In-cell OLED Touch Sensor with Shared Gate Line
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch-type OLED display devices face challenges with increased thickness and manufacturing costs due to the use of separate touch panels, which require additional substrates and complex driving processes.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a backplane substrate with both OLED-driving and touch-sensing Thin-Film Transistors (TFTs) to form a single driver circuit, eliminating the need for a separate touch panel, thereby reducing thickness and fabrication costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a separate touch panel is added to the OLED display device, then touch sensing function is improved, but overall thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the touch sensor and OLED display into a single integrated structure where the touch sensor is formed within the OLED device structure itself. The touch sensor electrode is formed in the same substrate as the OLED, eliminating the need for a separate touch panel layer, thereby maintaining thinness while providing touch sensing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the OLED device substrate and the touch sensor substrate. The gate line structure is used for both OLED driving and touch sensing operations, allowing a single component to perform multiple functions and reducing overall device thickness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a separate touch panel is added to the OLED display device, then touch sensing function is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the OLED and touch sensor manufacturing processes into a single integrated fabrication sequence. Both devices are formed on the same substrate using the same thin-film transistor fabrication techniques, eliminating the need for separate touch panel manufacturing and reducing overall production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate line structure is designed to serve dual purposes: driving the OLED display and sensing touch inputs. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components and manufacturing steps required, thereby lowering material and processing costs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate TFTs are used for OLED driving and touch sensing, then device functionality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal gate line structure that functions for both OLED driving and touch sensing operations. The same TFT fabrication process and gate line architecture are used for both functions, reducing structural complexity while maintaining full device functionality through clever circuit design and signal routing.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an in-cell type organic electroluminescent device. The in-cell type organic electroluminescent device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one OLED-driving Thin-Film Transistor (OLED driving TFT) that is formed on a substrate and drives an organic light emitting device (OLED); the OLED connected to the at least one OLED driving TFT through a first contact hole; at least one touch-sensing thin-film transistor (though sensing TFT) that is simultaneously formed with the at least one OLED driving TFT on the substrate and senses touch; and an touch electrode that is connected to the at least one touch sensing TFT through a second contact hole and does not overlap with the OLED, wherein the at least one OLED driving TFT and the at least one touch sensing TFT share a gate line.