Patent Description:
Electronic products that include a display device, such as smartphones, tablets, notebook computers, monitors, and TVs, have become indispensable necessities in modern society. With the flourishing development of such portable electronic products, consumers have high expectations regarding the quality, functionality, and price of such products. These electronic products are often provided with fingerprint identification functionality to control access. However, existing display devices have not been satisfactory in every respect.

<CIT> discloses a display device that is suitable for increasing in size, a display device in which display unevenness is suppressed, or a display device that can display an image along a curved surface. The display device includes a first display panel and a second display panel each including a pair of substrates. The first display panel and the second display panel each include a first region which can transmit visible light, a second region which can block visible light, and a third region which can perform display. The third region of the first display panel and the first region of the second display panel overlap each other. The third region of the first display panel and the second region of the second display panel do not overlap each other.

<CIT> discloses a semiconductor device which includes a display portion and a driver circuit portion configured to drive the display portion. The display portion includes a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, a plurality of photo sensors between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, and a plurality of color filters. The driver circuit portion includes a transistor including a single crystal semiconductor layer.

Therefore, a new display device that improves display quality is needed.

In accordance with all embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device is provided. The display device includes a substrate. The display device also includes a driving circuit disposed on the substrate. The driving circuit includes a semiconductor layer. The display device further includes a plurality of sensing units disposed on the driving circuit. In addition, the display device includes a plurality of display units driven by the driving circuit. The display device further includes a sensing circuit electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of sensing units. At least one of the plurality of sensing units overlaps the semiconductor layer of the driving circuit and at least a portion of the sensing circuit overlaps at least a portion of the driving circuit, wherein the plurality of sensing units are disposed between the driving circuit and the plurality of display units. A wire is disposed on the driving circuit, wherein the wire electrically connects the driving circuit and the plurality of display units.

The disclosure may be understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

The display device of the present disclosure and the manufacturing method thereof are described in detail in the following description. In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details and embodiments are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that the exemplary embodiments set forth herein are used merely for the purpose of illustration, and the inventive concept may be embodied in various forms without being limited to those exemplary embodiments. In addition, the drawings of different embodiments may use like and/or corresponding numerals to denote like and/or corresponding elements. However, the use of like and/or corresponding numerals in the drawings of different embodiments does not suggest any correlation between different embodiments. In addition, in this specification, expressions such as "first material layer disposed above/on/over a second material layer", may indicate the direct contact of the first material layer and the second material layer, or it may indicate a non-contact state with one or more intermediate layers between the first material layer and the second material layer. In the above situation, the first material layer may not be in direct contact with the second material layer.

In addition, in this specification, relative expressions are used. For example, "upper" or "lower" is used to describe the position of one element relative to another. It should be appreciated that if a device is flipped upside down, an element that is on the "bottom" will become an element that is on the "top".

It should be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, portions and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, portions and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, portion or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, portion or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, portion or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that this description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. The drawings are not drawn to scale. In addition, structures and devices are shown schematically in order to simplify the drawing. In the drawings, some components may be omitted for clarity. Moreover, some components in the drawings may be eliminated as another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The terms "about" and "substantially" typically mean +/- <NUM>% of the stated value, more typically +/- <NUM>% of the stated value, more typically +/- <NUM>% of the stated value, more typically +/- <NUM>% of the stated value, more typically +/- <NUM>% of the stated value, more typically +/- <NUM>% of the stated value and even more typically +/- <NUM>% of the stated value. The stated value of the present disclosure is an approximate value. When there is no specific description, the stated value includes the meaning of "about" or "substantially". Moreover, when considering the deviation or the fluctuation of the manufacturing process, the term "same" may also include the meaning of "about" or "substantially".

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It should be appreciated that, in each case, the term, which is defined in a commonly used dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning that conforms to the relative skills of the present disclosure and the background or the context of the present disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless so defined.

In addition, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as "connected" and "interconnected," refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

In addition, the phrase "in a range from a first value to a second value" indicates the range includes the first value, the second value, and other values in between.

In addition, the term "cover" includes the meaning of "cover partially" or "cover completely".

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device is provided. The display device has a plurality of display units driven by a driving circuit. The display device also has a plurality of sensing units driven by a sensing circuit. At least one of the sensing units overlaps the semiconductor layer of the driving circuit. As a result, the size of the display device can be reduced.

Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 100A in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The display device 100A includes a substrate <NUM>. The substrate <NUM> may include a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a polymer substrate, other suitable substrates, or a combination thereof. The substrate may include a rigid substrate and/or a flexible substrate. A light shielding layer <NUM> may be disposed on the substrate <NUM>. The light shielding layer <NUM> may be configured to shield at least a portion of the light affecting the driving circuits, but it is not limited thereto. Though it is not depicted, some buffer layers may be disposed between the substrate <NUM> and the light shielding layer <NUM>. The material of the light shielding layer <NUM> may include, but is not limited to, metal, metal oxide, and/or resin materials. Insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be sequentially disposed on the substrate <NUM>. The material of the insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may include, but is not limited to, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, other dielectric materials, or a combination thereof.

As shown in <FIG>, the display device 100A includes a plurality of driving circuits <NUM>. At least one of the driving circuits <NUM> is used to drive display units, but it is not limited thereto. Although <FIG> illustrates only three driving circuits <NUM>, the display device 100A may have more driving circuits <NUM>, and the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited. In some embodiment, at least one of the driving circuits <NUM> may include a thin film transistor (TFT). For example, the driving circuit <NUM> includes a semiconductor layer <NUM>, and a gate electrode <NUM>. In some examples, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include a source/drain region <NUM> and a channel region disposed between the source/drain region <NUM>, but it is not limited thereto. In other examples, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include a doped region (e.g. the source/drain region) and a non-doped region. Two adjacent driving circuits <NUM> may be electrically connected through at least one wire <NUM>. Two adjacent driving circuits may be electrically connected through their source/drain regions <NUM> and/or at least one wire, but it is not limited thereto. For example, one driving circuit may be electrically connected to the gate electrode of adjacent driving circuits through its source/drain region <NUM> and/or the wire <NUM>. The semiconductor layer <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the semiconductor may include, but is not limited to, amorphous silicon, polysilicon such as low-temp polysilicon (LTPS), metal oxide or other suitable materials. The metal oxide may include indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium gallium zinc tin oxide (IGZTO), low temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO), other suitable materials, or a combination thereof. The material of the gate electrode <NUM> may include metal, such as copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), gold (Au), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), titanium (Ti). In some examples, the semiconductor layers <NUM> of the driving circuits may have different compositions. For example, in the embodiment where the semiconductor layer is the indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) layer, the semiconductor layer may include different compositions of In, Ga, Zn and O, such as <NUM>:<NUM>:<NUM>:<NUM> or other suitable composition(s). In other examples, the semiconductor layers <NUM> of the driving circuits <NUM> may include different materials. For example, the material of the semiconductor layer <NUM> of one driving circuit <NUM> may include low-temp polysilicon, while the material of the semiconductor layer <NUM> of another driving circuit <NUM> may include low temperature polycrystalline oxide, but it is not limited thereto. The stacking structure of the layers of the driving circuit <NUM> may be adjusted depending on the needs, but it is not limited thereto.

The wire <NUM> may be used to electrically connect at least a portion of the plurality of driving circuits <NUM>. The wire <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. Moreover, the wire <NUM> may penetrate the insulating layers <NUM> and <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the wire <NUM> may contact with the source/drain region <NUM> and/or the gate electrode <NUM> of the driving circuit <NUM>. The material of the wire <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the source/drain region <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be sequentially disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of at least one of the insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be different from another one. In some examples, at least one of the insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be omitted. In other examples, the display device 100A may have more insulating layers.

In all embodiments, the display device 100A includes at least one sensing circuit <NUM>. The sensing circuit <NUM> is disposed on the driving circuit <NUM>. The sensing circuit <NUM> may include a gate electrode <NUM>, a semiconductor layer <NUM>, but is it not limited thereto. In some examples, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include a source/drain region <NUM> and a channel region disposed between the source/drain region <NUM>, but it is not limited thereto. In other examples, the semiconductor layer may include a doped region and a non-doped region. The sensing circuit <NUM> may be used to drive at least one sensing unit and/or electrically connect to other electronic elements, but it is not limited thereto. The gate electrode <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The source/drain region <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The semiconductor layer <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the gate electrode <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the gate electrode <NUM>. The material of the semiconductor layer <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the semiconductor layer <NUM>. In some examples, the driving circuit and/or the sensing circuit in the present disclosure may include a top gate thin film transistor, a bottom gate thin film transistor, a dual gate thin film transistor, a double gate thin film transistor, other suitable transistors, or a combination thereof.

