Method for making touch panel

• US 20090160799A1
• 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 8,574,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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 method for making a touch panel includes the steps of: providing a flexible substrate; fabricating a carbon nanotube film; laying the carbon nanotube film to form a carbon nanotube layer stacked on the flexible substrate; heat-pressing the carbon nanotube layer of the flexible substrate; and separately forming at least two electrodes on a surface of the carbon nanotube layer, thereby forming the touch panel.

Claims

1. A method for making a touch panel, the method comprising:

providing a flexible substrate;

fabricating at least one carbon nanotube film;

placing a carbon nanotube layer, comprising of the at least one carbon nanotube film, on the flexible substrate;

heat-pressing the carbon nanotube layer; and

forming at least two electrodes that are in contact with the carbon nanotube layer.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein fabricating at least one carbon nanotube film comprises:

providing an array of carbon nanotubes; and

pulling out a carbon nanotube film from the array of carbon nanotubes by using a tool.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein placing the carbon nanotube layer on the flexible substrate, comprises one of the process of laying at least one carbon nanotube film, contactingly laying at least two carbon nanotube films, and stacking at least two carbon nanotube films on each other.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein placing a carbon nanotube layer on the flexible substrate, comprises:

laying a carbon nanotube film, contactingly laying at least two carbon nanotube films, or stacking at least two carbon nanotube films on each other on a supporter;

removing the supporter to form a freestanding carbon nanotube film structure; and

applying the freestanding carbon nanotube film structure on a surface of the flexible substrate.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the carbon nanotube layer is formed by at least two stacked carbon nanotube films on each other;

and wherein the carbon nanotube films comprise of carbon nanotubes with a primary orientation and adjacent two carbon nanotube films are disposed with an angle a between their primary orientations.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the angle a is greater than 0°

and up to 90°

.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein before placing carbon nanotube layer on the flexible substrate, the method further comprises cleaning the flexible substrate and coating a low melting point material on the flexible substrate is executed.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising cleaning the flexible substrate using an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent is comprised of at least one of ethanol and acetone.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the low melting point material is coated on the flexible substrate by one of sputtering and spraying.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the melting point of the low melting point material is lower than that of the flexible substrate and the carbon nanotube layer.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising using an organic solvent to treat one of the at least one carbon nanotube film and the carbon nanotube layer.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of heat-pressing the carbon nanotube layer comprises:

disposing the flexible substrate with the carbon nanotube layer in a hot-pressed device;

heating a pressing device of the hot-pressed device; and

applying heat and pressure to the flexible substrate.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hot-pressed device is a hot-pressed machine, and the pressing device is two rollers.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising applying a transparent protective film on a surface of the flexible substrate.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transparent protective film is adhered to the surface of the carbon nanotube layer by an adhesive, and the adhesive is a silver-based slurry.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the material of the transparent protective film is selected from silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, benzocyclobutenes, polyester film, and polyethylene terephthalate.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising disposing a shielding layer on the substrate.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the material of the shielding layer is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, antimony tin oxide, and carbon nanotube film.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the shielding layer is adhered to the surface of the carbon nanotube layer by an adhesive, and the adhesive is a silver-based slurry.