Semiconductor device with communication bus

Abstract

A semiconductor device for an input device includes a die body including a sensor circuit, a plurality of pads, and a sensor bus. The sensor circuit is configured to operate a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in a single layer for capacitive sensing. A first pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, a second pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, and a third pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a third sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes. The sensor bus includes a plurality of lines. A first line of the plurality of lines is configured to couple the first pad and the second pad to a first transmitter of the sensor circuit, and a second line of the plurality of lines is configured to couple the third pad to a first receiver of the sensor circuit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The disclosure herein generally relates to electronic devices, and more specifically to capacitive sensing devices. BACKGROUND

[0002] Input devices including proximity sensor devices can be used in a variety of electronic systems. A proximity sensor device can include a sensing region delimited by a surface in which the proximity sensor device determines the presence, location, force, and / or motion of one or more input objects. A proximity sensor device can be used to provide an interface for an electronic system. For example, a proximity sensor device can be used as an input device for a larger computing system, such as a touch screen integrated in or peripheral to a notebook or desktop computer. A proximity sensor device can also be commonly used in smaller computing systems, such as a touch screen integrated in a cellular telephone. SUMMARY

[0003] In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a die body including a sensor circuit, a plurality of pads, and a sensor bus. The sensor circuit is configured to operate a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in a single layer for capacitive sensing. A first pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, a second pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, and a third pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a third sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes. The sensor bus includes a plurality of lines. A first line of the plurality of lines is configured to couple the first pad and the second pad to a first transmitter of the sensor circuit, and a second line of the plurality of lines is configured to couple the third pad to a first receiver of the sensor circuit.

[0004] In one embodiment, an input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes and a semiconductor device. The plurality of sensor electrodes are disposed in a common layer. The semiconductor device includes a sensor circuit, a plurality of pads, and a sensor bus. The sensor circuit is configured to operate the plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in a single layer for capacitive sensing. A first pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, a second pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, and a third pad of the plurality of pads is configured to be coupled to a third sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes. The sensor bus includes a plurality of lines. A first line of the plurality of lines is configured to couple the first pad and the second pad to a first transmitter of the sensor circuit, and a second line of the plurality of lines is configured to couple the third pad to a first receiver of the sensor circuit.

[0005] In one embodiment, a method for capacitive sensing includes driving a first sensor electrode and a second sensor electrode with a first transmitter signal with a first transmitter. The first sensor electrode is coupled to a first pad of a semiconductor device, and the second sensor electrode is coupled to a second pad of the semiconductor device. Further, the first pad and the second pad are coupled to a first line of a sensor bus of the semiconductor device, and the first line is coupled to the first transmitter. The method also includes receiving, with a first receiver, a first result signal with a third sensor electrode coupled to a third pad of the semiconductor device. The third pad is coupled to a second line of the sensor bus, and the second line is coupled to the first receiver. Additionally, the method includes determining position information of an input object based on a measurement of a change in capacitive coupling between at least one of the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode and the third sensor electrode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] In order that the foregoing aspects and features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description will be rendered by reference to example embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the present disclosure, as such can

[0007] Figure 1 FIG. illustrates an example input device, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0008] Figures 2A-2B is a schematic block diagram of an example semiconductor device, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0009] Figures 3A-3D is a schematic block diagram of an example input device, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0010] Figures 4-5 is a schematic block diagram of an example semiconductor device, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0011] Figures 6-7 is a schematic block diagram of an example sensor electrode layout, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0012] Figure 8A FIG. illustrates a portion of a sensor electrode, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0013] Figure 8B FIG. illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a display panel, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0014] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of an example input device, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0015] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an example semiconductor device in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0016] Figure 11 is a flowchart of a method for capacitive sensing in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0017] For ease of understanding, the same reference indicators have been used, where possible, to designate the same elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment can be advantageously used in other embodiments without specific recitation. The drawings presented herein are not to be taken as drawn to scale unless specifically noted. Additionally, the drawings are generally simplified and details or components are omitted for the sake of clarity and presentation and explanation. The drawings and discussion are intended to explain the principles of the discussion that follows, where the same reference indicators are used to designate the same elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure or the application and uses of the disclosure. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description.

[0019] As Figure 1 An example input device 100 in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure as shown in FIG. 1 can be configured to provide input to an electronic system (not shown). As used in this document, the term "electronic system" broadly refers to any system capable of electronically processing information. Some non-limiting examples of electronic systems include personal computers of all sizes and shapes, such as desktop computers, laptop computers, netbook computers, tablets, web browsers, e-book readers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and multimedia entertainment devices that are mounted on automobiles. Additional example electronic systems include composite input devices, such as physical keyboards that include input device 100 and a separate joystick or key switch. Further example electronic systems include peripheral devices such as data input devices (e.g., remote controls and mice) and data output devices (e.g., displays and printers). Other examples include remote terminals, kiosks, and video game machines (e.g., video game consoles, portable gaming devices, etc.). Other examples include communication devices (e.g., cellular phones, such as smartphones) and media devices (e.g., recorders, editors, and players, such as televisions, set-top boxes, music players, digital picture frames, and digital cameras). Additionally, electronic systems can be the host or a slave to the input device. An electronic system can also be referred to as an electronic device.

[0020] The input device 100 can be implemented as a physical part of an electronic system, or can be physically separate from the electronic system. In one embodiment, the electronic system can be referred to as the host device. As appropriate, the input device 100 can communicate with parts of the electronic system using any one or more of buses, networks, and other wired or wireless interconnections. Examples include I 2 C, SPI, PS / 2, Universal Serial Bus (USB), MIPI, DisplayPort, Bluetooth, RF, and IRDA.

[0021] In Figure 1 , the input device 100 is shown as a proximity sensor device configured to sense input provided by one or more input objects 140 in the sensing region 120. Example input objects 140 include fingers and styli, as shown in Figure 1 . An example proximity sensor device can be a touchpad, touchscreen, touch sensor device, etc.

[0022] The sensing region 120 encompasses any space above, around, in, and / or near the input device 100 in which the input device 100 is capable of detecting user input, e.g., provided by one or more input objects 140. The size, shape, and position of the sensing region can vary widely from embodiment to embodiment. In some embodiments, the sensing region 120 extends from a surface of the input device 100 into space in one or more directions by a distance on the order of less than a millimeter, millimeters, centimeters, or larger, and can vary significantly with the type of sensing technology used and the accuracy desired. Thus, some embodiments sense input that does not contact any surface of the input device 100; contacts an input surface (e.g., a touch surface) of the input device 100; contacts an input surface of the input device 100 with some amount of applied force or pressure; and / or combinations thereof. In various embodiments, the input surface can be provided by a surface of a housing within which sensor electrodes (also referred to herein as sensing electrodes) are located, by a faceplate applied over the sensor electrodes, by any housing, etc. In some embodiments, the sensing region 120 has a rectangular shape when projected onto an input surface of the input device 100. Input objects that do not contact any surface of the input device 100 can be referred to as hover input objects.

[0023] The input device 100 can utilize any combination of sensor components and sensing technologies to detect user input in the sensing region 120. The input device 100 includes one or more sensing elements for detecting user input. As several non-limiting examples, the input device 100 can use capacitive, inductive, resistive, electric, magnetic, acoustic, ultrasonic, and / or optical techniques.

[0024] Some implementations are configured to provide images (e.g., of capacitive signals) across one, two, three, or higher dimensions of space. Some implementations are configured to provide projections of input along a particular axis or plane.

