Analog touch screen with coating for inhibiting increased contact resistance

• US 6,034,335 A
• Filed: 07/01/1994
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Dynapro Thin Films Products Inc (3M Company)
• Inventors: Robrecht, Michael J., Aufderheide, Brian E.
• Primary Examiner(s): FRIEDHOFER, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US08/270,215
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5 R, 200/5 A, 200/262, 200/268, 200/512, 200/517
• US Class Current: 200/5.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/024 precious
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/028 Indium tin oxide [ITO]
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/03 Composite
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/004 CRT

Abstract

Analog resistance touch switches and matrix type touch switches have contacts coated with a very thin film, which in use does not form an appreciable amount of an insulating oxide, to inhibit changes in contact resistance and extend operating life.

Claims

1. An analog touch screen, comprising:

a top transparent layer disposed over a bottom transparent layer, the top layer comprising a flexible sheet having a layer of a semiconductive ceramic coated on a lower face thereof, and the bottom transparent layer comprising a substrate sheet having a thin layer of a semiconductive ceramic coated on an upper face thereof;

a non-electrically conductive spacer interposed between the top and bottom layers effective for spacing apart the layers of semiconductive ceramic except when the top layer is flexed by an external touch so that electrical contact occurs between the semiconductive layers at a location where the touch occurred;

a noncontinuous, electrically conductive metallic film which in use does not form an appreciable amount of an insulating oxide, the film covering at least one of the layers of semiconductive ceramic so that the film is interposed between the semiconductive layers during electrical contact caused by a touch, the metallic film being of a thickness effective to reduce the effects of repeated operation on contact resistance over many operating cycles of the touch screen without substantially varying the sheet resistance of the underlying semiconductive ceramic layer; and

conductors connected to the transparent layers for applying an electrical current to the semiconductive layers to determine the horizontal and vertical position of the external touch on the top layer.

2. The analog touch screen of claim 1, wherein the metallic film consists essentially of a metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, iridium, gold, silver, rhodium, or a mixture thereof.

3. The analog touch screen of claim 2, wherein the metallic film consists essentially of palladium.

4. The analog touch screen of claim 3, wherein the metallic film has a thickness in the range of about 5 Å

to about 70 Å

inclusive.

5. The analog touch screen of claim 4, wherein the metallic film has a thickness in the range of about 10 Å

to about 30 Å

inclusive.

6. The analog touch screen of claim 5, wherein the layers of semiconductive ceramic consist essentially of indium tin oxide or tin oxide.

7. The analog touch screen of claim 6, wherein the metallic film is an exposed surface layer on at least one of the semiconductive ceramic layers.

8. The analog touch screen of claim 7, wherein the conductors include two pairs of conductors connected to a top and bottom edge of one of the transparent layers and to a left and right edge of the other of the transparent layers.

9. The analog touch screen of claim 6, wherein the metallic film is formed on both the layers of semiconductive ceramic and is formed as an exposed surface layer on each of the semiconductive ceramic layers so that the resulting metallic films come into contact with one another when electrical contact occurs between the semiconductive layers.

10. The analog touch screen of claim 6, wherein the substrate sheet consists essentially of polyester or glass, and the flexible sheet consists essentially of polyester.

11. The analog touch screen of claim 1, wherein the layers of semiconductive ceramic consist essentially of indium tin oxide or tin oxide.

12. The analog touch screen of claim 11, wherein the substrate sheet consists essentially of polyester or glass, and the flexible sheet consists essentially of polyester.

13. The analog touch screen of claim 1, wherein the metallic film has a thickness in the range of about 5 Å

to about 70 Å

inclusive.

14. The analog touch screen of claim 13, wherein the metallic film is an exposed surface layer on at least one of the semiconductive ceramic layers.

15. The analog touch screen of claim 14, wherein the metallic film has a thickness in the range of about 10 Å

to about 30 Å

inclusive.

16. The analog touch screen of claim 1, wherein the metallic film is formed on both the layers of semiconductive ceramic and is formed as an exposed surface layer on each of the semiconductive ceramic layers so that the resulting metallic films come into contact with one another when electrical contact occurs between the semiconductive layers.

17. The analog touch screen of claim 1, wherein the conductors include two pairs of conductors connected to a top and bottom edge of one of the transparent layers and to a left and right edge of the other of the transparent layers.