TOUCH SCREEN PANEL

• US 20130278513A1
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hyoung-Wook Jang
• Inventors: JANG, Hyoung-Wook
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A touch screen panel includes a plurality of pixels on a substrate, a sealing thin film on the substrate, and a plurality of sensing electrodes on the sealing thin film, each of the sensing electrodes having a mesh structure, the mesh structures of the sensing electrodes and the pixels overlapping different portions of the substrate.

Claims

1. A touch screen panel, comprising:

a plurality of pixels on a substrate;

a sealing thin film on the substrate; and

a plurality of sensing electrodes on the sealing thin film, each of the sensing electrodes having a mesh structure, the mesh structures of the sensing electrodes and the pixels overlapping different portions of the substrate.

2. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing electrodes include an opaque metal.

3. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mesh structure of each sensing electrode includes a plurality of intertwined metal lines defining a plurality of openings, each opening exposing at least one pixel.

4. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the metal lines has a width that equals an inter-pixel distance or less.

5. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein each opening exposes three pixels corresponding to a red pixel, a green pixel, and blue pixel.

6. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing electrodes include:

first sensing electrodes extended in a first direction; and

second sensing electrodes extended in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.

7. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first sensing electrode and the second electrode are formed directly on the sealing thin film, an insulating film being positioned between the first sensing electrodes and the second sensing electrodes at least in an intersection region between the first and second sensing electrodes.

8. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second sensing electrodes are on different layers, the first sensing electrodes being on the sealing thin film, and an insulating layer being positioned between the first sensing electrodes and the second sensing electrodes.

9. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the first sensing electrodes include a plurality of first sensing cells arranged in the first direction, and first connection patterns connecting the first sensing cells to each other, and

the second sensing electrodes include a plurality of second sensing cells arranged in the second direction, and second connection patterns connecting the second sensing cells to each other.

10. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first sensing cells and the second sensing cells have a diamond shape.

11. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first sensing cells and the second sensing cells have a mesh structure with a plurality of openings.

12. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first sensing electrode further includes a first auxiliary cell connected to the first connection pattern, and the second sensing electrode further includes a second auxiliary cell connected to the second connection pattern.

13. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first auxiliary cell is on a central portion of the first connection pattern, and the second auxiliary cell is on a central portion of the second connection pattern.

14. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first auxiliary cell extends toward a second sensing cell adjacent thereto, and the second auxiliary cell extends toward a first sensing cell adjacent thereto.

15. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the first auxiliary cell and the second auxiliary cell has a mesh structure with at least one opening.

16. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 15, wherein the opening in each of the first auxiliary cell and the second auxiliary cell exposes at least one pixel.

17. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first connection pattern and the second connection pattern intersect each other, an insulating film being interposed therebetween.

18. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first sensing electrode and the second electrode have a stripe shape, each of the first and second sensing electrodes having a mesh structure with a plurality of openings.

19. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a dummy electrode between the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode.

20. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 19, wherein the dummy electrode is electrically floated.

21. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 19, wherein the dummy electrode includes an opaque metal.

22. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 21, wherein the dummy electrode has a mesh structure with at least one opening.

23. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 22, wherein the at least one opening exposes at least one pixel.

24. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 19, wherein the dummy electrode is positioned on the sealing thin film or on the insulating layer.

25. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a first position detecting line connected to one end of the first sensing electrode; and

a second position detecting line connected to one end of the second sensing electrode.

26. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first position detecting line and the second position detecting line include a same material as the first and second sensing electrodes, respectively.

27. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing electrodes are on a surface of the sealing thin film facing away from the substrate.