Imaging panel and imaging device

• US 9,817,520 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikeda, Takayuki, Inoue, Seiko, Miyake, Hiroyuki, Toyotaka, Kouhei, Nakagawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/273,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20140340363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• 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 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 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A novel transmissive imaging panel, a novel imaging panel with a display function, or a novel imaging device is provided. The imaging panel that includes a plurality of windows or pixels arranged in matrix, a photoelectric conversion element extending between the plurality of windows or pixels, and a sensor circuit supplied with a signal from the photoelectric conversion element has been devised.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first imaging pixel comprising;

a first window, a second window, a third window, and a fourth window, which are arranged in matrix;

a first photoelectric conversion element; and

a first sensor circuit,

wherein each of the first window, the second window, the third window, and the fourth window transmits visible light,

wherein the first photoelectric conversion element is configured to supply a first signal to the first sensor circuit,

wherein the first photoelectric conversion element extends between the first window and the second window, between the first window and the third window, and between the third window and the fourth window, and

wherein the first sensor circuit is between the second window and the fourth window.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first photoelectric conversion element has a grid-like formation.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a second imaging pixel, the second imaging pixel comprising:

a fifth window, a sixth window, a seventh window, and an eighth window, which are arranged in matrix;

a second photoelectric conversion element; and

a second sensor circuit,

wherein each of the fifth window, the sixth window, the seventh window, and the eighth window transmits visible light,

wherein the second photoelectric conversion element is configured to supply a second signal to the second sensor circuit,

wherein the second sensor circuit is between the fifth window and the seventh window, and

wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are connected to each other in parallel.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a read circuit and a second imaging pixel including a second sensor circuit,

wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are configured to supply a first imaging signal and a second imaging signal to the read circuit, respectively, and

wherein the read circuit includes first and second amplifiers amplifying the first and second imaging signals to first and second amplified signals, respectively, and a selection circuit selecting one of the first and second amplified signals.

5. A touch panel including a display panel and the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a display panel,

wherein each of the first window, the second window, the third window, and the fourth window is overlapped with each of a first display pixel, a second display pixel, a third display pixel, and a fourth display pixel of the display panel, respectively.

7. A semiconductor device comprising:

an imaging panel including a first imaging pixel over a display panel, the first imaging pixel comprising;

a first window, a second window, a third window, and a fourth window, which are arranged in matrix;

a first photoelectric conversion element;

a second photoelectric conversion element; and

a first sensor circuit,

wherein each of the first window, the second window, the third window, and the fourth window transmits visible light,

wherein the display panel comprising a first display pixel, a second display pixel, a third display pixel, and a fourth display pixel,

wherein each of the first window, the second window, the third window, and the fourth window is overlapped with each of the first display pixel, the second display pixel, the third display pixel, and the fourth display pixel, respectively,

wherein the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element are configured to supply a first signal and a second signal to the first sensor circuit, respectively,

wherein the first photoelectric conversion element extends between the first window and the third window, and

wherein the first sensor circuit is between the second window and the fourth window.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element extend along the first window, the second window, the third window, and the fourth window in a row direction, and are connected to each other in parallel.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, further comprising a read circuit and a second imaging pixel including a second sensor circuit,

wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are configured to supply a first imaging signal and a second imaging signal to the read circuit, respectively, and

wherein the read circuit includes first and second amplifiers amplifying the first and second imaging signals to first and second amplified signals, respectively, and a selection circuit selecting one of the first and second amplified signals.

10. A touch panel including the semiconductor device according to claim 7.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first imaging pixel comprising;

a first display pixel, a second display pixel, a third display pixel, and a fourth display pixel, which are arranged in matrix;

a first photoelectric conversion element; and

a first sensor circuit,

wherein the first photoelectric conversion element is configured to supply a first signal to the first sensor circuit,

wherein each of the first display pixel, the second display pixel, the third display pixel, and the fourth display pixel includes a display element and a display pixel circuit configured to supply a second signal to the display element, and

wherein the first photoelectric conversion element extends between the first display pixel and the second display pixel, between the first display pixel and the third display pixel, and between the third display pixel and the fourth display pixel, and

wherein the first sensor circuit is between the second display pixel and the fourth display pixel.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the first photoelectric conversion element has a grid-like formation.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising a second imaging pixel, the second imaging pixel comprising:

a fifth display pixel, a sixth display pixel, a seventh display pixel, and an eighth display pixel, which are arranged in matrix;

a second photoelectric conversion element; and

a second sensor circuit,

wherein the second photoelectric conversion element is configured to supply a third signal to the second sensor circuit,

wherein the second sensor circuit is between the fifth display pixel and the seventh display pixel, and

wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are connected to each other in parallel.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the display element is selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal element, an organic electroluminescent element, electronic ink, a MEMS shutter display element, and a MEMS optical coherence display element.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising a read circuit and a second imaging pixel including a second sensor circuit,

wherein the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit are configured to supply a first imaging signal and a second imaging signal to the read circuit, respectively, and

wherein the read circuit includes first and second amplifiers amplifying the first and second imaging signals to first and second amplified signals, respectively, and a selection circuit selecting one of the first and second amplified signals.

16. A touch panel including the semiconductor device according to claim 11.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein each of the first display pixel, the second display pixel, the third display pixel, and the fourth display pixel includes three subpixels.