FLEXIBLE TOUCH SCREEN PANEL AND FABRICATING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140152588A1
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kang, Sung-Ku, Jeon, Byeong-Kyu, Park, Hee-Woong
• Application Number:
  US13/863,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152588A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flexible touch screen panel. A flexible touch screen panel includes a substrate, first sensing cells formed on the substrate and connected to each other in a first direction, second sensing cells formed on the substrate and connected to each other in a second direction intersected with the first direction, first connection patterns connecting the first sensing cells to each other in the first direction, and second connection patterns connecting the second sensing cells to each other in the second direction. The first connection patterns include at least one opening part.

Claims

1. A flexible touch screen panel, comprising:

a substrate;

first touch sensing cells formed on the substrate and connected to each other in a first direction;

second touch sensing cells formed on the substrate and connected to each other in a second direction intersected with the first direction;

first connection patterns connecting the first touch sensing cells to each other in the first direction; and

second connection patterns connecting the second touch sensing cells to each other in the second direction,

the first connection patterns including at least one opening part.

2. The flexible touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein each of the first connection patterns is a porous pattern including a plurality of opening parts.

3. The flexible touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the first connection patterns are made of one or more selected from a group consisting of opaque metal material, conductive thin film, silver nanowire (AgNW) conductive thin film, and indium tin oxide (ITO) conductive thin film.

4. The flexible touch screen panel of claim 1, further comprising an insulation film interposed between the first connection patterns and the second connection patterns at an intersection portion therebetween.

5. The flexible touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a thin film substrate and made of one or more material selected from a group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), triacetylcellulose (TAC), polyethersulpon (PES), and polyimide (PI).

6. The flexible touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein each of the first connection patterns includes a contact area overlapping one of the first sensing cells and a non-contact area defined as a remaining area with the exception of the contact area, and the at least one opening part is formed in the non-contact area.

7. The flexible touch screen panel of claim 6, wherein the at least one opening part is formed in the contact area as well as the non-contact area.

8. The flexible touch screen panel of claim 6, wherein the at least one opening part comprises a plurality of opening parts uniformly disposed in each of the first connection patterns including the contact area and the non-contact area.

9. A fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel, the fabricating method comprising:

forming first touch sensing cells and second touch sensing cells on a substrate;

forming a conductive thin film on the substrate;

disposing a first mask layer on the conductive thin film, the first mask layer connecting the first sensing cells to each other in a first direction;

forming first connection patterns by patterning the conductive thin film through the first mask layer, and removing the first mask layer, the first connection patterns connecting the first touch sensing cells to each other in the first direction;

disposing a second mask layer having at least one opening part formed at the first connection patterns on the substrate, the at least one opening part exposing a portion of the first connection patterns; and

forming at least one opening part at the exposed portion of the first connection patterns by using the second mask layer, and removing the second mask layer.

10. The fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second mask layers is a temporarily hardened dry film resistor.

11. The fabricating method of the flexible touch screen panel of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second mask layers is disposed on the conductive thin film or on the substrate in which the first connection patterns are formed by laminating the dry film resistor.

12. The fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel of claim 9, wherein the second mask layer is disposed on the entire surface of the substrate on which the first connection patterns are formed.

13. The fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel of claim 9, further comprising forming second connection patterns connecting the second sensing cells to each other in a second direction intersected with the first direction.

14. The fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel of claim 13, further comprising forming an insulating film interposed between the first connection patterns and the second connection patterns.

15. A fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel, the fabricating method comprising:

forming first touch sensing cells and second touch sensing cells on a substrate;

forming a conductive thin film on the substrate;

forming a mask layer on the conductive thin film, the mask layer having at least one opening part and connecting the first sensing cells to each other in a first direction; and

forming first connection patterns by patterning the conductive thin film through the mask layer, and removing the first mask layer, the first connection patterns connecting the first sensing cells to each other in the first direction.

16. The fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel of claim 15, wherein the mask layer is a temporarily hardened dry film resistor.

17. The fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel of claim 15, further comprising forming second connection patterns connecting the second sensing cells to each other in a second direction intersected with the first direction.

18. The fabricating method of a flexible touch screen panel of claim 16, further comprising forming an insulating film interposed between the first connection patterns and the second connection patterns.