As shown in <FIG>, an insulating layer <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the insulating layer <NUM> may include, but is not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyethersulfone (PES), polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), glass, acrylic-based polymer, siloxane-based polymer, any other suitable materials, or a combination thereof.

In all embodiments, the display device 100A includes at least one sensing unit <NUM> disposed on at least one of the driving circuits <NUM>. The sensing unit <NUM> may be used to sense a photonic signal from an object and convert it into an electrical signal, but it is not limited thereto. In some examples, the sensing unit <NUM> may be a fingerprint sensing unit, a proximity sensing unit, or any other suitable sensing unit. Although <FIG> illustrates only one sensing unit <NUM>, the display device 100A may include more sensing units <NUM>, and the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited. As shown in <FIG>, the sensing unit <NUM> may include a semiconductor layer <NUM>, a photoactive layer <NUM>, and a semiconductor layer <NUM>. The photoactive layer <NUM> may be disposed between the semiconductor layer <NUM> and the semiconductor layer <NUM>. In addition, the semiconductor layer <NUM> and the semiconductor layer <NUM> may be doped with dopants of different types. For example, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include one of n-type dopants and p-type dopants, and the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include the other one of n-type dopants and p-type dopants. For example, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include p-type dopants while the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include n-type dopants. The photoactive layer <NUM> may include dopants with low concentration. In some embodiments, the concentration of the dopants of the photoactive layer <NUM> may be less than that of the semiconductor layer <NUM> and the semiconductor layer <NUM>. In some embodiments, the sensing unit <NUM> may be a PIN diode. As shown in <FIG>, the sensing unit <NUM> may be electrically connected to the sensing circuit <NUM> through a wire <NUM>. The sensing unit <NUM> may be electrically connected to other electronic elements through a wire <NUM>. The material of the wires <NUM> and <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the wire <NUM>, and is not repeated herein.

In all embodiments, the sensing unit <NUM> overlaps at least one of the driving circuits <NUM>. The term "overlap" may include partially overlap or entirely overlap in the normal direction of the substrate <NUM>. More specifically, the sensing unit <NUM> overlaps the semiconductor layer <NUM> of at least one of the driving circuit <NUM>. Namely, the projection of the sensing unit <NUM> on the substrate <NUM> may overlap the projection of the semiconductor layer <NUM> on the substrate <NUM>. In all embodiments, the sensing unit <NUM> and the driving circuit <NUM> are not disposed on the same layer. As a result, this assists in reducing the size of the display device 100A. In some embodiments, both the sensing circuit <NUM> and the sensing unit <NUM> are disposed on the driving circuit <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the display device 100A includes a wire <NUM> and a display unit <NUM>. The wire <NUM> is disposed on the driving circuit <NUM>. The wire <NUM> may penetrate at least one of the insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. The wire <NUM> is used to electrically connect the driving circuit <NUM> and the display unit <NUM>. The material of the wire <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the gate electrode <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, at least one display unit <NUM> may be disposed on the driving circuits <NUM>. A pixel definition layer <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to the display unit <NUM>. The opening in the pixel definition layer <NUM> may be regarded as a display region of the display device 100A. The material of the pixel definition layer <NUM> may include polymer, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyethersulfone (PES), polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or other suitable materials. In some embodiments, the display unit <NUM> may have display medium including liquid crystals (LC), inorganic light-emitting diodes, mini light-emitting diodes (mini LED), micro light-emitting diodes (micro LED), quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QDLED), organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), QLED, quantum dots (QD), phosphors, fluorescence or other display elements, and is not limited thereto. For example, the display unit <NUM> may include a bottom electrode <NUM>, an electroluminescent layer <NUM> and a top electrode <NUM>. In some examples, the bottom electrode <NUM> and the wire <NUM> are integrated. The electroluminescent layer <NUM> may be disposed between the bottom electrode <NUM> and the top electrode <NUM>. The material of the bottom electrode <NUM> and the top electrode <NUM> may include metal and/or conductive transparent material, the metal may include Cu, Al, Mo, W, Au, Cr, Ni, Pt, Ti or other suitable materials. The material of the bottom electrode <NUM> may be different from the material of the top electrode <NUM>. The conductive transparent material may include ITO or other suitable materials. In some examples, the bottom electrode <NUM> may include the wire <NUM>, and the material of the wire <NUM> may be the same as or similar to the material of the bottom electrode. The electroluminescent layer <NUM> may include an organic film. As shown in <FIG>, the top electrode <NUM> and the inorganic layer <NUM> may be disposed on the pixel definition layer <NUM>. The display unit <NUM> may be electrically connected to the driving circuit <NUM> through the wire <NUM> and the wire <NUM>. In some embodiments where the display device is an OLED display device, a region of the display unit <NUM> may be defined by the anode electrode of the display unit <NUM>. In some embodiments where the display device is liquid crystal display, a region of the display unit <NUM> may be defined by the pixel electrode of the display units <NUM>.

