JP2020140083A - In-cell touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an in-cell touch panel which can suppress the reduction in the image quality.SOLUTION: An in-cell touch panel 1 comprises: a transistor 10 and a pixel electrode 20 which are provided in each of a plurality of pixels PX; a plurality of common electrodes 30 which are respectively arrayed in the first direction and the second direction; a plurality of gate lines 40 which extend along the first direction; a plurality of data lines 50 which extend along the second direction; a plurality of touch lines 60 which extend along the second direction; an insulation film which is formed between the plurality of common electrodes 30 and the plurality of touch lines 60; and an alignment film 126 which covers the pixel electrode 20. The plurality of touch lines 60 are respectively connected to the corresponding common electrodes through a contact hole 124a formed on the insulation film. In the plan view, the contact hole 124a is formed so as to be partially overlapped on the touch line 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present disclosure relates to an in-cell touch panel.

In recent years, the development of a liquid crystal display device having both a touch function and a display function has been promoted. In a liquid crystal display device having a touch function, for example, touch sensing is performed by a capacitance method. In this case, the position touched by the user is detected by detecting the change in capacitance generated when the pointer such as the user's finger or pen touches or approaches the display screen by the touch electrode.

Touch sensing by the capacitance method is a self-capacitance method that detects a change in capacitance between the touch object and the touch electrode (Rx electrode) when a touch object such as a finger or pen is touched by the liquid crystal display device. And a mutual capacitance method that detects a change in capacitance between two touch electrodes (Rx electrode and Tx electrode) is known.

Further, as a structure of a liquid crystal display device having a touch function, an out-cell method in which a touch panel having a touch function is attached to the surface of the liquid crystal display panel and an in-cell method in which the liquid crystal display device itself has a touch function are known. ..

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an in-cell liquid crystal display device (in-cell touch panel) having a touch function. The liquid crystal display device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of gate lines extending in the row direction, a plurality of data lines extending in the column direction, a pixel electrode provided for each of the plurality of pixels, and a plurality of pixel electrodes. It includes a plurality of common electrodes (opposite electrodes) provided so as to face the pixel electrodes, and a signal line connected to the common electrode as a touch line. In the liquid crystal display device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the touch drive signal for detecting the touch position is supplied to the counter electrode to receive the touch detection signal via the signal line, and the electrostatic at the position of the counter electrode is electrostatic. The touch position is detected by detecting the change in capacitance.

International Publication No. 2017/213173

The liquid crystal display device includes a thin film transistor (TFT), a TFT substrate on which pixel electrodes and various wirings are formed, an opposing substrate facing the TFT substrate, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the TFT substrate and the opposing substrate. And.

An alignment film is formed on the liquid crystal display device in order to control the initial orientation angle of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer. The alignment film is formed by applying the alignment film solution to the TFT substrate.

However, it is difficult to uniformly apply the alignment film liquid to the entire area of the TFT substrate. If the alignment film liquid is not uniformly applied to the entire area of the TFT substrate, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer cannot be initially oriented at a desired angle, and the image quality is deteriorated.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an in-cell touch panel capable of suppressing deterioration of image quality.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the in-cell touch panel according to the present disclosure has an image display area composed of a plurality of pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction. An in-cell touch panel, in which transistors and pixel electrodes provided in each of the plurality of pixels are arranged in each of the first direction and the second direction, and each of them faces one or more of the pixel electrodes. A plurality of common electrodes provided separately from each other, a plurality of gate lines extending along the first direction and supplying a gate signal to the transistor in each of the plurality of pixels, and a plurality of gate lines extending in the second direction. A plurality of data lines extending along the plurality of pixels and supplying a data signal to the transistor in each of the plurality of pixels, a plurality of touch lines extending along the second direction, the plurality of common electrodes and the said. An insulating film formed between the plurality of touch lines and an alignment film covering the pixel electrodes are provided, and the plurality of touch lines correspond to each other through contact holes formed in the insulating film. It is connected to a common electrode, and the contact hole is formed so as to partially overlap the touch line in a plan view.

Another aspect of the in-cell touch panel according to the present disclosure is an in-cell touch panel having an image display area composed of a plurality of pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction. The transistors and pixel electrodes provided in each of the plurality of pixels are arranged in each of the first direction and the second direction, and each of them faces one or more of the pixel electrodes and is separated from each other. A plurality of common electrodes provided, a plurality of gate lines extending along the first direction and supplying a gate signal to the transistor in each of the plurality of pixels, and a plurality of gate lines extending along the second direction. Then, a plurality of data lines for supplying a data signal to the transistor in each of the plurality of pixels, a plurality of touch lines extending along the second direction, the plurality of common electrodes and the plurality of touch lines. An insulating film formed between the two, a contact film which is in the same layer as the pixel electrode and is arranged apart from the pixel electrode, and an alignment film which covers the pixel electrode and the contact film. The touch line is connected to a common electrode corresponding to each via a contact hole formed in the insulating film, and the contact hole is formed on the touch line, and the contact is formed in a plan view. The film is formed so as to partially overlap the contact hole.

According to the liquid crystal display panel according to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress deterioration of image quality.

It is a figure which shows typically the schematic structure of the in-cell touch panel which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the pixel circuit of the in-cell touch panel used in the image display device which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the arrangement of the common electrode in the in-cell touch panel which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the image display drive and touch position detection drive in an in-cell touch panel. It is a figure which shows another example of the image display drive and the touch position detection drive in an in-cell touch panel. It is a top view which shows an example of the structure of the pixel of the in-cell touch panel which concerns on embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the region VI surrounded by the broken line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the in-cell touch panel which concerns on embodiment in line VII-VII of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the in-cell touch panel which concerns on embodiment in line VIII-VIII of FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure around the contact hole in the in-cell touch panel which concerns on modification 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing of the in-cell touch panel which concerns on modification 1 in X-ray of FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the pixel of the in-cell touch panel which concerns on modification 2. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. It should be noted that all of the embodiments described below show a specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the arrangement positions of the components, the connection form, and the like shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims indicating the highest level concept of the present disclosure will be described as arbitrary components.

Each figure is a schematic view and is not necessarily exactly illustrated. Therefore, the scales and the like do not always match in each figure. Further, in each figure, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same configurations, and duplicate description will be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
The schematic configuration of the image display device 2 using the in-cell touch panel 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration of an image display device 2 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a pixel circuit of the in-cell touch panel 1 used in the image display device 2. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the common electrodes 30 in the in-cell touch panel 1. In FIG. 2, “G” indicates a gate line 40, “D” indicates a data line 50, “T” indicates a touch line 60, and “VG” indicates a gate leader line 41. Further, in FIG. 3, black circles indicate contact portions between the common electrodes 30 and the touch line 60.

The image display device 2 is an example of a display device that displays an image (video) of a still image or a moving image. As shown in FIG. 1, the image display device 2 includes an in-cell touch panel 1, a backlight 3, and an image processing unit 4.

The in-cell touch panel 1 is a liquid crystal display panel on which an image is displayed. The in-cell touch panel 1 is arranged on the light emitting side of the backlight 3. Therefore, the light emitted from the backlight 3 is incident on the in-cell touch panel 1.

