Touch screen substrate and method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,671,637 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yeo, Yun-Jong, Chin, Hong-Kee
• Primary Examiner(s): SIM, MATTHEW Y
• Application Number:
  US12/903,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,428 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• 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: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

In a touch screen substrate and a method of manufacturing the same, the touch screen substrate includes a base substrate, a light blocking pattern, a first sensing element and a first switching element. The light blocking pattern includes an inorganic layer formed on the base substrate and a light blocking layer formed on the inorganic layer, the light blocking layer transmitting an infrared light and absorbing a visible light. The first sensing element is formed on the light blocking pattern and senses the infrared light. The first switching element is electrically connected to the first sensing element. Thus, an undercut may be prevented from being formed at a lower portion of the light blocking pattern, and an adhesive strength between the light blocking pattern and the base substrate may be enhanced.

Claims

1. A touch screen substrate comprising:

a base substrate;

a light blocking pattern including an inorganic layer formed on the base substrate and a light blocking layer formed on the inorganic layer, the light blocking layer transmitting infrared light and absorbing visible light, the inorganic layer being disposed between the light blocking layer and the base substrate and contacting the light blocking layer and the base substrate;

a residual layer formed on a portion of the base substrate;

a first sensing element formed on the light blocking pattern and sensing the infrared light; and

a first switching element electrically connected to the first sensing element, wherein the first switching element is formed on the residual layer,

wherein the inorganic layer comprises silicon nitride or silicon oxide,

wherein the inorganic layer has a first thickness, wherein the residual layer has a second thickness, and wherein the second thickness is smaller than the first thickness.

2. The touch screen substrate of claim 1, wherein the inorganic layer has a thickness in a range of about 100 Å

to about 1,000 Å

, and the light blocking layer has a thickness in a range of about 1,500 Å

to about 5,000 Å

.

3. The touch screen substrate of claim 1, wherein the first sensing element comprises:

a first active pattern formed on the light blocking pattern;

a first sensing source electrode and a first sensing drain electrode formed on the first active pattern, wherein the first sensing source electrode and the first sensing drain electrode are spaced apart from each other; and

a sensing gate electrode overlapping the first active pattern.

4. The touch screen substrate of claim 3, wherein the light blocking layer comprises amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe) or amorphous germanium (a-Ge).

5. The touch screen substrate of claim 1, further comprising:

a bias line connected to the first sensing element;

a first read-out line connected to the first switching element;

a first sensing gate line connected to the first switching element to apply a first gate signal to the first switching element; and

a second sensing gate line connected to the first sensing element to apply a second gate signal to the first sensing element.

6. The touch screen substrate of claim 5, further comprising:

a second sensing element connected to the bias line and sensing the visible light;

a second switching element connected to the second sensing element;

a third sensing gate line connected to the second switching element to apply a third gate signal to the second switching element; and

a second read-out line connected to the second switching element.

7. A touch screen substrate comprising:

a base substrate;

a light blocking pattern including an inorganic layer formed on the base substrate and a light blocking layer formed on the inorganic layer, the light blocking layer transmitting infrared light and absorbing visible light, the inorganic layer being disposed between the light blocking layer and the base substrate and contacting the light blocking layer and the base substrate;

a residual layer formed on a portion of the base substrate;

a first sensing element formed on the light blocking pattern and sensing the infrared light; and

a first switching element electrically connected to the first sensing element, wherein the first switching element is formed on the residual layer,

wherein the first sensing element comprises;

a first active pattern formed on the light blocking pattern;

a first sensing source electrode and a first sensing drain electrode formed on the first active pattern, wherein the first sensing source electrode and the first sensing drain electrode are spaced apart from each other; and

a sensing gate electrode overlapping the first active pattern, wherein the sensing gate electrode contacts the light blocking pattern through a contact hole that partially exposes the light blocking pattern, the contact hole passing through a first insulating layer formed on the first active pattern and a second insulating layer formed on the first sensing source and drain electrodes.

8. A touch screen substrate comprising:

a base substrate;

a light blocking pattern including an inorganic layer formed on the base substrate and a light blocking layer formed on the inorganic layer, the light blocking layer transmitting infrared light and absorbing visible light, the inorganic layer being disposed between the light blocking layer and the base substrate and contacting the light blocking layer and the base substrate;

a residual layer formed on a portion of the base substrate;

a first sensing element formed on the light blocking pattern and sensing the infrared light; and

a first switching element electrically connected to the first sensing element, wherein the first switching element is formed on the residual layer,

wherein the first sensing element comprises;

a first active pattern formed on the light blocking pattern;

a first sensing source electrode and a first sensing drain electrode formed on the first active pattern, wherein the first sensing source electrode and the first sensing drain electrode are spaced apart from each other; and

a sensing gate electrode overlapping the first active pattern,

wherein the first switching element comprises;

a first switching source electrode electrically connected to the first sensing drain electrode;

a first switching drain electrode spaced apart from the first switching source electrode,

a second active pattern overlapping each of the first switching source and drain electrodes; and

a first switching gate electrode overlapping the second active pattern.

9. A touch screen substrate comprising:

a base substrate;

a light blocking pattern including an inorganic layer formed on the base substrate and a light blocking layer formed on the inorganic layer, the light blocking layer transmitting infrared light and absorbing visible light;

a residual layer formed on an entire region of the base substrate except for a region on which the inorganic layer is formed, and having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the inorganic layer;

a first sensing element formed on the light blocking pattern and sensing the infrared light; and

a first switching element electrically connected to the first sensing element, wherein the first switching element is formed on the residual layer.

10. The touch screen substrate of claim 9, wherein the inorganic layer comprises silicon nitride or silicon oxide.

11. The touch screen substrate of claim 9, wherein the inorganic layer has a thickness in a range of about 100 Å

to about 1,000 Å

, and the light blocking layer has a thickness in a range of about 1,500 Å

to about 5,000 Å

.

12. The touch screen substrate of claim 9, wherein the first sensing element comprises:

a first active pattern formed on the light blocking pattern;

a first sensing source electrode and a first sensing drain electrode formed on the first active pattern, wherein the first sensing source electrode and the first sensing drain electrode are spaced apart from each other; and

a sensing gate electrode overlapping the first active pattern.

13. The touch screen substrate of claim 12, wherein the light blocking layer comprises amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe) or amorphous germanium (a-Ge).

14. The touch screen substrate of claim 12, wherein the first sensing gate electrode contacts the light blocking pattern through a contact hole that partially exposes the light blocking pattern, the contact hole passing through a first insulating layer formed on the first active pattern and a second insulating layer formed on the first sensing source and drain electrodes.

15. The touch screen substrate of claim 12, wherein the first switching element comprises:

a first switching source electrode electrically connected to the first sensing drain electrode;

a first switching drain electrode spaced apart from the first switching source electrode,

a second active pattern overlapping each of the first switching source and drain electrodes; and

a first switching gate electrode overlapping the second active pattern.

16. The touch screen substrate of claim 9, further comprising:

a bias line connected to the first sensing element;

a first read-out line connected to the first switching element;

a first sensing gate line connected to the first switching element to apply a first gate signal to the first switching element; and

a second sensing gate line connected to the first sensing element to apply a second gate signal to the first sensing element.

17. The touch screen substrate of claim 16, further comprising:

a second sensing element connected to the bias line and sensing the visible light;

a second switching element connected to the second sensing element;

a third sensing gate line connected to the second switching element to apply a third gate signal to the second switching element; and

a second read-out line connected to the second switching element.