The display device 100A may further include an organic layer <NUM> and an inorganic layer <NUM>. The organic layer <NUM> may be disposed on the top electrode <NUM> of the display unit <NUM>. The inorganic layer <NUM> may be disposed on the organic layer <NUM>. The organic layer <NUM> may protect the display unit <NUM> from moisture of surrounding. The inorganic layer <NUM> may absorb the stress generated when the display device 100A is bent.

In some embodiments, the display device 100A may include the sensing unit <NUM> disposed between the pixel definition layer <NUM> and the driving circuit <NUM>. More specifically, the sensing circuit <NUM> and the sensing unit <NUM> may be disposed between the display unit <NUM> and the driving circuit <NUM>. In other examples, the sensing circuit <NUM> and the sensing unit <NUM> may be disposed between the pixel definition layer <NUM> and the driving circuit <NUM>. As a result, the sensing unit <NUM> overlaps the semiconductor layer <NUM> of the driving circuit <NUM>. Therefore, the display device may maintain the high resolution when integrating the sensing functionality in the display area of the display device.

It is appreciated that the cross-sectional view shown in <FIG> is only an example. In other cross-sections, the layout of the circuit of the display device 100A may have other designs, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the contact of the source/drain region <NUM> of one of the driving circuit <NUM> is omitted because that is formed in other cross-sections.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 100B in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 100B and the display device 100A is that two adjacent driving circuits <NUM>' may be electrically connected by a source/drain region <NUM>'. In some embodiments, a portion of the source/drain region <NUM>' may be used as the source electrode of one driving circuit <NUM>', and a portion of the source/drain region <NUM>' may be used as the drain electrode of another driving circuit <NUM>'. In some embodiments, at least two of the driving circuits <NUM>' may be electrically connected through a wire <NUM>' or through the source/drain region <NUM>'.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 100C in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 100C and the display device 100A is that a sensing unit <NUM>' and a sensing circuit <NUM>' of the display device 100C may be disposed on the display unit <NUM> and/or the pixel definition layer <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the insulating layers <NUM> and <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the insulating layers <NUM> and <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the insulating layers <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. The sensing unit <NUM>' may be disposed on the driving circuit <NUM>. In some embodiments, the display unit <NUM> and/or the pixel definition layer <NUM> may be disposed between at least one of the sensing circuits <NUM>' and at least one of the driving circuits <NUM>. In some embodiments, the display unit <NUM> may be disposed between at least one of the sensing units <NUM>' and at least one of the driving circuits <NUM>. In this embodiment, the thickness of the wire <NUM>' may be less than that of the wire <NUM>. In other examples, the thickness of the layers (e.g. layers <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>) penetrated by the wire <NUM>' may be less than that of the wire <NUM>. Accordingly, the formation of the wire <NUM>' may become easier.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 100D in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 100D and the display device 100A is that some of the driving circuits <NUM> may be replaced with sensing circuits <NUM>''. In some embodiments, the sensing circuit <NUM>'' and the driving circuit <NUM> may be disposed on the same layer. In some embodiments, a gate electrode <NUM>" and a semiconductor layer <NUM>'' of the sensing circuit <NUM>'' may be manufactured in the same processes as the gate electrode <NUM> and the semiconductor layer <NUM> of the driving circuit <NUM>, respectively. In this embodiment, a portion of the sensing circuit <NUM>'' may be manufactured in the same process as the driving circuit <NUM>. Accordingly, the processes of forming the sensing circuit <NUM>'' and the driving circuit <NUM> may be simplified. In some examples, at least one of the driving circuits <NUM> may serve as the sensing circuit <NUM>''. Furthermore, the thickness of the wire <NUM>" may be less than that of the wire <NUM>. In other examples, the thickness of the layers (e.g. layers <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>) penetrated by the wire <NUM>" may be less than that of the wire <NUM>. Accordingly, the formation of the wire <NUM>'' may become easier.