[0025] In some capacitive implementations of input device 100, a voltage or current is applied to create an electric field. A nearby input object causes a change in the electric field, and a detectable change in capacitive coupling that can be detected as a change in voltage, current, etc.

[0026] Some capacitive implementations utilize an array or other regular or irregular pattern of capacitive sensing elements to create an electric field. In some capacitive implementations, separate sensing elements can be ohmically shorted together to form larger sensor electrodes. Some capacitive implementations utilize resistive sheets, which can be resistively uniform.

[0027] Some capacitive implementations utilize a "self-capacitance" (also often referred to as "absolute capacitance") sensing method based on changes in capacitive coupling between a sensor electrode and an input object. In various embodiments, an input object near a sensor electrode alters the electric field near the sensor electrode, thus changing the measured capacitive coupling. In one implementation, the absolute capacitance sensing method operates by modulating a sensor electrode relative to a reference voltage (e.g., system ground) and by detecting capacitive coupling between the sensor electrode and an input object. In some implementations, sensing elements can be formed from a substantially transparent metal mesh (e.g., a reflective or absorptive metal film patterned to minimize visible transmission loss from display sub-pixels) within the visible active area of a display. Further, sensor electrodes can be disposed over a display of a display device. Sensing electrodes can be formed on a common substrate of a display device (e.g., on an encapsulation layer of a rigid or flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) display). An additional dielectric layer with vias for a jumper layer can also be formed from an additional substantially transparent (e.g., between user input and OLED cathode) metal mesh material. Jumps of the jumper layer can be coupled to electrodes of a first group and span across sensor electrodes of a second group (e.g., in a two-layer sensor, where one group of sensor electrodes is arranged substantially orthogonal to a second group of sensor electrodes). In another single-layer sensor wiring implementation, any jumper layer is not connected to vias in the active area of the display.

[0028] Some capacitive implementations utilize a “mutual capacitance” (also often referred to as “transcapacitance”) sensing method based on changes in capacitive coupling between sensor electrodes. In various embodiments, an input object near the sensor electrodes alters the electric field between the sensor electrodes, thus changing the measured capacitive coupling. In one embodiment, the transcapacitance sensing method operates by detecting the capacitive coupling between one or more transmitter sensor electrodes (also referred to herein as “transmitter electrodes” or “transmitters”) and one or more receiver sensor electrodes (also referred to herein as “receiver electrodes” or “receivers”). Coupling can be reduced when an input object coupled to system ground approaches the sensor electrodes. The transmitter sensor electrodes may be modulated relative to a reference voltage (e.g., system ground) to transmit a transcapacitance sensing signal. The receiver sensor electrodes may remain substantially constant relative to a reference voltage or be modulated relative to the transmitter sensor electrodes to facilitate the reception of the resulting signal. The resulting signal may include one or more effects corresponding to one or more transcapacitance sensing signals and / or corresponding to one or more sources of environmental interference (e.g., other electromagnetic signals). The sensor electrodes may be dedicated transmitters or receivers, or may be configured to both transmit and receive.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, the grouping of the transmitter electrodes may be substantially parallel (e.g., with...). Figure 3C The data lines 322 are arranged in parallel, while the receiver electrodes are arranged in groups that are parallel to each other but orthogonal to the first group (e.g., with respect to the first group). Figure 3C (The gate line 331 is parallel). In some embodiments, one or more transmitter or receiver electrodes may be "double-wired" by wiring outside the active region connecting the two ends of the sensor electrode (e.g., near end and far end) to reduce the effective resistance of the electrode and improve the response time of the sensor electrode.

[0030] exist Figure 1 In this diagram, processing system 110 is shown as part of input device 100. Processing system 110 is configured to operate the hardware of input device 100 to detect input in sensing area 120. Processing system 110 includes part or all of one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips and / or other circuit components. For example, a processing system for a mutual capacitance sensor device may include transmitter circuitry (e.g., Figure 2Atransmitter sensor electrodes; and / or receiver circuitry (e.g., receiver circuitry 258) configured to receive signals with receiver sensor electrodes. In some embodiments, processing system 110 also includes electronically-readable instructions, such as firmware code, software code, or the like. In some embodiments, the components comprising processing system 110 are located together, such as near the sensing element(s) of input device 100. In other embodiments, the components of processing system 110 are physically separate. In these embodiments, one or more of the components can be near the sensing element(s) of input device 100, and one or more of the components can be elsewhere. For example, input device 100 can be a peripheral device coupled to a desktop computer, and processing system 110 can include software configured to run on the central processing unit of the desktop computer and one or more ICs (in another embodiment, with associated firmware) separate from the central processing unit. As another example, input device 100 can be physically integrated in a telephone, and processing system 110 can include circuitry and firmware that is part of the main processor of the telephone (e.g., a mobile device application processor or any other central processing unit). In some embodiments, processing system 110 is dedicated to implementing input device 100. In other embodiments, processing system 110 also performs other functions, such as operating a display screen, driving haptic actuators, or the like.

[0031] Processing system 110 can be implemented as a collection of modules each of which is a part of processing system 110 and which together performs the functionality of processing system 110. Each module can comprise circuitry, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In various embodiments, different combinations of modules can be used.

[0032] In some embodiments, processing system 110 directly responds to user input (or lack of user input) in sensing region 120 by causing one or more actions. Example actions include changing operational modes, as well as GUI actions such as cursor movement, selection, menu navigation, and other functions. In some embodiments, processing system 110 provides information about the input (or lack of input) to some part of an electronic system (e.g., to a central processing system of an electronic system separate from processing system 110, if such a separate central processing system exists). In some embodiments, some part of an electronic system processes the information received from processing system 110 to act on user input, such as to facilitate a full range of actions, including mode changing actions and GUI actions.

[0033] For example, in some embodiments, the processing system 110 operates the sensing element(s) of the input device 100 to produce electrical signals indicative of input (or lack of input) in the sensing region 120. The processing system 110 can perform any appropriate amount of processing on the electrical signals in producing the information provided to the electronic system. For example, the processing system 110 can digitize analog electrical signals obtained from the sensor electrodes. As another example, the processing system 110 can perform filtering or other signal conditioning. Filtering can include one or more of demodulation, sampling, weighting, and accumulation of the analog or digitized signals at appropriate sensing times (e.g., for FIR digital or IIR switched capacitor filtering). The sensing times can be with respect to (e.g., phase-synchronized with or time-sequential with) a display output period (e.g., a display line update period or a blanking period). As yet another example, the processing system 110 can subtract or otherwise account for a baseline so that the information reflects differences between electrical signals from user input and the baseline signals. The baseline can account for spatially filtered display update signals (e.g., sub-pixel data signals, gate select and deselect signals, or emission control signals) and remove from the sensing baseline at lower spatial frequencies. Moreover, the baseline can compensate for capacitive coupling between the sensor electrodes and one or more nearby electrodes. Nearby electrodes can be display electrodes, pseudo-sensor electrodes, and / or other electrically conductive objects that can be capacitively coupled with the sensor electrodes. Additionally, the baseline can be compensated using digital or analog means. As yet another example, the processing system 110 can determine position information, recognize inputs as commands, recognize handwriting, etc.

[0034] "Position information" as used herein broadly encompasses absolute position, relative position, velocity, acceleration, and other types of spatial information. Exemplary "zero-dimensional" position information includes near / far or contact / no contact information. Exemplary "one-dimensional" position information includes position along a line of motion. Exemplary "two-dimensional" position information includes motion in a plane. Exemplary "three-dimensional" position information includes instantaneous or average velocity in space. Further examples include other representations of spatial information. History data regarding one or more types of position information can also be determined and / or stored, including, for example, history data tracking position, motion, or instantaneous velocity over time.

[0035] In some embodiments, the input device 100 is implemented with additional input components that are operated by the processing system 110 or by some other processing system. These additional input components can provide redundant functionality for sensing input in the sensing region 120, or some other functionality. Figure 1A button 130 is shown near the sensing region 120, which can be used to facilitate selection of an item by a user using the input device 100. Other types of additional input components include sliders, balls, wheels, switches, and the like. Conversely, in some embodiments, the input device 100 can be implemented without other input components.

[0036] In some embodiments, the input device 100 includes a touch screen interface, and the sensing region 120 overlaps at least a portion of a display screen. For example, the sensing region 120 can overlap at least a portion of an active area of a display screen (or display panel). The active area of a display panel can correspond to a portion of the display panel in which images are updated. In one or more embodiments, the input device 100 can include substantially transparent sensor electrodes that overlay a display screen, and provide a touch screen interface for an associated electronic system. The display panel can be any type of dynamic display capable of displaying a visual interface to a user, and can include any type of light emitting diode (LED), OLED, liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma, electroluminescent (EL), or other display technology. The input device 100 and display panel can share physical elements. For example, some embodiments can utilize some of the same electrical components for display and sensing. As another example, the display panel can be operated in part or in whole by the processing system 110.

[0037] It should be appreciated that while many embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the context of a fully functioning apparatus, the mechanisms of the present disclosure can be distributed as a program product (e.g., software) in a variety of forms. For example, the mechanisms of the present disclosure can be implemented and distributed as a software program on information bearing media that is readable by electronic processors (e.g., non-transitory computer-readable and / or recordable / in writeable information bearing media readable by the processing system 110). Additionally, the embodiments of the present disclosure are equally applicable to instances in which the particular type of

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the processing system 110 can be configured for display updating and capacitive sensing. For example, the processing system 110 can include display driver circuitry, e.g., display circuitry 254 of FIG. 2, configured to drive one or more display electrodes for display updating; and sensor circuitry, e.g., sensor circuitry 252 of FIG. 2, configured to operate one or more sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing. Alternatively, the processing system 110 can be configured for one of display updating and capacitive sensing. For example, the processing system 110 can include display driver circuitry, e.g., display circuitry 254 of FIG. 2, configured to drive one or more display electrodes for display updating, but not for capacitive sensing. Figure 2A Figure 2A In one or more embodiments, the processing system 110 can be configured for display updating and capacitive sensing. For example, the processing system 110 can include display driver circuitry, e.g., display circuitry 254 of FIG. 2, configured to drive one or more display electrodes for display updating; and sensor circuitry, e.g., sensor circuitry 252 of FIG. 2, configured to operate one or more sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing. Alternatively, the processing system 110 can be configured for one of display updating and capacitive sensing. For example, the processing system 110 can include display driver circuitry, e.g., display circuitry 254 of FIG. 2, configured to drive one or more display electrodes for display updating, but not for capacitive sensing. Figure 2A ​a display circuit 254 configured to drive one or more display electrodes for display update; or a sensor circuit 252 configured to operate one or more sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing. Figure 2A a sensor circuit 252 configured to operate one or more sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing.

[0039] Figure 2A A schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device 200 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, the semiconductor device 200 is a semiconductor device of the processing system 110. The semiconductor device 200 includes a die body 205, and the die body 205 includes one or more of a substrate 210, a front-end-of-line (FEOL) portion 220, a back-end-of-line (BEOL) portion 230, and an interconnect layer 240. The interconnect layer 240 includes one or more of a redistribution layer (RDL) and one or more metal layers. The one or more metal layers can be disposed between the BEOL portion 230 and the RDL. The FEOL portion 220 can include, among other things, transistors, capacitors, and / or resistors of the semiconductor device 200. Further, the BEOL portion 230 can include interconnects between the transistors, capacitors, and / or resistors of the FEOL portion 220. The RDL includes one or more metal layers that include pads 260 and interconnects between the pads 260 and the BEOL portion 230.

[0040] In one or more embodiments, the sensor circuit 252 is included within the FEOL portion 220 and the BEOL portion 230. Further, the display circuit 254 can be included within the FEOL portion 220 and the BEOL portion 230.

[0041] The semiconductor device 200 can additionally include a sensor bus 256. The sensor bus 256 can include one or more communication lines disposed within the interconnect layer 240. In one embodiment, a first portion of the sensor bus 256 is disposed within a first portion of the interconnect layer 240, and a second portion of the sensor bus is disposed within a second portion of the interconnect layer 240. The first portion of the interconnect layer 240 can correspond to the RDL, and the second portion of the interconnect layer 240 can correspond to the one or more metal layers. Alternatively, the sensor bus 256 can be disposed within the RDL or the one or more metal layers. Further, in one or more embodiments, the sensor bus 256 can be disposed in the BEOL portion 230, or partially within the BEOL portion 230 and the interconnect layer 240. The sensor bus 256 couples the sensor circuit 252 to a portion of the pads 260 (e.g., the pads 260a). Further, in embodiments that include the display circuit 254, the display circuit 254 is coupled to a pad 260b of the pads 260.

[0042] Figure 2Bis a top view schematic of a semiconductor device 200 according to one or more embodiments. In Figure 2B In embodiments, elements are illustrated in a common layer for ease of illustration. However, in various embodiments, the sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, pads 260, sensor bus 256, and pads 270 can be disposed in various different layers as illustrated in Figure 2A The pads 260 can be referred to as output pads because sensing signals are emitted from the sensor circuit 252 onto one or more sensor electrodes via the one or more pads 260. In addition, the one or more pads 260 can be configured to output display update signals and / or display control signals onto display electrodes driven by the display circuit 254. In one or more embodiments, the pads 270 are configured to receive data and control signals from a host device.

[0043] In various embodiments, the sensor bus 256 can be positioned between the pads 260 and the pads 270. For example, the sensor bus 256 can be disposed in a different layer than the pads 260 and the pads 270, and positioned between the pads 260 and the pads 270 in the Y direction. The pads can be composed of Au (gold) or Cu (copper) bumps used for co-fabrication bonding or other conductive contacts using ACF (anisotropic conductive film) to connect other substrates such as COF (chip on film), COG (chip on glass), or COP (chip on plastic) to the display.

[0044] In one or more embodiments, the pads 260, 270 couple the semiconductor device 200 to an electronic device. For example, with reference to Figure 3A , the pads 260, 270 can be coupled to pads 360, 370, respectively, of a display device 300. The pads 360, 370 can be disposed on a substrate 310 of the display device 300. In addition, the pad 360 is coupled to one or more metal layers 320 on the substrate 310, which couple display electrodes 330 and / or sensor electrodes 340. The metal layers 320 can include one or more traces that couple the pad 360 with the display electrodes 330 and / or the sensor electrodes 340. In one embodiment, a polarizer is disposed over at least one of the display electrodes 330 and the sensor electrodes 340. In addition, in one or more embodiments, an encapsulation layer can be disposed between the sensor electrodes 340 and the display electrodes 350 within an active area of the display device 300. The active area of the display device 300 corresponds to the area of the display device 300 in which images are displayed and updated.

