Portable information terminal

Abstract

To improve detection sensitivity of a touch panel, or provide a thin touch panel, or provide a touch panel that can be bent, or to provide a light-weight touch panel.SOLUTION: A portable information terminal includes a display element and a capacitive element constituting a touch sensor, between a pair of substrates. Further, a pair of conductive layers constituting the capacitive element preferably include openings. Then, the opening and the display element are disposed to overlap with each other. In addition, a shading layer is provided between the pair of conductive layers constituting the capacitive element and the substrate on a display surface side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a touch panel.

[0002] Note that one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above technical fields. One aspect of the present invention relates to a product, a method, or a manufacturing method. , manufacture, or composition of matter. Therefore, the technical field of one embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specification is specifically related to semiconductor devices, Display devices, light-emitting devices, power storage devices, storage devices, electronic devices, lighting devices, input devices, input / output devices , their driving methods, or their manufacturing methods can be cited as examples.

[0003] In this specification and the like, a semiconductor device is a device that can function by utilizing semiconductor characteristics. Refers to devices in general, including semiconductor elements such as transistors, semiconductor circuits, arithmetic units, and memory The device is one aspect of a semiconductor device. Optical devices, power generation devices (including thin-film solar cells, organic thin-film solar cells, etc.), and electronic devices The device may include a semiconductor device. [Background technology]

[0004] In recent years, display devices are expected to be used in a variety of applications, and diversification is required. For example, the development of smartphones and tablet devices with touch panels as mobile information terminals. is currently underway.

[0005] In addition, Patent Document 1 discloses a film substrate on which transistors and other elements serving as switching elements are mounted. A flexible active matrix light emitting device having an organic EL element is disclosed. . [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-174153 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Touching the display panel screen with a finger or stylus as a user interface There is a demand for touch panels that have the ability to input data via touch.

[0008] In addition, there is a demand for thinner and lighter electronic devices that use touch panels. Therefore, there is a demand for thinner and lighter touch panels.

[0009] For example, the touch panel has a structure in which a touch sensor is provided on the visible side (display surface side) of the display panel. It can be concluded that

[0010] Here, a touch panel in which a capacitive touch sensor is provided on the display surface side of the display panel is When the display panel is configured as a panel, the pixels and wiring that make up the display panel and the touch sensor If the distance between the electrodes and wiring becomes small, the noise generated when the touch sensor drives the display panel decreases. This makes the touch panel more susceptible to noise, resulting in a decrease in detection sensitivity. There are cases where this happens.

[0011] An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to improve the detection sensitivity of a touch panel. One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a thin touch panel. One of the objectives is to provide a touch panel that can be used with a touch screen. One of the objectives is to provide a highly reliable touch panel. It shall be one.

[0012] Another object is to provide a novel input / output device. One of our goals is to provide the following.

[0013] The description of these problems does not preclude the existence of other problems. It is not necessary for one embodiment to solve all of these problems. The subject matter will be self-evident from the description, drawings, claims, etc. It is possible to extract other issues from the drawings, claims, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] One aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor device comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and The touch panel has a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, and a light-shielding layer. The conductive layer has a first opening, and the second conductive layer has a second opening. The first opening and the first light-emitting element are electrically connected to each other. The second opening and the second light-emitting element have overlapping regions. The first conductive layer and the light-shielding layer have an overlapping region, and the second conductive layer and the light-shielding layer The first light emitting element and the second light emitting element have an overlapping region. and a second substrate. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are The light-shielding layer has a region located between the first light-emitting element or the second light-emitting element and the second substrate. The layer has a region located between the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer and the second substrate.

[0015] In the above, the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer has a CR value greater than 0 sec. Hear 1×10 -4 sec. or less is preferable.

[0016] In the above, the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer has an aperture ratio of 20% or more and It is preferred to have an area where the difference is less than 0%.

[0017] In the above, a third conductive layer is provided, and the third conductive layer is the first conductive layer or The second conductive layer is located closer to the first substrate than the second conductive layer, and the distance between the first conductive layer and the third conductive layer is The distance between the second conductive layer and the third conductive layer is 25 nm or more and 50 μm or less. It is preferable to do so.

[0018] In the above, a third light emitting element is provided, and the third light emitting element is a first substrate and a second substrate. The third light emitting element and the first opening have an overlapping area. It is preferred that the ion exchange region has a region.

[0019] In the above, a fourth light emitting element is provided, and the fourth light emitting element is a first substrate and a second substrate. The fourth light emitting element and the second opening have an overlapping area. It is preferred that the ion exchange region has a region.

[0020] In the above, an insulating layer is provided, and the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer overlap each other. the insulating layer has a region located between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer; is preferred.

[0021] In the above, it is preferable to have a fourth conductive layer, a fifth conductive layer, and an insulating layer. Here, the fourth conductive layer and the light-shielding layer have an overlapping area. The fifth conductive layer and the second conductive layer have an overlapping area. , and have mutually overlapping regions. The insulating layer is located between the first conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer. The insulating layer has a region located between the second conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer. The insulating layer also has a region located between the fourth conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer. The insulating layer has a third opening and a fourth opening. The first conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer The fourth conductive layer and the fifth conductive layer are electrically connected through the third opening. , and are preferably electrically connected via the fourth opening.

[0022] Furthermore, it is preferable that the light-emitting device further includes a fifth light-emitting element. In this case, the fourth conductive layer is The fifth light-emitting element has a region located between the first substrate and the second substrate. Preferably, the fifth opening and the fifth light emitting element have an overlapping region. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the detection sensitivity of a touch panel. A touch panel can be provided. Alternatively, a bendable touch panel can be provided. Alternatively, a lightweight touch panel can be provided. Alternatively, a highly reliable touch panel can be provided. do.

[0024] Alternatively, a novel input device can be provided. Alternatively, a novel input / output device can be provided. The description of these effects does not preclude the existence of other effects. It is not necessary for the present invention to have all of these effects. It is obvious from the description, drawings, claims, etc. It is possible to extract other effects from the description of the claims and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 shows a configuration example of a touch panel module according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 shows a configuration example of a touch sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 shows a configuration example of a touch sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 shows a configuration example of a touch sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 shows a configuration example of a touch sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 shows a configuration example of a touch sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 16]1A and 1B are a block diagram and a timing chart of a touch sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a touch sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] 1. An electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] 1. An electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] 1 shows the configuration of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 21] 10 is a photograph of a touch panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 22] 10 shows measurement results of the parasitic capacitance and parasitic resistance of a touch panel according to an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following description. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is based on the following embodiments. The present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the contents of the preceding paragraph.

[0027] In the configuration of the invention described below, the same parts or parts having similar functions are The same reference numerals are used in common between different drawings, and repeated explanations thereof will be omitted. When referring to a function, the hatch pattern may be the same and no particular symbol may be assigned.

[0028] In each figure described in this specification, the size, layer thickness, or area of ​​each component is The figures may be exaggerated for clarity and are not necessarily limited to that scale. stomach.

[0029] In this specification, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to avoid confusion of components. The number is not a numerical limitation.

[0030] The words "film" and "layer" may be used interchangeably depending on the situation. For example, the term "conductive layer" can be used interchangeably with "conductive It may be possible to change the term to "film." Alternatively, for example, It may be possible to change the term to "insulating layer."

[0031] (Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, a configuration example of a touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. is when a capacitive touch sensor is used as the touch sensor on the touch panel. This article explains:

[0032] In this specification, the touch panel has a function of displaying (outputting) images on a display surface. Touch sensors detect when a finger, stylus, or other object touches or approaches the display surface. Therefore, the touch panel is one type of input / output device. do.

[0033] In this specification, the substrate of the touch panel is provided with, for example, an FPC or TCP (Tap e Carrier Package) or other connectors attached, The IC (integrated circuit) is directly mounted on the board using the COG (Chip On Glass) method. This may be called a touch panel module or simply a touch panel.

[0034] A capacitive touch sensor that can be applied to one aspect of the present invention includes a capacitive element. The capacitance element has a structure in which, for example, a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer are provided with a dielectric sandwiched therebetween. In this case, a part of the first conductive layer and a part of the second conductive layer may be formed by the Each of the first and second conductive layers functions as an electrode of the capacitor. Another part of the conductive layer may function as a wiring.

[0035] The capacitance type includes the surface capacitance type and the projected capacitance type. There are two types of capacitance methods, self-capacitance and mutual capacitance, which differ mainly in their driving methods. The mutual capacitance method is preferable because it allows simultaneous multi-point detection.

[0036] A touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a display element and a touch sensor between a pair of substrates. Therefore, a thin and lightweight touch panel can be realized. It can be realized.

[0037] Preferably, the pair of conductive layers constituting the capacitor element each have an opening. It is preferable that the opening and the display element are arranged so as to overlap each other. By doing so, light from the display element is emitted to the outside through the opening, and the capacitance element The pair of conductive layers does not need to be light-transmitting. As the material of the pair of conductive layers, a material such as a metal or alloy having a lower resistance than the transparent conductive material is used. Therefore, the influence of delays in the detection signal is reduced, and the touch panel Furthermore, this configuration can be used not only in portable devices, The present invention can be suitably applied not only to large-sized display devices such as televisions but also to other large-sized display devices.

[0038] Furthermore, since a low-resistance material can be used for the pair of conductive layers, the line width can be made extremely small. That is, when viewed from the display surface side (plan view), a pair of The surface area of ​​the conductive layer can be reduced, which reduces noise generated when the pixel is driven. Furthermore, the influence of noise is suppressed, and the detection sensitivity can be improved. The capacitance element that constitutes the touch sensor and the display element that constitutes the pixel are sandwiched between them, and Therefore, even if the touch panel is arranged in a manner such that the touch panel is located in a position opposite to the touch panel, the decrease in the detection sensitivity can be suppressed. The thickness of the panel can be reduced. In particular, the pair of substrates are made of flexible materials. This makes it possible to realize a thin, lightweight and flexible touch panel.

[0039] In the case of projected capacitive touch panels, the first conductive layer is the product of resistance and capacitance (CR value, also called the time constant). Similarly, the smaller the CR value of the second conductive layer, the more preferable it is.

[0040] For example, in the case of a projected mutual capacitance method, a pulse voltage is applied to one conductive layer, and the other The smaller the CR value of the conductive layer that detects the current, the In this way, the change in current depending on whether or not a touch operation is performed can be increased. The smaller the CR value of the conductive layer obtained, the more the delay in the pulse voltage waveform is suppressed, and the higher the detection sensitivity. It can be improved.

[0041] On the other hand, in the case of the projected self-capacitance method, a pulse voltage is applied to each of a pair of conductive layers. The current flowing through the conductive layer at that time is detected. Therefore, the smaller the CR value of the conductive layer, , the detection sensitivity can be improved.

[0042] For example, the CR value of the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer is greater than 0 sec. and is 1× 10 -4 sec. or less, preferably greater than 0 sec. and 5×10 -5 sec. Below, More preferably, it is greater than 0 sec. and 5×10 -6 sec. or less, preferably 0 s ec. is larger than 5 × 10 -7 sec. or less, and more preferably greater than 0 sec. 2×10 -7 sec. or less. In particular, the CR value should be 1×10 -6 sec. and below This makes it possible to achieve high detection sensitivity while suppressing the influence of noise.

[0043] The first conductive layer or the second conductive layer has a mesh shape with a plurality of openings. In this case, it is preferable to set the aperture ratio (unit area) of the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer. The ratio of the opening area of ​​the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer per unit area of ​​the touch panel It is preferable that the aperture ratio of the first conductive layer is higher than the aperture ratio of the pixel of the first conductive layer. By increasing the aperture ratio of the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer, light from the pixel is guided through the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer. In addition, by increasing the size of the opening, it is possible to prevent the opening from being blocked by the conductive layer. When the aperture ratio is increased, the area where the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer overlaps with the object to be detected becomes Therefore, the area of ​​the object to be detected may be reduced, resulting in a decrease in detection sensitivity. It is preferable to set the aperture ratio and aperture pattern so that the aperture area is smaller than that.

[0044] For example, the aperture ratio of the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer is 20% or more but less than 100%. Preferably, the ratio is 30% or more and less than 100%, and more preferably, 50% or more and less than 100%. It is preferable that:

[0045] The touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention has improved detection sensitivity, and the touch panel can detect noise when the display panel is driven. Since it is less susceptible to noise, the thickness of the touch panel itself can be made thinner. The distance between the pair of substrates constituting the touch panel is preferably 50 nm or more and 100 μm or less. It is preferably narrowed to 200 nm or more and 50 μm or less, more preferably 500 nm or more and 20 μm or less. In this case, by using flexible substrates for the pair of substrates, it is possible to This makes it possible to realize a touch panel that is flexible and highly resistant to bending.

[0046] In particular, the first conductive layer or the second conductive layer and the substrate side on which the display element is provided are The distance between the conductive layer and the conductive layer is, for example, 25 nm or more and 50 μm or less, preferably 50 nm or more. It is preferable to set the thickness to 10 μm or less, and more preferably to set the thickness to 50 nm or more and 5 μm or less.

[0047] In addition, a light-shielding layer may be provided between a pair of electrodes constituting the capacitance element and the substrate on the display surface side. The light-shielding layer may have a function of suppressing color mixing between adjacent pixels, for example. By disposing a light-shielding layer on the display surface side of the pair of electrodes, external light reflection by the pair of electrodes is reduced. This prevents the pair of electrodes from being visible from the display surface side, The quality can be improved.

[0048] The pair of electrodes constituting the capacitance element and the light-shielding layer are as follows when viewed from the display surface side (in a plan view): It is preferable that the capacitor element is disposed between adjacent pixels. is preferably smaller than the width of the light-shielding layer or the interval between two pixels.

[0049] A more specific configuration example of one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0050] [Configuration example] FIG. 1(A) is a perspective schematic view of a touch panel module 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(B) is a perspective schematic view of the touch panel module 10 when it is unfolded. The touch panel module is configured by stacking a touch sensor module 20 and a display panel 30. It has a structure.

[0051] The touch sensor module 20 has a configuration in which an FPC 41 is provided on a substrate 21. The substrate 21 has a touch sensor 22 on the surface thereof facing the display panel 30. The touch sensor 22 is The touch sensor module 20 has a conductive layer 23, a conductive layer 24, and a conductive layer 25. The FPC 41 has wiring 29 that electrically connects these conductive layers to the FPC 41. The FPC 41 has a function of supplying a signal from the outside to the sensor 22. The sensor 22 has a function of outputting a signal to the outside. It may also be simply called a touch sensor, a touch sensor substrate, or a touch sensor panel. be.

[0052] The touch sensor 22 includes a plurality of conductive layers 23, a plurality of conductive layers 24, and a plurality of conductive layers 25. The conductive layer 23 has a shape extending in one direction. The plurality of conductive layers 24 are arranged side by side in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the conductive layer 24. The conductive layer 25 is disposed between the conductive layers 23. Two adjacent conductive layers 24 are electrically connected in the direction of the conductive layer 23. The plurality of conductive layers 24 arranged in a direction intersecting the stretching direction are separated by a plurality of conductive layers 25. are electrically connected.

[0053] Here, the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 25 have an overlapping region. An insulating layer that functions as a dielectric is provided between the conductive layer 25 and the capacitor element 11. Therefore, the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 25 are used as a pair of electrodes of the capacitance element 11. It has parts that function as

[0054] In this example, the plurality of conductive layers 24 are electrically connected by the conductive layer 25. The conductive layer 24 is formed in a shape that is extended in one direction in the same manner as the conductive layer 23, and the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 Alternatively, an insulating layer may be provided between the conductive layer 25 and the insulating layer 26, and the conductive layer 25 may not be provided. A part of the conductive layer 24 functions as one electrode of the capacitor element 11 .

[0055] The conductive layers 23, 24, 25, and other conductive films, that is, the conductive layers that constitute the touch panel, As a material that can be used for the wiring and electrodes that form the semiconductor device, for example, a material with a low resistance value is desirable. For example, metals such as silver, copper, and aluminum may be used. Metal nanowires are made up of a large number of conductive bodies (for example, with a diameter of several nanometers). Examples of nanowires include Ag nanowires, Cu nanowires, and Al nanowires. In the case of Ag nanowires, for example, the light transmittance is 89% or more, and the sheet resistance is The value can be 40Ω / □ or more and 100Ω / □ or less. Because Nowire has high transmittance, it can be used for electrodes used in display elements, such as pixel electrodes and common electrodes. Such metal nanowires may also be used.

[0056] The display panel 30 has a display section 32 on a substrate 31. The display section 32 is arranged in a matrix. The pixel 33 preferably includes a plurality of sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel has a display element. 3. The circuit 34 may be, for example, a gate driver. The FPC 42 can be applied to a circuit that functions as a display unit 32 or a circuit. At least one of the boards 31 and 34 has a function of supplying a signal from the outside. It is preferable to mount an IC that functions as a source driver circuit on the FPC 42. The IC can be mounted on the substrate 31 by the COG method or the COF method. A mounted FPC 42, TAB, TCP, or the like can also be attached to the substrate 31. The display panel 30 having connectors such as ICs and FPCs mounted thereon is referred to as a display panel model. It is also called a joule.

[0057] In the touch panel module according to one aspect of the present invention, a touch operation is performed by the touch sensor 22. The display unit 32 can output position information based on the change in capacitance when the sensor is pressed. Images can be displayed.

[0058] [Touch sensor configuration example] FIG. 2(A) is a schematic top view (schematic plan view) showing a part of the touch sensor 22. FIG. 2(B) is an enlarged schematic top view of the area surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 2(A).

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the width of the conductive layer 23 at the intersection with the conductive layer 25 is small. It is preferable that the capacitor element 11 has a narrowed shape so that the capacitance of the capacitor element 11 is increased. For example, in the case of a self-capacitance touch sensor, the capacitance value can be reduced. The smaller the capacitance value of the capacitance element 11, the more the detection sensitivity can be improved.

[0060] In addition, a conductive layer electrically insulated from the adjacent conductive layer 23 and conductive layer 24 is provided between them. Preferably, the touch sensor 22 has a conductive layer 26. For example, the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 can be prevented from being formed in a thin portion. When these are formed on the same plane, a conductive layer 26 formed in the same manner as these is provided. This improves the coverage of the thin film formed after the conductive layer formation process and flattens the surface. Furthermore, since the thickness of the touch sensor 22 is made uniform, light passing through the touch sensor 22 can be transmitted. This reduces uneven brightness of light from pixels, realizing a touch panel with improved display quality. This can be done.

[0061] In addition, in FIG. 2(C), the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 are formed on different planes, and the conductive layer 2 In this case, the conductive layer 26 is not provided with the conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 5. 24 may be formed on the same plane as either of the first and second electrodes 24 or may be formed on a different plane. If the conductive layer 26 is not required, it may not be provided.

[0062] FIG. 3A shows a circuit diagram of a touch sensor 22 having a plurality of conductive layers 23 and a plurality of conductive layers 24. 3A shows an example of the conductive layer 23. For simplicity, in FIG. 3A, six conductive layers 23 and six conductive layers 24 are shown. Although a configuration having layers 24 is shown, the number is not limited to this.

[0063] One capacitance element 11 is formed between one conductive layer 23 and one conductive layer 24. Therefore, the capacitive elements 11 are arranged in a matrix.

[0064] In the case of the projected self-capacitance method, a pulse voltage is scanned on each of the conductive layers 23 and 24. When the object to be detected approaches, the value of the current flowing through the sensor is detected. The magnitude of the current changes depending on the amount of current, so by detecting this difference, the position information of the object to be detected can be obtained. In the case of the projected mutual capacitance method, the conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 A pulse voltage is applied to one of the electrodes in a scanning manner, and the current flowing through the other electrode is detected. In this way, the position information of the detected object is obtained.

[0065] The conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 has a CR value greater than 0 sec and less than 1×10 -4 s ec. or less, preferably greater than 0 sec. and 5×10 -5 sec. or less, more preferably is greater than 0 sec. and is 5×10 -6 sec. or less, more preferably greater than 0 sec. 5×10 -7 sec. or less, more preferably greater than 0 sec. and 2×10 -7 sec .It is preferable that it is less than .

[0066] The conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 each have a lattice or mesh shape (mesh) having a plurality of openings. 3B shows the top surface shape of a part of the conductive layer 23. An example of this is shown.

[0067] The conductive layer 23 shown in FIG. 3B is a lattice-shaped layer having a horizontal interval P1 and a vertical interval P2. FIG. 3B shows a case where the interval P1 and the interval P2 are approximately the same. However, they may be arranged at different intervals. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(C), The vertical spacing P2 may be larger than the vertical spacing P1, or vice versa. The same applies to the conductive layer 24.

[0068] The conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 has an aperture ratio (the number of holes in the conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 per unit area). The ratio of the open area of ​​the layer 24 is, for example, 20% or more and less than 100%, preferably 30% or more and less than 100%. It is preferable to have a region where the ratio is less than 0.00%, more preferably 50% or more but less than 100%. .

[0069] The aperture ratio can be easily calculated from, for example, the interval P1, the interval P2, and the width of the conductive layer. Alternatively, in the periodic region R shown in FIG. 3(B), the area of ​​the region R and the The aperture ratio can be calculated from the ratio of the area of ​​the included conductive layer 23. is a region that is a periodic unit of the pattern of the periodic conductive layer 23, and is defined vertically and horizontally. By arranging the conductive layers 23 periodically in the direction, a pattern can be formed.

[0070] In the conductive layers 23 and 24, the width of the pattern constituting the lattice is set to, for example, 50 nm. or more and 100 μm or less, preferably 1 μm or more and 50 μm or less, more preferably 1 μm or more and 2 μm or less It is preferable to make the width of the pattern constituting the grating smaller. This makes it possible to narrow the pixel spacing when the aperture and pixel overlap, as will be described later. Therefore, a touch panel with higher definition and a higher aperture ratio can be realized.

[0071] FIG. 4(A) is a top view schematic diagram further enlarging the area indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2(B). is.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 4A, the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 are each formed in a lattice shape (mesh shape, mesh shape, etc.). It is preferable that the conductive layer 23 and the conductive The layers 24 may each have a shape having a plurality of openings (openings 23a and openings 24a). As will be described later, by arranging the openings so that they overlap with the pixels, the pixels can be effectively The light from the display element is blocked by the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24, or the conductive layer The light does not pass through the light emitting layer 23 and the conductive layer 24, and the brightness does not decrease. Applying the touch sensor 22 to a touch panel without sacrificing the light output or light extraction efficiency Similarly, it is preferable that the conductive layer 25 is shaped so as not to overlap with the pixels. stomach.