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 100E in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 100E and the display device 100A is that the wire <NUM> of <FIG> may be replaced with at least one of the wires <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, but it is not limited thereto. For example, at least one of the wires <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be omitted, or other wires may be disposed between two of the wires <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. In some embodiments, the wires <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be manufactured in the same processes as the gate electrode <NUM>, the source/drain region <NUM> and the wire <NUM>, respectively. The material of the wire <NUM> may be the same as or similar to the wire <NUM>. In this embodiment, at least one of the driving circuits <NUM> may be electrically connected to the display unit <NUM> through the wires <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the thickness of the wire <NUM> may be less than that of the wire <NUM>. Accordingly, the formation of the wire <NUM> may become easier.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 100F in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 100F and the display device 100E is that the top electrode <NUM>' of the display device 100F may include at least one opening <NUM> corresponding to the sensing unit <NUM>. The opening <NUM> may partially or entirely overlap the sensing unit <NUM>. In some embodiments, a portion of the inorganic layer <NUM>' may be disposed in the opening <NUM>. The opening <NUM> may assist in improving the efficiency of the sensing unit <NUM>. Accordingly, the performance of the display device 100F may be improved.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device <NUM> and the display device 100F is that a light conversion layer <NUM> may be disposed in the opening <NUM> of the display device 100F. The material of the light conversion layer <NUM> may include a light filter, a quantum dot, other suitable material, or a combination thereof. For example, the light conversion layer <NUM> may allow light with specific wavelength to pass through. The light conversion layer <NUM> may allow the light with specific wavelength to be incident to the sensing unit <NUM>. Accordingly, it may improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the display device <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 200A in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The display device 200A may include a substrate <NUM>. The substrate <NUM> may include a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a plastic substrate, and/or other suitable substrates. A light shielding layer <NUM> may be disposed on the substrate <NUM>. The light shielding layer <NUM> may be configured to shield at least a portion of light affecting the driving circuits. The material of the light shielding layer <NUM> may include, but is not limited to, metal, metal oxide, resin, or a combination thereof. At least one of insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may be sequential disposed on the substrate <NUM>. The material(s) of insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may include, but is not limited to, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, other dielectric materials or a combination thereof.

As shown in <FIG>, the display device 200A may include at least one driving circuit <NUM>. The driving circuit <NUM> may be used to control a display layer <NUM>. Although <FIG> illustrates only one driving circuit <NUM>, the display device 200A may have more driving circuits <NUM>, and the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited. The driving circuit <NUM> may include a semiconductor layer <NUM>, and a gate electrode <NUM>. In some examples, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include a source/drain region <NUM> and a channel region disposed between the source/drain region <NUM>, but it is not limited thereto. In other examples, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include a doped region and a non-doped region. The semiconductor layer <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The gate electrode <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The materials of the semiconductor layer <NUM> and the gate electrode <NUM> may be the same as or similar to those of the semiconductor layer <NUM> and the gate electrode <NUM>, and are not repeated herein.

The wire <NUM> and a wire <NUM> may be used to electrically connect the driving circuit <NUM> and a pixel electrode <NUM>. The wire <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. Moreover, the wire <NUM> may penetrate the insulating layer <NUM> and the insulating layer <NUM>. The wire <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. Furthermore, the wire <NUM> may penetrate the insulating <NUM>, the insulating layer <NUM>, the insulating layer <NUM>, the insulating layer <NUM>, the insulating layer <NUM> and the insulating layer <NUM>. The materials of the wire <NUM> and the wire <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the wire <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, at least one of the insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be sequentially disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the insulating layers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the insulating layer <NUM>, and is not repeated herein.