[0045] In one embodiment, the flexible connector 375 is coupled to the substrate 310 of the display device 300. The flexible connector 375 can be coupled to a host device and configured to communicatively couple the semiconductor device 200 with the host device. For example, the flexible connector 375 can carry signals from the host device to the semiconductor device 200 via the pads 270, 370 and carry signals from the semiconductor device 200 to the host device via the pads 270, 370. In one embodiment, the flexible connector 375 is configured to carry display data signals from the host device to the semiconductor device 200 and carry output signals (e.g., position information of an input object, status signals, etc.) from the semiconductor device 200 to the host device. In one embodiment, portions of the substrate 310b and the semiconductor device 200 can be folded under portions of the substrate 310a and the display panel 305. In various embodiments, the semiconductor device 200 can be disposed on a flexible substrate (e.g., a flexible connector) that is then coupled to the substrate 310b of the display panel 305.

[0046] Figure 3B is a top view of a schematic diagram of an input device 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments. As illustrated, the input device 100 includes a display device 300 and the display device 300 includes a processing system 110, a display panel 305, and sensor electrodes 340. The sensor electrodes 340 for a capacitive sensor routed in a single layer can be arranged in columns (e.g., 342a, 342b, 342c, 342d) such that each row of transmitter electrodes on multiple columns is conductively coupled and driven by the same sense circuitry on the processing system 110 but through separate output pads. In one embodiment, the edge 347 of the sensing area (e.g., the edge closest to the processing system 110) can contain a majority of the routing. In one or more embodiments, the edge 349 of the sensing area can also be used for additional routing. In some cases, one or more of the electrodes can be “double-routed” through an edge routing (e.g., 345) to minimize resistance and response time. The display panel 305 is communicatively coupled to the processing system 110 and includes display electrodes 330. In one or more embodiments, the display electrodes 330 include one or more of gate lines, data lines (e.g., data lines), sub-pixel electrodes, emission control lines, and cathode electrodes, among others. Further, the input device 100 includes sensor electrodes 340 coupled to the processing system 110 and including one or more sensor electrodes.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, a sensor bus on an integrated circuit (IC) chip configured for proximity sensors reduces wiring on a corresponding display substrate by coupling multiple output pads of the IC chip to a single bus line at a finer pitch than allowed on the display substrate. The reduced wiring can improve industrial design and reduce cost by minimizing the active area of the display device, the wiring for the sensor electrodes and proximity sensors, and the distance between the IC chip.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, the processing system 110 can include a sensor circuit 252, a display circuit 254, and a determination module 390. The determination module 390 can determine one or more measurements of changes in capacitance of the sensor electrodes 340. The determination module 390 can also determine position information of the input object 140. In one embodiment, the determination module 390 receives processed or unprocessed result signals from the sensor circuit 252, determines one or more measurements of changes in capacitance between the sensor electrodes 340, and determines position information of one or more input objects (e.g., the input object 140) from the one or more measurements of changes in capacitance. In various embodiments, determining the position information includes determining a capacitive image from the one or more measurements of changes in capacitance and determining the position information from the capacitive image.

[0049] In one embodiment, the display device 300 can be an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display that includes a plurality of sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel includes display circuitry and is coupled to a data line (may also be referred to as a source electrode, data line, or data electrode), a gate line (may also be referred to as a gate electrode or line select electrode), and, in some embodiments, an emission control line (may also be referred to as an emission control electrode). The display circuitry, data lines, and gate lines are configured to control updating of each sub-pixel.

[0050] For example, Figure 3C is a schematic top view of a portion of the display device 300, where each sub-pixel 333 is coupled to a gate line 331 and a data line 332. In one embodiment, the selection circuit 324 is configured to drive gate select and gate deselect signals onto the gate lines 331 to select (activate) and deselect (deactivate) the sub-pixels 333 for updating. The gate select signal can be referred to as a gate high signal or V GH , and the gate deselect signal can be referred to as a gate low signal or V GL . In one embodiment, V GH is a positive voltage, and V GL is a negative voltage. Further, V GH and V GLcorresponding to the on and off voltages of the transistors configured to control activation and deactivation of the sub-pixels 333. In one example embodiment, V GH is about 15 V and V GL is about -10 V. However, other voltages can be used. In one or more embodiments, each of the gate lines 331 can be coupled to a respective one of the rows of sub-pixels 333. In one or more embodiments, at least two of the gate lines 331 are coupled to different ones of the sub-pixels 333 of a common row.

[0051] The gate line signals can be controlled by a gate select circuit 306. The gate select circuit 306 can include one or more shift registers and can be coupled to the display circuit 254 via a communication path. The display circuit 254 can provide one or more clock signals and gate control signals to the gate select circuit 306, and the gate select circuit 306 can utilize the one or more clock signals to select and deselect the gate lines for updating. The clock signals can also, or alternatively, be used to control display line update timing and / or display frame blanking timing. Additional emission control signals can be generated by an emission control circuit 307. The emission control circuit 307 can be controlled via one or more clock signals provided by the display circuit 254 via a communication path 308. The emission control circuit 307 can include one or more shift registers. Additionally, the emission control circuit can be coupled to the emission lines 334 and drive emission control signals on the emission lines 334 to control the brightness level of the sub-pixels 333.

[0052] The gate select circuit 306 and / or the emission control circuit can be disposed along one or more edges of the display panel 305. For example, the gate select circuit can be disposed along a first edge of the display panel 305, and the emission control circuit 307 can be disposed along a second edge of the display panel 305.

[0053] Each of the data lines 332 is coupled to a column of sub-pixels and is configured to drive a sub-pixel data signal to each of the sub-pixels. For example, a sub-pixel 333 that has been selected for updating by the select circuit 324 can be driven by the display circuit 254 with a sub-pixel data signal via a corresponding one of the data lines 332. In one embodiment, the sub-pixel data signal is a voltage signal and charges a storage capacitor of the sub-pixel 333 to a predetermined voltage level corresponding to a brightness level.

[0054] Each of the data lines 332 can be driven simultaneously with a corresponding sub-pixel data signal to simultaneously update each selected (e.g., activated) sub-pixel along a selected gate electrode. The display circuit 254 can include source drivers 255 each coupled to a respective one of the data lines 332. The source drivers 255 can include one or more amplifiers and other drive circuitry configured to drive a corresponding voltage signal onto an activated sub-pixel. The drive circuitry can include one or more linear or non-linear digital-to-analog converters. In one or more embodiments, the display circuit 254 can additionally include hardware and firmware elements configured to receive display data from a host device and process the display data to generate the sub-pixel data signals. The sub-pixel data lines 332 can be driven on the data lines 332 to update the sub-pixels 333. For example, the display circuit 254 can include a Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) receiver. Further, the display circuit 254 can include timing control circuitry configured to generate timing signals for updating the display panel 305. The timing signals can include a selection circuit clock signal.

[0055] In one embodiment, a period corresponding to the time each sub-pixel coupled to a gate line 331 and / or common row is updated can be referred to as a display line update period. Further, each row of sub-pixels can be referred to as a display line (e.g., selected by a gate electrode). The portion of the display selected for updating can be Z-shaped or coupled to additional sides of the gate lines 331 to cover various sub-pixel arrangements. One or more gate lines 331 can be utilized to select the portion of the display for updating. Further, columns can be connected to a single data line 332, which can be Z-shaped over the display panel 305 or additional sides of the data lines 332 can provide connections to provide updating for a particular pattern of sub-pixels 333.

[0056] In one embodiment, the display panel 305 includes more data lines 332 than gate lines 331. For example, a high definition display panel can include approximately 1080 gate lines and approximately 5760 data lines. The number of gate lines 331 and data lines 332 can correspond to the resolution and / or orientation of the display panel, the number of sub-pixels per pixel, any multiplexing of data lines, and the orientation of the sub-pixels within the display panel. In one or more embodiments, the gate lines 331 can be driven by shift registers and clocked with a reduced number of clock lines to reduce the wiring area and improve industrial design. Further, in one or more embodiments, the data lines 332 can be multiplexed (e.g., selected and deselected).

