Touch panel structure

• US 9,632,630 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TERA Xtal Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: TERA Xtal Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Lu, Chuan-Lang, Wang, Wei-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ishwarbhai B
• Application Number:
  US13/543,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20130126327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 174250-268, 345173, 345174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 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: H05K 1/03 Use of materials for the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0108 Transparent

Abstract

A touch panel structure is provided. The touch panel structure includes a sapphire substrate having a crystal axis, a crystal structure and a transmittance, wherein the crystal axis includes one selected from a group consisting of c-axis (0001), a-axis (1210), a-axis (1 120), a-axis (2110), a-axis (1120), a-axis (21 10), a-axis (1210), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0110), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0110), r-axis (1011), r-axis (1011), r-axis (0111), r-axis (011 1), r-axis (1101) and r-axis (1101), the crystal structure is a single-crystal structure, and the transmittance is one of percentages larger than and equal to 80%; and a sensing module including a first sensing layer directly disposed on the sapphire substrate.

Claims

1. A touch panel structure, comprising:

a sapphire substrate having a crystal axis, a crystal structure and a transmittance, wherein the crystal axis comprises one selected from a group consisting of c-axis (0001), a-axis (1210), a-axis (1120), a-axis (2110), a-axis (1120), a-axis (21

     10), a-axis (1210), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0 110), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0110), r-axis (1011), r-axis (1011), r-axis (0111), r-axis (011

     1), r-axis (1101) and r-axis (1101), wherein the crystal structure is a single-crystal structure, and the transmittance is one of percentages larger than and equal to 80%; and

a sensing module having a first sensing layer directly disposed on the sapphire substrate, wherein;

the sensing module further includes an insulating layer;

the first sensing layer has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface directly contacts the sapphire substrate, and the insulating layer is formed on the second surface;

the first sensing layer includes an x-axis sensing circuit net and a y-axis sensing circuit net, wherein the x-axis sensing circuit net and the y-axis sensing circuit net interlace with each other from a top view and are not electrically connected to each other;

the first sensing layer is an ITO transparent conductive film; and

the sensing module is formed on the sapphire substrate by a photolithography process.

2. A touch panel structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch panel structure further comprises a conducting wire circuit layer formed on the insulating layer, and electrically connected to the x-axis sensing circuit net and the y-axis sensing circuit net.

3. A touch panel structure, comprising:

a sapphire substrate having a crystal structure and a transmittance, wherein the crystal structure is a single-crystal structure, and the transmittance is one of percentages larger than and equal to 80%; and

a sensing module comprising a first sensing layer directly disposed on the sapphire substrate, wherein

the sapphire substrate further has a crystal axis including one selected from a group consisting of c-axis (0001), a-axis (1210), a-axis (1 120), a-axis (2110), a-axis (1120), a-axis (21

     10), a-axis (1210), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0110), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0110), r-axis (1 011), r-axis (1011), r-axis (0111), r-axis (011

     1), r-axis (1101) and r-axis (1101);

the sensing module further includes an insulating layer;

the first sensing layer has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface directly contacts the sapphire substrate, and the insulating layer is formed on the second surface;

the first sensing layer includes an x-axis sensing circuit net and a y-axis sensing circuit net, wherein the x-axis sensing circuit net and the y-axis sensing circuit net interlace with each other from a top view and are not electrically connected to each other;

the first sensing layer is an ITO transparent conductive film; and

the sensing module is formed on the sapphire substrate by a photolithography process.

4. A touch panel structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the touch panel structure further comprises a conducting wire circuit layer formed on the insulating layer, and electrically connected to the x-axis sensing circuit net and the y-axis sensing circuit net;

and

the sapphire substrate serves as a cover for the touch panel structure.

5. A touch panel structure, comprising:

a sapphire substrate having a single-crystal structure; and

a sensing module including a first sensing layer directly disposed on the sapphire substrate, the sapphire substrate further has a crystal axis including one selected from a group consisting of c-axis (0001), a-axis (1210), a-axis (1 120), a-axis (2110), a-axis (1120), a-axis (21

     10), a-axis (1210), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0 110), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0110), r-axis (1 011), r-axis (1011), r-axis (0111), r-axis (011

     1), r-axis (1101) and r-axis (1101);

the sensing module further includes an insulating layer;

the first sensing layer has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface directly contacts the sapphire substrate, and the insulating layer is formed on the second surface;

the first sensing layer includes an x-axis sensing circuit net and a y-axis sensing circuit net, wherein the x-axis sensing circuit net and the y-axis sensing circuit net interlace with each other from a top view and are not electrically connected to each other;

the first sensing layer is an ITO transparent conductive film;

the sensing module is formed on the sapphire substrate by a photolithography process; and

the sapphire substrate further has a transmittance being one of percentages larger than and equal to 80%.

6. A touch panel structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the touch panel structure further comprises a conducting wire circuit layer formed on the insulating layer, and electrically connected to the x-axis sensing circuit net and the y-axis sensing circuit net;

and

the sapphire substrate serves as a cover for the touch panel structure.

7. A touch panel structure, comprising:

a touch screen; and

a sensing module having a bottom layer directly disposed on the touch screen, wherein the touch screen comprises a sapphire substrate,

the sapphire substrate has a single-crystal structure;

the sapphire substrate further has a crystal axis including one selected from a group consisting of c-axis (0001), a-axis (1210), a-axis (1 120), a-axis (2110), a-axis (1120), a-axis (21

     10), a-axis (1210), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0110), m-axis (1010), m-axis (1100), m-axis (0110), r-axis (1 011), r-axis (1011), r-axis (0111), r-axis (011

     1), r-axis (1101) and r-axis (1101);

the bottom layer includes a sensing layer and an insulating layer;

the sensing layer has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface directly contacts the sapphire substrate, and the insulating layer is formed on the second surface;

the sensing layer includes an x-axis sensing circuit net and a y-axis sensing circuit net, wherein the x-axis sensing circuit net and the y-axis sensing circuit net interlace with each other from a top view and are not electrically connected to each other;

the sensing layer is an ITO transparent conductive film;

the sensing module is formed on the sapphire substrate by a photolithography process; and

the sapphire substrate further has a transmittance being one of percentages larger than and equal to 80%.

8. A touch panel structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein the touch panel structure further comprises a conducting wire circuit layer formed on the insulating layer, and electrically connected to the x-axis sensing circuit net and the y-axis sensing circuit net.