The liquid crystal drive system of the in-cell touch panel 1 is a lateral electric field system such as an IPS (In-Plane Switching) system and an FFS (Fringe Field Switching) system. Further, in the in-cell touch panel 1, for example, the voltage is controlled by the normally black method, but the voltage control method is not limited to the normally black method.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the in-cell touch panel 1 has an image display area 1a (active area) and a frame area 1b surrounding the image display area 1a. A color image or a monochrome image is displayed in the image display area 1a.

The image display area 1a is a display area (effective area) in which an image is displayed, and is composed of, for example, a plurality of pixel PXs arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction. In the present embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other. Specifically, the first direction is the row direction, and the second direction is the column direction orthogonal to the row direction. Therefore, the image display area 1a is composed of a plurality of pixels PX arranged in the row direction and the column direction. That is, the plurality of pixels PX are arranged in a matrix.

The frame area 1b is a peripheral area of the in-cell touch panel 1 and is an area located outside the image display area 1a. Further, the frame area 1b is a non-display area (invalid area) in which an image is not displayed. In the present embodiment, the in-cell touch panel 1 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. Therefore, the plan view shape of the image display area 1a is rectangular, and the plan view shape of the frame area 1b is a rectangular frame shape.

The plurality of pixels PX are composed of a plurality of types of pixels arranged periodically and repeatedly along the row direction. Specifically, the plurality of pixels PX are composed of three types of pixels: a red pixel PXR, a green pixel PXG, and a blue pixel PXB. In this case, in the present embodiment, the three pixels of the red pixel PXR, the green pixel PXG, and the blue pixel PXB are arranged in this order as a set repeatedly along the row direction. The same type of pixels PX are arranged in the column direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the in-cell touch panel 1 includes a transistor 10 and a pixel electrode 20 provided in each of a plurality of pixel PXs, and a common electrode 30 facing the pixel electrode 20.

Further, the in-cell touch panel 1 has a plurality of gate lines 40 (scanning lines) extending in the row direction which is the first direction, and a plurality of data lines extending in the column direction which is the second direction orthogonal to the first direction. 50 (video signal line) is provided.

The in-cell touch panel 1 further includes a plurality of gate leader lines 41 connected to the gate line 40. The plurality of gate leader lines 41 extend in the same direction as the plurality of data lines 50. That is, the plurality of gate leader lines 41 extend in the row direction as in the touch line 60. Therefore, the plurality of gate leader lines 41 are orthogonal to the plurality of gate lines 40.

Further, the in-cell touch panel 1 in the present embodiment is an in-cell type liquid crystal display panel having not only a display function but also a touch function. Therefore, the in-cell touch panel 1 further includes a plurality of touch lines 60 for detecting the touch position when the user touches the in-cell touch panel 1. The plurality of touch lines 60 extend in the same direction as the plurality of data lines 50. Specifically, the plurality of touch lines 60 extend in the row direction.

The transistor 10 provided in each pixel PX is a thin film transistor and has a gate electrode 10G, a source electrode 10S, and a drain electrode 10D. In the present specification, the source electrode 10S and the drain electrode 10D may be collectively referred to as a source / drain electrode, and the source / drain electrode is at least one of the source electrode 10S and the drain electrode 10D, that is, the source electrode 10S. And only one of the drain electrode 10D, or both the source electrode 10S and the drain electrode 10D.

The pixel electrode 20 is provided on each of the plurality of pixel PXs. The pixel electrode 20 is connected to the gate line 40 and the data line 50 corresponding to the pixel PX at each of the plurality of pixel PXs via a transistor 10 corresponding to the pixel PX.

In the present embodiment, one transistor 10 and one pixel electrode 20 are provided in each pixel PX, but a plurality of transistors 10 and pixel electrodes 20 may be provided in each pixel PX.

The common electrode 30 is a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode 20. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of common electrodes 30 are provided in the present embodiment. The plurality of common electrodes 30 are arranged in each of the row direction and the column direction. That is, the plurality of common electrodes 30 are arranged in a matrix. The same common voltage (Vcom) is applied to each of the plurality of common electrodes 30.

Each of the plurality of common electrodes 30 has a rectangular shape and faces one or more pixel electrodes 20. In the present embodiment, each of the plurality of common electrodes 30 has a rectangular shape provided over the plurality of pixel PXs, and faces the plurality of pixel electrodes 20 corresponding to the plurality of pixel PXs existing in the rectangular region. .. For example, the plurality of common electrodes 30 are formed in a rectangular shape having a plurality of pixels PX having tens to tens of sides on each side.

The in-cell touch panel 1 in the present embodiment is a liquid crystal display panel having a touch sensing function by a self-capacitance method. Therefore, the common electrode 30 is also a touch electrode that forms a capacitance with the pixel electrode 20. That is, the common electrode 30 is paired with the pixel electrode 20 and is used not only when driving the image display but also when driving the touch position detection. Each of the plurality of common electrodes 30 is a unit electrode (touch electrode) for detecting the touch position.

For example, the size of one common electrode 30 is 40 × 40 pixels. That is, the length of one common electrode 30 in the row direction and the column direction is the length of 40 pixels. In this case, there are 40 contact portions with one touch line 60 in one common electrode 30. The size of one common electrode 30 is not limited to this, and may be 32 × 32 pixels, and may be rectangular as well as square.

The plurality of common electrodes 30 are separated from each other with at least one of the gate line 40 and the data line 50 as a separation region. In the present embodiment, the plurality of common electrodes 30 are arranged in a matrix, and are separated from each other by using both the gate line 40 and the data line 50 as separation regions.

As shown in FIG. 3, the two common electrodes 30 adjacent to each other in the row direction are separated from each other with the gate line 40 as the first separation region SA1. That is, the two common electrodes 30 adjacent to each other in the row direction are separated with the first separation region SA1 as a boundary, and do not face the gate line 40 in the first separation region SA1. The first separation region SA1 that separates the common electrode 30 in the column direction is a touch electrode boundary and extends along the row direction.

Further, the two common electrodes 30 adjacent to each other in the row direction are separated from each other with the data line 50 as the second separation region SA2. That is, the two common electrodes 30 adjacent to each other in the row direction are separated with the second separation region SA2 as a boundary, and the second separation region SA2 does not face the data line 50. The second separation region SA2 that separates the common electrode 30 in the row direction is a touch electrode boundary and extends along the column direction.

Each of the plurality of gate lines 40 extending in the row direction supplies a gate signal to the transistor 10 in each of the plurality of pixels PX. Each of the plurality of gate lines 40 is provided at the boundary between two pixels PX adjacent to each other in the column direction in the image display area 1a. Specifically, each gate line 40 is provided between two pixel rows adjacent to each other in the row direction.

Each gate line 40 is connected to each transistor 10 of a plurality of pixels PX arranged in the row direction. That is, each gate line 40 is connected to one transistor 10 in each pixel PX. Specifically, each gate wire 40 is connected to the gate electrode 10G of each transistor 10.

A plurality of gate lines 40 are provided for each boundary portion of two pixel PXs adjacent to each other in the column direction. That is, the in-cell touch panel 1 in the present embodiment has a single gate structure, and one gate line 40 is provided at each boundary portion of two pixel rows adjacent to each other in the row direction. Therefore, one gate line 40 exists in the first separation region SA1 between the two common electrodes 30 adjacent to each other in the row direction. The in-cell touch panel 1 is not limited to the single gate structure, but may have a dual gate structure. In this case, a plurality of gate lines 40 are provided for each boundary portion of two pixel PXs adjacent to each other in the column direction.