[0057] Figure 3Dis an example partial side view of display panel 305. In the illustrated embodiment, display panel 305 includes substrate 310, gate lines 331, data lines 332, sub-pixel circuitry 336, anode electrodes 337, organic layer 338, and cathode electrodes 339. In one embodiment, gate lines 331 and data lines 332 can be disposed within different metal layers, and the positions of those metal layers can differ from the positions shown in Figure 3D FIG. 1. For example, in different embodiments, gate lines 331 can be disposed in metal layers above or below the metal layers of data lines 332.

[0058] Substrate 310 can be a glass substrate or a plastic substrate. In one embodiment, substrate 310 is substantially rigid. In other embodiments, substrate 310 is flexible. Further, the display panel can be manufactured and initially patterned and processed as a sheet on a rigid substrate prior to cutting and release for assembly into a display module via flexible substrate 310.

[0059] Sub-pixel circuitry 336 includes one or more transistors configured to control activation and deactivation of each sub-pixel 333 and current through each sub-pixel 333 for updating of sub-pixel 333. Sub-pixel circuitry 336 of each sub-pixel is coupled to a corresponding gate line 331, data line 332, and anode electrode 337. Further, sub-pixel circuitry 336 can be configured to control the flow of current from the cathode through the OLED to the corresponding anode electrode 337. In one embodiment, sub-pixel circuitry 336 of a sub-pixel is configured to couple the corresponding anode electrode 337 with a sub-pixel data signal on the corresponding data line 332. For example, the sub-pixel circuitry controls the voltage across a storage capacitor of the corresponding sub-pixel, and the storage capacitor controls the transistor (e.g., drive) current of the sub-pixel circuitry. Further, sub-pixel circuitry 336 of a sub-pixel can be configured to couple the corresponding anode electrode 337 with an initialization voltage prior to coupling the corresponding anode electrode 337 with the sub-pixel data signal. Sub-pixel circuitry 336 can be composed of one or more thin film transistors (TFTs). The TFTs can be formed from one or more of low temperature poly-silicon, oxide semiconductors, or amorphous silicon materials. Further, sub-pixel circuitry 336 can include one or more emission control transistors configured to isolate the corresponding OLED from current flow during a sub-pixel update process. Updating sub-pixel 333 can include charging of a corresponding storage capacitor and / or offset compensation. In one or more embodiments, isolation can be provided by emission line 334.

[0060] The cathode electrode 339 can be a sheet of resistive material configured to overlap one or more sub-pixels 333. In one embodiment, the display panel 305 includes a single cathode electrode 339 disposed over each sub-pixel 333. In one or more embodiments, the cathode electrode 339 is a resistive sheet having a resistance of about 1 to about 20 ohms / square. The cathode electrode 339 can be coupled with and driven by the display circuit 254 to supply a low impedance reference voltage. In one embodiment, the voltage across the sub-pixel and the current from the anode electrode 337 to the cathode electrode 339 corresponds to the amount of light emitted by each sub-pixel 333. The current can be controlled by one or more field effect transistors (e.g., as a controlled current source) to minimize the effects of any variations in diode forward voltage or resistive supply voltage drop in the display panel 305. Further, the cathode electrode 339 is electrically separated from the anode electrode 337 by one or more organic layers 338 forming the OLED.

[0061] In one embodiment, display circuit 254 controls the brightness of each sub-pixel 333 or controls dimming with an emission control signal. For example, the emission control signal can be a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal, and the brightness of each sub-pixel 333 can correspond to the duty cycle of the PWM signal. In one embodiment, the greater the duty cycle of the emission control signal, the brighter each sub-pixel 333 will be. For example, for an emission control signal with a 50% duty cycle, the resulting brightness of each sub-pixel will be about 50% of the maximum brightness (e.g., for a 100% duty cycle). In one embodiment, the emission control signal is driven onto each emission control line 335 that is coupled in a scanning fashion, such that one or more rows of sub-pixels 333 are driven with the emission control signal at a time. For example, the emission control signal can be driven by the emission control circuit by clocking a shift register or a register of the emission control signal to deselect the display lines with a clock signal. Clocking the shift register can be referred to as applying “walking ones” to the shift register or the register of the emission control circuit. Further, deselecting the display lines with the emission control circuit can prevent current from flowing through the display line(s). Further, in various embodiments, a first emission control signal can be driven onto a first group of sub-pixels 333 via a corresponding first group of emission control lines 335, and a second emission control signal can be driven onto a second group of sub-pixels 333 via a corresponding second group of emission control lines 335. In other embodiments, more than two groups of consecutive sub-pixels of sub-pixels 333 and corresponding groups of consecutive emission control lines 335 can be utilized. For example, consecutive sub-pixels can be driven by a common shift register of the emission control circuit that is clocked by display circuit 254 to increase the “flicker” frequency of the PWM. In one embodiment, a small number of clock signals through the shift register can also be used to control the emission control lines to reduce the wiring outside the active area of display device 300.

[0062] In one embodiment, display circuit 254 is configured to increase and / or decrease the brightness of the display panel by increasing and / or decreasing the duty cycle of the emission control signal. Further, by scanning the emission control signal across the display rows, display artifacts can be reduced.

[0063] Display circuit 254 is configured to update sub-pixels 333 to update the image displayed on display panel 305 during a display frame. The display frame can be updated or refreshed about every 16 ms, resulting in a display refresh rate of 60 Hz. In other embodiments, other display refresh rates can be employed. For example, the display refresh rate can be 90 Hz, 120 Hz, 240 Hz, or greater. In one embodiment, each display frame includes one or more sub-frames.

[0064] Display circuit 254 can generate timing signals, such as a vertical synchronization (VSYNC) signal, to begin and / or end a display frame. In one embodiment, the VSYNC signal is provided to selection circuit 324 to provide an indication to selection circuit 324 to begin selecting gate lines 331 for display updates. In one embodiment, the VSYNC signal can additionally or alternatively identify one or more vertical blanking periods within a display frame. For example, the VSYNC signal can be used to reset one or more shift registers of selection circuit.

[0065] Display circuit 254 can additionally generate timing signals, such as a horizontal synchronization (HSYNC) signal, corresponding to a beginning of a display line update period and / or corresponding to an end of a display line update period. The end of a display line update period can correspond to a cycle of gate selection circuit control signals provided by display circuit 254. Display circuit 254 can output the HSYNC signal to selection circuit 324 to control selection and deselection of gate lines 331. In one embodiment, the horizontal synchronization signal can additionally or alternatively identify one or more blanking periods corresponding to a display line update period.

[0066] In one embodiment, display circuit 254 utilizes timing signals, such as a display enable signal received from a host device, which can be a composite signal of both HSYNC and VSYNC signals, and which can identify a beginning time of a display frame, an end time of a display frame, horizontal blanking periods corresponding to display line update periods, and / or vertical blanking periods within a display frame. In one embodiment, only a portion of sub-pixels 333 can be updated during each display frame. For example, a portion of sub-pixels 333 that are determined to not have changed from display frame to display frame can not be updated.

