Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 8,248,378 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Jiang, Kai-Li, Liu, Liang, Fan, Shou-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L
• Application Number:
  US12/286,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An exemplary touch panel includes a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate and a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate. The second electrode plate includes a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate. Each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures. A display device incorporates the touch panel and also includes a display element adjacent to the touch panel.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate; and

a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate;

wherein at least one of the first and the second conductive layers comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures spaced from each other, and each of the plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force, so that each of the plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures having a length longer than a length of one carbon nanotube.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures are parallel to each other.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of the carbon nanotube string shaped structure approximately ranges from about 0.5 nanometers to about 100 micrometers.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures is a carbon nanotube string, the first conductive layer comprises a first plurality of carbon nanotube strings parallel to each other, and the second conductive layer comprises a second plurality of carbon nanotube strings parallel to each other;

the first plurality of carbon nanotube strings is not parallel with the second plurality of carbon nanotube strings.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first electrode plate further comprises two first-electrodes located separately at opposite ends of the first conductive layer thereof and aligned along a first alignment direction, a second alignment direction is perpendicular to the first alignment direction, and each of the two first-electrodes is oriented along the second alignment direction and electrically connected to the first conductive layer.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second electrode plate further comprises two second-electrodes located separately at opposite ends of the second conductive layer thereof, and each of the two second-electrodes is oriented along the first alignment direction and electrically connected to the second conductive layer.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein an arranged direction of the first plurality of carbon nanotube strings is along the second alignment direction, and an arranged direction of the second plurality of carbon nanotube strings is along the first alignment direction.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulative layer located on edges of the upper surface of the second electrode plate and insulating the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate.

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein one or more of dot spacers are located between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shielding layer located on a lower surface of the second substrate, and material of the shielding layer being selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxides, antimony tin oxides, and carbon nanotube films.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent protective film located on an upper surface of the first electrode plate, and material of the transparent protective film selected from the group consisting of silicon nitrides, silicon dioxides, benzocyclobutenes, polyester films, and polyethylene terephthalates.

13. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are unfunctionalized.

14. A display device comprising:

a touch panel comprising;

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate;

a second electrode separated from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate; and

wherein at least one of the first and the second conductive layers comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures spaced from each other, and each of the carbon nanotube string-shaped structures comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes joinedend to end by van der Waals attractive force, and

a display element opposite and adjacent to the touch panel.

15. The display device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a first controller, a central processing unit, and a second controller;

the display element is connected to the first controller, and the central processing unit is connected to the second controller.

16. The display device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a passivation layer located on a surface of the touch panel, and material of the passivation layer being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide.

17. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate; and

a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate;

wherein the first conductive layer comprises a plurality of first carbon nanotube strings parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, the second conductive layer comprises a plurality of second carbon nanotube strings parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, and an extending direction of the plurality of first carbon nanotube strings is different from an extending direction of the plurality of second carbon nanotube strings, each of the plurality of first carbon nanotube strings and the plurality of second carbon nanotube strings comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

18. The touch panel as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first electrode plate further comprises two first-electrodes located separately at opposite ends of the first conductive layer, a direction from one of the two first-electrodes across the first conductive layer to the other of the two first-electrodes being defined as a first direction, the second electrode plate further comprises two second-electrodes located separately at opposite ends of the first conductive layer, a direction from one of the two second-electrodes across the second conductive layer to the other of the two second-electrodes being defined as a second direction, the plurality of first carbon nanotube strings are parallel to the first direction, the plurality of second carbon nanotube strings are parallel to the second direction.