INTEGRATED SILICON-OLED DISPLAY AND TOUCH SENSOR PANEL

• US 20150331508A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: NHO, Hyunwoo Henry, BAE, Hopil, YAO, Weijun, LI, Yingxuan, AL-DAHLE, Ahmad
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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
• 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: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/121 characterised by the geometry or disposition of pixel elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/65 OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8791 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light

Abstract

An integrated Silicon-OLED display and touch sensor panel is disclosed. The integrated Silicon-OLED display and touch sensor panel can include a Silicon substrate, an array of transistors, one or more metallization layers, one or more vias, an OLED stack, color filters, touch sensors, and additional components and circuitry. Additional components and circuitry can include an electrostatic discharge device, a light shielding, a switching matrix, one or more photodiodes, a near-infrared detector and near-infrared color filters. The integrated Silicon-OLED display and touch sensor panel can be further configured for near-field imaging, optically-assisted touch, and fingerprint detection. In some examples, a plurality of touch sensors and/or display pixels can be grouped into clusters, and the clusters can be coupled to a switching matrix for dynamic change of touch and/or display granularity.

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

one or more Silicon substrates;

an OLED stack formed on at least one of the one or more Silicon substrates; and

a plurality of touch sensors formed on at least one of the one or more Silicon substrates.

2. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the OLED stack and plurality of touch sensors are disposed side by side.

3. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of touch sensors is located on a same layer as an anode of the OLED stack.

4. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising one or more color filters, wherein at least one of the plurality of touch sensors are located on a same layer as at least one color filter.

5. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising one or more transistors, wherein the one or more transistors form a transistor driver structure for the OLED stack.

6. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising a transistor, wherein the transistor is coupled to at least one of the plurality of touch sensors.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the OLED stack is located in a pixel location and the plurality of touch sensors are located in a touch location, the pixel location distinct from the touch location.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising an electrostatic discharge device.

9. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of touch sensors includes a touch sensor layer, the touch sensor layer disposed on the OLED stack.

10. The touch sensor panel of claim 9, wherein an area of the touch sensor layer is the same as an area of a display pixel of the OLED stack.

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising a light shielding, wherein the light shielding is configured to sense a touch.

12. The touch sensor panel of claim 11, wherein the light shielding is a multi-layer thin film stack.

13. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein one or more subpixels of the OLED stack and one or more touch sensors are included in one of a plurality of clusters.

14. The touch sensor panel of claim 13, further comprising a switching matrix, wherein at least one of the plurality of clusters is coupled to a switch in the switching matrix.

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 14, wherein at least one of a display granularity and touch granularity is dynamically changed through the switching matrix.

16. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more photodiodes.

17. The touch sensor panel of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more photodiodes is configured for near-field imaging.

18. The touch sensor panel of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more photodiodes is configured to detect a fingerprint.

19. The touch sensor panel of claim 16, wherein the touch sensor panel is configured to display an image on the OLED stack, sense a touch or hover on the touch sensors, and capture an image from the one or more photodiodes at a same time.

20. The touch sensor panel of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more photodiodes is a near-infrared detector.

21. The touch sensor panel of claim 20, wherein the near-infrared detector is coupled to a near-infrared emitter.

22. The touch sensor panel of claim 21, further comprising a near-infrared color filter, wherein the near-infrared emitter is included in the OLED stack.

23. A method of forming a touch sensor panel comprising:

forming an OLED stack on at least one of one or more Silicon substrates; and

forming a plurality of touch sensors on at least one of the one or more Silicon substrates.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

forming an electrostatic discharge device.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

forming one or more photodiodes.