Touch panel including a touch sensor

• US 9,600,107 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kaneyasu, Makoto, Watanabe, Kazunori, Miyake, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DANIELSEN, NATHAN ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US14/644,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20150261333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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

Abstract

To provide a touch panel in which a decrease in display quality is suppressed. The touch panel includes a touch sensor and a display element. The touch sensor includes a transistor and a sensor element. The transistor is electrically connected to the sensor element. The sensor element includes a pair of electrodes and a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is positioned between the pair of electrodes. One of the pair of electrodes is an island-shaped electrode. The display element can display an image toward the touch sensor side. The island-shaped electrode does not overlap with a display region of the display element.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a touch sensor; and

a display element,

wherein the touch sensor includes a transistor and a sensor element,

wherein the transistor and the sensor element are electrically connected to each other,

wherein the sensor element includes a pair of electrodes and a dielectric layer,

wherein the dielectric layer is between the pair of electrodes,

wherein one of the pair of electrodes is an island-shaped electrode comprising an opening portion,

wherein the one of the pair of electrodes comprises a transparent conductive material, and

wherein the display element can display an image toward a touch sensor side, and

wherein the island-shaped electrode does not overlap with a display region of the display element.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel has flexibility.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the transistor in the touch sensor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer.

4. The touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the touch panel further includes a light-blocking layer that is positioned between the touch sensor and the display element, and

wherein the light-blocking layer has a portion overlapping with the transistor included in the touch sensor.

5. The touch panel according to claim 4, wherein the light-blocking layer includes carbon black, a metal oxide, or a composite oxide containing a solid solution of a plurality of metal oxides.

6. The touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the display element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a layer including a light-emitting organic compound, and

wherein the layer including the light-emitting organic compound is between the first electrode and the second electrode.

7. The touch panel according to claim 6,

wherein the touch panel further comprises an insulating film, and

wherein the insulating film covers an end portion of the first electrode and includes a portion overlapping with the transistor included in the touch sensor.

8. A touch panel comprising:

a touch sensor;

a display element; and

wherein the touch sensor includes a transistor and a sensor element,

wherein the transistor and the sensor element are electrically connected to each other,

wherein the sensor element includes a pair of electrodes and a dielectric layer,

wherein the dielectric layer is between the pair of electrodes,

wherein one of the pair of electrodes is an island-shaped electrode comprising an opening portion,

wherein the display element can display an image toward a touch sensor side, and

wherein the opening portion of the island-shaped electrode overlaps with a display region of the display element.

9. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the touch panel has flexibility.

10. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the transistor in the touch sensor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer.

11. The touch panel according to claim 8, wherein an electrode layer in the touch sensor and an electrode layer in the transistor exist in the same layer.

12. The touch panel according to claim 8,

wherein the touch panel further includes a light-blocking layer that is positioned between the touch sensor and the display element, and

wherein the light-blocking layer has a portion overlapping with the transistor included in the touch sensor.

13. The touch panel according to claim 12, wherein the light-blocking layer includes carbon black, a metal oxide, or a composite oxide containing a solid solution of a plurality of metal oxides.

14. The touch panel according to claim 8,

wherein the display element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a layer including a light-emitting organic compound, and

wherein the layer including the light-emitting organic compound is between the first electrode and the second electrode.

15. The touch panel according to claim 14,

wherein the touch panel further comprises an insulating film, and

wherein the insulating film covers an end portion of the first electrode and includes a portion overlapping with the transistor included in the touch sensor.

16. The touch panel according to claim 15,

wherein the opening portion of the island-shaped electrode overlaps with an opening portion of the insulating film.

17. A touch panel comprising:

a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a matrix, each including a plurality of openings;

a second electrode opposed to the plurality of first electrodes, wherein the second electrode continuously overlaps with the plurality of first electrodes; and

a transistor electrically connected to one of the plurality of first electrodes,

wherein the one of the plurality of first electrodes and the second electrode form a capacitor of a touch sensor.

18. The touch panel according to claim 17,

wherein the plurality of openings are configured to allow light to pass through the plurality of openings from a light emitting layer.