Touch sensing layer and manufacturing method thereof

• US 8,963,856 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Chen-Yu, Lee, Lu-Hsing, Lin, Ching-Shan, Chang, Cheng-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US13/364,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch sensing layer which comprises at least one first-axis sensing electrode, second-axis sensing electrode, insulating element and conductive bridge. Each first-axis sensing electrode comprises a plurality of first electrode patterns with discontinuity-in-series, and each second-axis sensing electrode is configured to interlace with each first-axis sensing electrode and comprises a plurality of second electrode patterns with continuity-in-series. Each insulating element is continuously formed on the corresponding second-axis sensing electrode, and each conductive bridge is also continuously formed above the corresponding first-axis sensing electrode and crosses the insulating element to connect those first electrode patterns with discontinuity-in-series.

Claims

1. A touch sensing layer, comprising:

a plurality of first-axis sensing electrode units, each of the first-axis sensing electrode units comprising a plurality of separated first electrodes arranged along a first axis;

a plurality of second-axis sensing electrode units, each of the second-axis sensing electrode units interlaced with the first-axis sensing electrode units and comprising a plurality of connected second electrodes arranged along a second axis;

a plurality of insulating elements, each of the insulating elements continuously formed on the corresponding second-axis sensing electrode unit; and

a plurality of conductive bridges, each of the conductive bridges formed corresponding to the intersection of the first-axis sensing electrode units and the second-axis sensing electrode units and crossing the insulating element to connect the adjacent first electrodes.

2. The touch sensing layer according to claim 1, wherein the insulating elements and the conductive bridges are formed by a printing process.

3. The touch sensing layer according to claim 2, wherein the printing process forming the insulating elements is a contact printing process or a non-contact printing process.

4. The touch sensing layer according to claim 2, wherein the printing process forming the conductive bridges is a contact printing process or a non-contact printing process.

5. The touch sensing layer according to claim 1, wherein the insulating elements or the conductive bridges are formed by a photolithography process.

6. A touch sensing layer, comprising:

a plurality of first-axis sensing electrode units, each of the first-axis sensing electrode units comprising a plurality of separated first electrodes arranged along a first axis;

a plurality of second-axis sensing electrode units, each of the second-axis sensing electrode units interlaced with the first-axis sensing electrode units and comprising a plurality of connected second electrodes arranged along a second axis;

a plurality of insulating elements, each of the insulating elements formed corresponding to the intersection of the first-axis sensing electrode units and the second-axis sensing electrode units; and

a plurality of conductive bridges, each of the conductive bridges continuously configured above the corresponding first-axis sensing electrode unit and crossing the insulating elements.

7. The touch sensing layer according to claim 6, wherein the insulating elements and the conductive bridges are formed by a printing process, and the printing process is a contact printing process or a non-contact printing process.

8. The touch sensing layer according to claim 6, wherein the insulating elements or the conductive bridges are formed by a photolithography process.

9. A touch sensing layer, comprising:

a plurality of first-axis sensing electrode units, each of the first-axis sensing electrode units comprising a plurality of separated first electrodes arranged along a first axis;

a plurality of second-axis sensing electrode units, each of the second-axis sensing electrode units interlaced with the first-axis sensing electrode units and comprising a plurality of connected second electrodes arranged along a second axis;

a plurality of insulating elements, each of the insulating elements continuously formed on the corresponding second-axis sensing electrode unit; and

a plurality of conductive bridges, each of the conductive bridges continuously configured above the corresponding first-axis sensing electrode unit and crossing the insulating elements.

10. The touch sensing layer according to claim 9, wherein the insulating elements and the conductive bridges are formed by a printing process, and the printing process is a contact printing process or a non-contact printing process.

11. The touch sensing layer according to claim 9, wherein the insulating elements or the conductive bridges are formed by a photolithography process.

12. A method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer, comprising:

forming a plurality of first-axis sensing electrode units and a plurality of second-axis sensing electrode units, wherein each of the first-axis sensing electrode units comprises a plurality of separated first electrodes arranged along a first axis, and each of the second-axis sensing electrode units interlaced with the first-axis sensing electrode units and comprises a plurality of connected second electrodes arranged along a second axis;

forming a plurality of insulating elements for covering the intersection of the first-axis sensing electrode units and the second-axis sensing electrode units; and

forming a plurality of conductive bridges crossing the insulating elements for connecting the adjacent first electrodes.

13. The method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer according to claim 12, wherein the insulating elements are formed by a first printing process, and the first printing process is a contact printing process or a non-contact printing process.

14. The method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer according to claim 12, wherein the conductive bridges are formed by a second printing process, and the second printing process is a contact printing process or a non-contact printing process.

15. The method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer according to claim 12, wherein each of the insulating elements is continuously formed on the corresponding second-axis sensing electrode unit.

16. The method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer according to claim 12, wherein each of the insulating elements is formed correspondingly to the intersection of the first-axis sensing electrode units and the second-axis sensing electrode units.

17. The method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer according to claim 12, wherein each of the conductive bridges is formed correspondingly to the intersection of the first-axis sensing electrode units and the second-axis sensing electrode units, and each of the conductive bridges crosses the insulating element, to connect the adjacent first electrodes.

18. The method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer according to claim 12, wherein each of the conductive bridges is continuously formed above the corresponding first-axis sensing electrode unit and crosses the insulating elements.

19. The method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer according to claim 12, wherein the step of forming a plurality of insulating elements comprises:

forming a continuous insulating element on each of the second-axis sensing electrode units by a photolithography process; and

wherein the step of forming a plurality of conductive bridges comprises;

forming the conductive bridges by the photolithography process.

20. The method for manufacturing a touch sensing layer according to claim 12, wherein the step of forming a plurality of insulating elements comprises:

Forming the insulating elements by a photolithography process; and

wherein the step of forming a plurality of conductive bridges comprises;

forming a continuous conductive bridge above the corresponding first-axis sensing electrode units by the photolithography process.