In some embodiments, the display device 200A may include a sensing circuit <NUM>. The sensing circuit <NUM> may be disposed on the driving circuit <NUM>. The sensing circuit <NUM> may include a gate electrode <NUM>, a semiconductor layer <NUM>. In some examples, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include a source/drain region <NUM> and a channel region disposed between the source/drain region <NUM>, but it is not limited thereto. In other examples, the semiconductor layer <NUM> may include a doped region and a non-doped region. The sensing circuit <NUM> may be used to drive at least one of the sensing units. The gate electrode <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The source/drain region <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the gate electrode <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the gate electrode <NUM>. The material of the semiconductor layer <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the semiconductor layer <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, an insulating layer <NUM> is disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the insulating layer <NUM> may include, but is not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyethersulfone (PES), polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), glass, any other suitable materials, or a combination thereof. In addition, an insulating layer <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The material of the insulating layer <NUM> may include low dielectric constant materials.

In some embodiments, the display device 200A may include at least one sensing unit <NUM> disposed on the driving circuit <NUM>. The sensing unit <NUM> may be used to sense a photonic signal from an object (e.g., a fingerprint) and convert it into an electrical signal, but it is not limited thereto. Although <FIG> illustrates only one sensing unit <NUM>, the display device 200A may have more sensing units <NUM>, and the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited. As shown in <FIG>, the sensing unit <NUM> includes a semiconductor layer <NUM>, a photoactive layer <NUM>, and a semiconductor layer <NUM>. The sensing unit <NUM> may further include an upper electrode <NUM> and a lower electrode <NUM>. The structure and the material of the sensing unit <NUM> may be the same as or similar to those of the sensing unit <NUM>, and it will not be repeated herein. As shown in <FIG>, the sensing unit <NUM> may be electrically connected to the sensing circuit <NUM> through the lower electrode <NUM>. The sensing unit <NUM> may be electrically connected to other electronic elements through the upper electrode <NUM> and a wire <NUM>. The material of the wire <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the wire <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the sensing unit <NUM> may overlap the driving circuit <NUM>. More specifically, the sensing unit <NUM> may partially or entirely overlap the semiconductor layer <NUM> of the driving circuit <NUM>. Namely, the projection of the sensing unit <NUM> on the substrate <NUM> may overlap the projection of the semiconductor layer <NUM> on the substrate <NUM>. In some embodiments, the sensing unit <NUM> and the driving circuit <NUM> may not be disposed on the same layer. As a result, this assists in reducing the size of the display device 200A. In some embodiments, the sensing circuit <NUM> may be disposed between the driving circuit <NUM> and the sensing unit <NUM>. In some embodiments, both the sensing circuit <NUM> and the sensing unit <NUM> may be disposed on the driving circuit <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the display device 200A may include a common electrode <NUM> and a pixel electrode <NUM>. The common electrode <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The pixel electrode <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. The common electrode <NUM>, the pixel electrode <NUM> and the insulating layer <NUM> may form a capacitor. The voltage difference between the common electrode <NUM> and the pixel electrode <NUM> may be used to control the display layer <NUM>. The voltage of the pixel electrode <NUM> may be controlled by the driving circuit <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the display device 200A may include a polymer layer <NUM>, the display layer <NUM>, and a polymer layer <NUM>. The display layer <NUM> may be disposed between the polymer layer <NUM> and the polymer layer <NUM>, and the display layer <NUM> may include a liquid crystal layer or other suitable display layer. The display device 200A may include, but is not limited to, a twisted nematic (TN) liquid-crystal display device, a super twisted nematic (STN) liquid-crystal display device, a double layer super twisted nematic (DSTN) liquid-crystal display device, a vertical alignment (VA) liquid-crystal display device, an in-plane switching (IPS) liquid-crystal display device, a cholesteric liquid-crystal display device, a blue phase liquid-crystal display device, a fringe-field switching (FFS) liquid-crystal display device, or any other suitable liquid-crystal display device.

