Making transparent touch-responsive device with micro-wire electrodes

• US 8,661,662 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, MINH N
• Application Number:
  US13/571,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20140041216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 295/921, 295/93, 29 2541- 2542, 345173-175, 349/12, 200/600
• US Class Current: 29/846
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 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: H05K 1/0287 having an universal lay-out, e.g. pad or land grid patterns or mesh patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/162 incorporating printed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0108 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09672 Superposed layout, i.e. in different planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09681 Mesh conductors, e.g. as a ground plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

A method of making a touch-responsive capacitive device includes providing a transparent substrate and forming anisotropically conductive first and second electrodes extending in corresponding first and second orthogonal length directions over the substrate. Anisotropically conductive first and second electrodes each with electrically connected micro-wires are formed on opposing sides of the transparent substrate. The anisotropically conductive first and second electrodes extend in corresponding first and second length directions. The first and second micro-wires are formed with substantially parallel straight micro-wires extending substantially in the corresponding first and second length directions and a plurality of angled micro-wires are formed at a non-orthogonal angle to the straight micro-wires and electrically connect the straight micro-wires so that the anisotropically conductive first and second electrodes have a greater electrical conductivity in the corresponding first and second length directions than in another anisotropically conductive electrode direction.

Claims

1. A method of making a touch-responsive capacitive device, comprising:

providing a transparent substrate having a substantially planar first side and an opposing substantially parallel substantially planar second side;

providing a plurality of anisotropically conductive first electrodes extending in a first length direction over the transparent substrate, and including forming the anisotropically conductive first electrodes with a plurality of electrically connected micro-wires formed in a first micro-pattern over the first side of the transparent substrate; and

providing a plurality of anisotropically conductive second electrodes extending in a second length direction orthogonal to the first length direction under the transparent substrate, and including forming the anisotropically conductive second electrodes with a plurality of electrically connected micro-wires formed in a second micro-pattern under the second side of the transparent substrate; and

wherein the first and second micro-patterns each have a plurality of substantially parallel straight micro-wires extending substantially in the corresponding first and second length directions and a plurality of angled micro-wires formed at a non-orthogonal angle to the straight micro-wires electrically connecting the straight micro-wires so that the anisotropically conductive first and second electrodes have a greater electrical conductivity in the corresponding first and second length directions than in another anisotropically conductive electrode direction.

2. The method of claim 1, further including forming the anisotropically conductive first electrodes on the first side.

3. The method of claim 1, further including forming the anisotropically conductive second electrodes on the second side.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second micro-pattern is the same as the first micro-pattern, is a reflection or rotation of the first micro-pattern, or is spatially offset with respect to the first micro-pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is a dielectric layer.

6. The method of claim 5, further including providing the anisotropically conductive first electrodes on a second substrate and forming the dielectric layer over the anisotropically conductive first electrodes.

7. The method of claim 6, further including forming the anisotropically conductive second electrodes over the dielectric layer.

8. The method of claim 1, further including providing a second transparent substrate and forming the second electrodes over the second transparent substrate.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second micro-pattern is the same as the micro-pattern, is a reflection or rotation of the micro-pattern, or is spatially offset with respect to the micro-pattern.

10. The method of claim 8, further including:

providing a dielectric layer having first and second dielectric layer sides, the second dielectric layer side opposed and substantially parallel to the first dielectric layer side; and

locating the dielectric layer between the first and second transparent substrates so that the anisotropically conductive first electrodes are adjacent to the first dielectric layer side and the anisotropically conductive second electrodes are adjacent to the second dielectric layer side.

11. The method of claim 10 further including forming the dielectric layer on or over the anisotropically conductive first electrodes or forming the dielectric layer on or over the anisotropically conductive second electrodes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is the cover of a top-emitting display.

13. The method of claim 12, further including assembling the cover into a display device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is the substrate of a bottom-emitting display.

15. The method of claim 14, further including forming anisotropically conductive first electrodes on the first side after forming the bottom-emitting display device on the second side.

16. The method of claim 14, further including forming anisotropically conductive first electrodes on the first side before forming the bottom-emitting display device on the second side.