Similar to the data line 50, the plurality of gate leader lines 41 extending in the column direction are provided at the boundary between two pixels PX adjacent to each other in the row direction in the image display area 1a. Specifically, each gate leader line 41 is provided between two pixel rows adjacent to each other in the row direction.

Each of the plurality of gate leader lines 41 supplies the gate signal output from the gate driver 5 to the gate line 40 corresponding to the gate leader line 41. That is, each gate leader line 41 is a relay wiring for supplying the gate signal output from the gate driver 5 to the gate line 40 as a relay wiring. Therefore, the plurality of gate leader lines 41 are connected to the gate line 40 at at least one of a plurality of intersections of the plurality of gate lines 40 and the plurality of gate leader lines 41. That is, each of the plurality of gate lines 40 is electrically connected to one or more gate leader lines 41. Specifically, the plurality of gate lines 40 and the plurality of gate leader lines 41 are at least one of a plurality of grade separations of the plurality of gate lines 40 and the plurality of gate leader lines 41 in the image display area 1a. At the points, they are connected via a gate contact hole.

For example, one gate line 40 and one gate leader line 41 are connected at one place. Therefore, each gate line 40 is connected to one gate leader line 41 at one gate contact hole. In addition, one gate line 40 may be connected to a plurality of gate leader lines 41 of two or more. In this case, one gate line 40 is connected to a plurality of gate leader lines 41 at a plurality of gate contact holes.

As described above, in the in-cell touch panel 1 of the present embodiment, as the wiring for the gate signal output from the gate driver 5, the gate line 40 which is a horizontal gate line extending in the row direction and the vertical gate line 40 extending in the column direction A gate leader line 41, which is a gate line, is provided.

Each of the plurality of data lines 50 extending in the column direction supplies a data signal (video signal) to the transistor 10 in each of the plurality of pixels PX. Each of the plurality of data lines 50 is provided at the boundary between two pixels PX adjacent to each other in the row direction in the image display area 1a. Specifically, each data line 50 is provided one by one between two pixel rows adjacent to each other in the row direction.

Each data line 50 is connected to each transistor 10 of a plurality of pixels PX arranged in the column direction. That is, each data line 50 is connected to one transistor 10 in each pixel PX. Specifically, each data line 50 is connected to the drain electrode 10D of each transistor 10. That is, in the present embodiment, the data line 50 is a drain line.

Like the data line 50, each of the plurality of touch lines 60 extending in the column direction is provided at the boundary between two pixels PX adjacent to each other in the row direction in the image display area 1a. Specifically, the touch line 60 is provided between two pixel rows adjacent to each other in the row direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of touch lines 60 are connected one-to-one with a plurality of common electrodes 30 arranged in the row direction among the plurality of common electrodes 30. Specifically, each of the plurality of touch lines 60 (row touch line group) in each row of the plurality of common electrodes 30 arranged in the row direction crosses all of the plurality of common electrodes 30 included in the row. However, it is connected to only one of a plurality of common electrodes 30 included in the row. Therefore, each common electrode 30 is connected to any one of the plurality of touch wires 60 traversing the common electrode 30, but is not connected to the other remaining touch wires 60 and is insulated. There is. The number of touch lines 60 straddling the common electrodes 30 arranged in the row direction may be the same as the number of the common electrodes 30 arranged in the row direction.

Although the details will be described later, the touch wire 60 and the common electrode 30 are formed through an insulating film, and the touch wire 60 and the common electrode 30 corresponding to the touch wire 60 have a contact hole formed in the insulating film. It is connected via. This contact hole serves as a contact portion for connecting the touch wire 60 and the common electrode 30.

Note that some of the plurality of touch lines 60 may be dummy touch lines that do not contribute to detecting the touch position. The dummy touch wire is not connected to the common electrode 30. When the dummy touch line is provided, for example, the touch line 60 and the dummy touch line may be arranged alternately for each pixel. A predetermined voltage such as a common voltage (Vcom) or a gated-off voltage (Vgoff) similar to that of the common electrode 30 may be applied to the dummy touch line, or a predetermined voltage may not be applied to the dummy touch line. That is, the dummy touch line may be floating.

As shown in FIG. 1, the in-cell touch panel 1 has a gate driver 5 and a source driver 6 in order to display an image corresponding to an input video signal. The gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are, for example, driver ICs (IC packages).

The gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are mounted in the frame area 1b of the in-cell touch panel 1. Specifically, the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are mounted on the end of the in-cell touch panel 1 by a COF (Chip on Film) method or a COG (Chip on Glass) method.

When the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are mounted by the COF method, the gate driver 5 or the source driver 6 is mounted on a flexible wiring board such as an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) or an FPC (Flexible Printed Cable). A COF made of a film (ACF; Anisotropic Conductive Film) is connected to an electrode terminal provided at an end portion of the in-cell touch panel 1 by thermocompression bonding.

On the other hand, when the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are mounted by the COG method, the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are mounted directly on the active matrix board of the in-cell touch panel 1.

It should be noted that both the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are not limited to being mounted by the COF method or the COG method, and one of the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 may be mounted by the COF method and the other may be mounted by the COG method. Good.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gate driver 5 is electrically connected to the gate wire 40. In the present embodiment, the gate driver 5 is electrically connected to the gate wire 40 via the gate leader wire 41. The gate driver 5 selects a pixel PX to write a data signal according to a timing signal input from the image processing unit 4, and sets a voltage (gate-on voltage; Vgon) for turning on the transistor 10 of the selected pixel PX to the gate line 40. Supply. As a result, the data voltage is supplied to the pixel electrode 20 of the selected pixel PX via the transistor 10.

The source driver 6 is connected to the data line 50 of the in-cell touch panel 1. The source driver 6 supplies the data line 50 with a voltage (data voltage) corresponding to the video signal input from the image processing unit 4 in accordance with the selection of the gate line 40 by the gate driver 5.

In this embodiment, a source driver with a touch function is used as the source driver 6. The source driver with a touch function is a driver in which an image display circuit required for performing image display drive and a touch position detection circuit required for touch position detection drive are shared. In the present embodiment, the plurality of data lines 50 and the plurality of touch lines 60 are connected to the source driver 6, which is a source driver with a touch function. Further, the source driver with a touch function supplies a common voltage (Vcom) to the common electrode 30.

The gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are mounted on one of a pair of sides in the frame area 1b. That is, the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are provided on the same side of the frame area 1b. Specifically, the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are mounted at the end of the in-cell touch panel 1 on the column direction side. The mounting location of the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 is not limited to this, and the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 may be mounted on different sides of the frame area 1b.

As shown in FIG. 1, the backlight 3 is arranged on the back side of the in-cell touch panel 1 and irradiates light toward the in-cell touch panel 1. In the present embodiment, the backlight 3 is an LED backlight using an LED (Light Emitting Diode) as a light source, but the backlight 3 is not limited thereto. Further, the backlight 3 is a direct type LED backlight in which LEDs are arranged two-dimensionally on a substrate so as to face the in-cell touch panel 1, but an edge type backlight may also be used. The backlight 3 is a surface emitting unit that irradiates a flat and uniform scattered light (diffused light). The backlight 3 may have an optical member such as a diffusing plate (diffusing sheet) in order to diffuse the light from the light source.

