Touch screen panel and fabrication method thereof

• US 10,025,436 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Do-Youb, Kwak, Won-Kyu, Jang, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US14/804,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A touch screen panel includes first and second sense cells on a same layer and coupling patterns that couple adjacent ones of the first sense cells and adjacent ones of the second sense cells to each other, respectively. The coupling patterns do not cross with each other, thereby improving the ability of the coupling patterns to withstand static electricity. A dummy line formed of a same material as the sense cells may be formed between the first and second sense cells, and the dummy line is electrically coupled to a guard ring located in an area outside of a display area of the touch screen panel, making it possible to overcome the effects of static electricity applied to the front surface of the touch screen panel as well as the side surface thereof.

Claims

1. A touch screen panel comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of metal patterns on the substrate;

a plurality of first coupling patterns on the substrate;

a dielectric layer covering the first coupling patterns and the substrate, the dielectric layer having contact holes corresponding to end portions of the first coupling patterns;

a plurality of first sense cells arranged in a first direction on the dielectric layer and separated from the substrate by the dielectric layer, the first sense cells being arranged in a display area of the substrate;

a plurality of second sense cells arranged in a second direction on the dielectric layer, the second sense cells being arranged in the display area of the substrate; and

a protecting layer covering the first sense cells and the second sense cells, the protecting layer comprising a dielectric material,

wherein adjacent ones of the first sense cells are electrically coupled to each other along the first direction by the first coupling patterns at where the first coupling patterns are exposed by the contact holes,

wherein at least two of the first coupling patterns electrically couple two adjacent ones of the first sense cells to each other,

wherein the metal patterns are electrically coupled to the first sense cells and the second sense cells,

wherein the metal patterns are in a peripheral region of the display area of the substrate,

wherein the first coupling patterns and the metal patterns are formed in a same layer, and

wherein the end portions of the first coupling patterns are inclined at an oblique angle with respect to the first direction.

2. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a guard ring in the peripheral region of the display area,

wherein the guard ring is formed in the same layer as the first coupling patterns and the metal patterns.

3. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a dummy pattern on the dielectric layer,

wherein the dummy pattern is on the same layer and separated from the first sense cells and the second sense cells.

4. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first coupling patterns have a rectangular shape.

5. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second coupling patterns on the substrate, the second coupling patterns being spaced apart from the first coupling patterns,

wherein adjacent ones of the second sense cells are electrically coupled to each other along the second direction by the second coupling patterns.

6. A touch screen panel comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of metal patterns on the substrate;

a plurality of first sense cells arranged in a first direction on a display area of the substrate;

a plurality of second sense cells arranged in a second direction on the display area of the substrate;

a dielectric layer covering the first sense cells and the second sense cells and having contact holes therein;

a plurality of first coupling patterns on the dielectric layer, end portions of the first coupling patterns corresponding to the contact holes; and

a protecting layer covering the first coupling patterns and the dielectric layer and separated from the first sense cells and the second sense cells by the dielectric layer,

wherein the first coupling patterns electrically couple adjacent ones of the first sense cells to each other along the first direction at the contact holes,

wherein at least two of the first coupling patterns electrically couple two adjacent ones of the first sense cells to each other,

wherein the metal patterns are electrically coupled to the first sense cells and the second sense cells,

wherein the metal patterns are in a peripheral region of the display area, and

wherein the first coupling patterns are inclined at an oblique angle with respect to the first or second direction.

7. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first coupling patterns have a rectangular shape.

8. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a dummy pattern on the substrate and formed in a same layer as the first sense cells and the second sense cells,

wherein the dummy pattern is separated from the first sense cells and the second sense cells.

9. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a plurality of second coupling patterns on the dielectric layer, the second coupling patterns being spaced apart from the first coupling patterns,

wherein adjacent ones of the second sense cells are electrically coupled to each other along the second direction by the second coupling patterns.

10. A touch screen panel comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of first sense cells arranged in a first direction on a display area of the substrate;

a plurality of second sense cells arranged in a second direction on the display area of the substrate;

a plurality of metal patterns on the substrate, the metal patterns being electrically coupled to the first sense cells and the second sense cells;

a dummy pattern on the substrate and formed on a same layer as and separated from the first sense cells and the second sense cells;

a dielectric layer covering the first sense cells and the second sense cells;

a plurality of first coupling patterns on the dielectric layer, the first coupling patterns electrically coupling adjacent ones of the first sense cells to each other along the first direction; and

a protecting layer comprising a dielectric material and covering the first sense cells, the second sense cells, the dummy pattern, and the first coupling patterns,

wherein the first coupling patterns are inclined at an oblique angle with respect to the first direction, and

wherein the metal patterns are in a peripheral region of the display area of the substrate.

11. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first coupling patterns have a rectangular shape.

12. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a plurality of second coupling patterns on the dielectric layer and spaced apart from the first coupling patterns,

wherein adjacent ones of the second sense cells are electrically coupled to each other along the second direction by the second coupling patterns.

13. A touch screen panel comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of first coupling patterns on the substrate;

a dielectric layer covering the first coupling patterns and the substrate, the dielectric layer having contact holes therein corresponding to end portions of the first coupling patterns;

a plurality of first sense cells arranged in a first direction on the dielectric layer and separated from the substrate by the dielectric layer;

a plurality of second sense cells arranged in a second direction on the dielectric layer; and

a protecting layer covering the first sense cells and second sense cells, the protecting layer comprising a dielectric material,

wherein adjacent ones of the first sense cells are electrically coupled to each other along the first direction by the first coupling patterns at the contact holes,

wherein at least two of the first coupling patterns electrically couple two adjacent ones of the first sense cells to each other, and

wherein the end portions of the first coupling patterns are inclined at an oblique angle with respect to the first direction.

14. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a guard ring on a same layer as the first coupling patterns,

wherein the first sense cells and the second sense cells are in a display area of the substrate, and

wherein the guard ring is in a peripheral region of the display area of the substrate.

15. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a dummy pattern on the dielectric layer,

wherein the dummy pattern is on a same layer as and separated from the first sense cells and the second sense cells.

16. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first coupling patterns have a rectangular shape.

17. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a plurality of metal patterns on the substrate,

wherein the plurality of metal patterns are electrically coupled to the first sense cells and the second sense cells.

18. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the first sense cells and the second sense cells are in a display area of the substrate,

wherein the plurality of metal patterns are in a peripheral region of the display area of the substrate, and

wherein the first coupling patterns and the metal patterns are formed in a same layer.

19. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a plurality of second coupling patterns on the substrate, the second coupling patterns being spaced apart from the first coupling patterns,

wherein adjacent ones of the second sense cells are electrically coupled to each other along the second direction by the second coupling patterns.