Display device

Abstract

A display device (100) according to the present disclosure comprises: a display panel that includes first sub-pixels (PX1) having a first light-emitting region (EL1); and a touch panel that includes a first conductive pattern (WP1) and a second conductive pattern (WP2) overlapping the first conductive pattern (WP1) via an insulating film. The first conductive pattern (WP1) and the second conductive pattern (WP2) are electrically connected, and the first conductive pattern (WP1) and the first light-emitting region (EL1) overlap in plan view.

Description

display device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display device.

[0002] The display device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a display area in which a plurality of pixels are arranged at a distance from each other, and a touch sensor overlapping the display area, the touch sensor including a sensor electrode and an insulating layer, the sensor electrode including a first sensor electrode pattern overlapping a portion of the plurality of pixels, and a second sensor electrode pattern overlapping a region between some of the plurality of pixels, the insulating layer being arranged between the first sensor electrode pattern and the second sensor electrode pattern and being arranged within the plane of the first sensor electrode pattern, covering a portion of the first sensor electrode pattern, and the second sensor electrode pattern being arranged on the insulating layer and the first sensor electrode pattern, and being electrically connected to another portion of the first sensor electrode pattern.

[0003] International Patent Publication No. WO2019 / 097986A1

[0004] In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the area where the first sensor electrode pattern is electrically connected to the second sensor electrode pattern is small, which results in a large contact resistance between the first sensor electrode pattern and the second sensor electrode pattern, and therefore a large resistance of the entire touch sensor.

[0005] A display device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a display panel including a first sub-pixel having a first light-emitting region, and a touch panel, wherein the touch panel includes a first conductive pattern, an insulating film, and a second conductive pattern overlapping the first conductive pattern via the insulating film, the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern being electrically connected, and the first conductive pattern and the first light-emitting region overlapping in a planar view.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in a display device including a display panel and a touch panel, the resistance of the touch sensor wiring of the touch panel can be reduced.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to a comparative example. FIG. 10 is a bar graph showing the total resistance of drive patterns of touch panels in display devices of examples and comparative examples of the present disclosure.

[0008] [Embodiment 1] Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a partial configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a partial configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and corresponds to an enlarged view of box II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a partial configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and corresponds to an enlarged view of box III in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a partial configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and corresponds to an enlarged view of box IV in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and corresponds to the V-V cross-sectional view in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and corresponds to the VI-VI cross-sectional view in Fig. 3.

[0009] 1 to 6 , a display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a display panel DP including a first sub-pixel PX1 having a first light-emitting region EL1, and a touch panel TP overlapping the display panel DP, wherein the touch panel TP includes a first conductive pattern WP1, an insulating film IS, and a second conductive pattern WP2 overlapping the first conductive pattern WP1 via the insulating layer IS, the first conductive pattern WP1 and the second conductive pattern WP2 being electrically connected to each other, such that the first conductive pattern WP1 overlaps with the first light-emitting region EL1 in a planar view. The phrase "members X and Y overlap" refers to a state in which at least a portion of member X and at least a portion of member Y overlap in a planar view (including a perspective planar view).

[0010] Here, a part of the second conductive pattern WP2 may overlap a part of the first conductive pattern WP1. Also, a part of the first conductive pattern WP1 may overlap a part or all of the first light-emitting region EL1. In the present disclosure, a plan view refers to a plan view seen from the z direction in Figures 1 to 6 and figures described below.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the first conductive pattern WP1 and the first light-emitting region EL1 overlap in a plan view. This allows for larger contact holes for electrically connecting the second conductive pattern WP2 to the first conductive pattern WP1 compared to a comparative example (see FIG. 11 , described later) in which the conductive patterns do not overlap the light-emitting region. Specifically, the diameters of the first to fourth contact holes CH1, CH2, CH3, and CH4, described later, are larger. The larger contact holes reduce the contact resistance between the first conductive pattern WP1 and the second conductive pattern WP2. Furthermore, the larger diameters reduce the probability of contact hole opening defects. Reducing opening defects further reduces contact resistance and improves the reliability and manufacturing yield of the display device 100. The second conductive pattern WP2 may also overlap the first light-emitting region EL1 in a plan view.

