Two-substrate layer touchpad capacitive sensing device

• US 20080088594A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Liu, Hua, Xiao-Ping, Weng
• Application Number:
  US11/580,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088594A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

Abstract

A touch-sensor device has a first board coupled to a second board. The first board comprises a first substrate, a first conductive trace coupled to a first sensing element formed on the first substrate along a first axis, and a dielectric material formed on the first conductive trace and the first sensing element. The second board comprises a second substrate, a second conductive trace coupled to a second sensing element formed on the second substrate along a second axis, a second dielectric material formed on the second conductive trace. The first board is electrically insulated from the second board.

Claims

1. A touch-sensor device, comprising:

a first board comprising;

a first substrate;

a first conductive trace coupled to a first sensing element formed on the first substrate along a first axis; and

a dielectric material formed on the first conductive trace and the first sensing element,

a second board comprising;

a second substrate;

a second conductive trace coupled to a second sensing element formed on the second substrate along a second axis; and

a second dielectric material formed on the second conductive trace and the second sensing element,

wherein the first board is coupled with the second board, the first board electrically insulated from the second board.

2. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace are connected to an electronic component from a first end of the first conductive trace and from a second end of the second conductive trace.

3. The touch-sensor device of claim 2, wherein the electronic component comprises a processing device.

4. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the first axis is substantially orthogonal to the second axis.

5. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric material is adjacent to the second dielectric material.

6. The touch-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric material is adjacent to the second substrate.

7. A method for manufacturing a touch-sensor device, comprising:

forming a first sensing element coupled to a first conductive trace along a first axis on a first substrate;

depositing a first dielectric material on the first conductive trace and the first sensing element to form a first board;

forming a second sensing element coupled to a second conductive trace along a second axis on a second substrate;

depositing a second dielectric material on the second conductive trace and the second sensing element to form a second board; and

coupling the first board with the second board, the first board electrically insulated from the second board.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein coupling the first board with the second board comprises:

coupling the first dielectric material with the second dielectric material.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein coupling the first board with the second board comprises:

coupling the first dielectric material with the second substrate.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace are connected to an electronic component from a first end of the first conductive trace and from a second end of the second conductive trace.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic component comprises a processing device.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first axis is substantially orthogonal to the second axis.

13. A touch-sensor device, comprising:

means for sensing a user input along a first axis; and

means for sensing the user input along a second axis coupled to the means for sensing the user input along the first axis,

wherein the means for sensing the user input along the first axis are electrically insulated from the means for sensing the user input along the second axis.

14. The touch-sensor device of claim 13, wherein the means for sensing the user input along the first axis are connected to an electronic component from an end of the means for sensing the user input along the first axis, and wherein the means for sensing the user input along the second axis are connected to the electronic component from an end of the means for sensing the user input along the first axis.

15. The touch-sensor device of claim 14, wherein the electronic component comprises a processing device.

16. The touch-sensor device of claim 13, wherein the first axis is substantially orthogonal to the second axis.

17. The touch-sensor device of claim 13, wherein the first dielectric material is adjacent to the second dielectric material.

18. The touch-sensor device of claim 13, wherein the first dielectric material is adjacent to the second substrate.

19. A method for operating a touch-sensor device, comprising:

sensing a user input along a first axis with a first board; and

sensing the user input along a second axis with a second board,

wherein the first board is coupled with the second board, the first board electrically insulated from the second board.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first board comprises:

a first substrate;

a first conductive trace coupled to a first sensing element formed on the first substrate along the first axis; and

a dielectric material formed on the first conductive trace and the first sensing element, and

wherein the second board comprises;

a second substrate;

a second conductive trace coupled to a second sensing element formed on the second substrate along the second axis; and

a second dielectric material formed on the second conductive trace and the second sensing element.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first dielectric material of the first board is coupled with the second dielectric material of the second board.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first dielectric material of the first board is coupled with the second substrate of the second board.