

wherein

the two substrates are oriented so that the second side of the first substrate and the second side of the second substrate are oppositely directed from each other; and

the metallization formed on the first of the two sides of the first substrate is electrically and physically connected within the device to a metallization on the second substrate.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein a conductive paste electrically and physically connects the metallization formed on the first of the two sides of the first substrate with the metallization on the second substrate.