[0073] In the configuration shown in FIG. 4(A), the conductive layer 24 and the conductive layer 25 are electrically connected to the insulating layer located therebetween. The conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 25 are electrically connected through the opening 27. A capacitance element 11 is formed at the portion where these overlap each other.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 4A, the shape of the conductive layer 25 intersecting the conductive layer 23 is It is preferable that the sheet has two or more strip-shaped portions having long sides in a direction intersecting with the direction of the arrow. By providing a plurality of strip-shaped portions on the conductive layer 24, the contact resistance between the conductive layer 24 and the conductive layer 25 can be reduced. In addition, a part of the conductive layer 25 may be broken, or the connection between the conductive layer 25 and the conductive layer 24 may be broken. Even if a contact failure occurs, the electrical connection between the conductive layer 25 and the conductive layer 24 can be maintained. In particular, when using a bent touch panel, disconnection or poor contact can occur. Therefore, it is preferable to form the conductive layer 25 in such a shape. .

[0075] FIG. 4B shows an example in which the area where the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 25 overlap each other is increased. In this way, the conductive layer 25 is formed in the area other than the area where the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 25 intersect. By forming the conductive layer 23 so that the conductive layer 23 overlaps the conductive layer 23, the capacitance value of the capacitor 11 can be increased. For example, the capacitance value of the capacitance element 11 depends on the area where the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 25 overlap each other, Alternatively, it can be appropriately changed by adjusting the dielectric constant or thickness of the insulating layer.

[0076] FIG. 4(B) shows an example in which the conductive layer 26 shown in FIG. 2 is arranged. As shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that the conductive layer 26 has a pattern of a plurality of islands. stomach.

[0077] FIG. 5A shows a case where the conductive layer 25 is not provided in the configuration shown in FIG. 4A. In FIG. 5A, the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 are arranged so as to overlap each other. FIG. 5B shows the structure shown in FIG. 4B without the conductive layer 25. This is an example of a case where

[0078] FIG. 6 shows an example of the boundary between the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24. As shown in FIG. At these boundaries, an opening 22a surrounded by a part of the conductive layer 23 and a part of the conductive layer 24 is formed. By adopting such a configuration, the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer It is possible to minimize the distance between the two, and to increase the mutual capacitance between them. In particular, when adopting the mutual capacitance method, the distance between the two conductive layers must be reduced to reduce the mutual capacitance. It is preferable to increase the amount.

[0079] [Example of conductive layer openings and pixel arrangement] 7 to 9 show pixels and sub-pixels included in the pixels as viewed from the display surface side, and the conductive layer 2 3. Here, the conductive layer 23 will be used as an example for explanation. The conductive layer 24 and the conductive layer 25 may have the same structure.

[0080] In FIG. 7A, the pixel 33 is made up of three sub-pixels: a sub-pixel 33R, a sub-pixel 33G, and a sub-pixel 33B. For example, the sub-pixel 33R displays red, and the sub-pixel The sub-pixel 33G may have a function of displaying green, and the sub-pixel 33B may have a function of displaying blue. The number of sub-pixels included in the pixel 33 and the types of colors of the sub-pixels are not limited to these.

[0081] Each of the sub-pixels included in the pixel 33 includes a display element. Representative examples include light-emitting elements such as organic EL elements, liquid crystal elements, electrophoretic devices, and electronic liquid powders (registered trademarks) Display elements (also called electronic ink) that display images using methods such as the shutter-type ME Examples include MEMS display elements and optical interference type MEMS display elements. In addition to the elements, the semiconductor device includes transistors, capacitors, and wirings that electrically connect these elements. It may be possible.

[0082] Also, transmissive LCD displays, semi-transmissive LCD displays, and reflective LCD displays It can also be applied to transflective LCDs and reflective LCDs. In order to realize a liquid crystal display, a part or all of the pixel electrodes are used as reflective electrodes. For example, a part or all of the pixel electrodes may be made of aluminum. In this case, the reflective electrode may have a thickness of 100 μm or 100 μm. It is also possible to provide a memory circuit such as RAM, which further reduces power consumption. In addition, a suitable configuration for the display element to be applied can be selected from various pixel circuits. It can be used.

[0083] In the configuration shown in FIG. 7A, the conductive layer 23 has one opening 23a, a sub-pixel 33R, The three sub-pixels, ie, the sub-pixel 33G and the sub-pixel 33B, are arranged so as to overlap each other. As shown, the opening 23a of the conductive layer 23 is arranged so as to overlap one pixel 33. In other words, it is preferable that the intervals at which the pixels 33 are arranged and the intervals at which the lattice of the conductive layer 23 are arranged are By adopting such a configuration, the peripheral area of ​​each pixel 33 Structure (for example, the film structure of the pixel and its surroundings, the thickness of the film that composes it, or the uneven shape of the surface, etc.) Since the display characteristics (e.g., brightness, color, etc.) can be made the same, the occurrence of display unevenness can be suppressed.

[0084] For example, as shown in FIG. 8, two or more pixels 33 and one opening 23a overlap each other. It may also be configured as follows.

[0085] In FIG. 7B, one opening 23a and one sub-pixel are arranged so as to overlap each other. In this way, an example is shown in which a pixel 33 is provided between two sub-pixels in a plan view. By using a configuration in which the conductive layer 23 is disposed, the wiring resistance of the conductive layer 23 can be reduced. As a result, the detection sensitivity of the touch panel can be improved.

[0086] In FIG. 7C, the pixel 33 further includes a sub-pixel 33Y in comparison with the configuration shown in FIG. 7A. The sub-pixel 33Y is a pixel that can display yellow, for example. In place of the sub-pixel 33Y, a pixel capable of displaying white can be applied. In this way, the pixel 33 having sub-pixels of more than three colors can be applied. This reduces power consumption.

[0087] In FIG. 7D, one opening 23a and one sub-pixel are arranged so as to overlap each other. That is, the conductive layer 23 is disposed between two adjacent sub-pixels in a plan view. Although not shown, two of the four sub-pixels are arranged in one The opening 23a may be arranged so as to overlap with the opening 23a.

[0088] In the examples shown in FIGS. 7A to 7D, the sub-pixels are arranged in stripes. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7(E) to (G), a configuration in which two color sub-pixels are alternately arranged in one direction is possible. In FIG. 7(E), a pixel 33 having four sub-pixels and one opening 23a is In addition, in FIG. 7(F), two adjacent sub-pixels and one opening are shown. In FIG. 7(G), one sub-pixel and one 2 shows a configuration in which the openings 23a overlap each other.

[0089] The size of the sub-pixels of the pixel 33 (for example, the area of ​​the area that contributes to display) is For example, the subpixels that show blue, which has a relatively low visibility, may be made larger, or It is also possible to make the sub-pixels showing green or red, which have a relatively high luminosity, smaller.

[0090] In FIGS. 9A and 9B, among the subpixels 33R, 33G, and 33B, This shows an example in which the size of the sub-pixel 33B is made larger than the other sub-pixels. 7A and 7B, the sub-pixels 33R and 33G are alternately arranged. The three sub-pixels are arranged in a stripe pattern, each with a different size. It is also possible to do so.

[0091] In FIG. 9A, a pixel 33 having three sub-pixels and one opening 23a overlap each other. 9B, one opening 23a and one sub-pixel 33B are arranged. The openings 23a and the two subpixels (subpixel 33R and subpixel 33G) overlap each other. and show a configuration in which they overlap each other.

[0092] Alternatively, the pixel configurations shown in FIGS. 9(C) to 9(E) may be used. The sub-pixels 33B are arranged in a stripe pattern, and the sub-pixels 33R and 33C are arranged on both sides of the row of the sub-pixels 33B. The sub-pixels 33B and 33G are arranged alternately in a row. One pixel 33R and one sub-pixel 33G are arranged.

[0093] In FIG. 9C, six sub-pixels (two for each color) and one opening 23a overlap each other. Also, in FIG. 9(D), three sub-pixels, one for each color, and one aperture 2 9(E) shows a configuration in which one sub-pixel and one The configuration shown here is such that the openings 23a and 23b overlap each other. Two or more adjacent sub-pixels and one opening 23a may overlap each other.

[0094] As described above, the positional relationship between the conductive layer 23 and the sub-pixels has been explained. The same applies to the conductive layer 24 and the conductive layer 25. The opening 23a of the conductive layer 23 and one or more sub-pixels overlap each other, and The opening 24a of the conductive layer 24 and one or more other sub-pixels overlap each other. As described above, each sub-pixel has a display element, and therefore the openings 23a and 24a are It can also be said that the display element has an overlapping area with one or more display elements.

[0095] [About the layered structure of touch panels] FIG. 10(A) shows a schematic top view of a part of the touch panel as seen from the display surface side. 10(A), the conductive layer 23, the conductive layer 24, the conductive layer 25, the light-shielding layer 53, the colored layers 52R, 52 G, 52B, etc.

[0096] FIG. 10(B) shows a schematic diagram of the laminated structure shown in FIG. 10(A) in an expanded state. As shown in FIG. 10(B), a light-shielding layer 53, a conductive layer 23, and a conductive layer 24, insulating layer 28, conductive layer 25, colored layers 52R, 52G, 52B, and display element 51 are arranged. It has been done.

[0097] In the following description, the colored layers 52R, 52G, and 52B will be referred to without distinction. When describing matters common to these layers, they may be simply referred to as colored layer 52.

[0098] Each colored layer 52 has a function of transmitting light in a specific wavelength band. The colored layer 52A transmits red light, the colored layer 52G transmits green light, and the colored layer 52B transmits blue light. The display element 51 and one of the colored layers 52 are arranged so as to overlap each other. Only light in a specific wavelength range from the light emitted from the element can be transmitted to the substrate 21 side.

[0099] The light-shielding layer 53 has a function of blocking visible light. 10, the light-shielding layer 53 is arranged so as to overlap the region between the light-shielding layer 53 and the light-shielding layer 53. The opening is arranged so as to overlap the display element 51 and the colored layer 52. This shows an example of

[0100] As shown in FIG. 10(B), the light-shielding layer 53 is made of the conductive layer 23, the conductive layer 24, and the conductive layer 25. In other words, the light-shielding layer 53 is preferably disposed closer to the substrate 21 than the conductive layers. It is also preferable that the light-shielding layer 53, the conductive layer 23, and the conductive Preferably, the layer 24 and each of the conductive layers 25 have overlapping regions. By adopting such a configuration, when viewed from the display surface side, the conductive layer 23, the conductive layer 24, and the conductive layer 25 are hidden by the light-shielding layer 53, so that these conductive layers are not visible to the user. In particular, when the conductive layer 23, the conductive layer 24, or the conductive layer 25 is made of a metal, the conductive layer 23, the conductive layer 24, or the conductive layer 25 can be made of a metal. This is effective when using a material that reflects visible light, such as a metal or alloy.

[0101] In the configuration shown in FIG. 10(B), an insulating layer 28 is sandwiched between the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 25. These form the capacitance element 11. Thus, the two conductive layers 24 and 25 sandwiching the conductive layer 23 are electrically connected to each other.

[0102] In addition, the conductive layers 23, 24, and 25 are formed on two adjacent surfaces in a plan view. It is preferable that the conductive layer 23 is disposed between the display elements 51. The layer 24 and the conductive layer 25 are arranged between two adjacent colored layers 52 in a plan view. It is preferable that the area of ​​the colored layer 52 is larger than the area of ​​the opening of the light-shielding layer 53. When the area of ​​the conductive layer 23, the conductive layer 24, or the area of ​​the display element 51 is larger, Alternatively, a part of the conductive layer 25 may have an area overlapping with the display element 51 or the colored layer 52. .

[0103] In this example, the colored layer 52 is disposed closer to the substrate 31 than the conductive layer 23, etc. It may be disposed closer to the substrate 21 than the conductive layer 23 and the like.

[0104] In FIG. 10, two conductive layers 24 arranged on either side of a conductive layer 23 are electrically connected by a conductive layer 25. Although an example of a configuration in which the electrodes are electrically connected has been shown, it is also possible to use a configuration in which the conductive layer 25 is not provided as described above. It is also possible.

[0105] 11(A) and 11(B) show the conductive layer 25 and the opening 27 shown in FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B). As shown in FIG. 11(B), the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 are not connected to each other. An insulating layer 28 is provided between them, and these constitute the capacitance element 11.

[0106] This concludes the description of the laminated structure.

[0107] [Cross-section example] An example of the cross-sectional configuration of the touch panel module 10 will be described below.

[0108] [Cross-sectional configuration example 1] FIG. 12(A) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch panel module according to one embodiment of the present invention. The touch panel module shown in 2(A) is a capacitor that forms a touch sensor between a pair of substrates. Since the display device includes the element and the display element, it can be made thinner.

[0109] The touch panel module is formed by bonding a substrate 21 and a substrate 31 together with an adhesive layer 220. On the substrate 21 (on the substrate 31 side of the substrate 21), a conductive material constituting a touch sensor is provided. In addition to the conductive layer 23, the conductive layer 24, the conductive layer 25, the insulating layer 28, etc., the contact portion 253, the colored layer 52, a light-shielding layer 53, etc. are provided on the substrate 31 (on the substrate 21 side of the substrate 31). A transistor 201, a transistor 202, a transistor 203, a light-emitting element 204, a contact A connector 205 and the like are provided.

[0110] On the substrate 31, an insulating layer 212, an insulating layer 213, an insulating layer 214, and an insulating layer 215 are formed via an adhesive layer 211. Edge layer 215, insulating layer 216, insulating layer 217, insulating layer 218, spacer 219, conductive layer 22 He has a 5th place.

[0111] The light emitting element 204 is provided on the insulating layer 217. The light emitting element 204 has a first electrode 2 21, an EL layer 222, and a second electrode 223 (see FIG. 12(B)). An optical adjustment layer 224 is provided between the insulating layer 218 and the EL layer 222. , and is provided to cover the ends of the first electrode 221 and the optical adjustment layer 224 .

[0112] In FIG. 12A, a pixel 33 includes a current control transistor 201 and a switching control transistor 202. The transistor 201 has a source or One of the drains is electrically connected to the first electrode 221 via a conductive layer 225 .

[0113] FIG. 12A shows a configuration in which a transistor 203 is provided in the circuit 34. .

[0114] In FIG. 12A, the transistors 201 and 203 are transistors having channels This shows an example in which a structure is applied in which the semiconductor layer to be formed is sandwiched between two gate electrodes. Such transistors can have higher field-effect mobility than other transistors. As a result, it is possible to manufacture a circuit capable of high-speed operation. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the area occupied by the circuit section. By applying these transistors, it is possible to increase the size of display panels or touch panels or to make them more precise. Even if the number of wires increases when the wiring is thinned, it is possible to reduce the signal delay in each wire. This makes it possible to suppress display unevenness.

[0115] Note that the transistors in the circuit 34 and the transistors in the pixel 33 have the same structure. The transistors in the circuit 34 may all have the same structure. Transistors of different structures may be used in combination. The transistors may have the same structure, or may be combined with transistors of different structures. Good too.

[0116] The light emitting element 204 is a light emitting element of a top emission structure, and the light is emitted from the second electrode 223 side. The transistor 201 and the transistor 202 are overlapped with the light emitting region of the light emitting element 204. In addition to the above, the aperture ratio of the pixel 33 can be increased by arranging a capacitance element, wiring, etc. Cut.

[0117] The spacer 219 is provided on the insulating layer 218 and adjusts the distance between the substrate 31 and the substrate 21. In FIG. 12(A), the spacer 219 and the overcoat 26 of the substrate 21 13, the structure on the substrate 21 side is The area where the overcoat 267 or the like contacts the second electrode 223 on the spacer 219 is 13, the spacers 219 may be provided in the areas other than the pixels 33, For example, it may be arranged in an area overlapping with the circuit 34, or in the periphery of the substrate 21 or the substrate 31. In addition, although the spacer 219 is formed on the substrate 31 side here, it may be formed on the substrate 21 side. For example, the insulating layer 266, the overcoat 267, the colored layer 52, etc. It is sufficient to provide it on the top of the

[0118] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, granular spacers 226 are used instead of the spacers 219. The granular spacers 226 may be made of a light-transmitting material or a light-absorbing material. The spacer 226 can be made of a material such as silica. However, it is preferable to use an elastic material such as organic resin or rubber. In FIG. 14, the elastic spacer 226 is deformed as if it is being crushed up and down. It shows.

[0119] On the substrate 31 side of the substrate 21, an insulating layer 262, a light-shielding layer 53, and an insulating layer 264, conductive layer 23, conductive layer 24, insulating layer 28, conductive layer 25, insulating layer 266, colored layer 52 The colored layer 52 may also have an overcoat 267 that covers it.

[0120] The light-shielding layer 53 is provided closer to the substrate 31 than the insulating layer 262. The light-shielding layer 53 has an opening. The opening is provided so as to overlap with the light emitting region of the light emitting element 204.

[0121] Materials that can be used for the light-shielding layer 53 include carbon black, metal oxides, and Examples of the oxide include a composite oxide containing a solid solution of a plurality of metal oxides. It is preferable to use a laminated film of films containing the material of the color layer 52. For example, each color layer may be made of acrylic. A film containing a material used for the colored layer 52R that transmits red light and a film containing a material used for the colored layer 52R that transmits blue light are used. The color layer 52B may have a laminated structure with a film containing the material used for the color layer 52B that transmits light. By using the same material for the color layer 52 and the light-shielding layer 53, the device can be standardized, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. can be reduced.

[0122] For example, materials that can be used for the colored layer 52 include metal materials, resin materials, pigments, and Examples include resin materials containing dyes.

[0123] An insulating layer 264 is provided to cover the light-shielding layer 53. The insulating layer 264 serves as a planarizing film. In addition, when a material with low heat resistance is used for the light-shielding layer 53, The use of an organic insulating material for the edge layer 264 is preferable because it allows a highly flat layer to be formed at low temperatures. Furthermore, when an inorganic insulating material is used for the insulating layer 264, the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 can be easily formed. This is preferable because it can function as an etching stopper during processing.

[0124] Each of the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 is provided to cover a part of the insulating layer 264. The conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 have an area where they overlap with the light-shielding layer 53. 1 shows an example in which the conductive layer 24 is provided in a part of the area of ​​the pixel 33. The opening 24a and the light emitting element 204 overlap each other. The conductive layer 24 is provided to surround the light-emitting region of the light-emitting element 204. The conductive layer 24 includes, for example, a spacer 219, an insulating layer 218, a conductive layer 225, a transistor 201, and a Alternatively, the transistor 202 or wiring electrically connected to each transistor may be connected to each other. The same applies to the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 25. .

[0125] FIG. 12A shows an example in which the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 are formed by processing the same conductive film. The conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 are formed over the entire display area. By forming these in the same process, display unevenness can be reduced.

[0126] The insulating layer 28 functions as a dielectric of the capacitance element 11. In FIG. 2 shows an example in which an inorganic insulating material is used for the insulating layer 28. This makes it easier to form a uniform thickness and allows it to be thinner than organic insulating materials. Since this is easy to do, it is possible to reduce variations in the capacitance value of the capacitance element 11. Similarly to the layer 264, it functions as an etching stopper when processing the conductive layer 25. It is also possible to use an organic insulating material for the insulating layer 28. Since a material with lower heat resistance can be used on the substrate 21 side, the range of material choices is widened. It is possible.

[0127] The conductive layer 25 is provided to cover a part of the insulating layer 28. The conductive layer 25 and the light-shielding layer 53 are alternately provided. A part of the conductive layer 25 and the conductive layer 23 overlap each other. The conductive layer 25 is located on both sides of the conductive layer 23 through openings provided in the insulating layer 28. The conductive layer 24 has a function of electrically connecting two conductive layers 24 placed therebetween.

[0128] An insulating layer 266 is provided to cover the conductive layer 25 and the insulating layer 28. A colored layer 52 is provided to cover the portion. An overcoat 267 is also provided to cover the colored layer 52. may be provided.

[0129] The insulating layer 266 preferably functions as a planarizing layer, and is preferably an organic insulating layer. Alternatively, an inorganic insulating material having high flatness may be used. 266 flattens the surface, thereby reducing variations in the thickness of the color layer 52. This allows for the realization of a touch panel with high display quality.

[0130] If at least one of the substrates 21 and 31 is flexible, the device can be thin and lightweight. Furthermore, if flexible substrates are used for both the touch panel and the flexible substrate, This makes it possible to realize a flexible touch panel.

[0131] The touch panel shown in FIG. 12 uses a color filter method. For example, a colored layer 52, which is a pixel of three colors, R (red), G (green), or B (blue), applied to it. In addition, the W (white) and Y (yellow) pixels may be used to express one color. may be applied.

[0132] In addition, an EL layer that emits white light may be used as the EL layer 222 included in the light emitting element 204. By applying such a light-emitting element 204, it is possible to coat the EL layer 222 on each pixel. This reduces costs and makes it easier to achieve high pixel resolution. By changing the thickness of the optical adjustment layer 224 in the pixel, it is possible to obtain a suitable wavelength for each pixel. It is possible to extract light and improve color purity. 222 may be configured to be painted differently, in which case the optical adjustment layer 224 is not used. You can also do this.

[0133] The insulating layers and the like located in the area overlapping the contact portion 205 provided on the substrate 31 are provided with openings. An opening is provided, and the contact portion 205 and the FPC 4 are connected by the connection layer 260 disposed in the opening. 1 is electrically connected to the substrate 21. An opening is formed in each insulating layer located in the area overlapping the substrate 21. and a contact portion 253 and an FPC 42 are connected to each other via a connection layer 210 disposed in the opening. are electrically connected to each other.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 13 or 14, the FPC 41 and the connection layer 260, the substrate 21 and It is also possible to configure the insulating layer and the like provided on the substrate 21 so that they do not overlap. 3 and 14, the FPC 42 and the connection layer 210, the substrate 31, and the The figure shows a configuration in which insulating layers and the like do not overlap.

[0135] In FIG. 12A, the contact portion 205 is connected to the source electrode and the drain electrode of the transistor. The structure shown has a conductive layer formed by processing the same conductive film as the contact. The portion 253 is a conductive layer formed by processing the same conductive film as the conductive layers 23 and 24, and and conductive layer 25. In this way, by configuring the contact part by laminating multiple conductive layers, the electrical resistance is This is preferable because it not only reduces the resistance but also increases the mechanical strength.

[0136] In addition, in FIG. 12(A), as an example, the same conductive film as the gate electrode of the transistor is processed. The wiring formed by this process is processed with the same conductive film as the source and drain electrodes of the transistor. 2 shows the cross-sectional structure of an intersection 206 where the wiring formed by the above-mentioned method intersects with the wiring formed by the above-mentioned method.