The display device 200A may include an overcoat layer <NUM>, a light shielding layer <NUM> and a color filter <NUM>. The material of the overcoat layer <NUM> may include phosphosilicate glass (PSG), borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), low dielectric constant (low-k) material and/or other suitable material(s). The low dielectric constant dielectric materials may include, but are not limited to, fluorinated silica glass (FSG), carbon doped silicon oxide, amorphous fluorinated carbon, parylene, bis-benzocyclobutenes (BCB), polyimides, or other suitable materials. The light shielding layer <NUM> and the color filter <NUM> may be disposed between the overcoat layer <NUM> and a substrate <NUM>. The color filter <NUM> may allow light with specific wavelength to pass through. For example, the color filter <NUM> may include, but is not limited to, a red color filter, a green color filter, a blue color filter or an IR color filter. The material of the light shielding layer <NUM> may be the same as or similar to that of the light shielding layer <NUM>. The display device 200A may include a display unit <NUM>. In some embodiments, one light-emitting region may be regarded as the display unit <NUM> of the display device 200A. It should be appreciated that the display unit <NUM> shown in <FIG> is merely an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The substrate <NUM> may include a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a plastic substrate, and/or other suitable substrates.

In some embodiments, the display device 200A may include the sensing unit <NUM> disposed between the display layer <NUM> and the driving circuit <NUM>. More specifically, the sensing circuit <NUM> and the sensing unit <NUM> may be disposed between the display layer <NUM> and the driving circuit <NUM>. As a result, the sensing unit <NUM> may overlap the semiconductor layer <NUM> of the driving circuit <NUM>, and the size of the display device 200A is reduced.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 200B in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 200B and the display device 200A is that a light shielding layer <NUM>' of the display device 200B may include an opening <NUM> corresponding to the sensing unit <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the opening <NUM> of the light shielding layer <NUM>' may be filled with the overcoat layer <NUM>. In some embodiments, the sensing unit <NUM> has a first width W<NUM> and the opening <NUM> has a second width W<NUM> in the cross sectional view. The first width W<NUM> and the second width W<NUM> may be measure along a direction perpendicular to the normal direction of the substrate <NUM>. The second width W<NUM> may be less than the first width W<NUM>. The opening <NUM> may assist in improving the efficiency of the sensing unit <NUM>. Accordingly, the performance of the display device 200B may be improved. Furthermore, the light shielding layer <NUM>' may have a height H<NUM>. In some embodiments, the height H<NUM> may be greater than <NUM>. If height H<NUM> of the light shielding layer <NUM>' is greater than <NUM>, the performance of the display device 200B may be improved.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 200C in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 200C and the display device 200B is that a sensing unit <NUM>' and a sensing circuit <NUM>' may be disposed on the display layer <NUM>. The display layer <NUM> may be disposed between the sensing unit <NUM>' and the driving circuit <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the sensing unit <NUM>' may be embedded in the overcoat layer <NUM>. In some embodiments, the sensing unit <NUM>' and the color filter <NUM> may be disposed on the same layer. In some embodiments, the sensing circuit <NUM>' may be disposed on the sensing unit <NUM>'. The sensing circuit <NUM>' may be at least partially covered by the light shielding layer <NUM>'. As shown in <FIG>, the sensing unit <NUM>' may be exposed from the opening <NUM> of the light shielding layer <NUM>'. Since a portion of the space of the overcoat layer <NUM> is used to form the sensing unit <NUM>', the size of the display device 200C may be reduced.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 200D in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 200D and the display device 200A is that the sensing circuit <NUM>" and the sensing unit <NUM>" may be disposed on the substrate <NUM>. The color filter <NUM> may be disposed between the sensing unit <NUM>" and the driving circuit <NUM>.

Many variations and/or modifications can be made to embodiments of the disclosure. Refer to <FIG>, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device 200E in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 200E and the display device 200A is that the common electrode <NUM> is disposed on the insulating layer <NUM> and on the pixel electrode <NUM>. The common electrode <NUM> may be disposed between the polymer layer <NUM> and the insulating layer <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a top view of a display device 300A in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, the display device 300A may include a substrate <NUM>. In addition, the display device may include a plurality of display regions <NUM> and a plurality of sensing regions <NUM>. In some embodiments, at least one of the sensing regions <NUM> may be disposed between two adjacent display regions <NUM>. The display region <NUM> may be a sub-pixel, such as a red sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel or an IR sub-pixel of the display device 300A. However, the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited. In some embodiments, the display region <NUM> may correspond to the region on which the display unit <NUM> of <FIG> is disposed. The sensing region <NUM> may correspond to the region on which the sensing unit <NUM> of <FIG> is disposed. For example, <FIG> may be a cross sectional view along line A-A' shown in <FIG>.

