Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 20090167709A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• 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 8,325,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A touch panel includes a first electrode plate, and a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate, a first conductive layer, and at least two electrodes. The second electrode plate includes a second substrate, a second conductive layer, and at least two electrodes. At least one of the first and second conductive layers includes a plurality of carbon nanotube structures. Two ends of each carbon nanotube structure are connected with two corresponding opposite electrodes, and each electrode among all the corresponding electrodes is connected with the end of at least one of the carbon nanotube structures. A display device adopting the touch panel includes the touch panel and a display element.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate, a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate, and at least two first-electrodes located on the first electrode plate and electrically connected with the first conductive layer; and

a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate, a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate, and at least two electrodes located on the second electrode plate and electrically connected with the second conductive layer; and

at least one of the first and second conductive layers comprising a plurality of carbon nanotube structures; and

two ends of each carbon nanotube structure are connected to two electrodes of the first or second electrodes.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structures are parallel to each other.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structures are spaced apart from each other, and distances between adjacent carbon nanotube structures are in an approximate range from 5 nanometers to 1 millimeter.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each electrode that is connected to the carbon nanotube structures is connected with the end of only one of the carbon nanotube structures.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure have a strip shape and a film structure.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each carbon nanotube structure comprises at least one carbon nanotube film formed of a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged along a same direction.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein each carbon nanotube structure comprises at least two carbon nanotube films stacked one on the other, and each two adjacent carbon nanotube films are combined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein each carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube structures are selected from the group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, a diameter of the single-walled carbon nanotubes is in an approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 50 nanometers, a diameter of the double-walled carbon nanotubes is in an approximate range from 1 nanometer to 50 nanometers, and a diameter of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes is in an approximate range from 1.5 nanometers to 50 nanometers.

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the carbon nanotube structures is in an approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 100 micrometers and a width of each of the carbon nanotube structures is in an approximate range from 100 micrometers to 10 centimeters.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein both the first and second conductive layers comprise the plurality of carbon nanotube structures, at least two electrodes are located at each of opposite ends of the first conductive layer and are electrically connected with the carbon nanotube structures of the first conductive layer, a direction from the electrodes at one of the opposite ends across the first conductive layer to the electrodes at the other opposite end is defined as a first direction, at least two electrodes are located at each of opposite ends of the second conductive layer and are electrically connected with the carbon nanotube structures of the second conductive layer, and a direction from the electrodes at one of the opposite ends across the second conductive layer to the electrodes at the other opposite end is defined as a second direction.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the carbon nanotube structures of the first conductive layer cross the carbon nanotube structures of the second conductive layer.

13. The touch panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein the carbon nanotube structures of the first conductive layer are aligned along the first direction, and the carbon nanotube structures of the second conductive layer are aligned along the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

14. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulative layer located between the first and second electrode plates, the insulative layer insulates the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate.

15. The touch panel as claimed in claim 14, wherein a plurality of dot spacers are separately located between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

16. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shielding layer located on a lower surface of the second substrate of the second electrode plate, material of the shielding layer being at least one item selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxides, antimony tin oxides, and carbon nanotube films.

17. A display device comprising:

a touch panel comprising;

a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate,

the first electrode plate comprising a first substrate, a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate, and at least two electrodes located on the first electrode plate and electrically connected with the first conductive layer,

the second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate, a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate, and at least two electrodes located on the second electrode plate and electrically connected with the second conductive layer,

at least one of the first and second conductive layers comprising a plurality of carbon nanotube structures; and

two ends of each carbon nanotube structure are connected to two electrodes of the first or second electrodes; and

a display element adjacent to the touch panel.

18. The display device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a first controller, a central processing unit, and a second controller;

the display element is connected to the first controller, and the central processing unit is connected to the second controller.

19. The display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch panel is located on the display element.

20. The display device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a passivation layer located on a surface of the touch panel, and the material of the passivation layer being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide.