Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 20090153514A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Fan, Shou-Shan, Jiang, Kai-Li, Liu, Liang
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners

Abstract

A touch panel includes a transparent substrate, a transparent conductive layer, and at least two electrodes. The transparent conductive layer is formed on a surface of the transparent substrate. The transparent conductive layer includes at least two carbon nanotube layers, and each carbon nanotube layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged along a same direction. The carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are arranged along the same direction. The electrodes are electrically connected with the transparent conductive layer. Further, a display device using the touch panel is also included.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a transparent conductive layer comprising at least two stacked carbon nanotube layers, each carbon nanotube layer comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially aligned along a single direction, and the carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are substantially aligned along the same direction; and

at least two electrodes being electrically connected with the transparent conductive layer.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each carbon nanotube layer comprises one carbon nanotube film or a plurality of coplanar carbon nanotube films.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by the van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein each carbon nanotube segment comprising the plurality of carbon nanotubes that are combined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein a thickness of the carbon nanotube film is in an approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 100 micrometers.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer are selected from a group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein diameters of the single-walled carbon nanotubes are in an approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 50 nanometers, diameters of the double-walled carbon nanotubes are in an approximate range from 1 nanometer to 50 nanometers, and diameters of the multi-walled carbon nanotube are in an approximate range from 1.5 nanometers to 50 nanometers.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two electrodes are disposed on a surface of the transparent conductive layer.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the electrodes are adhered to the surface of the transparent conductive layer by a silver-based slurry.

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electrodes are metal electrodes.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent protective layer disposed on a surface of the transparent conductive layer.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the material of the transparent protective layer is selected from a group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, benzocyclobutenes, polyester film, and polyethylene terephthalate.

13. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the substrate is selected from a group consisting of glass, quartz, diamond, and plastic.

14. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shielding layer disposed on a surface of the substrate.

15. The touch panel as claimed in claim 14, wherein the material of the shielding layer is selected from a group consisting of indium tin oxide, antimony tin oxide, and a carbon nanotube film.

16. A display device comprising:

a touch panel comprising;

a transparent substrate;

a transparent conductive layer comprising at least two stacked carbon nanotube layers, each carbon nanotube layer comprised of a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged along a same direction, the carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are substantially aligned along the same direction; and

at least two electrodes being electrically connected with the transparent conductive layer; and

a display element positioned opposite and adjacent to the touch panel.

17. The display device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a touch panel controller, a central processing unit, and a display element controller electrically connected to each other, the touch panel controller being connected to the touch panel, and the display element controller being connected to the display element.

18. The display device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the touch panel is spaced from the display element with a distance.

19. The display device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the touch panel is located on the display element.

20. The display device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a passivation layer disposed on the touch panel and the passivation layer being comprised of one of silicon nitrides and silicon dioxides.