[0137] The connection layer 210 and the connection layer 260 are made of anisotropic conductive film (ACF). Anisotropic Conductive Film and Anisotropic Conductive Paste (ACP) A sonotropic conductive paste can be used.

[0138] The insulating layer 212 and the insulating layer 262 are made of a material that is difficult for impurities such as water and hydrogen to diffuse. That is, the insulating layer 212 and the insulating layer 262 preferably function as a barrier film. By adopting such a configuration, the substrate 21 and the substrate 31 can have moisture permeability. Even if a material suitable for the light emitting element 204 and each transistor is used, impurities from the outside This effectively prevents diffusion, enabling the realization of highly reliable touch panels. .

[0139] Here, the conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 (or the conductive layer 25) on the display panel side (all That is, a conductive layer located on the substrate side where the display element is provided, and a conductive layer located on the display panel side from the conductive layer Among the conductive layers located on the side of the conductor, the conductive layer (conductive layer 23 or conductive layer 24 (or conductive layer 2 5)) is set at a distance of, for example, 25 nm or more and 100 μm or less, preferably It is preferable that the thickness is 50 nm or more and 10 μm or less, and more preferably 50 nm or more and 5 μm or less. stomach.

[0140] In the example shown in FIG. 12A, the conductive layer 24 located in the region of the pixel 33 is closer to the display panel side. The conductive layer located closest to the second electrode 223 of the light emitting element 204 is At this time, the distance between the conductive layer 24 and the second electrode 223 is defined as D. The smaller the distance D, This allows the distance between the pair of substrates to be reduced, making it possible to reduce the thickness of the touch panel. In particular, by using flexible substrates for the pair of substrates, it is possible to achieve a flexible Furthermore, a touch panel with high resistance to bending can be realized.

[0141] The conductive layer closest to the display panel side of the conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 is The conductive layer is not limited to the second electrode 223, but may be other conductive layers. When there is another conductive layer between the layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 and the second electrode 223, the conductive layer The distance between the conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 and the conductive layer is set to be within the above range. For example, when applying the adhesive layer 220 onto the insulating layer 266, the adhesive layer 220 may be formed by the addition of a thin film. For this purpose, a conductive layer may be provided.

[0142] [About each component] Each of the above components will be described below.

[0143] The transistor has a conductive layer that functions as a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, and a a conductive layer that functions as a drain electrode; a conductive layer that functions as a gate insulating layer; FIG. 12A shows a case where a bottom-gate transistor is used. This indicates a match.

[0144] Note that there is no particular limitation on the structure of a transistor included in a touch panel of one embodiment of the present invention. For example, a staggered transistor or an inverted staggered transistor may be used. In addition, the transistor structure may be either a top gate type or a bottom gate type. The semiconductor material used for the transistor is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include oxide semiconductors, silicon Examples of suitable materials include silicon and germanium.

[0145] The crystallinity of the semiconductor material used in the transistor is not particularly limited. A semiconductor having crystallinity (a microcrystalline semiconductor, a polycrystalline semiconductor, a single-crystal semiconductor, or a semiconductor having a partially crystalline region) If a semiconductor having crystallinity is used, This is preferable because it can suppress deterioration of the resistor characteristics.

[0146] Semiconductor materials used in transistors include, for example, elements of group 14, compound semiconductors, A silicon or oxide semiconductor can be used for the semiconductor layer. A semiconductor containing gallium arsenide, an oxide semiconductor containing indium, or the like can be used.

[0147] In particular, an oxide semiconductor can be used as a semiconductor in which a channel of a transistor is formed. It is particularly preferable to use an oxide semiconductor having a larger band gap than silicon. It is preferable to use a semiconductor material with a wider band gap and lower carrier density than silicon. The use of such a compound is preferable because it can reduce the current in the off state of the transistor.

[0148] For example, the oxide semiconductor may contain at least indium (In) or zinc (Zn It is preferable that the oxide contains In-M-Zn (wherein M is Al, Ti, Metals such as Ga, Ge, Y, Zr, Sn, La, Ce or Hf) nothing.

[0149] In particular, the semiconductor layer has a plurality of crystal portions, and the c-axes of the crystal portions are aligned with the surface on which the semiconductor layer is formed. or oriented approximately perpendicular to the upper surface of the semiconductor layer and having no grain boundary between adjacent crystal portions. It is preferable to use an oxide semiconductor film that does not have a resistivity.

[0150] Such oxide semiconductors have no crystal grain boundaries, so when the display panel is bent, The occurrence of cracks in the oxide semiconductor film due to stress is suppressed. Such oxide semiconductors are suitable for use in touch panels that are flexible and can be curved. It can be used.

[0151] Furthermore, by using such an oxide semiconductor as the semiconductor layer, fluctuations in electrical characteristics are suppressed. This allows for the realization of highly reliable transistors.

[0152] In addition, due to its low off-state current, the charge stored in the capacitance can be released for a long period of time via the transistor. By applying such a transistor to a pixel, It is also possible to stop the driving circuit while maintaining the gradation of the image displayed in the display area. As a result, a display device with extremely reduced power consumption can be realized.

[0153] Alternatively, silicon is preferably used as the semiconductor in which the channel of the transistor is formed. Although amorphous silicon may be used as silicon, silicon having crystallinity is particularly preferred. It is preferable to use silicon. For example, microcrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, single crystal silicon, etc. In particular, polycrystalline silicon has a lower temperature than single-crystal silicon. It can be formed without any additional process and has higher field effect mobility and higher reliability than amorphous silicon. By applying such a polycrystalline semiconductor to the pixel, the aperture ratio of the pixel can be improved. Even when the pixels are extremely fine, the gate drive circuit and source drive circuit This makes it possible to form the circuit and the pixel on the same substrate, reducing the number of parts that make up electronic devices. It is possible.

[0154] In addition to the gate, source, and drain of the transistor, various wiring that makes up the touch panel Materials that can be used for conductive layers such as wires and electrodes include aluminum, titanium, Chromium, nickel, copper, yttrium, zirconium, molybdenum, silver, tantalum, or The material is a metal such as tungsten, or an alloy containing this as its main component, in a single layer structure or a multilayer structure. For example, a single layer structure of aluminum film containing silicon, aluminum film on titanium film, Two-layer structure with tungsten film on top of aluminum film, two-layer structure with tungsten film on top of aluminum film, copper - Two-layer structure with copper film laminated on magnesium-aluminum alloy film, copper film laminated on titanium film Two-layer structure with copper film laminated on tungsten film, two-layer structure with titanium film or titanium nitride film A titanium film and an aluminum film or copper film are laminated on the titanium film or titanium nitride film. A three-layer structure in which a titanium film or titanium nitride film is formed on top of the titanium film, a molybdenum film or The molybdenum nitride film is a layer of aluminum overlaid on the molybdenum film or the molybdenum nitride film. A molybdenum film or a copper film is laminated on the substrate, and a molybdenum film or a molybdenum nitride film is then formed on the laminate. There are three-layer structures, etc. Transparent conductive materials containing indium oxide, tin oxide, or zinc oxide Furthermore, when copper containing manganese is used, the shape can be easily controlled by etching. This is preferable because it increases

[0155] Examples of the conductive material having light-transmitting properties include indium oxide, indium tin oxide, and indium tin oxide. Conductive oxides such as indium zinc oxide, zinc oxide, and gallium-doped zinc oxide, or Graphene can be used. Alternatively, gold, silver, platinum, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, etc. such as tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper, palladium, or titanium Metallic materials and alloy materials containing such metallic materials can be used. Alternatively, a metal material, an alloy material (or a combination thereof) may be used. When using these nitrides, it is sufficient to make them thin enough to have light transmission properties. A laminated film of a material can be used as the conductive layer. For example, a silver-magnesium alloy and an insulator can be used. It is preferable to use a laminated film of tin oxide or the like, since the conductivity can be increased.

[0156] Insulating materials that can be used for each insulating layer, the overcoat 267, the spacer 219, etc. Examples of such resins include acrylic and epoxy resins, resins with siloxane bonds, and acid resins. silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, etc. Any inorganic insulating material can be used.

[0157] As described above, the light emitting element is provided between a pair of insulating films having low water permeability. This makes it possible to prevent impurities such as water from entering the light emitting element, and the light emitting device This can prevent a decrease in reliability.

[0158] As insulating films with low water permeability, films containing nitrogen and silicon such as silicon nitride film and silicon nitride oxide film are used. and films containing nitrogen and aluminum, such as an aluminum nitride film. A silicon oxide film, a silicon oxynitride film, an aluminum oxide film, or the like may also be used.

[0159] For example, the water vapor permeation rate of a low-permeability insulating film is 1×10 -5 [g / (m 2 ·day) ] or less, preferably 1 × 10 -6 [g / (m 2 ·day)] or less, preferably 1 × 1 0 -7 [g / (m 2 ·day)] or less, more preferably 1 × 10 -8 [g / (m 2 ·d ay)] below.

[0160] Each adhesive layer is made of a hardening resin such as a thermosetting resin, a photo-hardening resin, or a two-component mixed hardening resin. For example, acrylic, urethane, epoxy, or siloxane resins can be used. Resins having such a structure can be used.

[0161] The EL layer 222 has at least a light-emitting layer. The EL layer 222 includes the following layers other than the light-emitting layer: Materials with high hole injection properties, materials with high hole transport properties, hole blocking materials, materials with high electron transport properties Highly electron-injecting or bipolar material (highly electron-transporting and hole-transporting properties) The layer may further include a layer containing a material.

[0162] The EL layer 222 can be made of either a low molecular weight compound or a high molecular weight compound. The layers constituting the EL layer 222 may each be formed by a vapor deposition method (vacuum evaporation). It can be formed by methods such as transfer method, printing method, ink jet method, coating method, etc. Cut.

[0163] When a white light emitting element is used as the light emitting element 204, two types of It is preferable that the light emitting element contains two or more luminescent materials. White light can be obtained by selecting luminescent materials so that the light is complementary in color. For example, they emit light of R (red), G (green), B (blue), Y (yellow), O (orange), etc. or luminescent materials that emit light containing spectral components of two or more of the colors R, G, and B. It is preferable that the light emitting element 204 contains two or more of the above substances. The wavelength of the visible light (e.g., 350 nm to 750 nm) has two or more peaks. It is preferable to use a light-emitting element having a peak in the yellow wavelength region. The emission spectrum of this material has spectral components in the green and red wavelength regions. It is preferable that:

[0164] More preferably, the EL layer 222 is a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting material that emits light of one color and a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting material that emits light of another color. It is preferable that the light-emitting layer has a laminated structure including a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting material that emits light of E The plurality of light-emitting layers in the L layer 222 may be stacked in contact with each other or may be stacked with a separating layer interposed therebetween. For example, a structure in which a separation layer is provided between the fluorescent-emitting layer and the phosphorescent-emitting layer may be used. It may also be composed.

[0165] The separation layer is used to convert the excited state of a phosphorescent material generated in the phosphorescent-emitting layer into the fluorescent material in the fluorescent-emitting layer. Prevents energy transfer (especially triplet energy transfer) to optical materials via the Dexter mechanism The separation layer only needs to be a few nanometers thick. 1 nm to 20 nm, or 1 nm to 10 nm, or 1 nm to 5 nm The separating layer may be a single material (preferably a bipolar material) or a plurality of materials. (preferably a hole transporting material and an electron transporting material).

