Touch screen sensor

• US 10,126,901 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2018
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Frey, Matthew H., Robrecht, Michael J., Jambor, George F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yodichkas, Aneeta
• Application Number:
  US16/043,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20180329541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 112 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/02 Local etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/14 Aqueous compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch screen sensor includes a visible light transparent substrate and an electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in the visible light transparent substrate. The micropattern includes a first region micropattern within a touch sensing area and a second region micropattern. The first region micropattern has a first sheet resistance value in a first direction, is visible light transparent, and has at least 90% open area. The second region micropattern has a second sheet resistance value in the first direction. The first sheet resistance value is different from the second sheet resistance value.

Claims

1. A touch screen sensor, comprising:

a visible light transparent substrate;

an electrically conductive mesh comprising a plurality of first traces having a first width and defining a plurality of enclosed open areas;

an electrically conductive second trace having a second width greater than the first width and making electrical contact with the mesh; and

an electrically conductive pad for making electrical contact with an electronic device;

wherein, the mesh, the second trace and the pad are disposed on or in the visible light transparent substrate and include a same metal at approximately a same thickness.

2. The touch screen sensor of claim 1, wherein the first width is less than or equal to 10 micrometers.

3. The touch screen sensor of claim 1, wherein the mesh comprises random cell shapes, irregular polygons, or a combination thereof.

4. The touch screen sensor of claim 1 wherein the pad has a width between 25 micrometers and 3 mm.

5. The touch screen sensor of claim 1, wherein the mesh has an open area between 90 and 99.5 percent.

6. The touch screen sensor of claim 1, wherein the contact between the pad and the electronic device is for capacitive detection of a finger touch.

7. The touch screen sensor of claim 1, wherein the visible light transparent substrate comprises glass.