[0067] Figure 4 FIG. 1 illustrates a partial schematic diagram of a semiconductor device 200, in accordance with one or more embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, semiconductor device 200 includes sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, semiconductor device 200 includes sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256 are illustrated as being in a single layer for purposes of illustration. For example, in various embodiments, sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256 can be located within two or more layers of semiconductor device 200, e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 2. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, semiconductor device 200 includes sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256 are illustrated as being in a single layer for purposes of illustration. For example, in various embodiments, sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256 can be located within two or more layers of semiconductor device 200, e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 2. Figure 2A In the illustrated embodiment, semiconductor device 200 includes sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256 are illustrated as being in a single layer for purposes of illustration. For example, in various embodiments, sensor circuit 252, display circuit 254, and sensor bus 256 can be located within two or more layers of semiconductor device 200, e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0068] The display circuit 254 can be disposed between the first portion of the sensor circuit 252 and the second portion of the sensor circuit 252 in the X direction. For example, the first portion of the sensor circuit 252 can be disposed near the edge 410 of the semiconductor device 200, and the second portion of the sensor circuit 252 can be disposed near the edge 420 of the semiconductor device 200. In one embodiment, the first portion of the sensor circuit 252 can include the transmitter circuit 257, and the second portion of the sensor circuit 252 can include the receiver circuit 258. In another embodiment, the first portion of the sensor circuit 252 can include the receiver circuit 258, and the second portion of the sensor circuit 252 can include the transmitter circuit 257. Further, in one embodiment, the first portion of the sensor circuit 252 includes both the receiver circuit 258 and the transmitter circuit 257, and / or the second portion of the sensor circuit 252 includes both the receiver circuit 258 and / or the transmitter circuit 257. The transmitter circuit 257 includes one or more transmitters, e.g., drivers, configured to drive a modulation signal, e.g., a sensing signal, on a sensor electrode. The receiver circuit 258 includes one or more receivers configured to receive a resulting signal. The one or more receivers include one or more integrators, demodulators, sample-and-hold circuits, filters, etc. Further, the display circuit 254 can include one or more source drivers, clock signal generators, etc.

[0069] In one or more embodiments, the sensor bus 256 couples the pads 260 located at the first portion of the semiconductor device 200 with the sensor circuit 252 located at the second portion of the semiconductor device 200. For example, the sensor bus 256 can couple the pads 260 located near the edge 410 with the sensor circuit located near the edge 420. Further, the sensor bus 256 can couple the pads 260 located near the edge 420 with the sensor circuit located near the edge 410.

[0070] Figure 5 A portion of a schematic top view of a semiconductor device 200 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device 200 includes a sensor circuit 252, a display circuit 254, and a sensor bus 256. Further, for purposes of illustration, the sensor circuit 252, the display circuit 254, and the sensor bus 256 are illustrated as a single layer. For example, in various embodiments, the sensor circuit 252, the display circuit 254, and the sensor bus 256 can be located within two or more layers of the semiconductor device 200, e.g., as illustrated in Figure 2A

[0071] ​In one or more embodiments, the sensor circuit 252 is disposed between a first portion of the display circuit 254 and a second portion of the display circuit 254 in the X direction. For example, the first portion of the display circuit 254 can be disposed near the edge 410 of the semiconductor device 200, and the second portion of the display circuit 254 can be disposed near the edge 420 of the semiconductor device 200. The sensor circuit 252 can include a transmitter circuit 257 and a receiver circuit 258.

[0072] In one or more embodiments, the sensor bus 256 couples a pad 260 located at a first portion of the semiconductor device 200 with the sensor circuit 252 located at a second portion of the semiconductor device 200. For example, the sensor bus 256 can couple a pad 260 located near the edge 410 or the edge 420 with the sensor circuit located near the center of the semiconductor device 200.

[0073] Figure 6 and 7 Sensor electrode layouts 600 and 700 are illustrated, respectively, in accordance with one or more embodiments. Further, the sensor electrodes 340 of the sensor electrode layouts 600 and 700 include sensor electrodes 610 and sensor electrodes 620. In one or more embodiments, the sensor electrodes 610 and the sensor electrodes 620 can be disposed in a common layer. In other embodiments, the sensor electrodes 610 can be disposed in a first layer, and the sensor electrodes 620 can be disposed in a second layer.

[0074] The sensor electrodes 610, 620 can have any shape, size, and / or orientation. For example, the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can be arranged in a two-dimensional array as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In one or more embodiments, each of the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can be substantially rectangular in shape. In other embodiments, the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can have other shapes. Further, each of the sensor electrodes 610 and / or each of the sensor electrodes 620 can have the same shape and / or size. In other embodiments, at least one sensor electrode 610 and / or sensor electrode 620 can have a different shape and / or size than another sensor electrode. In various embodiments, the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can be diamond shaped, have crossed fingers to increase field coupling, and / or have an internal floating cutout to reduce stray capacitance to nearby electrical conductors. Figure 6 and 7 The sensor electrodes 610, 620 can have any shape, size, and / or orientation. For example, the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can be arranged in a two-dimensional array as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In one or more embodiments, each of the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can be substantially rectangular in shape. In other embodiments, the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can have other shapes. Further, each of the sensor electrodes 610 and / or each of the sensor electrodes 620 can have the same shape and / or size. In other embodiments, at least one sensor electrode 610 and / or sensor electrode 620 can have a different shape and / or size than another sensor electrode. In various embodiments, the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can be diamond shaped, have crossed fingers to increase field coupling, and / or have an internal floating cutout to reduce stray capacitance to nearby electrical conductors.

[0075] The sensor electrodes 610, 620 can be formed of a material or configuration that is at least substantially transparent. For example, the sensor electrodes 610, 620 can be formed of indium tin oxide (ITO), thin conductive lines, and line meshes. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the sensor electrodes 610 and 620 are formed of a metal mesh. Further, in an embodiment, the pattern of the metal mesh used to form the sensor electrodes 610 and 620 is aligned with the boundaries of the sub-pixels 333 of the display device 300. For example, the distance between the conductive lines that make up the metal mesh can vary to ensure that the lines of the metal mesh pattern do not overlap with the sub-pixels 333 of the display device 300. In one embodiment, the distance between the lines of the metal mesh within the region 820 is less than the distance between the lines of the metal mesh within the region 810 such that the sub-pixels 333 do not overlap with the lines of the metal mesh pattern. Figure 8A Figure 8B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the display panel 305 according to one or more embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the sensor electrodes 610a, 620 do not overlap with the viewing angle sub-pixels 333. In one embodiment, the gap between the lines of the line mesh forming the sensor electrodes 610, 620 is configured such that the lines do not overlap with the sub-pixels 333. Figure 8B

[0076] ​​The sensor circuit 252 can be configured to operate the sensor electrodes 610 and 620 to acquire sensor data. For example, the sensor circuit can drive one or more of the sensor electrodes 610 with a sense signal while receiving a result signal from one or more of the sensor electrodes 620. Alternatively, the sensor circuit can drive one or more of the sensor electrodes 620 with a sense signal while receiving a result signal from one or more of the sensor electrodes 610. Further, the sensor circuit 252 can drive one or more of the sensor electrodes 610, 620 with a sense signal while receiving a result signal from the driven sensor electrode(s). The sense signal can include a transcapacitive sense signal for transcapacitive sensing and an absolute capacitive sense signal for absolute capacitive sensing. In one embodiment, the sensor circuit 252 is configured to operate the sensor electrodes 610, 620 for absolute capacitive sensing by driving one or more of the sensor electrodes 610, 620 with an absolute capacitive sense signal while receiving a result signal with the driven sensor electrode. Further, the sensor circuit 252 is configured to operate the sensor electrodes 610, 620 for transcapacitive sensing by driving one or more of the sensor electrodes 610, 620 with a transcapacitive signal and receiving a result signal from another one or more of the sensor electrodes 610, 620. In one embodiment, one or more transmitters of the transmitter circuit 257 drive one or more of the sensor electrodes 610, 620 with a transcapacitive signal while one or more receivers of the receiver circuit 258 receive a result signal with a second one or more of the sensor electrodes 610, 620. The sensor electrodes 610, 620 driven with a transcapacitive signal can be referred to as transmitter electrodes, and the sensor electrodes 610, 620 operated to receive a result signal can be referred to as receiver electrodes. In one embodiment, receiving a result signal can include sampling the result signal to generate one or more samples.

