Touch panel with flexible touch sensor and method for manufacturing the same

• US 9,626,057 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2014
• 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: Chi, Ho-Hsun, Jiang, Yau-Chen, Lai, Bin, Xie, Yanjun
• Primary Examiner(s): Marinelli, Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US14/825,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

A touch panel comprises a flexible touch sensor and a cover plate. The cover plate and the flexible touch sensor are attached to each other by an adhesive layer. The flexible touch sensor at least comprises a sensing electrode structure disposed on a flexible substrate. The sensing electrode structure comprises a first insulating layer and a first patterned conductive layer formed on the first insulating layer. The first insulating layer is disposed between the flexible substrate and the first patterned conductive layer and directly contacts the flexible substrate.

Claims

1. A flexible touch sensor, comprising:

a sensing electrode structure disposed on a flexible substrate and comprising;

a first insulating layer;

a first patterned conductive layer disposed on the first insulating layer, wherein;

the first insulating layer is disposed between the flexible substrate and the first patterned conductive layer, and

the first insulating layer directly contacts the flexible substrate;

a first wire layer disposed on the first insulating layer, wherein the first wire layer is electrically connected with the first patterned conductive layer;

a joint where the first wire layer directly contacts the first patterned conductive layer;

a second insulating layer disposed on the first patterned conductive layer, wherein the second insulating layer overlies a portion of the first patterned conductive layer but avoids the joint;

a second patterned conductive layer formed on the second insulating layer;

a second wire layer electrically connected with the second patterned conductive layer, wherein the second wire layer is disposed on the second insulating layer and on a same surface of the second insulating layer as the second patterned conductive layer; and

a protection layer disposed over the second patterned conductive layer and in contact with the first insulating layer, wherein;

the protection layer directly contacts the joint,

the protection layer directly or indirectly contacts a to surface and a sidewall of the first wire layer, and

the protection layer directly contacts a to surface and a sidewall of the second insulating layer.

2. The flexible touch sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the protection layer directly contacts the top surface and the sidewall of the first wire layer.

3. The flexible touch sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is between 0.1 μ

m and 15 μ

m thick.

4. The flexible touch sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer has a hot pressing adhesion property.

5. The flexible touch sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the first patterned conductive layer is formed by a conductive plasma containing conductive polymer material or nano metal material.

6. A touch panel, comprising:

a flexible touch sensor, comprising;

a sensing electrode structure disposed on a flexible substrate and comprising;

a first insulating layer;

a first patterned conductive layer disposed on the first insulating layer, wherein;

the first insulating layer is disposed between the flexible substrate and the first patterned conductive layer, and

the first insulating layer directly contacts the flexible substrate;

a first wire layer disposed on the first insulating layer, wherein the first wire layer is electrically connected with the first patterned conductive layer;

a joint where the first wire layer directly contacts the first patterned conductive layer;

a second patterned conductive layer disposed over the first patterned conductive layer;

a second insulating layer disposed between the first patterned conductive layer and the second patterned conductive layer, wherein the second insulating layer overlies a portion of the first patterned conductive layer but avoids the joint; and

a protection layer in direct contact with a top surface and a sidewall of the second patterned conductive layer, the first insulating layer, and the joint, wherein the protection layer further directly or indirectly contacts a to surface and a sidewall of the first wire layer; and

a cover plate, wherein the cover plate and the flexible touch sensor are attached to each other by an adhesive layer.

7. The touch panel as recited in claim 6, wherein:

a blocking layer is formed on the cover plate, and

the blocking layer overlies the first wire layer and second wire layer of the flexible touch sensor.

8. The touch panel as recited in claim 6, wherein the protection layer directly contacts the top surface and the sidewall of the first wire layer.

9. The touch panel as recited in claim 6, wherein

the protection layer is in direct contact with the second insulating layer.

10. The touch panel as recited in claim 9, wherein the protection layer directly contacts a top surface and a sidewall of the second insulating layer.