The image processing unit 4 is a control device including an arithmetic processing circuit such as a CPU and a memory such as a ROM or RAM. Video data to be displayed on the in-cell touch panel 1 is input to the image processing unit 4. The image processing unit 4 executes various processes by reading and executing a program stored in the memory by the CPU. Specifically, the image processing unit 4 performs various image signal processing such as color adjustment on the video data input from an external system (not shown) to show the gradation value of each pixel PX. It includes a timing controller and the like that generate a signal and a timing signal indicating the timing of writing a video signal to each pixel PX. The image processing unit 4 outputs the video signal to the source driver 6 and outputs the timing signal to the gate driver 5.

The in-cell touch panel 1 in the present embodiment has a display function and a touch function. That is, the in-cell touch panel 1 drives the image display and the touch position detection. In this case, the in-cell touch panel 1 uses the touch line 60 to perform image display drive and touch position detection drive by time division. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the image display drive and the touch position detection drive are alternately repeated a plurality of times within one frame period (16.6 ms). In this case, the touch position detection drive can be performed using, for example, a blanking period.

When the in-cell touch panel 1 drives the image display, the gate-on voltage from the gate driver 5 is supplied to the gate line 40 via the gate leader line 41. As a result, the transistor 10 of the selected pixel PX is turned on, and the data voltage is supplied to the pixel electrode 20 from the data line 50 connected to the transistor 10. Then, an electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer due to the difference between the data voltage supplied to the pixel electrode 20 and the common voltage supplied to the common electrode 30. This electric field changes the orientation state of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer in each pixel PX, and the transmittance of the light of the backlight 3 passing through the in-cell touch panel 1 is controlled for each pixel PX. As a result, the desired image is displayed in the image display area 1a of the in-cell touch panel 1.

Further, when the in-cell touch panel 1 drives the touch position detection, the source driver 6 which is a source driver with a touch function detects a change in the capacitance of each of the plurality of common electrodes 30 via the touch line 60 as a touch detection signal. Detect as. Thereby, the common electrode 30 at the touched position can be specified, and the position touched by the user can be detected.

The control shown in FIG. 4B has a longer driving period per operation of the image display drive and the touch position detection drive than the control shown in FIG. 4A. In this embodiment, either the control shown in FIG. 4B or the control shown in FIG. 4A may be used. However, the control shown in FIG. 4B has a larger amount of image data stored in the memory during the touch position detection drive than the control shown in FIG. 4A, so that the chip size of the IC driver becomes larger.

Next, an example of the pixel configuration of the in-cell touch panel 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the pixel PX of the in-cell touch panel 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area VI surrounded by the broken line in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, each pixel PX is provided with one transistor 10 and one pixel electrode 20.

A plurality of slits are formed in each pixel electrode 20, and each pixel electrode 20 has a plurality of line electrodes extending in a stripe shape in the row direction. Each of the plurality of line electrodes has a strip shape, and a plurality of slits extending in the row direction are formed in the pixel electrode 20 to form a strip shape. In each pixel electrode 20, all the line electrodes 21 are formed substantially in parallel, and the distance (slit width) between the two adjacent line electrodes 21 is constant. Further, in each pixel electrode 20, the intervals of all the line electrodes 21 are the same as each other. In each pixel PX, one end of the plurality of line electrodes 21 in the longitudinal direction is connected by a connecting electrode 22 extending along the row direction. That is, the pixel electrode 20 in this embodiment has a comb-shaped shape.

Further, the line electrode 21 is inclined with respect to the row direction or the column direction in each pixel PX. In this case, in the present embodiment, the direction of the line electrode 21 is reversed by two pixels PX adjacent to each other in the row direction, and the line electrode 21 has a substantially "<" shape for two pixels in the row direction. It is formed to be. That is, the plurality of pixel electrodes 20 arranged in the row direction are formed so as to have a zigzag shape along the row direction. The line electrode 21 may be formed in parallel with the row direction or the column direction without being inclined.

The plurality of gate lines 40 extend linearly in the row direction. One gate line 40 is provided at the boundary of two pixel PXs adjacent to each other in the column direction. That is, the gate line 40 is provided for each pixel PX.

Similar to the data line 50, the plurality of gate leader lines 41 extend in the row direction along the shape of the line electrode 21 of the pixel electrode 20. Specifically, each gate leader line 41 has its orientation reversed by two pixels PX adjacent to each other in the column direction, and is formed so as to form a substantially "<" shape with two pixels in the column direction. There is. That is, each gate leader line 41 is formed so as to have a zigzag shape along the row direction. The plurality of gate leader lines 41 may extend linearly in the row direction.

One gate leader line 41 is provided for each of the three pixels of the red pixel PXR, the green pixel PXG, and the blue pixel PXB. In the present embodiment, the gate leader line 41 is provided in a region (V region) between the red pixel PXR and the blue pixel PXB.

In the present embodiment, the gate leader line 41 and the data line 50 are formed in the same layer. Further, the gate leader line 41 and the data line 50 are orthogonal to the gate line 40. Therefore, the gate leader line 41, the data line 50, and the gate line 40 are grade-separated via an insulating film.

The plurality of data lines 50 extend in the row direction along the shape of the line electrode 21 of the pixel electrode 20. Specifically, each data line 50 has its orientation reversed by two pixels PX adjacent to each other in the column direction, and is formed so as to form a substantially "<" shape with two pixels in the column direction. .. That is, each data line 50 is formed so as to have a zigzag shape along the column direction. The plurality of gate lines 40 may extend linearly in the row direction.

Similar to the data line 50, the plurality of touch lines 60 extend in the row direction along the shape of the line electrode 21 of the pixel electrode 20. Specifically, each touch line 60 has its orientation reversed by two pixels PX adjacent to each other in the column direction, and is formed so as to form a substantially "<" shape with two pixels in the column direction. .. That is, each touch line 60 is formed so as to have a zigzag shape along the row direction. The plurality of touch lines 60 may extend linearly in the row direction.

Similar to the gate leader line 41, one touch line 60 is provided for each of the three pixels of the red pixel PXR, the green pixel PXG, and the blue pixel PXB. In the present embodiment, the touch line 60 is provided in a region (V region) between the red pixel PXR and the blue pixel PXB, similarly to the gate leader line 41. That is, a touch line 60, a gate leader line 41, and a data line 50 are provided in the region between the red pixel PXR and the blue pixel PXB. Specifically, a gate leader line 41 and a data line 50 are provided so as to sandwich the touch line 60. The order in which the touch line 60, the gate leader line 41, and the data line 50 are arranged between one pixel is not limited to this.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in a plan view, the touch line 60 and the gate leader line 41 partially overlap each other. Specifically, the three wires of the touch line 60, the gate leader line 41, and the data line 50 extend in parallel between the two gate lines 40 adjacent to each other in the column direction, but the gate line. Above 40, the touch line 60 bends and overlaps the gate leader line 41. That is, the touch line 60 has a bent portion that bends so as to overlap the gate leader line 41.

As shown in FIG. 6, the touch wire 60 is electrically connected to the common electrode 30 via the contact hole 124a. The contact hole 124a is formed in an insulating film formed between the touch wire 60 and the common electrode 30. Although the details will be described later, the insulating film formed between the touch wire 60 and the common electrode 30 is the fourth insulating film 124.