[0077] In one embodiment, the sense signal can be a varying voltage signal that varies between at least two voltages. In one embodiment, the sense signal includes a plurality of sense bursts. Each sense burst can include a plurality of voltage transitions. In one or more embodiments, the sensor circuit 252 can maintain a receiver electrode at a substantially constant voltage (e.g., relative to a system ground) or modulate the receiver electrode relative to a transmitter electrode. In one embodiment, when the receiver electrode is modulated (e.g., relative to a system ground), the transmitter electrode is modulated relative to the receiver electrode such that the transmitter electrode is modulated at a different phase, polarity, amplitude, and / or frequency than the receiver electrode. The sensor circuit 252 receives a result signal with the receiver electrode, and the determination module 390 measures the result signal to determine a measure of a change in capacitive coupling between the receiver electrode and the transmitter electrode.

[0078] The sensor circuit 252 can be configured to drive each of the transmitter electrodes one at a time, or to drive at least two of the transmitter electrodes simultaneously. In one embodiment, the sensor circuit 252 is configured to drive at least two transmitter electrodes simultaneously with different transcapacitive sense signals based on different codes or frequencies. For example, multiple transmitter electrodes can be driven simultaneously with transcapacitive sense signals modulated with substantially orthogonal encoding sequences (e.g., amplitude shift, phase shift, frequency shift). The corresponding result signals can be decoded to independently measure the coupling between the transmitter electrodes and the receiver electrodes.

[0079] In the embodiment of FIG. 6A, the sensor electrodes 610a-610d in the common row can be driven simultaneously with a sense signal. In one embodiment, each of the sensor electrodes in the common row can be driven by a common transmitter, reducing the number of transmitters required within the sensor circuit 252. For example, each of the sensor electrodes 610a can be coupled to a first transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257, each of the sensor electrodes 610b can be coupled to a second transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257, each of the sensor electrodes 610c can be coupled to a third transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257, and each of the sensor electrodes 610d can be coupled to a fourth transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257. Figure 6 7 In the embodiment of FIG. 6A, each of the sensor electrodes 610 in the common row (e.g., sensor electrodes 610a, sensor electrodes 610b, sensor electrodes 610c, and / or sensor electrodes 610d) can be driven simultaneously with a sense signal. In one embodiment, each of the sensor electrodes in the common row can be driven by a common transmitter, reducing the number of transmitters required within the sensor circuit 252. For example, each of the sensor electrodes 610a can be coupled to a first transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257, each of the sensor electrodes 610b can be coupled to a second transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257, each of the sensor electrodes 610c can be coupled to a third transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257, and each of the sensor electrodes 610d can be coupled to a fourth transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257.

[0080] In addition, referring to FIG. 6B, each of the sensor electrodes 620a-620h is coupled to a different receiver of the receiver circuit 258. Referring to FIG. 6C, each of the sensor electrodes 620i-620q is coupled to a different one of the receivers of the receiver circuit 258. Figure 6 Figure 7 In addition, referring to FIG. 6B, each of the sensor electrodes 620a-620h is coupled to a different receiver of the receiver circuit 258. Referring to FIG. 6C, each of the sensor electrodes 620i-620q is coupled to a different one of the receivers of the receiver circuit 258.

[0081] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of an input device 100 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments. For ease of description, elements of the input device 100 are illustrated in a single layer; however, one or more elements can be present on a layer different from another one or more elements, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C. Figure 9 Figure 2A 10 Figure 9 ​​​​​The input device 100 includes sensor electrodes 610, 620, traces 910, and the semiconductor device 200. The traces 910 couple the sensor electrodes 610, 620 with the pads 520 of the semiconductor device 200. In one embodiment, the traces 910 are coupled with the pads 360 of the substrate 310 that are coupled with the pads 260. Further, the pads 260 are coupled to the sensor bus 256 via traces 920, and the sensor bus 256 is coupled to the transmitter circuit 257 via traces 930 and to the receiver circuit 258 via traces 940.

[0082] In one embodiment, each of the sensor electrodes 610, 620 is coupled to a different one of the pads 260. Further, each of the pads 260 is coupled to one of the communication lines 259 of the sensor bus 256. In one embodiment, two or more of the pads 260 are coupled to a common communication line 259, such that two or more of the sensor electrodes 610 are coupled to a common transmitter of the transmitter circuit 257 and can be driven simultaneously. For example, each of the sensor electrodes 610a is coupled to the communication line 259a, each of the sensor electrodes 620b is coupled to the communication line 259b, each of a third sensor electrode 620c is coupled to the communication line 259c, and each of a fourth sensor electrode 620d is coupled to the communication line 259d. Further, the communication lines 259a-259d are coupled to the transmitter 257.

[0083] In one or more embodiments, two or more of the pads 260 are coupled to different communication lines, such that two or more of the sensor electrodes 620 are coupled to different receivers of the receiver circuit 258 and can be independently used to receive. For example, the sensor electrode 620a is coupled to the communication line 259e, the sensor electrode 620b is coupled to the communication line 259f, the sensor electrode 620c is coupled to the communication line 259g, the sensor electrode 620d is coupled to the communication line 259h, the sensor electrode 620e is coupled to the communication line 259i, the sensor electrode 620f is coupled to the communication line 259j, the sensor electrode 620g is coupled to the communication line 259k, and the sensor electrode 620h is coupled to the communication line 2591. In one or more embodiments, the communication lines 259e-2591 can each be coupled to a different receiver of the receiver circuit 258. Alternatively, two or more of the communication lines 259e-2591 can be coupled to a common receiver of the receiver circuit 258 via a switching device (e.g., a multiplexer, etc.).

[0084] Figure 10A cross-section of a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of semiconductor device 200 is shown. In one or more embodiments, communication lines 259 can be disposed in different layers of interconnect layer 240. Further, traces 920 and 930 can act as interconnects that travel between layers, coupling traces 920 and 903 with respective ones of pads 260a. In one embodiment, communication line 259a is disposed in first layer 241 of interconnect layer 240, communication line 259b is disposed in second layer 242 of interconnect layer 240, and communication line 259e is disposed in third layer 243 of interconnect layer 240. Alternatively, one or more of communication lines 259 can be disposed in a common layer of interconnect layer 240.

[0085] In one embodiment, communication line 259a is coupled to pad 260al via trace 920a and to pad 260a3 via trace 920b. Further, communication line 259a is coupled to transmitter circuit 257 via trace 930a. Additionally, communication line 259b is coupled to pad 260a4 via trace 920c and to pad 260a5 via trace 920d. Further, communication line 259b is coupled to transmitter circuit 257 via trace 930b. Further, communication line 259e is coupled to pad 260a2 via trace 920e, and communication line 259e is coupled to receiver circuit 258 via trace 940a.

