Piezoresistive type touch panel; manufacturing method thereof; and display device, touch pad, pressure sensor, touch sensor, game console and keyboard having the panel

• US 8,692,646 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
• Original Assignee: Kang Won Lee, Kwang Cheol Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Kang Won, Lee, Seung Seob, Lee, Jung A., Lee, Kwang Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KYUNG S
• Application Number:
  US13/080,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 338/47, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 338/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/10 adjustable by mechanical pressure or force
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/12 by changing surface pressure between resistive masses or resistive and conductive masses, e.g. pile type
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 17/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing resistors providing fillings for housings or enclosures H01C1/02; reducing insulation surrounding a resistor to powder H01C1/03; manufacture of thermally variable resistors H01C7/02, H01C7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 65/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of selector switches or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9643 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch panel, more specifically a piezoresistive type touch panel. According to the present invention, it is provided a manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel, comprising manufacturing a polymer membrane in which a piezoresistive type film pattern, of which resistance varies with applied pressure, is embedded; manufacturing a spacer layer and attaching one side of the spacer layer to a surface of the polymer membrane; and then attaching a bottom substrate to the other side of the spacer layer.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel comprising:

manufacturing a polymer membrane in which a piezoresistive type film pattern, of which resistance varies with applied pressure, is embedded;

manufacturing a spacer layer and attaching one side of the spacer layer to a surface of the polymer membrane; and

attaching a bottom substrate to the other side of the spacer layer,

wherein the step of manufacturing a polymer membrane comprises;

(a) forming a intermediate layer on a substrate;

(b) forming a carbon nanotube film layer or a metal nanowire film layer on the intermediate layer;

(c) patterning the carbon nanotube film layer or the metal nanowire film layer to form a carbon nanotube film pattern or a metal nanowire film pattern on the intermediate layer;

(d) applying a polymer solution over the intermediate layer on which the carbon nanotube film pattern or the metal nanowire film pattern is formed, and curing the applied polymer solution to form a polymer membrane including the carbon nanotube film pattern or the metal nanowire film pattern; and

(e) separating the polymer membrane including the carbon nanotube film pattern or the metal nanowire film pattern from the intermediate layer.

2. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising, after the step (d) is performed, separating the intermediate layer from the substrate, wherein the step (e) includes etching the intermediate layer to remove it, thereby separating the polymer membrane from the intermediate layer.

3. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) includes applying a carbon nanotube solution or a metal nanowire solution, in which carbon nanotubes or metal nanowires are dispersed, over the intermediate layer as the substrate on which the intermediate layer is formed is rotated.

4. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) includes, by using a filter and a vacuum pump, collecting carbon nanotubes or metal nanowires on the filter from a carbon nanotube solution or a metal nanowire solution in which carbon nanotubes or metal nanowires are dispersed, to form the carbon nanotube film layer or the metal nanowire film layer;

and separating the carbon nanotube film layer or the metal nanowire film layer formed on the filter from the filter to transfer the carbon nanotube film layer or the metal nanowire film layer onto the intermediate layer.

5. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the step (c) uses photolithography process.

6. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the intermediate layer is a metal layer, and the step (a) is depositing the metal layer on the substrate.

7. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to claim 6, wherein the metal layer is gold (Au) layer.

8. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to claim 1,

wherein the step of manufacturing a spacer layer and attaching one side of the spacer layer to a surface of the polymer membrane comprises:

(f) forming a mold on a base;

(g) applying a polymer solution over the base on which the mold is formed, and curing the applied polymer solution to form a spacer layer;

(h) separating the spacer layer from the mold and the base; and

(i) attaching the separated spacer layer to the polymer membrane having a carbon nanotube film pattern or a metal nanowire film pattern.

9. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the step (i) uses thermal bonding to attach the spacer layer to the polymer membrane having the carbon nanotube film pattern or the metal nanowire film pattern.

10. The manufacturing method of a piezoresistive type touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the mold is photo resist, and the step (f) includes using photolithography process to form the mold from photo resist.