Touch screen panel including touch sensor

• US 9,851,855 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bok, Seung-Lyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US14/886,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20160195984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1804, 349 12, 359 68
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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

Abstract

A touch screen panel including a substrate, first sensor electrodes disposed on the substrate, extending in a first direction, and electrically connected to each other, second sensor electrodes disposed on the substrate, extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and electrically connected to each other, bridge electrodes electrically connecting the first sensor electrodes in the first direction, and at least one sensor channel electrically connected to selected first and second sensor electrodes, wherein the sensor channel is electrically connected to an external driving unit through one side of the touch screen panel.

Claims

1. A touch screen panel, comprising:

a substrate;

first sensor electrodes disposed on the substrate, arranged in a first direction, and electrically connected to each other;

second sensor electrodes disposed on the substrate, arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and electrically connected to each other;

bridge electrodes electrically connecting the first sensor electrodes in the first direction;

first sensor channels electrically connected to selected ones of the first sensor electrodes; and

second sensor channels electrically connected to selected ones of the second sensor electrodes,

wherein at least one of the first sensor channels includes a portion disposed between two adjacent ones of the bridge electrodes in the first direction in a plan view.

2. The touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein:

the first direction is a row direction, and the first sensor electrodes are electrically connected to each other in the first direction in an electrode row; and

the second direction is a column direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, and the second sensor electrodes are electrically connected to each other in the second direction in an electrode column.

3. The touch screen panel of claim 2, further comprising:

an insulating layer interposed between an overlapping portion of the first sensor electrodes and the second sensor electrodes.

4. The touch screen panel of claim 3, further comprising:

first contact holes disposed in the insulating layer in which both ends of the bridge electrodes are disposed.

5. The touch screen panel of claim 4, wherein:

the first sensor channels are electrically connected to the first sensor electrodes through the first contact holes; and

the first sensor channels are disposed on the insulating layer or disposed on the first sensor electrodes and the insulating layer.

6. The touch screen panel of claim 5, wherein:

the second sensor channels are disposed on the insulating layer and electrically connected to an external driving unit through third contact holes.

7. The touch screen panel of claim 4, wherein:

the first sensor channels are disposed on the insulating layer or disposed on the first sensor electrodes and the insulating layer.

8. The touch screen panel of claim 7, wherein:

the second sensor channels are disposed on the insulating layer and electrically connected to an external driving unit through second contact holes.

9. The touch screen panel of claim 8, wherein:

the first sensor channels and the second sensor channels are substantially parallel to each other and electrically connected to the external driving unit.

10. The touch screen panel of claim 9, wherein:

the first sensor channels have a same length with each other.

11. The touch screen panel of claim 2, wherein:

the first sensor channels are directly connected to the first sensor electrodes; and

the second sensor channels are directly connected to the second sensor electrodes.

12. The touch screen panel of claim 11, further comprising:

a first insulating layer disposed below the bridge electrodes and having a length smaller than a length of the bridge electrode; and

a second insulating layer disposed below the first sensor channels and having a length smaller than a length of the first sensor channel.

13. The touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein:

all of the first sensor channels and the second sensor channels are electrically connected to an external driving unit through one side of the touch screen panel; and

the first sensor channels and the second sensor channels are substantially parallel to each other and electrically connected to the external driving unit.

14. A method for manufacturing a touch screen panel, comprising:

forming first and second sensor channels on a substrate;

forming bridge electrodes on the substrate;

forming an insulating layer on the first and second sensor channels and the bridge electrodes;

forming contact holes in the insulating layer to expose both ends of the bridge electrodes; and

forming a sensor electrode layer comprising first sensor electrodes connected to each other in a first direction and second sensor electrodes connected to each other in a second direction crossing the first direction,

wherein;

the first sensor channels are electrically connected to selected ones of the first sensor electrodes;

the second sensor channels are electrically connected to selected ones of the second sensor electrodes;

at least one of the first sensor channels includes a portion disposed between two adjacent ones of the bridge electrodes in the first direction in a plan view; and

both ends of the bridge electrodes are connected to the first sensor electrodes through the contact holes.

15. The manufacturing method of claim 14, wherein:

all of the first sensor channels and the second sensor channels are electrically connected to an external driving unit through one side of the touch screen panel; and

the first and second sensor channels are substantially parallel to each other and have the same length as each other.

16. A method for manufacturing a touch screen panel, comprising:

forming a sensor electrode layer on a substrate, the sensor electrode layer comprising first sensor electrodes electrically connected to each other in a first direction and second sensor electrodes electrically connected to each other in a second direction, the second direction being substantially orthogonal to the first direction;

forming an insulating layer on the sensor electrode layer;

forming contact holes in the insulating layer to expose the first sensor electrodes;

forming bridge electrodes on the insulating layer such that both ends of the bridge electrodes are formed in the contact holes to electrically connect to the first sensor electrodes; and

forming first and second sensor channels on the substrate,

wherein;

the first sensor channels are electrically connected to selected ones of the first sensor electrodes;

the second sensor channels are electrically connected to selected ones of the second sensor electrodes; and

at least one of the first sensor channels includes a portion disposed between two adjacent ones of the bridge electrodes in the first direction in a plan view.

17. The manufacturing method of claim 16, wherein:

all of the first sensor channels and the second sensor channels are electrically connected to an external driving unit through one side of the touch screen panel; and

the first and second sensor channels are substantially parallel to each other and have the same length as each other.