TOUCH PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20180196561A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 07/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Minchul, HUR, Yangwook, LEE, Junghoon
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

A touch panel and a display device are disclosed. The touch panel includes a base layer, a first electrode formed on a surface of the base layer and including a first sensor unit including a first conductor, and a second electrode formed on another surface of the base layer and including a second sensor unit including a second conductor. A shape of the first conductor is different from a shape of the second conductor.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a base layer;

a first electrode formed on a surface of the base layer, the first electrode including a first sensor unit, wherein the first sensor unit includes a first conductor; and

a second electrode formed on another surface of the base layer, the second electrode including a second sensor unit, wherein the second sensor unit includes a second conductor,

wherein a shape of the first conductor is different from a shape of the second conductor.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein a resistance of the first sensor unit is greater than a resistance of the second sensor unit,

wherein a first area ratio is greater than a second area ratio,

wherein the first area ratio is a ratio of an area inside an outer edge of the first sensor unit to an area on which the first sensor unit is formed, and

wherein the second area ratio is a ratio of an area inside an outer edge of the second sensor unit to an area on which the second sensor unit is formed.

3. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein a filling density of the first conductor in the first sensor unit is smaller than a filling density of the second conductor in the second sensor unit.

4. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the first conductor includes a transparent conductive metal oxide, and the transparent conductive metal oxide includes a nano metal and has a plurality of spherical particles or a network structure.

5. The touch panel of claim 4, wherein the second conductor includes a transparent conductive metal oxide, and the transparent conductive metal oxide includes a nano metal and has a plurality of spherical particles or a network structure.

6. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first conductor or the second conductor has a width of 10 to 35 nm and a length of 20 to 40 μ

m.

7. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first conductor or the second conductor has a diameter of 100 to 300 nm.

8. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein as the diameter of the first conductor or the second conductor decreases, a contact area on which adjacent conductors among a plurality of conductors contact one another increases, and wherein the first conductor or the second conductor has the plurality of conductors.

9. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein as the contact area increases, electrical conductivity of the first electrode or the second electrode increases.

10. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein as the contact area increases, linewidth of the first electrode or the second electrode decreases.

11. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein as the linewidth of the first electrode or the linewidth of the second electrode decreases, a thickness of the base layer increases.

12. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the first sensor unit is entirely formed inside the outer edge of the first sensor unit, and

wherein the second sensor unit includes a plurality of electrode parts intersecting each other, and at least one opening is formed inside the outer edge of the second sensor unit.

13. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein an intersection between the plurality of electrode parts of the second sensor unit is 1 to 100,000 number/mm².

14. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the first sensor unit is 200 nm or less, and

wherein a thickness of the second sensor unit is 0.5 to 2 μ

m.

15. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein a surface roughness of the first sensor unit is less than a surface roughness of the second sensor unit.

16. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein a specular reflectance of the first sensor unit is less than a specular reflectance of the second sensor unit.

17. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein a transmittance of the first sensor unit is 88 to 92%, and a transmittance of the second sensor unit is 87 to 91%.

18. The touch panel of claim 2, further comprising:

an overcoat layer covering the first electrode; and

an insulating layer covering the second electrode,

wherein a dielectric constant of the insulating layer is less than a dielectric constant of the overcoat layer.

19. The touch panel of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of traces connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, the plurality of traces providing a signal transmission path,

wherein one of the first electrode or the second electrode and the plurality of traces are formed through a process, and

wherein one of the first electrode or the second electrode includes a material same as a material of at least one of the plurality of traces.

20. The touch panel of claim 19, wherein the one of the first electrode or the second electrode formed through the process, is formed in a mesh shape.

21. The touch panel of claim 19, wherein the plurality of traces include a nano metal, and

wherein the transparent conductive metal oxide includes a nano metal and includes a plurality of spherical particles or a network structure.

22. The touch panel of claim 21, wherein as a diameter of the spherical particle decreases, a contact area on which adjacent spherical particles contact one another increases.

23. The touch panel of claim 22, wherein as the contact area increases, a linewidth of the plurality of traces decreases.

24. A display device comprising:

a display panel; and

a touch panel integrated with the display panel,

wherein the touch panel includes;

a base film;

a first electrode formed on a surface of the base film, the first electrode including a first sensor unit, wherein the first sensor unit includes a first conductor; and

a second electrode formed on another surface of the base film, the second electrode including a second sensor unit, wherein the second sensor unit includes a second conductor different from the first conductor,

wherein at least one of the first or second sensor units has an irregular pattern.

25. The display device of claim 24, wherein the touch panel is positioned in front of the display panel or inside the display panel.

26. The display device of claim 24, wherein a resistance of the first sensor unit is greater than a resistance of the second sensor unit, and

wherein a first area ratio is greater than a second area ratio,

wherein the first area ratio is a ratio of an area inside an outer edge of the first sensor unit to an area on which the first sensor is formed, and

wherein the second area ratio is a ratio of an area inside an outer edge of the second sensor unit to an area on which the second sensor is formed.

27. The display device of claim 26, further comprising a plurality of traces connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, the plurality of traces providing a signal transmission path,

wherein one of the first electrode or the second electrode and the plurality of traces are formed through a process.