Touchscreen

• US 9,134,861 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Teramoto, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US13/667,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20130113740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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

Abstract

A touchscreen includes a plurality of X electrodes extending in a first direction and arranged in parallel in a second direction, a plurality of Y electrodes extending in the second direction so as to intersect the X electrodes and arranged in parallel in the first direction, and pedestal layers formed at respective intersections between the plurality of X electrodes and the plurality of Y electrodes, wherein an intersection portion of each Y electrode is formed under the pedestal layer, wherein a part of an intersection portion of each X electrode is formed on the pedestal layer and both ends thereof are electrically connected to adjacent electrode portions of the X electrodes, and wherein a profile of a portion of the pedestal layer intersecting the intersection portion of the X electrode has a nonlinear shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

Claims

1. A touchscreen comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of X electrodes that extend above the substrate in a first direction and are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction;

a plurality of Y electrodes that extend above the substrate in the second direction so as to intersect the X electrodes and are arranged in the first direction; and

pedestal layers that are formed at respective intersections between the plurality of X electrodes and the plurality of Y electrodes,

wherein at least one Y electrode includes an intersection portion intersecting the X electrode and an electrode portion

wherein at least one X electrode includes an intersection portion intersecting the intersection portion of the Y electrode and an electrode portion formed in the same layer as the electrode portion of the Y electrode so as to be separated from the electrode portion of the Y electrode,

wherein the intersection portion of the Y electrode is formed under the pedestal layer,

wherein the electrode portion of the Y electrode is formed in the same layer as the electrode portion of the X electrode so as to be separated from the electrode portion of the X electrode,

wherein a part of the intersection portion of the X electrode is formed on the pedestal layer and both ends of the intersection portion of the X electrode are electrically connected to adjacent electrode portions of the X electrode, and

wherein a profile of a portion of the pedestal layer on which the intersection portion of the X electrode is formed has a nonlinear shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a first surface of the substrate on which the X electrode is provided.

2. The touchscreen according to claim 1, wherein the profile of the pedestal layer comprises a polygonal shape of which the number of sides is equal to or more than a pentagonal shape when viewed from said direction perpendicular to said first surface of the substrate.

3. The touchscreen according to claim 1, wherein the profile of the pedestal layer is a circular shape when viewed from said direction perpendicular to said first surface of the substrate.

4. The touchscreen according to claim 2, wherein both ends of the electrode portion of the Y electrode in the first direction and both ends of the electrode portion of the X electrode in the second direction are formed under the pedestal layer.

5. The touchscreen according to claim 1, wherein the pedestal layer has an elliptical shape of which a long axis direction is an extending direction of the intersection portion of the X electrode when viewed from said direction perpendicular to said first surface of the substrate.

6. The touchscreen according to claim 5, wherein both ends of each of the electrode portions of the plurality of X electrodes in the second direction are formed under the pedestal layer.

7. The touchscreen according to claim 6, wherein the pedestal layer is formed in a tapered shape of which a thickness of a side surface gradually increases toward a planarized portion on an opposite side to a surface coming into contact with the substrate.

8. The touchscreen according to claim 7, further comprising:

an index matching layer that is formed on the substrate,

wherein the X electrodes, the Y electrodes, and the pedestal layers are formed on the index matching layer.

9. The touchscreen according to claim 8, wherein the electrode portion of the X electrode and the electrode portion of the Y electrode have a rhombic shape when viewed from said direction perpendicular to said first surface of the substrate.

10. The touchscreen according to claim 9, further comprising:

a protective layer that is formed so as to cover the X electrodes and the Y electrodes.

11. A touchscreen comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of X electrodes that extend above the substrate;

a plurality of Y electrodes that extend above the substrate so as to intersect the X electrodes;

a plurality of pedestal layers that are formed at intersections of the plurality of X electrodes and the plurality of Y electrodes; and

a protective layer formed so as to cover the X electrode, the Y electrode and the pedestal layer,

wherein at least one Y electrode includes an intersection portion intersecting the X electrode and an electrode portion,

wherein at least one X electrode includes an intersection portion intersecting the Y electrode and an electrode portion,

wherein the electrode portion of Y electrode is formed in the same layer as the electrode portion of X electrode,

wherein the intersection portion of Y electrode is formed under the pedestal layer,

wherein a part of the intersection portion of X electrode is formed on the pedestal layer and both ends of the intersection portion of the X electrode are electrically connected to adjacent electrode portions of the X electrode,

wherein the protective layer is formed on the electrode portion of the X electrode and the Y electrode, and

wherein both ends of the intersection portion of the X electrode are sandwiched between the electrode portion of the X electrode and the protective layer.

12. The touchscreen according to claim 11, wherein a profile of the pedestal layer is a polygonal shape of which the number of sides is equal to or more than a pentagonal shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a first surface of the substrate on which the X electrode is formed.

13. The touchscreen according to claim 11, wherein the profile of the pedestal layer is a circular shape when viewed from said direction perpendicular to the first surface of the substrate.

14. The touchscreen according to claim 12, wherein both ends of the electrode portion of the Y electrode in a first direction and both ends of the electrode portion of the X electrode in a second direction are formed under the pedestal layer.

15. The touchscreen according to claim 11, wherein the pedestal layer has an elliptical shape of which a long axis direction is an extending direction of the intersection portion of the X electrode when viewed from said direction perpendicular to the first surface of the substrate.

16. The touchscreen according to claim 15, wherein both ends of each of the electrode portions of the plurality of X electrodes in a second direction are formed under the pedestal layer.

17. The touchscreen according to claim 16, wherein the pedestal layer is formed in a tapered shape of which a thickness of a side surface gradually increases toward a planarized portion on an opposite side to a surface coming into contact with the substrate.

18. The touchscreen according to claim 17, further comprising:

an index matching layer that is formed on the substrate,

wherein the X electrodes, the Y electrodes, and the pedestal layers are formed on the index matching layer.

19. The touchscreen according to claim 18, wherein the electrode portion of the X electrode and the electrode portion of the Y electrode have a rhombic shape when viewed from said direction perpendicular to the first surface of the substrate.