MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES FOR HAPTIC DISPLAYS WITH SIMULTANEOUS SENSING AND ACTUATION

• US 20160124548A1
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Northwestern University, Tanvas, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Northwestern University
• Inventors: CHERIF, Mondher, COLGATE, James E., PESHKIN, Michael A., OLLEY, Michael F.D., TOPEL, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US14/931,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124548A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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

Abstract

A haptic interface device, said device comprising a substrate, a first conducting layer deposited on the substrate, with the first conducting layer being patterned to provide a first axis of individually-addressable conductive electrodes, a first insulating layer deposited on the first conducting layer, with the insulating layer having a uniform thickness, a second conducting layer deposited on the first insulating layer, with the second conducting layer being patterned to provide a second axis of individually-addressable conductive electrodes, and a dielectric layer deposited on the second conducting layer, with the dielectric layer having a uniform thickness and hardness and being scratch resistant.

Claims

1. A haptic interface device, said device comprising:

a substrate;

a first conducting layer deposited on the substrate, with the first conducting layer being patterned to provide a first axis of individually-addressable conductive electrodes;

a first insulating layer deposited on the first conducting layer, with the insulating layer having a uniform thickness;

a second conducting layer deposited on the first insulating layer, with the second conducting layer being patterned to provide a second axis of individually-addressable conductive electrodes; and

a dielectric layer deposited on the second conducting layer, with the dielectric layer having a uniform thickness and hardness and being scratch resistant.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is deposited across the entire surface of the first conductive layer such that the surface of the insulating layer is planar with no protrusions.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric coating layer is deposited at a temperature of at least 170 C, and the substrate, the conductive layers and the insulating layer are capable of withstanding a temperature of at least 170 C without degradation.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer further comprises alternating layers of organic and inorganic materials.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is made of silica (SiO2).

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is at least 1 micron thick.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is no more than 50 microns thick.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate, the conductive layers, the insulating layer, and the dielectric layer are transparent.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein signals for touch sensing are obtained from capacitance of each electrode, and wherein haptic effects are produced by generating an electric field between an electrode and an appendage of a user that touches a touch surface of the device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein an index matching layer is provided underneath the first conductive layer.

11. A method of forming a haptic device, the method including the steps of:

forming a substrate;

depositing a first conductive layer on the substrate;

patterning electrodes into the first conductive layer;

depositing an insulation layer on the first conductive layer;

depositing a second conductive layer on the insulation layer;

patterning electrodes into the second conductive layers; and

depositing a dielectric layer on the second conductive layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the insulating layer is deposited across the entire surface of the first conductive layer such that the surface of the insulating layer is planar with no protrusions.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the insulating layer is made of silica (SiO2).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the dielectric layer is deposited at a temperature of at least 170 C, and the substrate, the conductive layers and the insulating layer are capable of withstanding a temperature of at least 170 C without degradation.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the dielectric layer further comprises alternating layers of organic and inorganic materials.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the dielectric layer is at least 1 micron thick.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the dielectric layer is no more than 50 microns thick.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate, the conductive layers, the insulating layer, and the dielectric layer are transparent.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein signals for touch sensing are obtained from capacitance of each electrode, and wherein haptic effects are produced by generating an electric field between an electrode and an appendage of a user that touches a touch surface of the device.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein an index matching layer is provided underneath the first conductive layer.