Capacitive touch panel and method for producing the same

• US 9,563,315 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chen, Yu-Ying, Bayramoglu, Gokalp
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): EARLES, BRYAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/942,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,282 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a capacitive touch panel, which primarily includes a singular substrate, a mask layer formed on a border region of the singular substrate, a capacitive sensing layer comprising a plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies and a plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies, wherein the singular substrate, the mask layer and the capacitive sensing layer are integrally formed, and insulated auxiliary medium filled in gaps between the first-axis conductor assemblies and the second-axis conductor assemblies, wherein the refractive index of the auxiliary medium matches the refractive index of the capacitive sensing layer.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a singular substrate;

a mask layer formed on a border region of the singular substrate;

a capacitive sensing layer comprising;

a plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies; and

a plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies, wherein;

each first-axis conductor assembly of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies has a plurality of first-axis conductor cells and each second-axis conductor assembly of the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies has a plurality of second-axis conductor cells,

the plurality of first-axis conductor cells and the plurality of second-axis conductor cells are formed on a same layer of the singular substrate,

the mask layer and the capacitive sensing layer are integrally formed,

a gap is defined between a first sidewall of a first first-axis conductor cell of the plurality of first-axis conductor cells and a second sidewall of a first second-axis conductor cell of the plurality of second-axis conductor cells, the second sidewall facing the first sidewall,

a contact hole is formed in the mask layer,

a signal transmission line in the border region passes through the contact hole, and

one end of the signal transmission line contacts a conductor assembly of one of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies or one of the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies; and

an insulated auxiliary medium filling the gap, wherein;

the insulated auxiliary medium extends from a first edge of the first first-axis conductor cell at which the first sidewall intersects a third sidewall of the first first-axis conductor cell to a second edge of the first first-axis conductor cell at which the first sidewall intersects a fourth sidewall of the first first-axis conductor cell, and

a refractive index of the insulated auxiliary medium matches a refractive index of the capacitive sensing layer.

2. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the singular substrate is a cover substrate for protecting the capacitive sensing layer and a fabrication substrate for supporting the capacitive sensing layer.

3. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer comprises black matrices.

4. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the insulated auxiliary medium is selected from the group consisting of SiO₂ and TiO₂.

5. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the insulated auxiliary medium is a transparent insulating material.

6. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first-axis conductor cells are equally spaced, the plurality of second-axis conductor cells are equally spaced, adjacent conductor cells in a same axis are connected by conduction lines, and the insulated auxiliary medium covers the conduction lines extending along a second-axis.

7. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the conductor assembly of one of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies or one of the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies directly contacts the signal transmission line in the border region and both the conductor assembly and the signal transmission line are covered by the mask layer in the border region.

8. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 7, wherein the conductor assembly and the signal transmission line are successively covered by a transparent dielectric layer and the mask layer.

9. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 8, wherein a material of the transparent dielectric layer is selected from a group consisting of silicon, silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

10. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the conductor assembly of one of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies or one of the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies directly contacts the signal transmission line in the border region and both the conductor assembly and the mask layer are covered by the signal transmission line.

11. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 10, wherein the conductor assembly is covered by a transparent dielectric layer disposed under the mask layer.

12. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer is aeolotropic and disposed sot between the conductor assembly of one of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies or one of the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies and the signal transmission line in the border region.

13. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 2, wherein each conductor assembly of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies and the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies is connected to part of the signal transmission line in a view area of the singular substrate by direct contact.

14. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein each conductor assembly of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies and the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies is connected to the signal transmission line in the border region as a double side configuration comprising:

the conductor assembly; and

the signal transmission line being disposed on a first-side of the singular substrate, the mask layer corresponding to the border region being disposed on a second-side of the singular substrate opposite the first side, and a transparent passivation layer being formed on the singular substrate from the second side and also covering the mask layer.

15. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein each conductor assembly of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies and the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies is connected to the signal transmission line in the border region as a double side configuration comprising:

the conductor assembly; and

the signal transmission line being disposed on a first side of the singular substrate, the conductor assembly being disposed on a second side of the singular substrate opposite the first side, the conductor assembly extending to the border region and being overlapped by the mask layer, and a transparent passivation layer being formed on the second side and covering the conductor assembly and the mask layer.

16. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 15, further comprising a transparent dielectric layer between the mask layer and the conductor assembly.

17. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein a material of the capacitive sensing layer is selected from a group consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO), transparent conductive oxide (TCO), conductive polymer and carbon nanotube (CNTs).

18. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein a material of the mask layer is selected from a group consisting of black photoresist, black resin and black ink.

19. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the conductor assembly of one of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies or one of the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies directly contacts the signal transmission line in the border region and wherein both the mask layer and the signal transmission line are covered by the conductor assembly.

20. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 19, wherein the signal transmission line is covered by a transparent dielectric layer disposed under the mask layer.

21. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein:

each first-axis conductor cell of the plurality of first-axis conductor cells has a first surface facing the singular substrate and a second surface opposite to the first surface,

each second-axis conductor cell of the plurality of second-axis conductor cells has a third surface facing the singular substrate and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, and

the insulated auxiliary medium is disposed on a surface of the singular substrate without covering the second surface and the fourth surface.

22. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the insulated auxiliary medium is disposed on a surface of the singular substrate covering edges of the plurality of first-axis conductor cells and the plurality of second-axis conductor cells.

23. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein:

each first-axis conductor cell of the plurality of first-axis conductor cells has a first surface facing the singular substrate and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and

the insulated auxiliary medium overlies a majority of the second surface.

24. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the insulated auxiliary medium is a homogeneous material.

25. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the insulated auxiliary medium is selected from a group consisting of SiO₂ (silicon oxide) with a refractive index of about 1.5 to 1.6, TiO₂ (titanium dioxide) with a refractive index of about 1.7 to 1.8, Nb₂O₅ (Niobium pentoxide) with a refractive index of about 2.0 to 2.1 and a transparent insulating material with a refractive index of about 1.5 to 1.6.

26. A capacitive touch panel, comprising:

a singular substrate;

a mask layer formed on a border region of the singular substrate;

a capacitive sensing layer comprising;

a plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies; and

a plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies, wherein;

each first-axis conductor assembly of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies has a plurality of first-axis conductor cells and each second-axis conductor assembly of the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies has a plurality of second-axis conductor cells,

the plurality of first-axis conductor cells and the plurality of second-axis conductor cells are formed on a same layer of the singular substrate,

the mask layer and the capacitive sensing layer are integrally formed,

a gap is defined between a first sidewall of a first first-axis conductor cell of the plurality of first-axis conductor cells and a second sidewall of a first second-axis conductor cell of the plurality of second-axis conductor cells, the second sidewall facing the first sidewall,

a contact hole is formed in the mask layer,

a conductor assembly of one of the plurality of first-axis conductor assemblies or one of the plurality of second-axis conductor assemblies passes through the contact hole, and

one end of the conductor assembly contacts a signal transmission line in the border region; and

an insulated auxiliary medium filling the gap, wherein;

the insulated auxiliary medium extends from a first edge of the first first-axis conductor cell at which the first sidewall intersects a third sidewall of the first first-axis conductor cell to a second edge of the first first-axis conductor cell at which the first sidewall intersects a fourth sidewall of the first first-axis conductor cell, and

a refractive index of the insulated auxiliary medium matches a refractive index of the capacitive sensing layer.