[0012] 3, the first conductive pattern WP1 covers part or all of the first light-emitting region EL1 and blocks part or all of the light emitted from the first light-emitting region EL1. Compared to other subpixels whose light is not blocked by the conductive pattern, the first subpixel PX1 whose light is blocked by the first conductive pattern WP1 is dark. This reduces the display quality of the display device 100 by the amount of brightness unevenness. Therefore, contact resistance and opening defects can be reduced at the expense of the display quality of the display device 100. In other words, the reliability and manufacturing yield of the display device 100 can be improved at the expense of the display quality of the display device 100.

[0013] 3 and 5, in the touch panel TP, the first conductive pattern WP1 may include a first contact electrode CE1, and the second conductive pattern WP2 may include a second contact electrode CE2. The first and second contact electrodes CE1 and CE2 are connected via a first contact hole CH1 formed in the insulating film IS. The first contact electrode CE1 may overlap the first light-emitting region EL1 in a plan view.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the first contact electrode CE1 overlaps with the first light-emitting region EL1, so that the first contact hole and the second contact electrode CE can be made larger, contact resistance and opening defects can be reduced, and the reliability and manufacturing yield of the display device 100 can be improved.

[0015] 3, the display panel DP may include a second sub-pixel PX2 adjacent to the first sub-pixel PX1 and having a second light-emitting region EL2. In a plan view, the first conductive pattern WP1 may also overlap the second light-emitting region EL2. Alternatively, the first conductive pattern WP1 may be formed so that the second light-emitting region EL2 does not overlap the first conductive pattern WP1.

[0016] 2, the second conductive pattern WP2 may be a mesh pattern. A user of the display device 100 can view an image or video displayed by the display panel DP through the mesh pattern. The pitch of the mesh pattern may match the pitch of the pixels or sub-pixels of the display panel DP. Conductive patterns other than the second conductive pattern WP2 may also be mesh patterns.

[0017] 3 and 5 , the first contact electrode CE1 may have a larger area than the second contact electrode CE2. This allows for misalignment of the second contact electrode CE2, improving the reliability and manufacturing yield of the display device 100. It is beneficial for the entire second contact electrode CE2 to overlap the first contact electrode CE1 in plan view. Compared to when the second contact electrode CE2 has the same area but only partially overlaps, the entire second contact electrode CE2 overlaps the first contact electrode CE1, which makes the first contact hole CH1 larger and reduces contact resistance and opening defects.

[0018] In a plan view, a part of the first light-emitting region EL1 may overlap with the first contact electrode CE. The remaining part of the first light-emitting region EL1 does not overlap with the first contact electrode CE, and therefore the first sub-pixel PX1 can be used for display.

[0019] In the touch panel TP, the first conductive pattern WP1 may include a third contact electrode CE3, and the second conductive pattern WP2 may include a fourth contact electrode CE4. The third and fourth contact electrodes CE3 and CE4 are connected via a second contact hole CH2 formed in the insulating film IS. The third contact electrode CE3 may overlap the first light-emitting region EL1 in a planar view. In a planar view, the center of the first light-emitting region EL1 may be located between the first and third contact electrodes CE1 and CE3.

[0020] 3 and 6, the first conductive pattern WP1 may include a fifth contact electrode CE5, and the second conductive pattern WP2 may include a sixth contact electrode CE6. The fifth and sixth contact electrodes CE5, CE6 are connected via a third contact hole CH3 formed in the insulating film IS. The fifth contact electrode CE5 may overlap the first light-emitting region EL1 in a plan view.

[0021] Furthermore, the first conductive pattern WP1 may include a seventh contact electrode CE7, and the second conductive pattern WP2 may include an eighth contact electrode CE8. The seventh and eighth contact electrodes CE7, CE8 are connected via a fourth contact hole CH4 formed in the insulating film IS. The seventh contact electrode CE7 may overlap the first light-emitting region EL1 in a planar view. In a planar view, the center of the first light-emitting region EL1 may be located between the fifth and seventh contact electrodes CE5, CE7. In a planar view, the first to fourth contact holes may be arranged to surround the center of the first light-emitting region EL1.

[0022] By using large contact electrodes in multiple locations in this manner, contact resistance and opening defects can be further reduced, thereby improving the reliability and manufacturing yield of the display device 100. Furthermore, by concentrating large contact electrodes around the first subpixel PX1, the number of subpixels whose light emitted from their light-emitting regions is blocked can be reduced, thereby minimizing the degradation of the display quality of the display device 100.

