Touch panel device

• US 10,048,783 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Chen-Yu, Lee, Lu-Hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casarez, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/031,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,730 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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

Abstract

A touch panel stackup comprises a substrate, a first conductive element having a first refractive index and forming a plurality of patterns with on or more gaps on the substrate having an address for sensing tactile signals in a first direction and a second direction, a second conductive element having a second refractive index coupled with said plurality of patterns an insulator disposed among said one or more gaps, the second refractive index being substantially the same as said first refractive index.

Claims

1. A touch panel stackup, comprising:

a substrate;

a first electrode having a first refractive index and forming a plurality of first patterns on the substrate for sensing tactile signals in a first direction;

a second electrode having a second refractive index and forming a plurality of second patterns on the substrate for sensing tactile signals in a second direction;

a first electrical wire electrically coupling a pair of adjacent first patterns of the plurality of first patterns;

a second electrical wire electrically coupling a pair of adjacent second patterns of the plurality of second patterns; and

an insulator disposed between the first electrical wire and the second electrical wire to insulate the first electrical wire from the second electrical wire, wherein;

the insulator has a third refractive index substantially identical to the first refractive index and the second refractive index,

the plurality of first patterns and the plurality of second patterns are formed on a same layer,

the third refractive index is 1.9˜

2.1,

the insulator has a first sidewall overlying a gap defined between the first electrical wire and a first pattern of the pair of adjacent second patterns,

the first sidewall is sloped at an angle other than ninety degrees relative to a top surface of the substrate,

the first sidewall of the insulator abuts a planar top surface of the insulator that overlies the first pattern of the pair of adjacent second patterns, and

the second electrical wire overlies the first sidewall of the insulator,

the second electrical wire has a first planar top surface abutting the planar top surface of the insulator and a second sidewall of the second electrical wire having a non-90 degree slope relative to the top surface of the substrate, and the first planar top surface of the second electrical wire is spaced apart from the first pattern of the pair of adjacent second patterns by the insulator, and wherein the second sidewall of the second electrical wire abuts the first sidewall of the insulator.

2. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the first refractive index is identical to the second refractive index.

3. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein a refractive index of the first electrical wire is identical to a refractive index of the second electrical wire.

4. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the first electrical wire and the second electrical wire are opaque.

5. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the first electrical wire and the second electrical wire are transparent.

6. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the insulator is substantially transparent.

7. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are substantially transparent.

8. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein a material of the insulator is chosen from TiO₂, SiO₂, Nb₂O₅ or transparent insulating photoresist.

9. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein a refractive index of the substrate is 1.4˜

1.9.

10. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the second electrical wire has a second planar top surface abutting the second sidewall of the second electrical wire and overlying the first electrical wire.

11. The touch panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the second electrical wire has a sidewall abutting the planar top surface, and the sidewall is sloped at an angle of ninety degrees relative to the top surface of the substrate.

12. A touch panel stackup, comprising:

a substrate;

a first conductive element having a first refractive index and forming a plurality of patterns arranged to define one or more gaps on the substrate, wherein the first conductive element defines a sensing area for sensing a tactile movement;

an insulator disposed within the one or more gaps, wherein the insulator has a second refractive index substantially identical to the first refractive index; and

a second conductive element electrically coupled with the first conductive element through a plurality of openings defined by the insulator, wherein;

the second conductive element is disposed in the sensing area,

the second conductive element has a first sidewall overlying the insulator and overlying a first gap of the one or more gaps,

the first sidewall is sloped at an angle other than ninety degrees relative to a top surface of the substrate, and

the second conductive element has a planar top surface abutting the first sidewall of the second conductive element and overlying a first pattern of the plurality of patterns wherein the planar top surface of the second conductive element is spaced apart from the first pattern of the plurality of patterns by the insulator.

13. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein the first conductive element and the second conductive element are of a same material.

14. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein the first conductive element and the insulator are transparent.

15. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein the second conductive element is opaque.

16. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein a material of the insulator is chosen from TiO₂, SiO₂, Nb₂O₅ or transparent insulating photoresist.

17. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein a material of the first conductive element is chosen from Indium Tin Oxide, Aluminum Zinc Oxide, Zinc Tin Oxide, Conductive Polymer or Carbon Nanotube.

18. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein a material of the second conductive element is chosen from aluminum, silver or copper.

19. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein a refractive index of the substrate is 1.4˜

1.9.

20. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein the second refractive index is 1.5˜

2.1.

21. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein the second conductive element has a second sidewall abutting the planar top surface of the second conductive element, and

the second sidewall is sloped at an angle of ninety degrees relative to the top surface of the substrate.

22. The touch panel stackup of claim 12, wherein the second conductive element has a second planar top surface abutting the first sidewall of the second conductive element and disposed diametrically opposite the planar top surface of the second conductive element relative to the first sidewall.