Touch screen panel and fabrication method thereof

• US 10,073,575 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• 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): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US15/812,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20180067588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 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 transparent substrate;

a plurality of first coupling portions arranged on the transparent substrate;

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

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

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

a plurality of second coupling portions electrically coupling two adjacent ones of the second sense cells;

wherein adjacent ones of the first sense cells are electrically coupled to each other through the first coupling portions exposed by the contact holes,

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

wherein the second coupling portions are inclined at an oblique angle with respect to the second direction.

2. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein either or both of the first direction and the second direction are parallel to an edge of the touch screen panel.

3. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact holes are not disposed on the first direction.

4. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of first coupling portions are between the transparent substrate and the dielectric layer.

5. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second coupling portions have a straight shape.

6. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of first coupling portions are constituted of a metal having a resistance value that is lower that of a material constituting the first sense cells.

7. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a dummy line on the dielectric layer between the first and second sense cells;

a guard ring on a peripheral region of a display area on which the first and second sense cells are formed, the guard ring being on the transparent substrate and surrounding the display area; and

a third contact hole in the dielectric layer corresponding to an end portion of the dummy line,

wherein the guard ring and the dummy line are electrically coupled to each other through the third contact hole.

8. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the dummy line is on a same layer as the first and second sense cells or the first coupling portions, and

wherein the dummy line comprises a same transparent conductive material as the first and second sense cells or a same material as the first coupling portions.

9. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the dummy line is formed in a mesh type comprising intersecting lines coupled to each other and being on an area between the first and second sense cells.

10. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the dummy line comprises a plurality of end portions extending to an area outside of the display area on which the first and second sense cells are located, and

wherein the third contact hole comprises a plurality of third contact holes, the plurality of end portions being electrically coupled to the guard ring through the plurality of third contact holes.

11. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is an upper substrate of a display panel of a flat panel display.

12. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 11, wherein either or both of the first coupling portions and the second coupling portions are inclined at an oblique angle with respect to a row or column direction.

13. A touch screen panel comprising:

a transparent substrate;

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

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

a dielectric layer on the first and second sense cells and having contact holes overlapping the first sense cells;

a plurality of first coupling portions on the dielectric layer and overlapping the contact holes and the first sense cells, the first coupling portions coupling adjacent ones of the first sense cells to each other; and

a plurality of second coupling portions on the transparent substrate and coupling adjacent ones of the second sense cells to each other,

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

wherein the second coupling portions are inclined at an oblique angle with respect to the second direction.

14. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein either or both of the first direction and the second direction are parallel to an edge of the touch screen panel.

15. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the contact holes are not disposed on the first direction.

16. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first and second sense cells are between the transparent substrate and the dielectric layer.

17. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first and second coupling portions have a straight shape.

18. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first coupling portions are constituted of a metal having a resistance value that is lower than that of a material constituting the first sense cells.

19. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a dummy line on the transparent substrate between the first and second sense cells;

a guard ring on a peripheral region of a display area on which the first and second sense cells are located, the guard ring being on the transparent substrate and surrounding the display area; and

a third contact hole in the dielectric layer corresponding to an end portion of the dummy line,

wherein the guard ring and the dummy line are electrically coupled to each other through the third contact hole.

20. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 19, wherein the dummy line is formed on a same layer as the first and second sense cells or the first coupling portions, and

wherein the dummy line comprises a same transparent conductive material as the first and second sense cells or a same material as the first coupling portions.

21. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 19, wherein the dummy line is formed in a mesh type comprising intersecting lines coupled to each other and is on an area between the first and second sense cells.

22. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 21, wherein the dummy line comprises a plurality of end portions extending to an area outside of the display area on which the first and second sense cells are located, and

wherein the third contact hole comprises a plurality of third contact holes, the plurality of end portions being electrically coupled to the guard ring through the plurality of third contact holes.

23. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 19, wherein the transparent substrate is an upper substrate of a display panel of a flat panel display, and

wherein either or both of the first coupling portions and the second coupling portions are inclined at an oblique angle with respect to a row or column direction.