[0023] 3 and 5, the first conductive pattern WP1 may include a ninth contact electrode CE9 and the second conductive pattern WP2 may include a tenth contact electrode CE10 at a position away from the first sub-pixel P1, and the ninth and tenth contact electrodes CE9, CE10 may be formed so as not to overlap any of the light-emitting regions of the display panel DP. The ninth and tenth contact electrodes CE9, CE10 are connected via a fifth contact hole formed in the insulating film IS.

[0024] The display panel DP may include another subpixel PX11 having another light-emitting region EL11 such that the first contact electrode CE1 is located between the first subpixel PX1 and the another subpixel PX11. In a plan view, the center of the another light-emitting region EL11 may be located between the first and ninth contact electrodes CE1 and CE9.

[0025] The first conductive pattern WP1 may include eleventh and thirteenth contact electrodes CE11 and CE13 at a position away from the first subpixel P1, and the second conductive pattern WP2 may include twelfth and fourteenth contact electrodes CE12 and CE14, and the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth contact electrodes CE11, CE12, CE13, and CE14 may be formed so as not to overlap any of the light-emitting regions of the display panel DP. The eleventh and twelfth contact electrodes CE11 and CE12 are connected via contact holes formed in the insulating film IS. The thirteenth and fourteenth contact electrodes CE13 and CE14 are connected via contact holes formed in the insulating film IS. In a plan view, the first contact electrode CE1 and the ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth contact holes CE9, CE11, and CE13 may be arranged to surround the center of another light-emitting region EL11.

[0026] 4 , the display panel DP may include a third sub-pixel PX3 having a third light-emitting region EL3, the touch panel TP may include a third conductive pattern WP3 located in the same layer as the second conductive pattern WP2, and the first conductive pattern WP1 and the third conductive pattern WP3 may be electrically connected. In a plan view, the third light-emitting region EL3 and the first conductive pattern WP1 may overlap each other.

[0027] The matters described above regarding the second conductive pattern WP2 may be applied to the third conductive pattern WP3. The matters described above regarding the first light-emitting region EL1 may be applied to the third light-emitting region EL3.

[0028] The first light-emitting region EL1 and the third light-emitting region EL3 may emit light of the same color. When the display panel DP has multiple light-emitting regions that overlap with the conductive patterns of the touch panel TP in a planar view, the colors of the light emitted by the overlapping light-emitting regions may be the same. Typically, the blue sub-pixel is most susceptible to deterioration, and the red sub-pixel is least susceptible to deterioration. For this reason, the color of light emitted by the first light-emitting region EL1 and the third light-emitting region EL3 is preferably other than blue, and preferably red.

[0029] The first light-emitting region EL1 and the third light-emitting region EL3 may emit light of different colors. When the display panel DP has multiple light-emitting regions that overlap with the conductive patterns of the touch panel TP in a planar view, the colors of light emitted by the overlapping light-emitting regions may be regularly different, for example, arranged in the order of red, blue, and green. Alternatively, the colors of light emitted by the overlapping light-emitting regions may be randomly different.

[0030] 2, the second conductive pattern WP2 and the third conductive pattern WP3 may each be a mesh pattern, and the first conductive pattern may be a relay pattern that relays between the second conductive pattern WP2 and the third conductive pattern WP3.

[0031] The touch panel TP includes a drive pattern DE and a sense pattern SE. The drive pattern DE may include first to third conductive patterns WP1 to WP3. The sense pattern SE may be formed in the same layer as the second and third conductive patterns WP2 and WP3, and the sense pattern SE may intersect with the first conductive pattern WP1. Alternatively, the sense pattern SE may include the first to third conductive patterns WP1 to WP3, and the drive pattern DE may be formed in the same layer as the second and third conductive patterns WP2 and WP3. The touch panel TP may be operated while interchanging the drive pattern DE and the sense pattern SE.

[0032] 5 and 6, it is beneficial for the second conductive pattern WP2 to be located in a layer above the first conductive pattern WP1, i.e., closer to the display surface of the display device 100. Referring to FIG. 2, the relay patterns including the first conductive pattern WP1 are sparsely distributed across the display area of ​​the display device 100. Therefore, in a configuration in which the first conductive pattern WP1 is close to the display surface, the relay patterns are easily visible to the user due to light reflection. On the other hand, the drive patterns SE and DE, excluding the relay patterns including the second conductive pattern WP2 and the third conductive pattern WP3, are distributed almost uniformly across the entire display area of ​​the display device 100. Therefore, in a configuration in which the second conductive pattern WP2 is close to the display surface, the conductive patterns of the touch panel TP are less likely to be visible to the user.

