Touch sensing unit, display device including the touch sensing unit, and method of aging the touch sensing unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11237688-B2
Application number	US-202016752882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2020
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A touch sensing unit includes a base layer including a touch sensing area and a touch peripheral area, a touch electrode disposed in the touch sensing area, a touch line disposed in the touch peripheral area and electrically connected to the touch electrode, an inspection pad disposed in a pad area located at one side of the touch peripheral area, and an inspection thin film transistor disposed in the pad area and electrically connected to the touch line and the inspection pad.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch sensing unit, comprising:
a base layer including a touch sensing area and a touch peripheral area;
a touch electrode disposed in the touch sensing area;
a touch line disposed in the touch peripheral area and electrically connected to the touch electrode;
an inspection pad disposed in a pad area located at one side of the touch peripheral area; and
an inspection thin film transistor disposed in the pad area and electrically connected to the touch line and the inspection pad,
wherein the touch line includes a plurality of touch lines sequentially arranged in a first direction in the pad area, and
the inspection thin film transistor is disposed on only odd-numbered touch lines of the plurality of touch lines.

2. The touch sensing unit of claim 1 ,
wherein the touch line includes a first driving line, a second driving line, and a third driving line, which are sequentially arranged in a first direction in the pad area,
the inspection pad includes a first inspection pad connected to the first driving line, a second inspection pad connected to the second driving line, and a third inspection pad connected to the third driving line,
the inspection thin film transistor includes a first inspection thin film transistor, a second inspection thin film transistor, a third inspection thin film transistor, and a fourth inspection thin film transistor, and
a first electrode of the first inspection thin film transistor is connected to the first driving line, and a second electrode of the first inspection thin film transistor is connected to the first inspection pad.

3. The touch sensing unit of claim 2 ,
wherein a first electrode of the second inspection thin film transistor is connected to the third driving line, and a second electrode of the second inspection thin film transistor is connected to the third inspection pad.

4. The touch sensing unit of claim 3 ,
wherein the touch line further includes a first sensing line, a second sensing line, and a third sensing line, which are sequentially arranged in the first direction in the pad area,
the inspection pad includes a fourth inspection pad connected to the first sensing line, a fifth inspection pad connected to the second sensing line, and a sixth inspection pad connected to the third sensing line, and
a first electrode of the third inspection thin film transistor is connected to the first sensing line, and a second electrode of the third inspection thin film transistor is connected to the fourth inspection pad.

5. The touch sensing unit of claim 4 ,
wherein a first electrode of the fourth inspection thin film transistor is connected to the third sensing line, and a second electrode of the fourth inspection thin film transistor is connected to the sixth inspection pad.

6. The touch sensing unit of claim 5 ,
wherein the inspection pad further includes a seventh inspection pad, and
the seventh inspection pad is connected to a control electrode of each of the first inspection thin film transistor, the second inspection thin film transistor, the third inspection thin film transistor, and the fourth inspection thin film transistor.

7. The touch sensing unit of claim 6 ,
wherein the inspection thin film transistor further includes a fifth inspection thin film transistor and a sixth inspection thin film transistor, and
a first electrode of the fifth inspection thin film transistor is connected to the second driving line, and a second electrode of the fifth inspection thin film transistor is connected to the second inspection pad.

8. The touch sensing unit of claim 7 ,
wherein a first electrode of the sixth inspection thin film transistor is connected to the second sensing line, and a second electrode of the sixth inspection thin film transistor is connected to the fifth inspection pad.

9. The touch sensing unit of claim 8 ,
wherein the inspection pad further includes an eighth inspection pad, and
the eighth inspection pad is connected to a control electrode of each of the fifth inspection thin film transistor and the sixth inspection thin film transistor.

10. The touch sensing unit of claim 1 , comprising:
a touch pad disposed between the touch line and the inspection thin film transistor and electrically connected to the touch line and the inspection thin film transistor.

11. The touch sensing unit of claim 1 , comprising:
a touch pad disposed between the inspection thin film transistor and the inspection pad and electrically connected to the inspection thin film transistor and the inspection pad.

12. A display device, comprising:
a substrate including a display area and a non-display area;
a thin film transistor layer disposed on the substrate and including a driving thin film transistor and an inspection thin film transistor;
a light emitting element layer disposed on the thin film transistor layer; and
a touch sensing unit disposed on the light emitting element layer,
wherein the driving thin film transistor is disposed in the display area, and the inspection thin film transistor is disposed in the non-display area and on the same layer as the driving thin film transistor.

13. The display device of claim 12 ,
wherein the touch sensing unit includes a touch line, and the touch line is electrically connected to the inspection thin film transistor.

14. A method of aging a touch sensing unit, comprising:
applying a gate-off voltage to a first node inspection pad connected to a first node; and
inputting first aging signals to inspection pads connected to a plurality of touch lines to form a potential difference between the plurality of touch lines,
wherein inspection thin film transistors are connected to touch lines of the plurality of touch lines, and
each inspection pad is connected to a source/drain electrode of at most one of the inspection thin film transistors.

15. The method of claim 14 ,
wherein the plurality of touch lines are sequentially arranged in a first direction,
the inspection thin film transistors are connected only to odd-numbered touch lines of the plurality of touch lines, and
the gate-off voltage is applied to the inspection thin film transistors connected to the first node.

16. The method of claim 15 ,
wherein the plurality of touch lines include a first driving line, a second driving line, and a third driving line, which are sequentially arranged in the first direction,
the inspection pads include a first inspection pad connected to the first driving line, a second inspection pad connected to the second driving line, and a third inspection pad connected to the third driving line, and
the inspection thin film transistors include a first inspection thin film transistor connected to the first driving line and the first inspection pad and a second inspection thin film transistor connected to the third driving line and the third inspection pad.

17. The method of claim 16 ,
wherein the plurality of touch lines further include a first sensing line, a second sensing line, and a third sensing line, which are sequentially arranged in the first direction,
the inspection pads further include a fourth inspection pad connected to the first sensing line, a fifth inspection pad connected to the second sensing line, and a sixth inspection pad connected to the third sensing line, and
the inspection thin film transistors further include a third inspection thin film transistor connected to the first sensing line and the fourth inspection pad and a fourth inspection thin film transistor connected to the third sensing line and the sixth inspection

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shim Chan Wook
• Kwon Sang Hyuk
• Park Jong Yeul
• Jung Jae Yoon
• Cho Duc Han
• Choi Cheol Gon

Classifications

• H10K59/40

  OLEDs integrated with touch screens · CPC title

• G06F3/0445

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• G06F3/0446 Primary

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title