The contact hole 124a is formed so as to partially overlap the touch line 60 in a plan view. Specifically, in a plan view, the contact hole 124a protrudes from the touch line 60. In the present embodiment, only one of both ends of the touch line 60 in the width direction of the contact hole 124a protrudes from the touch line 60. As an example, the contact hole 124a is formed so that about 1/4 to 1/2 of the contact hole 124a overlaps the touch line 60.

In FIG. 6, the contact hole 124a partially overlaps the corner of the bent portion of the touch line 60, and about 1/4 of the contact hole 124a overlaps the touch line 60.

Next, the cross-sectional structure of the in-cell touch panel 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the in-cell touch panel 1 on lines VII-VII of FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the in-cell touch panel 1 taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the in-cell touch panel 1 is arranged between the first substrate 100, the second substrate 200 facing the first substrate 100, and the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200. It includes a liquid crystal layer 300. In the present embodiment, the first substrate 100 is located on the backlight 3 side, and the second substrate 200 is located on the observer side. Although not shown, the liquid crystal layer 300 is sealed between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200 by a frame-shaped sealing member.

The first substrate 100 is a TFT substrate having a TFT as a transistor 10. Specifically, the first substrate 100 is an active matrix substrate in which a plurality of transistors 10 are arranged in a matrix. Further, on the first substrate 100, not only the transistor 10, but also various wirings such as a gate wire 40, a gate leader wire 41, a data wire 50 and a touch wire 60, an insulating film for insulating between these wirings, a pixel electrode 20, and the like. A common electrode 30, an alignment film 126, and the like are provided. These members are formed on the first transparent base material 110. The first transparent substrate 110 is, for example, a transparent substrate such as a glass substrate.

As shown in FIG. 7, the transistor 10 formed on the first transparent base material 110 is composed of a gate electrode 10G, a source electrode 10S, a drain electrode 10D, and a semiconductor layer 10SC serving as a channel layer. In the present embodiment, the transistor 10 is a TFT having a bottom gate structure, and the gate electrode 10G formed on the first transparent base material 110 and the gate insulating film (GI) formed on the gate electrode 10G. The first insulating film 121 and the semiconductor layer 10SC formed above the gate electrode 10G via the first insulating film 121 are provided. The source electrode 10S and the drain electrode 10D are formed so as to cover a part of the semiconductor layer 10SC. The first insulating film 121 is formed over the entire surface of the first transparent base material 110 so as to cover the gate electrode 10G.

The gate electrode 10G may be composed of, for example, a metal film having a two-layer structure of a molybdenum film and a copper film, or may be composed of a one-layer metal film made of a copper film or the like. The first insulating film 121 may be composed of, for example, an insulating film having a two-layer structure of a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, or may be composed of a one-layer insulating film of a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film. You may. The semiconductor layer 10SC may be composed of, for example, a semiconductor film having a two-layer structure of an i-amorphous silicon film and an n-amorphous silicon film, or may be composed of a semiconductor film having only one layer of the i-amorphous silicon film. It may have been. The source electrode 10S and the drain electrode 10D may be composed of, for example, a metal film having a two-layer structure of a molybdenum film and a copper film, or may be composed of a one-layer metal film made of a copper film or the like. Good.

The materials of the gate electrode 10G, the source electrode 10S, the drain electrode 10D, the semiconductor layer 10SC, and the first insulating film 121 are not limited thereto. For example, an In-Ga-Zn-O oxide semiconductor or the like may be used as the material of the semiconductor layer 10SC.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a gate line 40, a gate leader line 41, and a data line 50 are formed on the first substrate 100. The gate line 40, the gate leader line 41, and the data line 50 are formed on the first transparent base material 110.

The gate wire 40 is formed in the same layer as the gate electrode 10G. That is, the gate wire 40 and the gate electrode 10G are formed by patterning the same metal film. The gate wire 40 and the gate electrode 10G are formed in a first wiring layer (GAL layer) which is a metal layer.

The data line 50 is formed in the same layer as the source electrode 10S and the drain electrode 10D. That is, the data line 50, the source electrode 10S, and the drain electrode 10D are formed by patterning the same metal film. The data line 50, the source electrode 10S, and the drain electrode 10D are formed in a second wiring layer (SD layer) which is a metal layer above the first wiring layer.

Further, the gate leader line 41 is formed in the same layer as the data line 50. That is, the gate leader line 41 is formed in the SD layer, and the gate leader line 41, the data line 50, the source electrode 10S, and the drain electrode 10D are formed by patterning the same metal film.

A first insulating film 121 is formed as a first insulating layer (GI layer) between the first wiring layer (GAL layer) and the second wiring layer (SD layer). The first insulating film 121 is formed over the entire surface of the first transparent base material 110 so as to cover the gate wire 40 and the gate electrode 10G. The first wiring layer, the first insulating film 121, and the second wiring layer are TFT layers on which the transistor 10, which is a TFT, is formed.

The source electrode 10S of the transistor 10 is connected to the pixel electrode 20 via a contact hole. On the other hand, the drain electrode 10D of the transistor 10 is connected to the data line 50. Specifically, a part of the data line 50 is a drain electrode 10D.

Further, on the first insulating film 121, a second insulating film 122 is formed as a second insulating layer (PAS layer) so as to cover the data line 50 and the source / drain electrode of the transistor 10. That is, the source / drain electrode of the data line 50 and the transistor 10 is formed between the first insulating film 121 and the second insulating film 122. The second insulating film 122 is formed over the entire surface of the first insulating film 121. The second insulating film 122 is made of an inorganic insulating film made of an inorganic material such as a silicon nitride film. The second insulating film 122, which is an inorganic insulating film, can be formed by, for example, a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method.

Further, a third insulating film 123 is formed as a third insulating layer (OPAS layer) on the second insulating film 122. The third insulating film 123 is formed over the entire surface of the second insulating film 122. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the third insulating film 123 is thicker than the thickness of the second insulating film 122. Specifically, the thickness of the third insulating film 123 is 10 times or more the thickness of the second insulating film 122, and is 3000 nm as an example. As a result, the distance in the thickness direction between the wiring of the gate wire 40 and the data line 50 and the common electrode 30 can be increased, so that the wiring of the gate wire 40 and the data line 50 and the common electrode 30 are formed. It is possible to reduce the parasitic capacitance. Moreover, by making the third insulating film 123 thicker, it is possible to reduce the unevenness difference of the TFT layer caused by forming the transistor 10, the gate wire 40, and the data line 50, and flatten the TFT layer. As a result, the third insulating film 123 having a flat surface can be formed, so that the common electrode 30 directly above the third insulating film 123 can be formed into a flat flat surface. That is, the third insulating film 123 functions as a flattening layer.

Further, the third insulating film 123 is composed of an organic insulating film made of an organic material containing carbon. The third insulating film 123, which is an organic insulating film, can be formed, for example, by applying a liquid organic material and curing it. As a result, the third insulating film 123 can be easily thickened, so that the surface of the third insulating film 123 can be easily flattened over all the pixels PX.