[0033] The touch panel TP may include an insulating layer BC located below the first to third conductive patterns WP1 to WP3 and referred to as a "base coat." The touch panel TP may include an insulating layer OC located above the first to third conductive patterns WP1 to WP3 and referred to as an "over coat."

[0034] The display panel DP may be a self-luminous display panel or a liquid crystal display panel. The display device 100 may include additional components such as a support layer 10 and a protective layer 20.

[0035] [Embodiment 2] Fig. 7 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the first and second contact electrodes CE1 and CE2 may each have a frame shape. The first contact hole CH1 may be formed in a trench shape along the frame shape.

[0036] According to the above configuration, the first contact hole CH1 can be made larger, which can further reduce contact resistance and opening defects and further improve the reliability and manufacturing yield of the display device 100. The first contact hole CH1 according to the second embodiment may be larger than the combined size of the first to fourth contact holes CH1, CH2, CH3, and CH4 according to the first embodiment.

[0037] [Embodiment 3] Fig. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a partial configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial configuration example of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and corresponds to the X-X cross-sectional view of Fig. 9. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the second light-emitting region EL2 does not need to overlap with the first conductive pattern WP1 in plan view.

[0038] The first contact electrode CE1 may be formed so that the entire first light-emitting region EL1 overlaps with the first contact electrode CE1 in a planar view. The second contact electrode CE2 may also be formed so that the entire first light-emitting region EL1 overlaps with the second contact electrode CE2 in a planar view. The first contact hole CH1 may also be formed so that the entire first light-emitting region EL1 overlaps with the first contact hole CH1 in a planar view.

[0039] According to the above configuration, the first contact hole CH1 can be made even larger, which can further reduce the contact resistance and opening defects and further improve the reliability and manufacturing yield of the display device 100. The first contact hole CH1 according to the third embodiment may be larger than the first contact hole CH1 according to the second embodiment described above.

[0040] The first contact electrode CE1 covers the entire first light-emitting region EL and blocks all of the light emitted from the first light-emitting region EL1. Therefore, the first light-emitting region EL1 may be a dummy light-emitting region that does not actually emit light.

[0041] Example 1 A display device 100 according to Example 1 of the present disclosure was manufactured with the configuration according to the above-described first embodiment (see FIGS. 1 to 6), and the total resistance of the entire drive pattern DE was measured.

[0042] Example 2 A display device 100 according to Example 2 of the present disclosure was manufactured using the configuration according to the aforementioned embodiment 2 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). That is, the display device 100 according to Example 2 was manufactured in the same manner as the display device 100 according to the aforementioned Example 1, except that the first and second contact electrodes CE1 and CE2 each had a frame shape and the first contact hole CH1 was trench-shaped along the frame shape. Then, the total resistance of the entire drive pattern DE was measured.

[0043] Example 3 A display device 100 according to Example 3 of the present disclosure was manufactured with the configuration according to Embodiment 3 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). That is, the display device 100 according to Example 3 was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 described above, so that the first and second contact electrodes CE1, CE2 and the first contact hole CH1 each overlapped the entire first light-emitting region EL1. Then, the total resistance of the entire drive pattern DE was measured.

[0044] 11 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of a portion of a display device according to a comparative example. As shown in Fig. 11, the drive pattern of the touch panel in a display device 1100 according to the comparative example includes a first conductive pattern 1102 and a second conductive pattern 1104 that overlaps the first conductive pattern 1102 with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. The first conductive pattern 1102 includes a plurality of contact electrodes 1112, and the second conductive pattern 1104 includes a plurality of contact electrodes 1114, and each contact electrode 1112 is connected to a corresponding contact electrode 1114 via a contact hole formed in the insulating film.

[0045] 11 , the display device 1100 according to the comparative example was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the first conductive pattern 1102 did not overlap any of the light-emitting regions 1106 and the second conductive pattern 1104 did not overlap any of the light-emitting regions 1106. Then, the total resistance of the entire drive pattern was measured.