[0166] The separation layer may be formed using a material contained in the light-emitting layer that is in contact with the separation layer. This makes it easier to fabricate the light-emitting device and reduces the driving voltage. When the separation layer is made of a host material, an assist material, and a phosphorescent material (guest material), The separation layer may be formed of a host material and an assist material. The phosphorescent layer has a region that does not contain the material, and the phosphorescent layer has a region that contains the phosphorescent material. The separation layer and the phosphorescent layer can be deposited with or without a phosphorescent material. This configuration makes it possible to form the separation layer and the phosphorescent layer in the same chamber. This allows the manufacturing costs to be reduced.

[0167] The light emitting element 204 may be a single element having one EL layer, or may be a light emitting element having multiple EL layers. The device may be a tandem device in which an EL layer is stacked via a charge generating layer.

[0168] [Example of manufacturing method] Here, a method for manufacturing a flexible touch panel will be described.

[0169] For convenience, the term "structure including pixels and circuits," "structure including optical members such as color filters," and "structure including optical members such as color filters" will be used herein. The structure including the touch sensor is referred to as an element layer. The element layer includes, for example, a display element. In addition to display elements, wiring electrically connecting to display elements, transistors used in pixels and circuits, etc. The device may include the following elements:

[0170] Also, in this embodiment, a support (e.g., a substrate 21 or a substrate 22) is provided with an insulating surface on which a device layer is formed. The plate 31) will be referred to as the substrate.

[0171] As a method for forming an element layer on a substrate having a flexible insulating surface, a method for forming a layer directly on the substrate can be used. and a method for forming a contact element layer, and a method for forming the element layer on a rigid support substrate and then connecting the element layer and the support. and a method of peeling off the support substrate and transferring the element layer onto the substrate.

[0172] If the material constituting the base material is heat resistant to the heat applied in the process of forming the element layer, It is preferable to form the element layer directly on the substrate, since this simplifies the process. When the element layer is formed in a state where the element is fixed to the support substrate, it is easy to transport the element within and between devices. This is preferable because it makes things easier.

[0173] In addition, when a method is used in which an element layer is formed on a supporting substrate and then transferred to a substrate, the supporting substrate is first A release layer and an insulating layer are laminated on the support substrate, and an element layer is formed on the insulating layer. The support substrate and the element layer are peeled off and transferred to the substrate. The material may be selected so that release occurs at the interface of the edge layer or in the release layer.

[0174] For example, a layer containing a high melting point metal material such as tungsten as a peeling layer and an oxide layer of the metal material A layer including a material is stacked, and a layer in which silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride is stacked on a peeling layer. It is preferable to use a high melting point metal material. The degree of freedom in the process of forming the element layer is increased. This is preferable.

[0175] Peeling can be achieved by applying mechanical force, etching the peeling layer, or by breaking down the peeling interface. The peeling may be performed by dropping a liquid onto a portion of the surface and allowing it to penetrate the entire peeling interface. Alternatively, the peeling may be performed by applying heat to the peeling interface, taking advantage of the difference in thermal expansion.

[0176] Furthermore, if peeling is possible at the interface between the support substrate and the insulating layer, it is not necessary to provide a peel layer. For example, glass is used as the support substrate and an organic resin such as polyimide is used as the insulating layer. A part of the organic resin is locally heated using a laser beam or the like to form a peeling starting point. Alternatively, the separation may be performed at the interface between the glass and the insulating layer. Providing a metal layer between the edge layers and heating the metal layer by passing an electric current through the metal layer. The metal layer and the insulating layer may be peeled off at the interface by the organic resin. The insulating layer can be used as a substrate.

[0177] Examples of flexible substrates include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly Polyester resins such as ethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyacrylonitrile resins, Polyimide resin, polymethyl methacrylate resin, polycarbonate (PC) resin, polyethylene Polyethersulfone (PES) resin, polyamide resin, cycloolefin resin, polystyrene Resins, polyamide-imide resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, etc. are particularly suitable. It is preferable to use a material with a low thermal expansion coefficient, for example, 30×10 -6 / K or less Polyamide-imide resin, polyimide resin, PET, etc. can be suitably used. Substrates made of resin-impregnated fibers (also called prepregs) and inorganic fillers mixed with organic resins are also used. It is also possible to use a substrate with a reduced thermal expansion coefficient.

[0178] When the above materials contain fibrous bodies, the fibrous bodies are made of high strength organic or inorganic compounds. High strength fibers are specifically fibers with high tensile modulus or Young's modulus. Representative examples include polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polyester fibers, and polyamide fibers. Mid fiber, polyethylene fiber, aramid fiber, polyparaphenylene benzobisoxide Examples of the fiber include Sasol fiber, glass fiber, and carbon fiber. Examples of glass fibers include those made from glass, S-glass, D-glass, and Q-glass. Alternatively, the fiber is used in the form of a nonwoven fabric, and the resin is impregnated into the fiber, and the resin is hardened to form a flexible structure. As a flexible substrate, a substrate made of a fiber body and a resin may be used. The use of a structure is preferable because it improves reliability against damage due to bending or local pressure. stomach.

[0179] Alternatively, glass, metal, or the like that is thin enough to be flexible can also be used as the substrate. Alternatively, a composite material in which glass and a resin material are bonded together may be used.

[0180] For example, in the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 12(A), a first release layer and an insulating layer 2 are formed on a first support substrate. After forming the layers 62 in order, the upper layer structure is formed. After forming the second release layer and the insulating layer 212 in this order on the support base material, the structure of the upper layers is Next, the first support substrate and the second support substrate are bonded together with an adhesive layer 220. Thereafter, the second release layer is peeled off at the interface between the second release layer and the insulating layer 212, thereby forming the second support substrate and The second release layer is removed, and the insulating layer 212 and the substrate 31 are bonded together with the adhesive layer 211. In addition, the first support base and the first peeling layer are peeled off at the interface between the first peeling layer and the insulating layer 262. The peeled layer is removed, and the insulating layer 262 and the substrate 21 are bonded together with the adhesive layer 261. The lamination may be carried out on either side first.

[0181] The above is a description of the method for producing a flexible touch panel.

[0182] [Cross-sectional configuration example 2] FIG. 15 shows an example of a cross-sectional structure that is partially different from that shown in FIG. 12(A). Explanation of overlapping parts will be omitted, and differences will be explained.

[0183] 15 shows an example of a configuration in which the conductive layer 25 is not provided. The conductive layer 24 is formed on the insulating layer 28. The conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 24 have an overlapping area, The capacitance element 11 is formed in this portion.

[0184] 15, the conductive layer 24 is connected to the conductive layer 23 through an opening provided in the insulating layer 28. 10 shows a cross-sectional structure of a connection portion 272 that is electrically connected to wiring formed by processing the same conductive film. is doing.

[0185] 15 shows an example in which the EL layer 222 is formed by applying different colors to each pixel. Layer 222 may comprise, for example, a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting material that emits light of one color. In addition, the light emitting element 204 shown in FIG. 15 can be provided with the optical adjustment layer 224 shown in FIG. 12(B). 15 shows a configuration in which the colored layer 52 is not provided. The EL layer 222 of the light emitting element 204 of each pixel is formed by coating differently. When 204 emits light with high color purity, the configuration can be simplified in this way. Therefore, it is preferable.

[0186] Here, the conductive layer 23 or the conductive layer 24 located on the display panel side and the conductive layer 24 located on the display panel side are Among the conductive layers located closer to the display panel than the conductive layer, the conductive layer (conductive layer 23 or conductive layer 24) and the closest conductive layer, for example, 25 nm or more and 100 μm or less, preferably It is preferable that the thickness is 50 nm or more and 10 μm or less, and more preferably 50 nm or more and 5 μm or less. stomach.

[0187] In the example shown in FIG. 15, the conductive layer 24 and the conductive layer 25 located closer to the display panel than the conductive layer 24 are The electrode 223 of the light emitting element 204 is located closest to the first electrode 223. The smaller the distance D between the conductive layer 24 and the second electrode 223, the smaller the distance between the pair of substrates. This allows the thickness of the touch panel to be reduced. By using a flexible substrate, a flexible and highly bending-resistant touch panel can be realized. The panel can be realized.

[0188] The above is the description of the cross-sectional configuration example 2.

[0189] In this embodiment, the substrate supporting the touch sensor and the substrate supporting the display element are Although the configuration having two substrates is shown, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the display element may be formed on two substrates. The substrate that supports the touch sensor is attached to the substrate, resulting in a three-substrate configuration. Alternatively, a display element and a touch sensor may be sandwiched between two substrates and then bonded together. Therefore, a configuration having four substrates may be adopted.

[0190] This embodiment may be implemented in appropriate combination with other embodiment modes described in this specification. This can be done.

[0191] (Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, an example of a method for driving a touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This will be explained in light of the above.

[0192] [Example of sensor detection method] FIG. 16A is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mutual capacitance type touch sensor. In (A), a pulse voltage output circuit 601 and a current detection circuit 602 are shown. In (A), an electrode 621 to which a pulse voltage is applied and an electrode 622 to which a change in current is detected are arranged. These are shown as six wires, X1-X6 and Y1-Y6, respectively. A) illustrates a capacitance 603 formed by overlapping an electrode 621 and an electrode 622. The functions of electrode 621 and electrode 622 may be interchangeable.

[0193] The pulse voltage output circuit 601 is a circuit for applying pulses to the X1-X6 wirings in order. When a pulse voltage is applied to the wirings X1-X6, the electrodes 6 forming the capacitance 603 An electric field is generated between the electrode 21 and the electrode 622. The electric field generated between the electrodes is prevented by shielding or the like. By using the change in the mutual capacitance of the quantity 603, the proximity or contact of the object to be detected is detected. It can be detected.

[0194] The current detection circuit 602 detects the current flowing through the wiring Y1-Y6 due to the change in mutual capacitance at the capacitor 603. This is a circuit for detecting changes in current. The wiring of Y1-Y6 detects the proximity of the object to be detected, or The detected current value does not change if there is no contact, but the proximity or contact of the object to be detected When the mutual capacitance decreases due to the current flowing through the resistor, a decrease in the current value is detected. This can be done using an integrating circuit or the like.

[0195] Next, FIG. 16(B) shows the input of the mutual capacitance type touch sensor shown in FIG. 16(A). The timing chart of the output waveform is shown in FIG. 16(B). In FIG. 16(B), the case where the object to be detected is not detected ( Two cases are shown: when the object is detected (touched) and when the object is not detected (touched). For the wiring of Y1-Y6, the waveform is shown as a voltage value corresponding to the detected current value. There are.

[0196] A pulse voltage is applied to the wires X1-X6 in order, and the The waveform in the Y6 wiring changes. When there is no proximity or contact of the object to be detected, X1-X6 The waveforms of Y1-Y6 change uniformly according to the change in the voltage of the wiring. Or, at the contact point, the current value decreases, and the corresponding voltage waveform also changes. do.

[0197] In this way, by detecting the change in mutual capacitance, the proximity or contact of the object to be detected can be detected. It is possible.

