Liquid crystal display device having touch sensor

• US 9,116,566 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Han, Sang-Youn, Ham, Yeon-Sik, Yang, Sung-Hoon, Oh, Keun-Chan, Lee, Hee-Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): MANDEVILLE, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US12/917,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-175, 345/87, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178 1805- 1806
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A liquid crystal display having a touch screen panel (TSP) function includes a sensor unit formed on the first substrate; a first sensor wire disposed on the first substrate and a second sensor wire extending perpendicular to the first sensor wire, wherein the sensor unit includes a first sensor electrode connected to the first sensor wire and a second sensor electrode connected to the second sensor wire, wherein said first sensor electrode and said second sensor electrode connect when touched, and said first and second sensor wires confirm a touch position by transmitting a sensing current through the connection between the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode, a trench is formed near the sensor unit and a silicon protrusion pattern to increase the sensitivity of the touch screen panel.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a first substrate;

a gate line disposed on the first substrate;

a gate insulator disposed on the gate line and first substrate;

a data line intersecting the gate line;

a first passivation layer formed on the gate insulator;

a plate-shaped electrode disposed on the first passivation layer;

a second passivation layer formed on the first passivation layer, wherein the plate-shaped electrode is interposed between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer;

a linear electrode disposed on the second passivation layer, wherein the plate-shaped electrode overlaps the linear electrode and the second passivation layer insulates the plate-shaped electrode from the linear electrode, and wherein the first passivation layer on the first substrate insulates the linear electrode from the gate line and the data line;

a sensor unit formed on the first substrate including a first sensor electrode and a second sensor electrode for sensing a touch position;

a second substrate facing the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a first trench disposed between the sensor unit and the linear electrode that exposes the gate insulator, wherein the first trench is formed by removing the first and second passivation layers between the sensor unit and the linear electrode; and

an alignment layer formed on the linear electrode and sensor unit that fills the first trench, wherein said alignment layer is thicker inside said first trench than on a boundary near the first trench.

2. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising

a first sensor wire extending in a same direction as the gate line and a second sensor wire extending in a same direction as the data line,

wherein the sensor unit includes the first sensor electrode connected to the first sensor wire and the second sensor electrode connected to the second sensor wire,

wherein said first sensor electrode and said second sensor electrode connect when touched, and

said first and second sensor wires confirm a touch position by transmitting a sensing current through the connection between the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode.

3. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising

a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line,

wherein the linear electrode is connected to the thin film transistor thereby receiving a pixel voltage transmitted through the data line, and the plate-shaped electrode receives a common voltage.

4. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising

a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line,

wherein the linear electrode receives a common voltage, and the plate-shaped electrode is connected to the thin film transistor thereby receiving a pixel voltage transmitted through the data line.

5. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, wherein

the sensor unit further includes a silicon protrusion pattern disposed on the gate insulator and under the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode.

6. The liquid crystal display of claim 5, wherein

the silicon protrusion pattern includes a plurality of portions separated from each other.

7. The liquid crystal display of claim 6, further comprising

a middle conductor formed on a same layer as the first sensor wire and disposed between the gate insulator and the first passivation layer that overlaps the silicon protrusion pattern, and is electrically connected to the second sensor electrode and the second sensor wire.

8. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein

the sensor unit is a resistive type.

9. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein

the sensor unit is a capacitive type.

10. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising

a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter formed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate,

wherein the sensor unit is disposed corresponding to one of said red color filter, green color filter, or blue color filter.

11. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a first substrate;

a gate line disposed on the first substrate;

a gate insulator disposed on the gate line and first substrate;

a data line intersecting the gate line;

a first passivation layer formed on the first substrate;

a plate-shaped electrode disposed on the first passivation layer;

a second passivation layer formed on the first passivation layer, wherein the plate-shaped electrode is interposed between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer;

a linear electrode disposed on the second passivation layer, wherein the plate-shaped electrode overlaps the linear electrode and the second passivation layer insulates the plate-shaped electrode from the linear electrode, and wherein the first passivation layer on the first substrate insulates the linear electrode from the gate line and the data line;

a sensor unit formed on the first substrate and including a first sensor electrode and a second sensor electrode for sensing a touch position;

a second substrate facing the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate,

a first trench disposed between the sensor unit and the linear electrode that exposes the gate insulator, wherein the first trench is formed by removing the first and second passivation layers between the sensor unit and the linear electrode; and

an alignment layer formed on the linear electrode and sensor unit that fills the first trench, wherein said alignment layer is thicker inside said first trench than on a boundary near the first trench,

wherein the sensor unit includes a silicon protrusion pattern disposed on the gate insulator and under the sensor electrode.

12. The liquid crystal display of claim 11, wherein

the silicon protrusion pattern includes a plurality of portions separated from each other.

13. The liquid crystal display of claim 12, further comprising

a first sensor wire extending in a same direction as the gate line and a second sensor wire extending in a same direction as the data line,

wherein the sensor unit includes the first sensor electrode connected to the first sensor wire and the second sensor electrode connected to the second sensor wire,

a middle conductor formed on a same layer as the first sensor wire and disposed between the gate insulator and the first passivation layer that overlaps the silicon protrusion pattern, and is electrically connected to the second sensor electrode and the second sensor wire.

14. The liquid crystal display of claim 11, further comprising

a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter formed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate,

wherein the sensor unit is disposed corresponding to one of said red color filter, green color filter, or blue color filter.

15. The liquid crystal display of claim 11, further comprising

a plurality of column spacers formed on the second substrate that project toward the first substrate,

wherein said column spacers include main column spacers for maintaining a cell gap between the first and second substrates, and sub-column spacers shorter that the main column spacers, and

a conductive layer formed on the surface of the column spacers,

wherein said column spacers contact the sensor unit on the first substrate.

16. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a first substrate;

a gate insulator disposed on the first substrate;

a first passivation layer formed on the gate insulator;

a second passivation layer formed on the first passivation layer;

a linear electrode disposed on the second passivation layer;

a plate-shaped electrode disposed on the first passivation layer that overlaps the linear electrode and is interposed between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer, wherein the second passivation layer insulates the plate-shaped electrode from the linear electrode;

a sensor unit formed on the first substrate that is configured to respond to a touch;

a first sensor wire disposed on the first substrate and a second sensor wire extending perpendicular to the first sensor wire;

a first trench disposed between the sensor unit and the linear electrode that exposes the gate insulator; and

an alignment layer formed on the linear electrode, the sensor unit, and the first trench,

wherein the sensor unit includes a first sensor electrode connected to the first sensor wire and a second sensor electrode connected to the second sensor wire,

wherein said first sensor electrode and said second sensor electrode electrically connect when touched, and said first and second sensor wires confirm a touch position by transmitting a sensing current through the electrical connection between the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode; and

wherein the first trench is formed by removing the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer between the sensor unit and the linear electrode, and said alignment layer is thicker inside said first trench than on a boundary near the first trench.

17. The liquid crystal display of claim 16, further comprising:

a gate line disposed on the first substrate extending in a same direction as the first sensor wire, wherein the gate insulator is disposed on the gate line;

a data line extending in a same direction as the second sensor wire and intersecting the gate line; and

a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line,

wherein the first passivation layer insulates the linear electrode from the gate line and the data line,

wherein one of said linear electrode and said plate-shaped electrode is connected to the thin film transistor thereby receiving a pixel voltage transmitted through the data line, and

the other of said linear electrode and said plate-shaped electrode receives a common voltage.

18. The liquid crystal display of claim 16, further comprising

a second substrate facing the first substrate;

and

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.