[0086] Figure 11 A flowchart of a method 1100 for operating a capacitive sensing device is shown, in accordance with one or more embodiments. At operation 1110, a first sense signal is driven on a sensor electrode via a first pad and on a sensor electrode via a second pad. For example, a first transmitter of transmitter circuit 257 can drive sensor electrode 610al with a transcapacitive signal via pad 260al and sensor electrode 610a2 with a transcapacitive signal via pad 260a2. Pad 260al and pad 260a3 are coupled to a common communication line 259a of sensor bus 256. Further, in one or more embodiments, communication line 259a is coupled to the first transmitter of transmitter circuit 257 via trace 930a. At operation 1120, a result signal is received with a third sensor electrode via a third pad. For example, in one embodiment, a first receiver of receiver circuit 258 receives a result signal with sensor electrode 620a via pad 260a2. Pad 260a2 is coupled to a second line of sensor bus 256, e.g., communication line 259e. Further, in one or more embodiments, communication line 259e is coupled to the first receiver of receiver circuit 258 via trace 940a.

[0087] At operation 1130, position information of the first input object is determined. For example, in one or more embodiments, the processing system 110 includes a determination module 390. The determination module 390 receives the result signal or a processed result signal from the receiver circuit 258 and determines a measurement of the change in capacitive coupling between the sensor electrodes 610al, 610a2 and the sensor electrode 620a. In one embodiment, the determination module 390 removes a baseline from the measurement of the change in capacitive coupling, applies one or more filters to the measurement of the change in capacitive coupling, and compares the measurement of the change in capacitive coupling to one or more thresholds to determine the position information. In one embodiment, the determination module 390 is further configured to determine a capacitive image from the measurement of the change in capacitive coupling and determine the position information from the capacitive image.

[0088] The embodiments and examples set forth herein are presented to best explain the embodiments of the technology and its particular application. Those skilled in the art will realize that the preceding description and examples are given for the purpose of illustration and example only. The descriptions recited herein are not meant to be exhaustive or to be limiting to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations of the present technology are possible in light of the above teachings.

[0089] Reference Numerals

[0090] 100 input device

[0091] 110 processing system

[0092] 120 sensing region

[0093] 130 button

[0094] 140 input object

[0095] 200 semiconductor device

[0096] 205 die body

[0097] 210 substrate

[0098] 220 portion

[0099] 230 portion

[0100] 240 interconnect layer

[0101] 241 first layer

[0102] 242 second layer

[0103] 243 third layer

[0104] 252 sensor circuit

[0105] 254 display circuit

[0106] 255source driver

[0107] 256sensor bus

[0108] 257transmitter circuit

[0109] 258receiver circuit

[0110] 259communication line

[0111] 260pad

[0112] 270pad

[0113] 300display device

[0114] 305display panel

[0115] 306gate selection circuit

[0116] 307emission control circuit

[0117] 308communication path

[0118] 310substrate

[0119] 320metal layer

[0120] 322data line

[0121] 324selection circuit

[0122] 330coupled display electrode

[0123] 331gate line

[0124] 332data line

[0125] 333sub-pixel

[0126] 334emission line

[0127] 335emission control line

[0128] 336sub-pixel circuit

[0129] 337anode electrode

[0130] 338organic layer

[0131] 339cathode electrode

[0132] 340sensor electrode

[0133] 347edge

[0134] 349edge

[0135] 350display electrode

[0136] 360 pads

[0137] 370 pads

[0138] 375 flexible connector

[0139] 390 determination module

[0140] 410 edge

[0141] 420 edge

[0142] 520 pads

[0143] 600 sensor electrode layout

[0144] 610 sensor electrode

[0145] 620 sensor electrode

[0146] 700 sensor electrode layout

[0147] 810 region

[0148] 820 region

[0149] 903 trace

[0150] 910 trace

[0151] 920 trace

[0152] 940 trace

[0153] 1100 method

[0154] 1110 operation

[0155] 1120 operation

[0156] 1130 operation

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a sensor circuit configured to operate a plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are external to the semiconductor device; a plurality of conductive contacts, wherein a first conductive contact of the plurality of conductive contacts is configured to be coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, a second conductive contact of the plurality of conductive contacts is configured to be coupled to a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, and a third conductive contact of the plurality of conductive contacts is configured to be coupled to a third sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes; and a plurality of traces, wherein a first trace of the plurality of traces is configured to couple the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact to a first transmitter of the sensor circuit, and a second trace of the plurality of traces is configured to couple the third conductive contact to a first receiver of the sensor circuit.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device further comprises: a display circuit configured to drive a plurality of display electrodes for updating a display.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the display circuit is interposed between the first transmitter and the first receiver.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes form a metal mesh.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes comprise a first set of parallel electrodes and a second set of parallel electrodes, wherein the first set of parallel electrodes is orthogonal to the second set of parallel electrodes.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit is configured to detect absolute capacitance.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit is configured to detect a cross capacitance.

8. An input device, comprising: a plurality of sensor electrodes; and a semiconductor device, comprising: a sensor circuit configured to operate the plurality of sensor electrodes for capacitive sensing, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes are external to the semiconductor device; a plurality of conductive contacts, wherein a first conductive contact of the plurality of conductive contacts is configured to be coupled to a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, a second conductive contact of the plurality of conductive contacts is configured to be coupled to a second sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, and a third conductive contact of the plurality of conductive contacts is configured to be coupled to a third sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes; and a plurality of traces, wherein a first trace of the plurality of traces is configured to couple the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact to a first transmitter of the sensor circuit, and a second trace of the plurality of traces is configured to couple the third conductive contact to a first receiver of the sensor circuit.

9. The input device of claim 8, wherein the semiconductor device further comprises: a display circuit configured to drive a plurality of display electrodes for updating a display. ​ ​ 10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the display circuit is interposed between the first transmitter and the first receiver.

11. The input device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes form a metal mesh.

12. The input device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes comprise a first set of parallel electrodes and a second set of parallel electrodes, wherein the first set of parallel electrodes is orthogonal to the second set of parallel electrodes.

13. The input device of claim 8, wherein the sensor circuit is configured to detect absolute capacitance.

14. The input device of claim 8, wherein the sensor circuit is configured to detect cross capacitance.

15. A method of capacitive sensing, comprising: driving a first sensor electrode and a second sensor electrode with a first transmitter signal with a first transmitter of a semiconductor device, wherein the first sensor electrode is coupled to a first contact of the semiconductor device and the second sensor electrode is coupled to a second contact of the semiconductor device, and wherein the first contact and the second contact are coupled to a first trace of a sensor bus of the semiconductor device, and the first trace is coupled to the first transmitter; receiving a first result signal with a first receiver of the semiconductor device with a third sensor electrode coupled to a third contact of the semiconductor device, wherein the third contact is coupled to a second trace of the sensor bus, and the second trace is coupled to the first receiver, wherein the first sensor electrode, the second sensor electrode, and the third sensor electrode are disposed on a substrate external to the semiconductor device; and determining position information of an input object based on a measurement of a change in capacitive coupling between one or more of the first sensor electrode, the second sensor electrode, and the third sensor electrode.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: driving a plurality of display electrodes for updating a display with a display circuit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the position information is based on at least absolute capacitance.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the position information is based on at least cross capacitance.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: driving a fourth sensor electrode and a fifth sensor electrode with a second transmitter signal with a second transmitter, wherein the fourth sensor electrode is coupled to a fourth contact of the semiconductor device and the fifth sensor electrode is coupled to a fifth contact of the semiconductor device, and wherein the fourth contact and the fifth contact are coupled to a third trace of the sensor bus, and the third trace is coupled to the second transmitter.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: receiving a second result signal with a second receiver with a sixth sensor electrode, wherein the sixth sensor electrode is coupled to a sixth contact of the semiconductor device, the sixth contact is coupled to a fourth trace of the sensor bus, and the fourth trace is coupled to the second receiver.

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