[0198] The pulse voltage output circuit 601 and the current detection circuit 602 are integrated into an IC. It is preferable that the touch panel be mounted in a state where the touch panel is mounted, or that the touch panel be mounted on a substrate inside the housing of an electronic device. In addition, when using a flexible touch panel, parasitic capacitance increases at the bent portion. Therefore, a drive that is less susceptible to noise should be used. It is preferable to use ICs that have been applied with a dynamic method. For example, the signal-to-noise ratio (S / N ratio) It is preferable to use an IC that employs a driving method that increases the

[0199] In addition, in FIG. 16(A), a panel in which only a capacitor 603 is provided at the intersection of the wiring as a touch sensor is used. The configuration of a passive matrix touch sensor has been shown, but an active matrix type touch sensor with transistors and capacitors has also been shown. An active matrix touch sensor may also be used. 1 shows an example of one sensor circuit included in a touch sensor.

[0200] The sensor circuit includes a capacitor 603, a transistor 611, a transistor 612, and a transistor The transistor 613 has a gate to which a signal G2 is applied, and a source or A voltage VRES is applied to one of the drains, and the other is connected to one electrode of the capacitor 603 and the transistor. The transistor 611 is electrically connected to the gate of the transistor 611. One is electrically connected to one of the source and drain of the transistor 612, and the other is connected to a voltage V The transistor 612 receives a signal G1 at its gate and a signal SS at its source or drain. The other electrode of the capacitor 603 is electrically connected to the wiring ML. can be obtained.

[0201] Next, the operation of the sensor circuit will be described. First, the signal G2 is output from the transistor 613. When a potential that turns on the transistor 611 is applied, the gate of the transistor 611 is connected to the node A potential corresponding to the voltage VRES is applied to node n. By applying a potential that turns off 613, the potential of the node n is maintained.

[0202] Next, the mutual capacitance of the capacitor 603 changes when a detected object such as a finger approaches or touches the sensor. As a result, the potential of the node n changes from VRES.

[0203] The read operation applies a potential to the signal G1 that turns on the transistor 612. The current flowing through the transistor 611 in response to the potential of the node n, that is, the current flowing through the wiring ML, is By detecting this current, it is possible to detect the proximity or contact of an object to be detected. can.

[0204] The transistors 611, 612, and 613 have channels It is preferable to use a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used for a semiconductor layer to be formed. By applying such a transistor to the transistor 613, the potential of the node n It is possible to maintain VRES for a long period of time, and the operation of supplying VRES to node n again ( This reduces the frequency of the refresh operation.

[0205] This embodiment may be combined, at least in part, with other embodiments described in this specification. It can be implemented in combination.

[0206] (Embodiment 3) In this embodiment, electronic devices and lighting devices that can be manufactured by applying one embodiment of the present invention will be described. This will be explained with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19.

[0207] The touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention is flexible. Furthermore, by applying one embodiment of the present invention, This allows for the creation of highly reliable electronic devices and lighting devices that are resistant to repeated bending.

[0208] Examples of electronic devices include television sets (also known as televisions or television receivers). (hereinafter referred to as "computer monitors"), digital cameras, digital video cameras, digital photo frames, mobile phones (also called mobile phones or mobile phone devices), portable game consoles, Examples include portable information terminals, audio playback devices, and large game machines such as pachinko machines.

[0209] Furthermore, since the touch panel of one embodiment of the present invention is flexible, it can be attached to the interior walls of houses or buildings. It can also be incorporated into an exterior wall or along a curved surface of the interior or exterior of a vehicle.

[0210] The electronic device of one embodiment of the present invention may include a touch panel and a secondary battery. At this time, it is preferable that the secondary battery can be charged using contactless power transmission.

[0211] As the secondary battery, for example, a lithium polymer battery (lithium ion battery) using a gel electrolyte is used. Lithium-ion secondary batteries such as lithium-ion polymer batteries, lithium-ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, organic radical batteries, lead-acid batteries, secondary air batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, silver-zinc batteries Examples include lead batteries.

[0212] The electronic device of one embodiment of the present invention may include a touch panel and an antenna. By receiving the signal through the receiver, images and information can be displayed on the display unit. If the slave device has a secondary battery, the antenna may be used for contactless power transmission.

[0213] FIG. 18A shows an example of a mobile phone. The mobile phone 7400 includes a housing 740 1, in addition to the display unit 7402, operation buttons 7403, and external connection port 7404 , a speaker 7405, a microphone 7406, etc. The touch panel of one embodiment of the present invention is used for the display portion 7402. According to one aspect of the present invention, a highly reliable mobile phone having a curved display can be provided with a high yield. Can be provided.

[0214] In the mobile phone 7400 shown in FIG. 18A, when a user touches the display portion 7402 with a finger or the like, You can also make calls, enter text, and perform other functions. The operation can be performed by touching the display portion 7402 with a finger or the like.

[0215] In addition, by operating the operation button 7403, the power can be turned on and off, and the display unit 7402 For example, from the email creation screen, you can change the type of image displayed. You can switch to the main menu screen.

[0216] FIG. 18B shows an example of a wristwatch-type portable information terminal. The watch includes a housing 7101, a display unit 7102, a band 7103, a buckle 7104, and an operation button 7 105, input / output terminal 7106, etc.

[0217] The mobile information terminal 7100 is capable of performing functions such as mobile phone calls, e-mails, document viewing and creation, music playback, internet It can run various applications such as internet communication and computer games. Cut.

[0218] The display surface of the display unit 7102 is curved, and displays information along the curved display surface. The display portion 7102 is provided with a touch sensor, and the screen can be touched with a finger or a stylus. For example, the icon 7 displayed on the display unit 7102 can be operated by touching it. You can launch the application by touching 107.

[0219] The operation button 7105 is used to set the time, turn the power on and off, and turn wireless communication on and off. It has various functions such as auto-start, silent mode activation and deactivation, power saving mode activation and deactivation, etc. For example, an operating system built into the mobile information terminal 7100 can be Depending on the system, the functions of the operation buttons 7105 can be freely set.

[0220] In addition, the mobile information terminal 7100 is capable of performing short-distance wireless communication according to a communication standard. For example, by communicating with a wireless headset, hands-free You can also make calls.

[0221] The portable information terminal 7100 also has an input / output terminal 7106, and can be connected to other information terminals via a connector. Data can be exchanged directly through the input / output terminal 7106. The charging operation can be performed by wireless power supply without going through the input / output terminal 7106. You may go.

[0222] The touch panel of one embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in the display portion 7102 of the portable information terminal 7100. According to one aspect of the present invention, a highly reliable portable information device having a curved display is provided. Terminals can be provided with a high yield.

[0223] 18(C) to (E) show examples of the lighting device. The lighting device 7210 and the lighting device 7220 are mounted on a base 72 01 and a light emitting part supported by a base part 7201.

[0224] The lighting device 7200 shown in FIG. 18(C) includes a light-emitting unit 7202 having a wavy light-emitting surface. This makes it a highly designed lighting device.

[0225] The light-emitting portion 7212 of the lighting device 7210 shown in FIG. 18(D) has two convexly curved portions. Therefore, the light emitting units are arranged symmetrically around the lighting device 7210. It can illuminate in all directions.

[0226] The lighting device 7220 shown in FIG. 18(E) has a light-emitting portion 7222 that is curved in a concave shape. Therefore, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 7222 is focused on the front surface of the lighting device 7220. It is suitable for brightly illuminating a range.

[0227] In addition, the light emitting devices 7200, 7210, and 7220 The light-emitting part is flexible, so it can be attached to parts such as plastic members and movable frames. The light emitting surface of the light emitting portion may be configured to be freely curved depending on the application.

[0228] Here, the illumination device in which the light-emitting unit is supported by the base is exemplified. The housing may be fixed to the ceiling or hung from the ceiling. The light surface can be curved, so the light-emitting surface can be curved concavely to brighten a specific area. The light source can be curved convexly to illuminate an entire room.

[0229] Here, each light-emitting section incorporates a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment, a lighting device having a curved light-emitting portion and high reliability can be provided with a high yield. Cut.

[0230] FIG. 18(F) shows an example of a portable touch panel. Touch panel 7300 7301, a display unit 7302, operation buttons 7303, a drawer member 7304, a control It has part 7305.

[0231] The touch panel 7300 is a flexible panel that is rolled up in a cylindrical housing 7301. It has a display unit 7302.

[0232] The touch panel 7300 can receive a video signal from the control unit 7305. The image can be displayed on the display unit 7302. The control unit 7305 is also It also has a terminal section for connecting a connector to the control section 7305, and transmits video signals and power. It may also be configured to be supplied directly from the outside via a wire.

[0233] In addition, the operation button 7303 can be used to turn the power on and off and to switch the displayed image. It is possible to do things like:

[0234] FIG. 18(G) shows the tablet in a state where the display unit 7302 is pulled out by the pull-out member 7304. In this state, an image can be displayed on the display unit 7302. In addition, the operation button 7303 arranged on the surface of the housing 7301 allows for easy operation with one hand. In addition, as shown in FIG. 18(F), the operation button 7303 can be mounted inside the housing 7301. By placing it to one side rather than in the center, it can be easily operated with one hand.

[0235] When the display unit 7302 is pulled out, the display surface of the display unit 7302 is flat. To fix the display portion 7302, a frame for reinforcing the display portion 7302 may be provided on the side of the display portion 7302.

[0236] In addition to this configuration, a speaker is provided on the housing, and the audio signal received together with the video signal is output. The configuration may be such that sound is output.

[0237] The display portion 7302 includes a touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, lightweight and highly reliable touch panels can be provided with a high yield.

[0238] 19(A) to 19(C) show a foldable mobile information terminal 310. 19(B) shows the portable information terminal 310 in an unfolded state. 19(C) shows the mobile information terminal 310 in the process of changing from one of the states to the other. ) shows the portable information terminal 310 in a folded state. When unfolded, it is highly portable, and when unfolded, it has a seamless, large display area that allows you to see the entire display. Excellent visibility.

[0239] The display panel 316 is supported by three housings 315 connected by hinges 313. The two housings 315 are bent via the hinge 313, and the portable information terminal 3 10 can be reversibly transformed from the unfolded state to the folded state. A touch panel according to one embodiment can be used for the display panel 316. For example, a touch panel with a curvature radius of 1 m A touch panel that can be bent from 1 m to 150 mm can be applied.

[0240] In one aspect of the present invention, when the touch panel is in a folded or unfolded state, The touch panel may be configured to include a sensor that detects the touch state and supplies the detection information. The panel control unit receives information indicating that the touch panel is in a folded state. The movement of the folded part (or the part that is folded and not visible to the user) Specifically, the display may be stopped. You may stop learning.

[0241] Similarly, the touch panel control device indicates that the touch panel is in the deployed state. The information may be acquired and the display or detection by the touch sensor may be resumed.

[0242] 19(D) and (E) show a foldable mobile information terminal 320. The mobile information terminal 320 is shown in a folded state with the display unit 322 facing outward. (E) shows the portable information terminal 320 in a folded state with the display unit 322 facing inward. When the mobile information terminal 320 is not in use, the non-display section 325 is folded outward. This can prevent the display portion 322 from being soiled or scratched. It can be used for 2.

[0243] Fig. 19(F) is a perspective view illustrating the external shape of the mobile information terminal 330. 19(H) is a top view of the portable information terminal 330. FIG. 19(H) is a top view of the portable information terminal 340. FIG.

[0244] The portable information terminals 330 and 340 are selected from, for example, telephones, notebooks, information viewing devices, etc. It has one or more functions. Specifically, it can be used as a smartphone. can.