In some embodiments, the display region <NUM> may correspond to the region on which the display unit <NUM> of <FIG> is disposed. The sensing region <NUM> may correspond to the region on which the sensing unit <NUM> of <FIG> is disposed. For example, <FIG> may be a cross sectional view along line A-A' shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates the display region <NUM> and the sensing region <NUM> having rectangular profiles. In some other embodiments, the display region <NUM> and the sensing region <NUM> may have other profiles, and the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited.

<FIG> illustrates a top view of a display device 300B in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 300B and the display device 300A is that the display device 300B may have a plurality of sensing regions <NUM>' disposed adjacent to at least one of the display regions <NUM>. The sensing regions <NUM>' may have different areas and/or profiles, and the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited.

<FIG> illustrates a top view of a display device 300C in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 300C and the display device 300A is that the sensing region <NUM>" may be disposed around the display region <NUM>. The sensing region <NUM>'' may include a plurality of sections (not shown). In some examples, the sensing region <NUM>" of the display device 300C may overlap the display region <NUM>. In some embodiments, the area of the display region <NUM> may be less than that of the sensing region <NUM> from the top view. However, the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited. In some embodiments, the area of the display region <NUM> may be greater than that of the sensing region <NUM> from the top view.

<FIG> illustrates a top view of a display device 300D in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 300D and the display device 300A is that the display device 300D may further include a light shielding layer <NUM> disposed adjacent to the sensing region <NUM>. Refer to <FIG>, which is a cross-sectional view along line B-B' of display device 300D shown in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, the light shielding layer <NUM> may be disposed on the insulating layer <NUM>. In some embodiments, the light shielding layer <NUM> and the display unit <NUM> may be disposed on the same layer. It should be appreciated that the light shielding layer <NUM> may also be disposed on the structures shown in <FIG>, and the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited. The formation of the light shielding layer <NUM> may improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the display device 300D.

<FIG> illustrates a top view of a display device 300E in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one of the differences between the display device 300E and the display device 300A is that the display device 300E may further include a light shielding layer <NUM> disposed adjacent to the display region <NUM>. Refer to <FIG>, which is a cross-sectional view along line C-C' of display device 300E shown in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, the light shielding layer <NUM> may be disposed between the bottom electrode <NUM> and the top electrode <NUM>. In some embodiments, the electroluminescent layer <NUM> may be surrounded by the light shielding layer <NUM>. It should be appreciated that the light shielding layer <NUM> may also be disposed on the structures shown in <FIG>, and the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited. The formation of the light shielding layer <NUM> may improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the display device 300E.

It should be appreciated that a display device may have a plurality of display units. The display units may be formed in different positions. For example, the display device may have a first display unit as shown in <FIG>, and may have a second display unit as shown in <FIG>. The scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited.

Claim 1:
A display device (100A-G; 200A-E; 300A-D), comprising:
a substrate (<NUM>);
a driving circuit (<NUM>) disposed on the substrate and comprising a semiconductor layer (<NUM>);
a plurality of sensing units (<NUM>) disposed on the driving circuit;
a plurality of display units (<NUM>) driven by the driving circuit;
a sensing circuit (<NUM>) electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of sensing units (<NUM>);
wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing units (<NUM>) overlaps the semiconductor layer (<NUM>) of the driving circuit (<NUM>) and at least a portion of the sensing circuit (<NUM>) overlaps at least a portion of the driving circuit (<NUM>);
wherein the plurality of sensing units (<NUM>) are disposed between the driving circuit (<NUM>) and the plurality of display units (<NUM>); and
a wire (<NUM>) disposed on the driving circuit (<NUM>), wherein the wire (<NUM>) electrically connects the driving circuit (<NUM>) and the plurality of display units (<NUM>).