[0046] FIG. 12 is a bar graph showing the total resistance of the drive patterns of the touch panels in the display devices of the examples of the present disclosure and the comparative example. FIG. 12 shows the total resistances in Examples 1 to 3 normalized with respect to the total resistance in the comparative example. As shown in FIG. 12, the total resistance decreased in the order of the comparative example, Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3. The comparative example and Examples 1 to 3 had the same configuration except for the contact electrodes and contact holes. Therefore, it is presumed that the wiring resistance was the same and the contact resistance decreased, and the decrease in total resistance can be understood as indicating a decrease in contact resistance.

[0047] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

[0048] 100 Display device CE1 First contact electrode CE2 Second contact electrode CE3 Third contact electrode CE4 Fourth contact electrode CE5 Fifth contact electrode CE6 Sixth contact electrode CE7 Seventh contact electrode CE8 Eighth contact electrode DP Display panel DE Drive pattern EL1 First light-emitting region EL2 Second light-emitting region EL3 Third light-emitting region IS Insulating film PX1 First sub-pixel PX2 Second sub-pixel PX3 Third sub-pixel SE Sense pattern TP Touch panel WP1 First conductive pattern WP2 Second conductive pattern WP3 Third conductive pattern

Claims

1. A display device comprising: a display panel including a first sub-pixel having a first light-emitting region; and a touch panel; wherein the touch panel includes a first conductive pattern, an insulating film, and a second conductive pattern overlapping the first conductive pattern via the insulating film; the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern are electrically connected; and the first conductive pattern and the first light-emitting region overlap in a planar view.

2. The display device described in claim 1, wherein the first conductive pattern includes a first contact electrode, the second conductive pattern includes a second contact electrode, the first and second contact electrodes are connected via a first contact hole formed in the insulating film, and the first contact electrode overlaps with the first light-emitting region in a planar view.

3. The display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display panel includes a second sub-pixel adjacent to the first sub-pixel and having a second light-emitting region, and in a planar view, the second light-emitting region does not overlap the first conductive pattern.

4. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second conductive pattern is a mesh pattern.

5. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the first contact electrode has a larger area than the second contact electrode, and the second contact electrode entirely overlaps the first contact electrode in a plan view.

6. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second conductive pattern is located in a layer above the first conductive pattern.

7. The display device according to claim 5, wherein a portion of the first light-emitting region overlaps with the first contact electrode in a plan view.

8. The display device described in claim 7, wherein the first conductive pattern includes a third contact electrode, the second conductive pattern includes a fourth contact electrode, the third and fourth contact electrodes are connected via a second contact hole formed in the insulating film, and the third contact electrode overlaps with the first light-emitting region in a planar view.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the center of the first light-emitting region is located between the first and third contact electrodes in a plan view.

10. The display device described in claim 8, wherein the first conductive pattern includes a fifth contact electrode, the second conductive pattern includes a sixth contact electrode, the fifth and sixth contact electrodes are connected via a third contact hole formed in the insulating film, and the fifth contact electrode overlaps with the first light-emitting region in a planar view.

11. The display device described in claim 10, wherein the first conductive pattern includes a seventh contact electrode, the second conductive pattern includes an eighth contact electrode, the seventh and eighth contact electrodes are connected via a fourth contact hole formed in the insulating film, and the seventh contact electrode overlaps with the first light-emitting region in a planar view.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the first to fourth contact holes are arranged so as to surround the center of the first light-emitting region in a plan view.

13. The display device according to claim 7, wherein each of the first and second contact electrodes has a frame shape, and the first contact hole is formed in a trench shape.

14. The display device according to claim 5, wherein the first light-emitting region entirely overlaps the first contact electrode in a plan view.

15. A display device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the display panel includes a third sub-pixel having a third light-emitting region, the touch panel includes a third conductive pattern located in the same layer as the second conductive pattern, the first conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern are electrically connected, and the third light-emitting region and the first conductive pattern overlap in a planar view.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the first light-emitting region and the third light-emitting region emit the same color.

17. The display device of claim 15, wherein the first light-emitting region and the third light-emitting region emit different colors.

18. The display device according to claim 15, wherein the second conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern are each a mesh pattern, and the first conductive pattern is a relay pattern.

19. The display device according to claim 18, wherein the touch panel includes a drive pattern and a sense pattern, and the drive pattern includes the first to third conductive patterns.

20. The display device according to claim 19, wherein the sense pattern is formed in the same layer as the second and third conductive patterns and intersects with the first conductive pattern.

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