Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 20090160795A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Fan, Shou-Shan, Jiang, Kai-Li, Liu, Liang
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An exemplary touch panel includes a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate and a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate. The second electrode plate includes a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate. Each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures. A display device incorporates the touch panel and also includes a display element adjacent to the touch panel.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate; and

a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate;

wherein at least one of the first and second conductive layers comprising a plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube string-shaped structures are parallel to each other.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube string-shaped structures are spaced apart from each other, and distances between adjacent carbon nanotube string-shaped structures are in an approximate range from 10 nanometers to 1 millimeter.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube string-shaped structure is a carbon nanotube string, and the carbon nanotube string comprises a plurality of successively carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein a diameter of the carbon nanotube strings approximately ranges from 0.5 nanometers to 100 micrometers.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube string are selected from a group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein diameters of the single-walled carbon nanotubes approximately range from 0.5 nanometers to 50 nanometers, diameters of the double-walled carbon nanotubes approximately range from 1 nanometer to 50 nanometers, and diameters of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes approximately range from 1.5 nanometers to 50 nanometers.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer comprises a first plurality of carbon nanotube strings parallel to each other and spaced therebetween, and the second conductive layer comprises a second plurality of carbon nanotube strings parallel to each other and spaced therebetween;

the first plurality is not parallel with the second plurality.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first electrode plate further comprises two first-electrodes located separately at opposite ends of the first conductive layer thereof, the second alignment direction is perpendicular to first alignment direction, and each of the two first-electrodes is oriented along the second alignment direction and electrically connected to the first conductive layer.

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second electrode plate further comprises two second-electrodes located separately at opposite ends of the second conductive layer thereof, and each of the two second-electrodes is oriented along the first alignment direction and electrically connected to the second conductive layer.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the arranged direction of the first plurality is along the second direction, and the arranged direction of the second plurality is along the first direction.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulative layer located on edges of an upper surface of the second electrode plate and insulating the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate.

13. The touch panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein one or more of dot spacers are located between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

14. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shielding layer located on a lower surface of the second substrate, and the material of the shielding layer being selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxides, antimony tin oxides, and carbon nanotube films.

15. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent protective film located on an upper surface of the first electrode plate, and the material of the transparent protective film being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitrides, silicon dioxides, benzocyclobutenes, polyester films, and polyethylene terephthalates.

17. The display device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a first controller, a central processing unit, and a second controller;

the display element is connected to the first controller, and the central processing unit is connected to the second controller.

18. The display device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the touch panel is spaced from the display element with a distance.

19. The display device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the touch panel is located on the display element.

20. The display device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a passivation layer located on a surface of the touch panel, and the material of the passivation layer being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide.

16. A display device comprising:

a touch panel comprising;

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer located on a lower surface of the first substrate;

a second electrode separated from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on an upper surface of the second substrate; and

wherein at least one of the first and second conductive layers comprising a plurality of carbon nanotube string-shaped structures; and

a display element opposite and adjacent to the touch panel.