A touch line 60 is formed on the third insulating film 123. The touch wire 60 is made of a low resistance material such as metal. For example, the touch wire 60 is a metal film made of copper or the like. In the present embodiment, the touch wire 60 is a copper wire made of a copper film. The touch wire 60 is formed in a third wiring layer (CMT layer), which is a metal layer above the second wiring layer. Therefore, the touch line 60 is provided on a layer different from the gate line 40 and the data line 50.

A fourth insulating film 124 is formed as a fourth insulating layer (TPS layer) on the third insulating film 123 and the touch wire 60. Therefore, the touch wire 60 is formed between the third insulating film 123 and the fourth insulating film 124. The fourth insulating film 124 is formed over the entire surface of the third insulating film 123 so as to cover the touch line 60. The fourth insulating film 124 is made of an inorganic insulating film made of an inorganic material such as a silicon nitride film.

A common electrode 30 is formed on the fourth insulating film 124. The common electrode 30 is a transparent electrode composed of, for example, a transparent metal oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO: Indium Tin Oxide). In the present embodiment, the common electrode 30 is an ITO film. The common electrode 30 is formed in a fourth wiring layer (MIT layer) above the third wiring layer.

As described above, a plurality of common electrodes 30 are formed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the common electrodes 30 are arranged in a matrix in a state of being separated from each other in the row direction and the column direction.

Further, the plurality of common electrodes 30 are formed over all the pixels PX in the image display area 1a. As a result, the wiring of the gate wire 40 and the data line 50 and the like is covered by the common electrode 30, so that the electric field generated by the wiring of the gate wire 40 and the data line 50 and the like can be shielded by the common electrode 30. That is, the electric field generated in the TFT layer can be shielded by the common electrode 30. Therefore, since the degree of freedom in designing the shape and size of the pixel electrode 20 formed on the common electrode 30 is improved, the light transmittance and the aperture ratio of the pixel PX can be easily improved.

As shown in FIG. 8, the common electrode 30 is connected to one touch wire 60 via a contact hole 124a formed in the fourth insulating film 124. As a result, when the touch position detection drive is performed, the capacitance change of the common electrode 30 at the position touched by the user can be detected via the touch line 60 connected to the common electrode 30. That is, the contact hole 124a is a power feeding through hole for supplying power to the common electrode 30 serving as the touch electrode.

Further, although the ITO film has a relatively high resistance value, the resistance of the common electrode 30 made of an ITO film can be reduced by connecting the touch wire 60 made of a metal film having a low resistance to the common electrode 30 in this way. The time constant of the common electrode 30 can be lowered. That is, the touch line 60 can be used as a common line when driving the image display.

Further, by providing the common electrode 30 on the touch line 60, the touch line 60 can be covered by the common electrode 30. As a result, corrosion of the touch wire 60 made of a metal material that is easily corroded can be suppressed as compared with the case where the touch wire 60 is provided on the common electrode 30.

A fifth insulating film 125 is formed as a fifth insulating layer (UPS layer) on the fourth insulating film 124 and the common electrode 30. The fifth insulating film 125 is formed over the entire surface of the fourth insulating film 124 so as to cover the common electrode 30. The fifth insulating film 125 is made of an inorganic insulating film made of an inorganic material such as a silicon nitride film.

As described above, the contact hole 124a is formed so as to partially overlap the touch line 60 in a plan view (see FIG. 6). As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the contact hole 124a is formed so as to straddle the end portion of the touch line 60. Therefore, a step is formed in the common electrode 30 and the fifth insulating film 125 formed on the contact hole 124a.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact hole 124a partially overlaps the corner portion of the bent portion of the touch line 60. As a result, a step is formed on each of the two sides of the right-angled corner of the touch line 60. Therefore, a step is formed in two directions.

A pixel electrode 20 is formed on the fifth insulating film 125. The pixel electrode 20 faces the common electrode 30 via the fifth insulating film 125. That is, the pixel electrode 20 is formed on the common electrode 30. The pixel electrode 20 is a transparent electrode composed of, for example, a transparent metal oxide such as indium tin oxide. In the present embodiment, the pixel electrode 20 is an ITO film like the common electrode 30. The pixel electrode 20 is formed in a fifth wiring layer (PIT layer) above the fourth wiring layer.

An alignment film 126 is formed on the pixel electrode 20. The alignment film 126 is formed on the fifth insulating film 125 so as to cover the pixel electrode 20 above the first transparent base material 110. Specifically, the alignment film 126 is formed over all pixel PIXs.

The alignment film 126 is in contact with the liquid crystal layer 300 and controls the initial orientation angle of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 300. In the present embodiment, the alignment film 126 is subjected to a rubbing treatment in order to align the initial orientation angles of the liquid crystal molecules in a certain direction. The alignment film 126 is, for example, a resin film made of polyimide.

Next, the second substrate 200 will be described. The second substrate 200 is an opposed substrate facing the first substrate 100. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the second substrate 200 has a second transparent base material 210, a black matrix 220 formed on the second transparent base material 210, and a color filter 230. Therefore, the second substrate 200 is a color filter substrate (CF substrate) having a color filter 230.

The second transparent substrate 210 is, for example, a transparent substrate such as a glass substrate, like the first transparent substrate 110.

The black matrix 220 is a light-shielding layer of a black layer, and is made of, for example, carbon black. The black matrix 220 is formed on the surface of the second transparent base material 210 on the liquid crystal layer 300 side. The black matrix 220 is formed between two pixels adjacent to each other in the row direction and the column direction. Therefore, the black matrix 220 is formed so as to cover various wirings arranged between the pixels. As an example, the black matrix 220 is formed in a grid pattern as a whole.

The color filter 230 is formed for each of the plurality of pixels PX. Specifically, the color filter 230 forms a red color filter, a blue color filter, and a green color filter corresponding to each of the red pixel PXR, the green pixel PXG, and the blue pixel PXB. Each color filter is formed in the region between the black matrix 220 (that is, the opening of the black matrix 220).

Further, the second substrate 200 has a plurality of spacers 240. Each of the plurality of spacers 240 is formed on the second transparent substrate 210 so as to project toward the first substrate 100. The plurality of spacers 240 are columnar members for maintaining a constant distance (cell gap) between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200. By providing the plurality of spacers 240, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 300 can be easily kept constant. As an example, each spacer 240 has a cylindrical trapezoidal shape, and the upper end portion and the lower end portion have a circular shape in a plan view. The plurality of spacers 240 are arranged over the entire area of the image display area 1a in order to keep the distance between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200 constant over the entire area of the image display area 1a.

Each spacer 240 is made of a resin material such as acrylic resin and can be elastically deformed. As a result, even if the surface of the first substrate 100 has irregularities and cell gap fluctuations occur, the tip of the spacer 240 can be deformed following the irregularities on the surface of the first substrate 100. Each spacer 240 can be formed into a predetermined shape by, for example, photolithography.

A pair of polarizing plates (not shown) are attached to the in-cell touch panel 1 configured in this way. For example, one of the pair of polarizing plates is formed on the outer surface of the first substrate 100, and the other of the pair of polarizing plates is formed on the outer surface of the second substrate 200. The pair of polarizing plates are arranged so that the polarization directions are orthogonal to each other. Further, a retardation plate may be attached to the pair of polarizing plates.

Next, the action and effect of the in-cell touch panel 1 according to the present embodiment will be described together with the background to the present disclosure.

