Touch screen display

• US 8,319,743 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: No, Sang-Yong, Cho, Young-Je, Kim, Sung-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Sanjiv D
• Application Number:
  US12/540,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1806, 349/12
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

A touch screen display includes; a first substrate, a lower sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate, a second substrate disposed substantially opposite to the first substrate, a sensor spacer disposed on the second substrate and aligned with the lower sensor electrode, a common electrode disposed on the second substrate, an upper sensor electrode disposed on the sensor spacer and connected to the common electrode, and a cutout disposed at an edge of the upper sensor electrode, wherein when touch pressure is applied to the first or second substrate, a change in capacitance is generated due to a change in a distance between the lower sensor electrode and the upper sensor electrode at a touch position, such that the touch position is detected on the basis of the change in capacitance.

Claims

1. A touch screen display comprising:

a first substrate;

a lower sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate;

a second substrate disposed substantially opposite to the first substrate;

a sensor spacer disposed on the second substrate and aligned with the lower sensor electrode;

a common electrode disposed on the second substrate;

an upper sensor electrode disposed on the sensor spacer and connected to the common electrode; and

a cutout disposed in the common electrode, wherein the upper sensor electrode is disposed within the cutout and at least two edges defining the upper sensor electrode are spaced apart from the common electrode in a plan view,

wherein when touch pressure is applied to the first or second substrate, a change in capacitance is generated due to a change in a distance between the lower sensor electrode and the upper sensor electrode at a touch position, such that the touch position is detected on the basis of the change in capacitance.

2. The touch screen display of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor spacer includes a flat surface disposed substantially opposite to the first substrate and a side portion disposed at an edge of the flat surface; and

the upper sensor electrode is disposed on the flat surface.

3. The touch screen display of claim 2, wherein the upper sensor electrode has an area smaller than the flat surface of the sensor spacer.

4. The touch screen display of claim 2, further comprising a connection electrode disposed on the side portion of the sensor spacer which connects the upper sensor electrode and the common electrode.

5. The touch screen display of claim 4, wherein the connection electrode has a width smaller than the upper sensor electrode.

6. The touch screen display of claim 4, wherein two or more connection electrodes are disposed on the side portion of the sensor spacer.

7. The touch screen display of claim 1, wherein the sensor spacer comprises an organic material.

8. The touch screen display of claim 7, wherein the sensor spacer comprises photosensitive resin.

9. The touch screen display of claim 8, further comprising a cell gap spacer interposed between the first and second substrate which maintains a cell gap between the first and second substrates, wherein the sensor spacer comprises substantially the same material as the cell gap spacer.

10. The touch screen display of claim 8, wherein the sensor spacer is a laminate of at least one color filter.

11. The touch screen display of claim 10, wherein the sensor spacer includes a first color filter and a second color filter sequentially laminated on the second substrate, and the second color filter entirely covers the first color filter.

12. The touch screen display of claim 11, further comprising an insulating layer interposed between the sensor spacer and the upper sensor electrode.

13. The touch screen display of claim 1, further comprising an overcoat layer interposed between the substrate and the sensor spacer.

15. The touch screen display of claim 1, wherein the cutout defines a gap between at least one side of the edge of the upper sensor electrode and the common electrode in a plan view.

14. A method of manufacturing a touch screen display, the method comprising:

providing a first substrate;

disposing a lower sensor electrode on the first substrate;

disposing a second substrate substantially opposite to the first substrate;

disposing a sensor spacer on the second substrate and aligning the sensor spacer with the lower sensor electrode;

disposing a common electrode on the second substrate;

disposing an upper sensor electrode on the sensor spacer and connected to the common electrode; and

disposing a cutout in the common electrode, wherein the upper sensor electrode is disposed within the cutout and at least two edges defining the upper sensor electrode are spaced apart from the common electrode in a plan view,

wherein when touch pressure is applied to the first or second substrate, a change in capacitance is generated due to a change in a distance between the lower sensor electrode and the upper sensor electrode at a touch position, such that the touch position is detected on the basis of the change in capacitance.

16. The method of manufacturing a touch screen display of claim 14, wherein the cutout defines a gap between at least one side of the edge of the upper sensor electrode and the common electrode in a plan view.