# US 9,519,175 B2 · Semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,175 B2 - Document ID: US9519175B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/849,923 - Filed: 2015-09-10 - Published: 2015-12-31 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2003-03-12 - Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kiyoshi Kato; Toshihiko Saito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519175B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0447: {Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells} - G02F 1/13306: {Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells (G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence)} - G02F 1/133305: {Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film} - G02F 1/133345: {Insulating layers (G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence)} - G02F 1/13338: {Input devices, e.g. touch panels} - G02F 1/13439: {characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making} - G02F 1/13454: {Drivers integrated on the active matrix substrate (G02F1/136277 takes precedence)} - G02F 1/136213: {Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode} - G02F 1/1368: in which the switching element is a three-electrode device {(G02F1/136277 takes precedence)} - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G06F 3/0445: {using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer} - G09G 3/36: using liquid crystals - H10D 30/6715: {characterised by the doping profiles, e.g. having lightly-doped source or drain extensions} - H10D 30/6733: {Multi-gate TFTs} - H10D 30/674: {characterised by the active materials} - H10D 86/411: {characterised by materials, geometry or structure of the substrates} - H10D 86/441: {Interconnections, e.g. scanning lines} - H10D 86/60: wherein the TFTs are in active matrices - G02F 2201/123: pixel - H10D 86/00: Integrated devices formed in or on insulating or conducting substrates, e.g. formed in silicon-on-insulator [SOI] substrates or on stainless steel or glass substrates - H10D 86/0231: {using masks, e.g. half-tone masks} - H10D 86/40: characterised by multiple TFTs - H10D 86/481: {integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors} - H10D 86/80: characterised by multiple passive components, e.g. resistors, capacitors or inductors - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A variable capacitor is formed from a pair of electrodes and a dielectric interposed between the electrodes over a substrate, and an external input is detected by changing capacitance of the variable capacitor by a physical or electrical force. Specifically, a variable capacitor and a sense amplifier are provided over the same substrate, and the sense amplifier reads the change of capacitance of the variable capacitor and transmits a signal in accordance with the input to a control circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a plurality of sensors over the first substrate, each of the plurality of sensors comprising a first electrode; a thin film transistor over the first substrate; an insulating film over the thin film transistor; a pixel electrode over the insulating film, the pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor; a liquid crystal over the first electrode and the pixel electrode; and a second substrate over the liquid crystal, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged in two-dimensions, wherein each of the plurality of sensors outputs a capacitance change, wherein each of the first electrode and the pixel electrode comprises a transparent electrode, and wherein the first electrode is electrically connected to a first switch and a second switch. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a second electrode of each of the plurality of sensors, wherein the second substrate comprises the second electrode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate includes a plastic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a second electrode of each of the plurality of sensors, wherein the capacitance change is changed by pushing one of the first and second electrodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a second electrode of each of the plurality of sensors, wherein the liquid crystal is interposed between the first and second electrodes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode comprises ITO. ### Claim 7 A semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a sensor over the first substrate, the sensor comprising a first electrode; a thin film transistor over the first substrate; an insulating film over the thin film transistor; a pixel electrode over the insulating film, the pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor; a liquid crystal over the first electrode and the pixel electrode; and a second substrate over the liquid crystal, wherein the sensor outputs a capacitance change, wherein each of the first electrode and the pixel electrode comprises a transparent electrode, and wherein the first electrode is electrically connected to a first switch and a second switch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device according to claim 7, further comprising a second electrode of the sensor, wherein the second substrate comprises the second electrode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the first substrate includes a plastic. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device according to claim 7, further comprising a second electrode of the sensor, wherein the capacitance change is changed by pushing one of the first and second electrodes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device according to claim 7, further comprising a second electrode of the sensor, wherein the liquid crystal is interposed between the first and second electrodes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the transparent electrode comprises ITO. ### Claim 13 A semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a plurality of sensors over the first substrate, each of the plurality of sensors comprising a first electrode; a thin film transistor over the first substrate; an insulating film over the thin film transistor; a pixel electrode over the insulating film, the pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor; a liquid crystal over the first electrode and the pixel electrode; and a second substrate over the liquid crystal, wherein each of the plurality of sensors outputs a capacitance change, wherein each of the first electrode and the pixel electrode comprises a transparent electrode, and wherein the first electrode is electrically connected to a first switch and a second switch. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The semiconductor device according to claim 13, further comprising a second electrode of each of the plurality of sensors, wherein the second substrate comprises the second electrode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the first substrate includes a plastic. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The semiconductor device according to claim 13, further comprising a second electrode of each of the plurality of sensors, wherein the capacitance change is changed by pushing one of the first and second electrodes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The semiconductor device according to claim 13, further comprising a second electrode of each of the plurality of sensors, wherein the liquid crystal is interposed between the first and second electrodes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode comprises ITO.