Touch panel and method for manufacturing a touch sensor layer of the touch panel

• US 9,018,535 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited
• Original Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited
• Inventors: Zeng, Guang-Yi, Kang, Liang-Hao, Tsai, Yi-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Xiaoliang
• Application Number:
  US13/612,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20130256008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 174/257, 174/254, 174/261, 345/100, 345/173, 345/174, 345/206, 349/12, 349/39, 349/44, 349/139, 338/13, 257/43, 257/79, 257/428
• US Class Current: 174/257
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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: H01H 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of electric switches processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards, H01H13/88
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/09 Use of materials for the conductive, e.g. metallic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A touch panel includes a touch sensor layer including a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode, wherein an arrangement direction of the first transparent electrode can be perpendicular to that of the second transparent electrode, and both of the first and second transparent electrodes include two transparent metallic patterns which are stacked and electrically connected to each other.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a touch sensor layer comprising;

a first transparent electrode comprising a first transparent metallic pattern and a second transparent metallic pattern, wherein the second transparent metallic pattern is stacked and electrically connected to the first transparent metallic pattern; and

a second transparent electrode comprising a third transparent metallic pattern and a fourth transparent metallic pattern, wherein the fourth transparent metallic pattern is stacked and electrically connected to the third transparent metallic pattern;

wherein the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process, and the second transparent metallic pattern and the fourth transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process;

the first transparent electrode has a first arrangement direction, and the second transparent electrode has a second arrangement direction which is perpendicular to the first arrangement direction; and

the third transparent metallic pattern comprises a front portion, a crossing portion and a rear portion, and the crossing portion is physically connected to the front portion and the rear portion; and

the fourth transparent metallic pattern comprises a front portion, a crossing portion and a rear portion, and the crossing portion is physically connected to the front portion and the rear portion.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first to fourth transparent metallic patterns are made of material being indium tin oxide or indium zinc oxide.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch sensor layer further comprises a metal conductive wire, the metal conductive wire is made of different material from the material of the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern but is made by the same gray-level photo mask.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch sensor layer further comprises:

a transparent substrate, wherein the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern are formed on the transparent substrate respectively;

a metal connecting wire formed on the transparent substrate, wherein the first transparent metallic pattern comprises a left portion and a right portion, and the metal connecting wire is physically connected to the left portion and the right portion of the first transparent metallic pattern;

an insulating layer formed on the transparent substrate, whereby the metal connecting wire is electrically isolated from the crossing portion of the third transparent metallic pattern, and further the first transparent electrode is electrically isolated from the second transparent electrode; and

a protective layer adapted to cover the first transparent electrode, the second transparent electrode and the insulating layer.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the insulating layer comprises a plurality of plated through holes, the plated through holes are adapted to electrically connect the first transparent metallic pattern to the metal connecting wire.

6. A touch panel comprising:

a touch sensor layer comprising;

a first transparent electrode comprising a first transparent metallic pattern and a second transparent metallic pattern, wherein the second transparent metallic pattern is stacked and electrically connected to the first transparent metallic pattern; and

a second transparent electrode comprising a third transparent metallic pattern and a fourth transparent metallic pattern, wherein the fourth transparent metallic pattern is stacked and electrically connected to the third transparent metallic pattern;

wherein the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process, and the second transparent metallic pattern and the fourth transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process;

the first transparent electrode has a first arrangement direction, and the second transparent electrode has a second arrangement direction which is perpendicular to the first arrangement direction; and

the touch sensor layer further comprises a metal conductive wire, a fifth transparent metallic pattern and a sixth transparent metallic pattern, and the fifth transparent metallic pattern and the sixth transparent metallic pattern are stacked to different sides of the metal conductive wire respectively.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first to fourth transparent metallic patterns are made of material being indium tin oxide or indium zinc oxide.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the touch sensor layer further comprises a metal conductive wire, the metal conductive wire is made of different material from the material of the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern but are made by the same gray-level photo mask.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first transparent metallic pattern comprises a left portion, a crossing portion and a right portion, and the crossing portion is physically connected to the left portion and the right portion;

and the fourth transparent metallic pattern comprises a front portion, a crossing portion and a rear portion, and the crossing portion is physically connected to the front portion and the rear portion.

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the touch sensor layer further comprises:

a transparent substrate, wherein the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern are formed on the transparent substrate respectively;

an insulating layer formed on the transparent substrate, whereby the crossing portion of the first transparent metallic pattern is electrically isolated from the crossing portion of the fourth transparent metallic pattern, and further the first transparent electrode is electrically isolated from the second transparent electrode; and

a protective layer adapted to cover the first transparent electrode, the second transparent electrode and the insulating layer.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the insulating layer comprises a plurality of first plated through holes and second plated through holes, the first plated through holes are adapted to electrically connect the second transparent metallic pattern to the first transparent metallic pattern, and the second plated through holes are adapted to electrically connect the fourth transparent metallic pattern to the third transparent metallic pattern.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fifth transparent metallic pattern, the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process;

and the sixth transparent metallic pattern, the second transparent metallic pattern and the fourth transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process.

13. A touch panel comprising:

a touch sensor layer comprising;

a first transparent electrode comprising a first transparent metallic pattern and a second transparent metallic pattern, wherein the second transparent metallic pattern is stacked and electrically connected to the first transparent metallic pattern; and

a second transparent electrode comprising a third transparent metallic pattern and a fourth transparent metallic pattern, wherein the fourth transparent metallic pattern is stacked and electrically connected to the third transparent metallic pattern;

wherein the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process, and the second transparent metallic pattern and the fourth transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process;

the first transparent electrode has a first arrangement direction, and the second transparent electrode has a second arrangement direction which is perpendicular to the first arrangement direction; and

the touch sensor layer further comprises a metal conductive wire, a fifth transparent metallic pattern and a sixth transparent metallic pattern, and the fifth transparent metallic pattern and the sixth transparent metallic pattern are stacked to the same side of the metal conductive wire in order.

14. The touch panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first to fourth transparent metallic patterns are made of material being indium tin oxide or indium zinc oxide.

15. The touch panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the touch sensor layer further comprises a metal conductive wire, the metal conductive wire is made of different material from the material of the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern but are made by the same gray-level photo mask.

16. The touch panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first transparent metallic pattern comprises a left portion, a crossing portion and a right portion, and the crossing portion is physically connected to the left portion and the right portion;

and the fourth transparent metallic pattern comprises a front portion, a crossing portion and a rear portion, and the crossing portion is physically connected to the front portion and the rear portion.

17. The touch panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the touch sensor layer further comprises:

a transparent substrate, wherein the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern are formed on the transparent substrate respectively;

an insulating layer formed on the transparent substrate, whereby the crossing portion of the first transparent metallic pattern is electrically isolated from the crossing portion of the fourth transparent metallic pattern, and further the first transparent electrode is electrically isolated from the second transparent electrode; and

a protective layer adapted to cover the first transparent electrode, the second transparent electrode and the insulating layer.

18. The touch panel as claimed in claim 17, wherein the insulating layer comprises a plurality of first plated through holes and second plated through holes, the first plated through holes are adapted to electrically connect the second transparent metallic pattern to the first transparent metallic pattern, and the second plated through holes are adapted to electrically connect the fourth transparent metallic pattern to the third transparent metallic pattern.

19. The touch panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the fifth transparent metallic pattern, the first transparent metallic pattern and the third transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process;

and the sixth transparent metallic pattern, the second transparent metallic pattern and the fourth transparent metallic pattern are made of the same material in the same manufacturing process.