In the liquid crystal display device (liquid crystal display panel), an alignment film is formed so as to cover the pixel electrodes in order to initially orient the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer at a predetermined angle. The alignment film is formed into a film by applying an alignment film solution (liquid alignment film material) and curing the wet and spread alignment film solution. For example, the alignment film liquid can be wetted and spread over the entire surface of the TFT substrate by dropping the alignment film liquid onto a plurality of locations on the TFT substrate by an inkjet or the like.

At this time, in the in-cell touch panel, which is a liquid crystal display device having a touch line, a contact hole is formed in the insulating film between the touch line and the common electrode in order to connect the touch line and the common electrode. Since the hole is located above the thick insulating film (third insulating film 123 in the present embodiment), the contact hole that connects the touch line and the common electrode when the alignment film liquid is applied. The alignment film solution may stay at the edge near the contact hole, and the alignment film solution may become thicker at the edge near the contact hole, or the alignment film solution may not enter the contact hole. Therefore, the film thickness of the alignment film becomes non-uniform in the vicinity of the contact hole, or the alignment film is not formed in the contact hole, so that the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer in the vicinity of the contact hole are initially oriented at a desired angle. You will not be able to. As a result, display unevenness or light leakage occurs, and the image quality deteriorates.

Therefore, in the in-cell touch panel 1 of the present embodiment, the contact hole 124a for connecting the common electrode 30 and the touch line 60 is formed so as to partially overlap the touch line 60 in a plan view.

As a result, a step is formed in the common electrode 30 and the fifth insulating film 125 formed across the end of the contact hole 124a. Therefore, the alignment film liquid for forming the alignment film 126 is used as the fifth insulating film 125. When applied to the surface of, the alignment film liquid easily wets and spreads by touching this step. As a result, it is possible to prevent the alignment film solution from staying at the edge of the contact hole 124a when the alignment film solution is applied. As a result, the alignment film liquid can be applied at the edge of the contact hole 124a with a uniform film thickness, and the alignment film liquid can be easily introduced into the contact hole 124a. Therefore, the alignment film 126 having a uniform film thickness can be formed, and the alignment film 126 can be formed even in the contact hole 124a. As a result, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer can be initially oriented at a desired angle even in the vicinity of the contact hole 124a. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of display unevenness or light leakage, and thus it is possible to suppress the deterioration of image quality.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, since the contact hole 124a partially overlaps the corner portion of the bent portion of the touch line 60, a step is formed in two directions.

As a result, when the alignment film solution is applied, the alignment film solution comes into contact with the step in two directions, so that the alignment film solution tends to get wet and spread. Therefore, the alignment film solution can be applied with a more uniform film thickness, and the alignment film solution can be more easily introduced into the contact hole 124a.

(Modification example 1)
Next, the in-cell touch panel according to the first modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the configuration around the contact hole 124a in the in-cell touch panel according to the first modification. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG.

In the in-cell touch panel 1 according to the above embodiment, the contact hole 124a connecting the common electrode 30 and the touch line 60 partially overlaps the touch line 60 in a plan view and protrudes from the touch line 60. In the in-cell touch panel in the modified example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the contact hole 124a is formed on the touch line 60 without protruding from the touch line 60 in a plan view.

Instead, in the in-cell touch panel in this modification, the contact film 70 is formed in the contact hole 124a. The contact film 124a is in contact with the alignment film 126. Further, the contact film 124a is arranged apart from the pixel electrode 20.

Further, the contact film 70 is formed in the same layer as the pixel electrode 20. That is, the contact film 70 is formed into a predetermined shape at the same time as forming the pixel electrode 20 having a predetermined shape by patterning the ITO film. In the present embodiment, the contact film 70 is formed in a rectangular island shape in a plan view, but the shape of the contact film 70 is not limited to a rectangle and may be a circle or the like.

The contact film 70 is formed so as to partially overlap the contact hole 124a in a plan view. As a result, the contact film 70 is formed so as to straddle the stepped portion at the end of the contact hole 124a. Therefore, the contact film 70 is formed in a stepped shape.

As a result, when the alignment film liquid for forming the alignment film 126 is applied to the surface of the fifth insulating film 125, the alignment film liquid easily wets and spreads by touching the step of the contact film 70. As a result, similarly to the in-cell touch panel 1 in the above embodiment, it is possible to prevent the alignment film liquid from staying at the edge of the contact hole 124a when the alignment film liquid is applied. As a result, the alignment film liquid can be applied at the edge of the contact hole 124a with a uniform film thickness, and the alignment film liquid can be easily introduced into the contact hole 124a. That is, the contact film 70 functions as an introduction film for wetting and spreading the alignment film liquid and introducing it into the contact hole 124a, and the portion where the contact film 70 is formed is the introduction portion into which the alignment film liquid is introduced. Become. Therefore, the alignment film 126 having a uniform film thickness can be formed, and the alignment film 126 can be formed even in the contact hole 124a. As a result, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer can be initially oriented at a desired angle even in the vicinity of the contact hole 124a. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of display unevenness or light leakage, and thus it is possible to suppress the deterioration of image quality.

Moreover, in this modification, the contact hole 124a is formed on the touch line 60 without protruding from the touch line 60.

Thereby, when the contact hole 124a is formed by photolithography and etching, the touch line 60 under the contact hole 124a can be used as an etching stopper. For example, when the contact hole 124a is formed on the fourth insulating film 124 made of an inorganic material by dry etching, it is possible to prevent the third insulating film 123 made of an organic material under the touch line 60 from being damaged by the dry etching. be able to.

One contact film 70 may be provided for each pixel PX, or a plurality of contact films 70 may be provided for each pixel PX. Alternatively, the contact film 70 may be provided intermittently on a plurality of pixels PX in the column direction or the row direction. In this case, the plurality of contact films 70 may be arranged linearly in the row direction or the column direction.

(Modification 2)
Next, the in-cell touch panel according to the second modification will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the configuration of pixels of the in-cell touch panel according to the second modification.

In the in-cell touch panel 1 according to the above embodiment, the contact hole 124a connecting the common electrode 30 and the touch line 60 partially overlaps the corner portion of the bent portion of the touch line 60 in a plan view. In the in-cell touch panel in the example, the contact hole 124a partially overlaps the straight portion of the touch line 60.

Further, in this modification, the center of the contact hole 124a is deviated from the center of the width of the touch line 60. Specifically, the contact hole 124a is deviated from the center of the width of the touch line 60 to one side in the width direction of the touch line 60.

Further, in this modification, two contact holes 124a are formed in each of the plurality of pixels PX. The deviation direction of the touch line 60 is opposite to that of one of the two contact holes 124a and the other. Specifically, one of the two contact holes 124a is displaced from the center of the width of the touch line 60 to one side in the width direction of the touch line 60, and the other contact hole 124a is touched. It is deviated from the center of the width of the line 60 to the other side in the width direction of the touch line 60.

Thereby, even if the mask for forming the contact hole 124a is displaced in the row direction, at least one of the two contact holes 124a can be partially overlapped with the touch line 60.

In this modification, a dual gate structure is adopted, and two gate lines 40 are provided at each boundary portion of two pixel PXs adjacent to each other in the column direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. Further, in this modification, the touch lines 60 and the dummy touch lines 60A are alternately arranged for each pixel row, but the present invention is not limited to this. Further, in this modification, two contact holes 124a are formed in one pixel PX, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, three or more contact holes 124a may be formed in one pixel PX. This modified example can also be applied to the modified example 1.