[0245] The mobile information terminals 330 and 340 can display text and image information on multiple surfaces. For example, three operation buttons 339 can be displayed on one surface (see FIG. 19(F)). H)). Also, the information 337 shown in the dashed rectangle can be displayed on another surface (see FIG. 19( F)(G)(H)). Examples of information 337 include SNS (social networking sites) and Notifications for incoming calls, e-mails, etc. The subject, sender name of the email, date and time, battery level, antenna reception strength, Or, instead of the information 337, you can display the operation 19(F)(G), the upper side However, one aspect of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be displayed on the side, as in the mobile information terminal 340 shown in FIG. 19(H).

[0246] For example, the user of the mobile information terminal 330 may store the mobile information terminal 330 in a breast pocket of his / her clothes. When the item is stored, the display (information 337 in this example) can be confirmed.

[0247] Specifically, the telephone number or name of the caller of the incoming call is displayed on the mobile information terminal 330. The user takes the mobile information terminal 330 out of his pocket and You can check the display and decide whether to answer the call without having to turn your phone over.

[0248] The housing 335 of the portable information terminal 330 and the housing 336 of the portable information terminal 340 each have The touch panel of one embodiment of the present invention can be used for the display portion 333. This allows us to provide highly reliable touch panels with a curved display with a high yield. Cut.

[0249] In addition, even if information is displayed on three or more screens, as in the case of a portable information terminal 345 shown in FIG. 19(I), Here, information 355, information 356, and information 357 are displayed on different surfaces. Here is an example:

[0250] The display portion 358 of the housing 354 of the portable information terminal 345 includes a touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device having a curved display portion and a reliable display panel can be used. This allows us to provide highly functional touch panels with a high yield.

[0251] This embodiment may be combined, at least in part, with other embodiments described in this specification. It can be implemented in combination. [Example]

[0252] In this example, a foldable touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention was manufactured. In this example, the results of the time constant evaluation and bending test evaluation of the touch panel are shown. I will explain.

[0253] [Touch panel fabrication] In this embodiment, a touch sensor is provided on the opposing substrate (substrate on the display surface side) of a flexible display panel. Furthermore, we fabricated an in-cell type touch panel in which the electrodes of the touch sensor are embedded in the metal. The talc mesh structure reduces the load capacitance between the touch sensor and the display panel. With this configuration, the touch panel can be folded freely by the user. The thickness of the entire panel can be reduced. In addition, the small load capacitance reduces the This reduces the effect of noise on the touch sensor, which can cause problems such as false detection or inability to detect. This can be suppressed.

[0254] The in-cell touch panel manufactured in this example was driven by a projected capacitive touch panel. We adopted the mutual capacitance method, which is one of the methods.

[0255] In this example, a touch panel having the cross-sectional structure shown in FIG. The mesh pattern of the touch sensor was the same as that shown in FIG.

[0256] Figure 20 shows the configuration of the touch panel produced in this example. On the left is a schematic diagram of the panel, and on the right is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel. The touch panel is a flexible display unit (Dis The touch panel has two flexible substrates (called play) and an FPC. The flexible substrates are bonded together by an adhesive layer, and the opposing surfaces of the flexible substrates are On one flexible substrate, a passivation layer is provided. An FET layer (referred to as FET) and an organic EL element (referred to as OLED) are formed on top. On the other flexible substrate, a touch sensor and a color filter are mounted on a passivation layer. As shown in FIG. 20, the touch panel manufactured in this example has a convex display surface. It is possible to bend the curve so that it is concave and concave.

[0257] First, a peeling layer, a passivation layer, a FET layer, and an organic EL element are formed on a glass substrate. Ta.

[0258] The transistors included in the FET layer (such as the transistor 201) have a channel formed therein. In this example, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor was used as the semiconductor. As an oxide semiconductor, a crystalline oxide semiconductor with a c-axis oriented perpendicular to the film surface (CAAC- OS:C-Axis Aligned Crystalline-Oxide Semi conductor) was used.

[0259] CAAC-OS is a crystalline oxide semiconductor whose c-axis is aligned approximately perpendicular to the film surface. Another example of the crystalline structure of oxide semiconductors is a nanoscale microcrystalline aggregate. There are various structures that are different from single crystals, such as nano-crystals (nc). It has been confirmed that CAAC-OS has lower crystallinity than single crystals and higher crystallinity than nc. CAAC-OS has the characteristic that no grain boundaries are visible, so it can be stably applied to large areas. It is possible to form a uniform film without any trouble, and the response when a flexible light-emitting device is bent is also low. The CAAC-OS film is less likely to crack due to force.

[0260] In this example, an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide was used as the oxide semiconductor material.

[0261] The pixel electrode (first electrode 221) is made of an alloy containing silver, which has an extremely high reflectance. Depending on the sub-pixel configuration, a transparent substrate of appropriate thickness is required to achieve the microcavity effect. An electrode layer (optical adjustment layer 224) was formed on the pixel electrodes.

[0262] The organic EL element used was a top-emission white EL element. The device has a tandem structure in which a blue light-emitting unit and a yellow light-emitting unit are stacked.

[0263] In addition, a peeling layer, a passivation layer, a light-shielding layer, a touch panel, etc. are formed on a glass substrate different from the above. The touch sensor electrode and color filter are formed. Therefore, a light-shielding layer is disposed between the touch sensor electrode and the passivation layer.

[0264] Next, the two substrates were bonded together with an adhesive layer. The distance between the substrates (cell gap) After that, each substrate was separated into a release layer and a passivation layer. The flexible substrate was attached to the substrate. A plastic substrate of 100 mm was used.

[0265] The touch panel was fabricated in this way. The specifications of the display device are shown in Table 1, and the touch sensor The specifications of each are shown in Table 2.

[0266] [Table 1]

[0267] [Table 2]

[0268] The pixels of the touch panel manufactured in this example are composed of four sub-pixels of RGBY. By using the Y (yellow) sub-pixel, current efficiency is increased and the viewing angle is wider than that of the white color. This reduced the change in chromaticity due to differences in the

[0269] The touch sensor has 48 transmitting electrodes along the long side of the display and 2 receiving electrodes along the short side. Seven lines were formed, and the interval between each line was set to 4 mm. The display area has 40 x 40 pixels. , which corresponds to one unit of the touch sensor.

[0270] [Touch panel] Photographs of the fabricated touch panel are shown in Figures 21(A) to 21(C). Figure 21(B) shows the flannel unfolded, Figure 21(B) shows the flannel folded into three, and Figure 21(C) shows the flannel folded in the middle. The touch panel has a flat surface. It was confirmed that the detection was successful for each of the flat, convex, and concave parts. did.

[0271] In addition, the layout is such that pixels are placed in the openings of the mesh of the touch sensor electrode. Therefore, there was almost no decrease in light extraction efficiency due to the addition of the touch sensor. Ta.

[0272] [Time constant evaluation] Next, the parasitic capacitance and parasitic resistance between the receiving electrode of the fabricated touch panel and the display panel were measured. The measurements were performed using an LCR meter (Agilent Technologies, Inc.). The test was carried out using a chromatograph (manufactured by 4275A).

[0273] The measurement results are shown in Figure 22. In Figure 22, the left vertical axis represents the parasitic capacitance, and the right vertical axis represents the parasitic resistance. The horizontal axis indicates the frequency, and the horizontal axis indicates the frequency. The number of measurements was six. When the constant frequency was 10 kHz, the parasitic capacitance was approximately 910 pF and the parasitic resistance was approximately 1.3 kΩ. The time constant calculated from these values ​​is approximately 1.2 μsec. This value is sufficient for timing. This is a low enough value that the catch can be detected.

[0274] [Bending test] Next, the results of a bending test performed on the manufactured touch panel will be described. The test was conducted under two conditions: a curvature radius of 5 mm and a radius of 3 mm, with bending and stretching performed once per 2 seconds. The bending and stretching operations were performed 100,000 times. The test was conducted on two types of bending, one on the outside, and the other on the inside. Even after 100,000 bending and stretching operations, the display remained normal. It was confirmed that touch detection was normal.

[0275] From the above results, it can be seen that the touch panel of one embodiment of the present invention has high reliability, high visibility, and low It was confirmed that this is a foldable touch panel that achieves low power consumption and Touch panels like this will broaden the possibilities for new mobile devices. can be done. [Explanation of symbols]

[0276] 10 Touch Panel Module 11 Capacitor element 20 Touch Sensor Module 21 PCB 22 Touch Sensor 22a opening 23 Conductive layer 23a opening 24 Conductive layer 24a opening 25 Conductive layer 26 Conductive layer 27 Aperture 28 Insulating layer 29 Wiring 30 Display Panel 31 PCB 32 Display section 33 pixels 33B subpixel 33G subpixel 33R subpixel 33Y subpixel 34 circuits 41 FPC 42 FPC 51 Display element 52 Colored layer 52B Colored layer 52G colored layer 52R colored layer 53 Light blocking layer 201 Transistor 202 Transistor 203 Transistor 204 Light-emitting element 205 Contact part 206 Intersection 210 Connection Layer 211 Adhesive layer 212 Insulating layer 213 Insulating Layer 214 Insulating layer 215 Insulating Layer 216 Insulating Layer 217 Insulating Layer 218 Insulating Layer 219 Spacer 220 Adhesive layer 221 Electrode 222 EL layer 223 Electrode 224 Optical adjustment layer 225 Conductive Layer 226 Spacer 253 Contact part 260 Connection Layer 261 Adhesive layer 262 Insulating Layer 264 Insulating Layer 266 Insulating Layer 267 Overcoat 272 Connection 310 Mobile Information Terminals 313 Hinge 315 Case 316 Display Panel 320 Mobile Information Terminals 322 Display section 325 Hidden part 330 Mobile Information Terminals 333 Display section 335 Case 336 Case 337 Information 339 Operation Button 340 Mobile Information Terminals 345 Mobile Information Terminals 354 Case 355 Information 356 Information 357 Information 358 Display section 601 Pulse voltage output circuit 602 Current detection circuit 603 capacity 611 Transistor 612 Transistor 613 Transistor 621 Electrode 622 Electrode 7100 Mobile Information Terminal 7101 Housing 7102 Display section 7103 Band 7104 Buckle 7105 Operation button 7106 Input / output terminal 7107 Icon 7200 Lighting Equipment 7201 Daibu 7202 Light-emitting part 7203 Operation switch 7210 Lighting equipment 7212 Light-emitting part 7220 Lighting equipment 7222 Light-emitting part 7300 Touch Panel 7301 Housing 7302 Display section 7303 Operation button 7304 Materials 7305 Control Unit 7400 mobile phone 7401 Housing 7402 Display section 7403 Operation button 7404 External connection port 7405 Speaker 7406 Microphone

Claims

[Claim 1] a display panel having a touch panel function; a first housing, a second housing, and a third housing each having a function of supporting the display panel; a first hinge having a function of connecting the first housing and the second housing; a second hinge having a function of connecting the second housing and the third housing, A portable information terminal that can be reversibly changed between a first state in which the first housing, the second housing, and the third housing are folded so as to overlap each other, and a second state in which the portable information terminal is unfolded, In the first state, the display surface of the display panel has a convexly curved region and a concavely curved region, the display panel includes pixels each having a light-emitting element and a touch sensor; The touch sensor has a conductive layer, In the second state, the conductive layer is arranged so as not to overlap with a light emitting region of the light emitting element in a plan view of the pixel.

Images