Electrode pattern structure of a capacitive touch panel and method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,459,735 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Mummalaneni, Nalini
• Application Number:
  US12/876,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electrode pattern structure of a capacitive touch panel is provided. The electrode pattern structure of a capacitive touch panel of the present invention, in one embodiment, comprises a substrate, at least one first electrode disposed on said substrate, an insulator disposed on said at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode disposed on said insulator and overlapped with said at least one first electrode at least one intersection, and at least one protective block located on said at least one second electrode and positioned at said at least one intersection.

Claims

1. An electrode pattern structure of a touch panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of first electrodes, at least one first electrode of said plurality of first electrodes disposed on said substrate;

an insulator comprising at least one insulator piece and disposed on said at least one first electrode;

a plurality of second electrodes, at least one second electrode of said plurality of second electrodes disposed on said at least one insulator piece and crossing over said at least one insulator piece and said at least one first electrode at at least one intersection of said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode, wherein said at least one insulator piece is positioned only at said at least one intersection; and

a plurality of protective blocks, at least one protective block of said plurality of protective blocks located on said at least one second electrode and positioned only at said at least one intersection, wherein each of said protective blocks are positioned only at each of said intersections of said first electrodes and said second electrodes, and wherein said at least one protective block is transparent,

wherein said at least one protective block stacks on said at least one insulator piece and only covers a part of said at least one second electrode overlapped with said at least one insulator piece, said at least one protective block in contact only with said at least one second electrode and said at least one insulator piece, and said at least one protective block covering a lateral surface of said at least one second electrode and a lateral surface of said at least one insulator piece.

2. The electrode pattern structure of claim 1, wherein said at least one first electrode comprises at least two separate first conductor cells and at least one first conductive line connecting said at least two separate first conductor cells, and said at least one second electrode comprises at least two separate second conductor cells and at least one second conductive line connecting said at least two separate second conductor cells, and wherein said at least one second conductive line-overlaps with said at least one first conductive line at said at least one intersection.

3. The electrode pattern structure of claim 1, wherein said substrate, said at least one first electrode, said at least one second electrode and said insulator are transparent.

4. The electrode pattern structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is transparent:

said substrate, said at least one first electrode, said at least one second electrode or said insulator.

10. A touch device having said electrode pattern structure of claim 1 comprising:

a plurality of lines;

a processor; and

a housing, wherein said electrode pattern structure is immediately adjacent to an internal surface of said housing, and wherein said plurality of lines connect said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode of said electrode pattern structure to said processor.

11. A touch device having said electrode pattern structure of claim 1 comprising:

a display with a polarizer;

a plurality of lines; and

a processor, wherein said electrode pattern structure is immediately adjacent to an internal surface of said polarizer, and wherein said electrode pattern structure is transparent, and said plurality of lines connect said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode of said electrode pattern structure to said processor.

12. A touch device having said electrode pattern structure of claim 1 comprising:

a display;

a plurality of lines; and

a processor, wherein said electrode pattern structure is located on said display, and wherein said electrode pattern structure is transparent, and said plurality of lines connect said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode of said electrode pattern structure to said processor.

13. The touch device of claim 11 or 12, wherein said display is a liquid crystal display.

5. A method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure comprising:

laying at least one first electrode on a substrate;

placing at least one insulator piece on said at least one first electrode;

laying at least one second electrode disposed on said at least one insulator piece and crossing over said at least one insulator piece and said at least one first electrode at at least one intersection of said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode to insulate said at least one second electrode from said at least one first electrode, wherein said at least one insulator piece is positioned only at said at least one intersection; and

placing at least one protective block on said at least one second electrode and positioned only at said at least one intersection, wherein said at least one protective block is transparent, wherein said at least one protective block stacks on said at least one insulator piece and covers only a part of said at least one second electrode overlapped with said at least one insulator piece, and wherein said at least one protective block is in contact only with said at least one second electrode and said at least one insulator piece, and said at least one protective block covering a lateral surface of said at least one second electrode and a lateral surface of said at least one insulator piece.

6. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 5, wherein laying said at least one first electrode comprises:

laying at least two first conductor cells, at least one first conductive line and at least two second conductor cells on said substrate, wherein said at least one first conductive line connects said at least two first conductor cells;

wherein laying said at least one second electrode comprises;

laying at least one second conductive line on said at least one insulator piece, wherein said at least one second conductive line connects said at least two second conductor cells; and

wherein said at least one protective block covers a lateral surface of said at least one second conductive line.

7. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 5, wherein laying said at least one first electrode comprises:

laying at least one first conductive line on said substrate;

wherein laying said at least one second electrode comprises;

laying at least two first conductor cells, at least two second conductor cells and at least one second conductive line, wherein said at least one first conductive line connects said at least two first conductor cells, and said at least one second conductive line is located on said at least one insulator piece and connects said at least two second conductor cells; and

wherein said at least one protective block covers a lateral surface of said at least one second conductive line.

8. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 5, wherein said electrode pattern structure is manufactured by photolithography.

9. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 5, wherein said electrode pattern structure is manufactured by printing.

14. An electrode pattern structure of a touch panel, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one first electrode disposed on said substrate;

an insulator comprising an insulator piece disposed on said at least one first electrode;

at least one second electrode disposed on said insulator piece and crossing over said insulator piece and said at least one first electrode at at least one intersection of said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode, wherein said insulator piece is positioned only at said at least one intersection; and

at least one transparent protective block located on said at least one second electrode and positioned only at said at least one intersection,

wherein said at least one protective block is disposed only on said at least one second electrode, and covers only a part of said at least one second electrode overlapped with said insulator piece, such that said at least one protective block is in contact with only said at least one second electrode and a portion of an upper surface of said insulator.

15. The electrode pattern structure of claim 14, wherein said at least one first electrode comprises at least two separate first conductor cells and at least one first conductive line connecting said at least two separate first conductor cells, and said at least one second electrode comprises at least two separate second conductor cells and at least one second conductive line connecting said at least two separate second conductor cells, and wherein said at least one second conductive line overlaps with said at least one first conductive line at said at least one intersection.

16. The electrode pattern structure of claim 14, wherein said substrate, said at least one first electrode, said at least one second electrode and said insulator are transparent.

17. The electrode pattern structure of claim 14, wherein at least one of the following is transparent:

said substrate, said at least one first electrode or, said at least one second electrode or said insulator.

18. The electrode pattern structure of claim 14, wherein said at least one protective block downwardly extends to a lateral surface of said insulator piece and contacts with said upper surface of said insulator piece.

19. A method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure comprising:

laying at least one first electrode on a substrate;

placing at least one insulator piece of an insulator on said at least one first electrode;

laying at least one second electrode crossing over said at least one insulator piece and said at least one first electrode at at least one intersection of said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode to insulate said at least one second electrode from said at least one first electrode, wherein said at least one insulator piece is positioned only at said at least one intersection; and

placing at least one transparent protective block on said at least one second electrode at said at least one intersection, wherein said at least one protective block is positioned only at said at least one intersection and disposed only on said at least one second electrode, and covers only a part of said at least one second electrode overlapped with said at least one insulator piece, such that said at least one protective block is in contact only with said at least one second electrode and a portion of an upper surface of said insulator.

20. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 19, wherein laying said at least one first electrode comprises:

laying at least two first conductor cells, at least one first conductive line and at least two second conductor cells on said substrate, wherein said at least one first conductive line connects said at least two first conductor cells;

wherein laying said at least one second electrode comprises;

laying at least one second conductive line on said at least one insulator piece, wherein said at least one second conductive line connects said at least two second conductor cells; and

wherein said at least one protective block contacts a lateral surface of said at least one second conductive line.

21. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 19, wherein laying said at least one first electrode comprises:

laying at least one first conductive line on said substrate;

wherein laying said at least one second electrode comprises;

laying at least two first conductor cells, at least two second conductor cells and at least one second conductive line, wherein said at least one first conductive line connects said at least two first conductor cells, and said at least one second conductive line is located on said at least one insulator piece and connects said at least two second conductor cells; and

wherein said at least one protective block contacts with a lateral surface of said at least one second conductive line.

22. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 19, wherein said electrode pattern structure is manufactured by photolithography.

23. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 19, wherein said electrode pattern structure is manufactured by printing.

24. The method of manufacturing an electrode pattern structure of claim 19, wherein said at least one protective block downwardly extends to a lateral surface of said at least one insulator piece and contacts with said lateral surface of said at least one insulator piece.