Patterned conductive layers for sensor assembly and method of making the same

• US 9,348,469 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Ningrat, Kusuma Adi, Soe, Wah Wah
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIEN, LUCY P
• Application Number:
  US13/338,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20120300140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12, 345/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• 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: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96031 Combination of touch switch and LC display
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

An ITO sensor design and method for making the same is optimized to minimize noise from an LCD. The design includes a two layer sensor design having a transmitter line (Tx) placed in a first layer and a receiver line (Rx) placed in a second layer in a diamond-shaped pattern. The diamond shape maximizes the sensitivity of the sensor.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly apparatus, comprising:

a transmit portion including a plurality of columns of transmit lines, each transmit line having a conductive rectangular shape in a top view; and

a receive portion including a plurality of rows of receive lines, each receive line having a plurality of series connected conductive diamond shapes in the top view,

wherein each diamond shape includes a single slot opening that is aligned with a gap between adjacent ones of the transmit lines.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a conductive material used for the transmit lines in the transmit portion and used for the receive lines in the receive portion comprises indium tin oxide (ITO).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each transmit line includes an opening along an edge of the rectangular shape and wherein adjacent openings in the edges of adjacent ones of the transmit lines form a diamond shape in the top view that is aligned with one of the series connected diamond shapes of the receive line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) arranged under the transmit and receive portions and separated therefrom by an air gap.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein edges of the single slot opening are aligned with edges of adjacent ones of the transmit lines.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of floating conductive diamond shapes arranged in the top view over the rectangular shapes of the transmit lines and positioned between the receive lines.

7. A sensor assembly apparatus, comprising:

a transmit portion including a plurality of columns of transmit lines, each transmit line having a rectangular shape in a top view; and

a receive portion including a plurality of rows of receive lines, each receive line having a plurality of series connected diamond shapes in the top view,

wherein each diamond shape includes a single diamond shaped opening having edges parallel to edges of the diamond shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a conductive material used for the transmit lines in the transmit portion and used for the receive lines in the receive portion comprises indium tin oxide (ITO).

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each transmit line includes an opening along an edge of the rectangular shape and wherein adjacent openings in the edges of adjacent ones of the transmit lines form a diamond shape in the top view that is aligned with one of the series connected diamond shapes of the receive line.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) arranged under the transmit and receive portions and separated therefrom by an air gap.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of floating conductive diamond shapes arranged in the top view over the rectangular shapes of the transmit lines and positioned between the receive lines.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of floating conductive diamond shapes arranged in the top view within the diamond shaped openings.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each floating conductive diamond shape includes a single slot opening that is aligned with a gap between adjacent ones of the transmit lines.

14. A sensor assembly apparatus, comprising:

a transmit portion including a plurality of columns of transmit lines, each transmit line having a rectangular shape in a top view; and

a receive portion including a plurality of rows of receive lines, each receive line having a plurality of series connected diamond shapes in the top view,

wherein each transmit line includes an opening along an edge of the rectangular shape and wherein adjacent openings in the edges of adjacent ones of the transmit lines form a diamond shape in the top view that is aligned with one of the series connected diamond shapes of the receive line.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a conductive material used for the transmit lines in the transmit portion and used for the receive lines in the receive portion comprises indium tin oxide (ITO).

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) arranged under the transmit and receive portions and separated therefrom by an air gap.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of floating conductive diamond shapes arranged in the top view over the rectangular shapes of the transmit lines and positioned between the receive lines.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each diamond shape includes a single diamond shaped opening having edges parallel to edges of the diamond shape.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each diamond shape includes a single slot opening that is aligned with a gap between adjacent ones of the transmit lines.