(Other variants)
The in-cell touch panel, the image display device, and the like according to the present disclosure have been described above based on the embodiments and modifications, but the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications.

For example, in the above-described embodiment and modification, the touch wire 60 is formed between the third insulating film 123 and the fourth insulating film 124, and the common electrode 30 is formed on the fourth insulating film 124. , The common electrode 30 is arranged between the wiring layer of the touch line 60 and the wiring layer of the pixel electrode 20, but the present invention is not limited to this.

Specifically, a common electrode 30 is formed between the third insulating film 123 and the fourth insulating film 124, a touch line 60 is formed on the fourth insulating film 124, and a pixel electrode is formed on the common electrode 30. May be formed. That is, the touch line 60 may be arranged between the wiring layer of the common electrode 30 and the wiring layer of the pixel electrode 20. With such a configuration, the loss of aperture ratio and transmittance can be reduced.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and modification, the data line 50 and the drain electrode 10D of the transistor 10 are connected, and the pixel electrode 20 and the source electrode 10S of the transistor 10 are connected, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the data line 50 and the source electrode 10S of the transistor 10 may be connected, and the pixel electrode 20 and the drain electrode 10D of the transistor 10 may be connected.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and modification, the gate line 40 extends in the row direction, and the data line 50, the touch line 60, and the gate leader line 41 extend in the column direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The gate line 40 may extend in the column direction, and the data line 50, the touch line 60, and the gate leader line 41 may extend in the row direction. That is, the first direction may be the column direction, and the direction orthogonal to the first direction may be the row direction. In this case, the three types of pixels, the red pixel PXR, the green pixel PXG, and the blue pixel PXB, may be periodically arranged in a predetermined arrangement in the column direction, and the gate driver 5 and the source driver 6 are in-cell touch panels. It suffices if it is mounted at the end on the row direction side of 1.

Further, in the above-described embodiments and modifications, the alignment film solution is applied by dropping the alignment film solution at a plurality of locations when forming the alignment film 126, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the alignment film solution may be applied by printing the alignment film solution.

In addition, a form obtained by applying various modifications to the above-described embodiment and modification that can be conceived by those skilled in the art, and components and functions in the embodiment and modification are arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The form realized by this is also included in the present disclosure.

1 In-cell touch panel 1a Image display area 1b Frame area 2 Image display device 3 Backlight 4 Image processing unit 5 Gate driver 6 Source driver 10 Transistor 10G Gate electrode 10S Source electrode 10D Drain electrode 10SC Semiconductor layer 20 Pixel electrode 21 Line electrode 22 Connection electrode 30 Common electrode 40 Gate wire 41 Gate leader wire 50 Data wire 60 Touch wire 60A Dummy touch wire 70 Contact film 100 First substrate 110 First transparent substrate 121 First insulating film 122 Second insulating film 123 Third insulating film 124 4 Insulating film 124a Contact hole 125 Fifth insulating film 126 Alignment film 200 Second substrate 210 Second transparent base material 220 Black matrix 230 Color filter 240 Spacer 300 Liquid crystal layer PX pixel PXR Red pixel PXG Green pixel PXB Blue pixel

Claims (11)

An in-cell touch panel having an image display area composed of a plurality of pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction.
Transistors and pixel electrodes provided in each of the plurality of pixels
A plurality of common electrodes arranged in each of the first direction and the second direction, each facing one or more of the pixel electrodes and separately provided from each other.
A plurality of gate lines extending along the first direction and supplying a gate signal to the transistor in each of the plurality of pixels.
A plurality of data lines extending along the second direction and supplying a data signal to the transistor in each of the plurality of pixels.
A plurality of touch lines extending along the second direction,
An insulating film formed between the plurality of common electrodes and the plurality of touch lines,
An alignment film that covers the pixel electrodes is provided.
The plurality of touch wires are connected to the corresponding common electrodes via contact holes formed in the insulating film.
In a plan view, the contact hole is formed so as to partially overlap the touch line.
In-cell touch panel. The contact hole partially overlaps the corner of the touch line.
The in-cell touch panel according to claim 1. The center of the contact hole is offset from the center of the width of the touch line.
The in-cell touch panel according to claim 1. Two contact holes are formed in each of the plurality of pixels.
In one of the two contact holes and the other, the deviation direction from the touch line is opposite.
The in-cell touch panel according to claim 3. An in-cell touch panel having an image display area composed of a plurality of pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction.
Transistors and pixel electrodes provided in each of the plurality of pixels
A plurality of common electrodes arranged in each of the first direction and the second direction, each facing one or more of the pixel electrodes and separately provided from each other.
A plurality of gate lines extending along the first direction and supplying a gate signal to the transistor in each of the plurality of pixels.
A plurality of data lines extending along the second direction and supplying a data signal to the transistor in each of the plurality of pixels.
A plurality of touch lines extending along the second direction,
An insulating film formed between the plurality of common electrodes and the plurality of touch lines,
A contact film that is in the same layer as the pixel electrode and is arranged apart from the pixel electrode.
An alignment film that covers the pixel electrode and the contact film, and
With
The plurality of touch wires are connected to the corresponding common electrodes via contact holes formed in the insulating film.
The contact hole is formed on the touch line and
In a plan view, the contact membrane is formed so as to partially overlap the contact hole.
In-cell touch panel. The contact hole partially overlaps the corner of the touch line.
The in-cell touch panel according to claim 5. The contact film is formed so as to be offset from the center of the contact hole.
The in-cell touch panel according to claim 5. Two sets of the contact hole and the contact film are formed in each of the plurality of pixels.
In the two sets of the contact hole and one set of the contact film and the other set, the direction of displacement of the contact film with respect to the center of the contact hole is opposite.
The in-cell touch panel according to claim 7. A plurality of gate leaders extending in the second direction and connected to the gate line at at least one of a plurality of intersections with the plurality of gate lines are provided.
The contact hole is formed between the gate leader line and the data line.
The in-cell touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The first insulating film formed on the gate wire and
A second insulating film formed on the first insulating film and
A third insulating film formed on the second insulating film and thicker than the second insulating film,
A fourth insulating film formed on the third insulating film is provided.
The third insulating film is made of an organic material.
The data line is formed between the first insulating film and the second insulating film, and is formed.
The touch line is formed between the third insulating film and the fourth insulating film, and is formed.
The common electrode is formed on the fourth insulating film and is formed on the fourth insulating film.
The pixel electrode is formed on the common electrode, and the pixel electrode is formed on the common electrode.
The insulating film on which the contact hole is formed is the fourth insulating film.
The in-cell touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The first insulating film formed on the gate wire and
A second insulating film formed on the first insulating film and
A third insulating film formed on the second insulating film and thicker than the second insulating film,
A fourth insulating film formed on the third insulating film is provided.
The third insulating film is made of an organic material.
The data line is formed between the first insulating film and the second insulating film, and is formed.
The common electrode is formed between the third insulating film and the fourth insulating film, and is formed.
The touch line is formed on the fourth insulating film and is formed on the fourth insulating film.
The pixel electrode is formed on the touch line and
The insulating film on which the contact hole is formed is the fourth insulating film.
The in-cell touch panel according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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