Touch sensor and touch panel including capacitor

• US 10,073,571 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kazunori, Miyake, Hiroyuki, Iwaki, Yuji, Shishido, Hideaki, Toyotaka, Kouhei, Kusunoki, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US14/691,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 178 1801, 178 1803, 178 1806, 178 1807
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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

Abstract

To increase the detection sensitivity of a touch panel, increase the visibility of a touch panel, provide a bendable touch panel, provide a thin touch panel, or provide a lightweight touch panel. The touch sensor has a first substrate, a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and an insulating layer. The first conductive layer includes a region between the first substrate and the second conductive layer. The insulating layer includes a region between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The first conductive layer, the second conductive layer, and the insulating layer form a capacitor. The second conductive layer has an opening. The opening in the second conductive layer and the first conductive layer overlap with each other in a region.

Claims

1. A touch sensor comprising:

a first substrate;

a first conductive layer;

a second conductive layer; and

an insulating layer,

wherein the first conductive layer is between the first substrate and the second conductive layer,

wherein the insulating layer is between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer,

wherein the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer, and the insulating layer form a capacitor,

wherein the first conductive layer is on a touch surface side of the touch sensor,

wherein the second conductive layer has an opening, and

wherein the opening in the second conductive layer and the first conductive layer overlap with each other in a region.

2. The touch sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a first transistor electrically connected to the first conductive layer.

3. A touch sensor module comprising:

the touch sensor according to claim 1; and

a first flexible printed circuit,

wherein the first flexible printed circuit is configured to supply a signal to at least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

4. An electronic device comprising:

the touch sensor module according to claim 3; and

a housing,

wherein the touch sensor module is incorporated in the housing.

5. A touch panel comprising:

the touch sensor according to claim 1;

a second substrate;

a display element;

a first layer; and

a second layer,

wherein the second substrate has a region overlapping with the first substrate,

wherein the display element, the first layer, and the second layer are between the first substrate and the second substrate,

wherein the second conductive layer is between the display element and the first conductive layer,

wherein the first layer is configured to transmit light in a specific wavelength range and has a region overlapping with the display element,

wherein the second layer is configured to block visible light,

wherein the first conductive layer has a region overlapping with the first layer and a region overlapping with the second layer,

wherein the second conductive layer has a region overlapping with the second layer,

wherein a region where the opening in the second conductive layer and the display element overlap with each other is included, and

wherein the opening in the second conductive layer and the first layer overlap with each other in a region.

6. The touch panel according to claim 5,

wherein the display element is a light-emitting element.

7. The touch panel according to claim 5,

wherein the first substrate and the second substrate each have flexibility.

8. A touch panel module comprising:

the touch panel according to claim 5;

a first flexible printed circuit; and

a second flexible printed circuit,

wherein the first flexible printed circuit is configured to supply a signal to at least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and

wherein the second flexible printed circuit is configured to supply a signal to the display element.

9. An electronic device comprising:

the touch panel module according to claim 8; and

a housing,

wherein the touch panel module is incorporated in the housing.

10. A touch sensor comprising:

a capacitor comprising a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer having an opening, and an insulating layer between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer,

wherein the opening in the second conductive layer and the first conductive layer overlap with each other in a region, and

wherein the first conductive layer is on a touch surface side of the touch sensor.

11. The touch sensor according to claim 10, further comprising a first transistor electrically connected to the first conductive layer.

12. A touch sensor module comprising:

the touch sensor according to claim 10; and

a first flexible printed circuit,

wherein the first flexible printed circuit is configured to supply a signal to at least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

13. An electronic device comprising:

the touch sensor module according to claim 12; and

a housing,

wherein the touch sensor module is incorporated in the housing.

14. A touch panel comprising:

the touch sensor according to claim 10;

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a display element;

a first layer; and

a second layer,

wherein the second substrate has a region overlapping with the first substrate,

wherein the display element, the first layer, and the second layer are between the first substrate and the second substrate,

wherein the second conductive layer is between the display element and the first conductive layer,

wherein the first layer is configured to transmit light in a specific wavelength range and has a region overlapping with the display element,

wherein the second layer is configured to block visible light,

wherein the first conductive layer has a region overlapping with the first layer and a region overlapping with the second layer,

wherein the second conductive layer has a region overlapping with the second layer,

wherein a region where the opening in the second conductive layer and the display element overlap with each other is included, and

wherein the opening in the second conductive layer and the first layer overlap with each other in a region.

15. The touch panel according to claim 14,

wherein the display element is a light-emitting element.

16. The touch panel according to claim 14,

wherein the first substrate and the second substrate each have flexibility.

17. A touch panel module comprising:

the touch panel according to claim 14;

a first flexible printed circuit; and

a second flexible printed circuit,

wherein the first flexible printed circuit is configured to supply a signal to at least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and

wherein the second flexible printed circuit is configured to supply a signal to the display element.

18. An electronic device comprising:

the touch panel module according to claim 17; and

a housing,

wherein the touch panel module is incorporated in the housing.