Conductive sheet and touch panel

• US 10,111,326 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Hiroshige, Kuriki, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Willis, Tremesha S
• Application Number:
  US15/845,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20180110119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 174252, 174253
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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: H05K 1/0274 Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0289 having a matrix lay-out, i.e. having selectively interconnectable sets of X-conductors and Y-conductors in different planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0296 Conductive pattern lay-out details not covered by sub groups H05K1/02 - H05K1/0295 H05K1/11 takes precedence; lay-out adapted to mounted component configuration H05K1/18
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0108 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09681 Mesh conductors, e.g. as a ground plane
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09781 Dummy conductors, i.e. not used for normal transport of current; Dummy electrodes of components

Abstract

A conductive component includes a first electrode pattern made of metal thin wires, the first electrode pattern including a plurality of first conductive patterns that extend in a first direction and are alternated with first non-conductive patterns. Each first conductive pattern includes break parts in portions other than intersection parts of the thin metal wires. The conductive component further includes a second electrode pattern made of thin metal wires, the second electrode pattern including a plurality of second conductive patterns that extend in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and are alternated with second non-conductive patterns. Each second conductive pattern includes break parts in portions other than intersection parts of thin metal wires.

Claims

1. A conductive component comprising:

a first electrode pattern which is formed by a plurality of grids made of a plurality of metal thin wires that intersect with each other, the first electrode pattern including;

a plurality of first conductive patterns that extend in a first direction and are alternated with a plurality of first nonconductive patterns that electrically separate the plurality of first conductive patterns from each other,

wherein each of the first nonconductive patterns includes first break parts in portions other than intersection parts of the metal thin wires, and the first break parts are formed by lines that do not connect with the metal thin wires of the first conductive patterns; and

a second electrode pattern which is formed by a plurality of grids made of a plurality of metal thin wires that intersect with each other, the second electrode pattern including;

a plurality of second conductive patterns that extend in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and are alternated with a plurality of second nonconductive patterns that electrically separate the plurality of second conductive patterns from each other,

wherein each of the second nonconductive patterns includes second break parts in portions other than intersection parts of the metal thin wires, and the second break parts are formed by lines that do not connect with the metal thin wires of the second conductive patterns,

wherein the first electrode pattern is arranged to face the second electrode pattern,

the plurality of first conductive patterns and the plurality of second conductive patterns are orthogonal to each other in top view, and

the grids of the first electrode pattern and the grids of the second electrode pattern form small grids in top view.

2. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first break parts are located between the intersection parts of the metal thin wires of the first nonconductive patterns which are located nearest each other.

3. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first break parts are located near a center point between the intersection parts of the metal thin wires of the first nonconductive patterns which are located nearest each other.

4. The conductive component according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the second break parts are located between the intersection parts of the metal thin wires of the second nonconductive patterns which are located nearest each other.

5. The conductive component according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the second break parts are located near a center point between the intersection parts of the metal thin wires of the second nonconductive patterns which are located nearest each other.

6. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein each of the first break parts and the second break parts has a width that exceeds a wire width of each of the metal thin wires and is equal to or less than 50 μ

m.

7. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein the conductive component includes a first area that the metal thin wires of the second conductive patterns are located in gaps defined by the first break parts of the first nonconductive patterns in top view, and the conductive component includes a second area that the metal thin wires of the first conductive patterns are located in gaps defined by the second break parts of the second nonconductive patterns in top view.

8. The conductive component according to claim 7, wherein assuming that a width of each of the metal thin wires of the first conductive patterns and the metal thin wires of the second conductive patterns is “

a” and

that a width of each of the first break parts of the first nonconductive patterns and the second break parts of the second nonconductive patterns is “

b,”

a relational expression of b−

a≤

30 μ

m is satisfied.

9. The conductive component according to claim 7, wherein assuming that a width of each of the metal thin wires of the first conductive patterns and the metal thin wires of the second conductive patterns is “

a” and

that a width of each of the first break parts of the first nonconductive patterns and the second break parts of the second nonconductive patterns is “

b,”

a relational expression of (b−

a)/a≤

6 is satisfied.

10. The conductive component according to claim 7, wherein a positional misalignment between:

a central position of each of the metal thin wires of the first conductive patterns; and

a central position of each of the gaps defined by the second break parts of the second nonconductive patterns has a standard deviation equal to or less than 10 μ

m, and a positional misalignment between;

a central position of each of the metal thin wires of the second conductive patterns; and

a central position of each of the gaps defined by the first break parts of the first nonconductive patterns has a standard deviation equal to or less than 10 μ

m.

11. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein the grids of the first electrode pattern and the grids of the second electrode pattern have a grid pitch of 250 μ

m to 900 μ

m, and preferably have a grid pitch of 300 μ

m to 700 μ

m, and the small grids have a grid pitch of 125 μ

m to 450 μ

m, and preferably have a grid pitch of 150 μ

m to 350 μ

m.

12. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein each of the metal thin wires that form the first electrode pattern and the metal thin wires that form the second electrode pattern has a wire width equal to or less than 30 μ

m.

13. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein each of the grids of the first electrode pattern and the grids of the second electrode pattern has a rhomboid shape.

14. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein

a plastic component is placed between the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern.

15. A conductive sheet comprising the conductive component according to claim 1.

16. A touch panel comprising the conductive component according to claim 1.

18. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive patterns and the first nonconductive patterns are arranged in a same first plane.

19. The conductive component according to claim 18, wherein the second conductive patterns and the second nonconductive patterns are arranged in a same second plane.

20. The conductive component according to claim 1, wherein the first break parts do not connect with the first conductive patterns and the second break parts do not connect with the second conductive patterns when viewed from the top view.

17. A conductive sheet comprising:

a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; and

a first electrode pattern placed on the first main surface,

wherein the first electrode pattern is formed by a plurality of grids made of a plurality of metal thin wires that intersect with each other, the first electrode pattern including;

a plurality of first conductive patterns that extend in a first direction and are alternated with a plurality of first nonconductive patterns that electrically separate the plurality of first conductive patterns from each other,

each of the first nonconductive patterns includes first break parts in portions other than intersection parts of the metal thin wires, and the first break parts are formed by lines that do not connect with the metal thin wires of the first conductive patterns,

the conductive sheet further includes a second electrode pattern placed on the second main surface,

wherein the second electrode pattern is formed by a plurality of grids made of a plurality of metal thin wires that intersect with each other, the second electrode pattern including;

a plurality of second conductive patterns that extend in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and are alternated with a plurality of second nonconductive patterns that electrically separate the plurality of second conductive patterns from each other,

each of the second nonconductive patterns includes second break parts in portions other than intersection parts of the metal thin wires, and the second break parts are formed by lines that do not connect with the metal thin wires of the second conductive patterns, and

wherein the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern are placed on the substrate such that the plurality of first conductive patterns and the plurality of second conductive patterns are orthogonal to each other in top view and that the grids of the first electrode pattern and the grids of the second electrode pattern form small grids in top view.