TOUCH SCREEN PANEL AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110199320A1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-Hyun, CHO, Se-Il
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

A touch screen panel includes odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells formed of a transparent electrode on odd-numbered rows in a touch screen active area. Even-numbered row transparent sensing cells are formed of a transparent electrode on even-numbered rows in the same layer as the odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells. Odd-numbered row metal lines and even-numbered row main lines are formed of a metal in a position detecting line area positioned at a periphery of the touch screen active area, and which are respectively connected to the odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells and the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells. Bridges formed of a transparent electrode connect the even-numbered row main lines and the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells to each other with odd-numbered row main lines interposed therebetween, wherein the odd-numbered row main lines among the odd-numbered row metal lines are formed in parallel with the even-numbered row main lines.

Claims

1. A touch screen panel comprising:

odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells formed of a transparent electrode on odd-numbered rows in a touch screen active area so as to sense a touch of a user of the touch screen panel;

even-numbered row transparent sensing cells formed of a transparent electrode on even-numbered rows in the same layer as the odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells so as to sense the touch;

odd-numbered row metal lines, formed of a metal in a position detecting line area, positioned at a periphery of the touch screen active area, the odd-numbered row metal lines being connected to the plurality of the odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells;

even-numbered row main lines, formed of a metal in the position detecting line area, positioned at the periphery of the touch screen active area, the even-numbered row main lines being connected to the plurality of even-numbered row transparent sensing cells; and

bridges formed of a transparent electrode to connect the even-numbered row main lines and the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells to each other with odd-numbered row main lines interposed therebetween,

wherein the odd-numbered row main lines among the odd-numbered row metal lines are formed in parallel with the even-numbered row main lines.

2. The touch screen panel according to claim 1, wherein the odd-numbered row metal lines and the even-numbered row main lines are formed in one layer,

wherein the bridges, the odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells and the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells are formed in another layer different from the one layer in which the odd-numbered row metal lines and the even-numbered row main lines are formed, and

wherein there is an insulating layer between the one layer and the another layer.

3. The touch screen panel according to claim 2, wherein the odd-numbered row metal lines are connected to the odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells through odd-numbered row electrode portion contact holes formed in the insulating layer.

4. The touch screen panel according to claim 2, wherein the bridges are connected to the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells through even-numbered row metal electrode portions formed in the same layer as the even-numbered row main lines.

5. A manufacturing method of a touch screen panel, comprising:

forming a plurality of even-numbered row main lines and a plurality of odd-numbered row metal lines, formed of a metal, on a substrate using a first mask;

depositing an insulating layer on the substrate;

forming a plurality of contact holes exposing the odd-numbered row metal lines or even-numbered row main lines on the insulating layer using a second mask;

depositing a transparent electrode layer on the insulating layer;

forming a plurality of odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells, a plurality of even-numbered row transparent sensing cells, odd-numbered row transparent electrode portions connecting the odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells to the odd-numbered row metal lines and bridges connecting the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells to the even-numbered row main lines on the transparent electrode layer using a third mask;

depositing a protection layer on the transparent electrode layer; and

exposing interconnections connected to an external device in an external connection area using a fourth mask.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein, in the forming of the plurality of contact holes exposing the odd-numbered row metal lines or even-numbered row main lines on the insulating layer using the second mask, a plurality of odd-numbered row electrode portion contact holes exposing the odd-numbered row electrode portions among the odd-numbered row metal lines, connected to the odd-numbered row transparent sensing cells, and a plurality of even-numbered row main line contact holes exposing the plurality of even-numbered row main lines are formed in the insulating layer.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 6, wherein, in the forming of the plurality of contact holes exposing the odd-numbered row metal lines or even-numbered row main lines on the insulating layer using the second mask, even-numbered row metal electrode contact holes, formed opposite to the even-numbered row main lines with the odd-numbered row metal lines interposed therebetween so as to expose even-numbered row metal electrode portions connected to the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells, are further formed in the insulating layer.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein, in the forming of the bridges using the third mask, the even-numbered row main lines exposed in the insulating layer and the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells are connected to each other through the even-numbered row main line contact holes formed using the second mask.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein the bridges are connected to the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells through even-numbered row electrode portion contact holes exposing the even-numbered row metal electrode portions, formed opposite to the even-numbered row main lines with the odd-numbered row metal lines therebetween so as to be connected to the even-numbered row transparent sensing cells.

10. A touch screen panel comprising:

a touch screen active area, comprising;

first transparent sensing cells disposed in first rows in the touch screen active area and formed of a transparent electrode; and

second transparent sensing cells disposed in second rows in the touch screen active area so as to alternate in a column direction with the first rows of first transparent sensing cells and formed of a transparent electrode;

a position detecting line area, comprising;

first metal lines connected to the first transparent sensing cells, the first metal lines comprising;

first metal electrode portions connected to the first transparent sensing cells;

first connection lines connected to the first metal electrode portions and extending in a row direction in parallel with the first metal electrode portions; and

first main lines connected to the first connection lines and extending in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the first connection lines;

second metal lines connected to the first transparent sensing cells, the second metal lines comprising;

second metal electrode portions connected to the second transparent sensing cells;

bridges connected to the second metal electrode portions and extending in a row direction in parallel with the second metal electrode portions; and

second main lines connected to the bridges and extending in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the second connection lines; and

an external connection area having exposed interconnections connected to the first main lines and the second main lines,

wherein the bridges are formed of the same transparent electrode as the first transparent sensing cells and the second transparent sensing cells.

11. The touch screen panel of claim 10, wherein the first metal lines correspond to odd numbered rows of first transparent sensing electrodes and the second main lines correspond to even numbered rows of the second transparent sensing electrodes,

wherein the first metal lines and the second metal lines are formed in one layer,

wherein the bridges, the first transparent sensing cells and the second transparent sensing cells are formed in another layer different from the one layer having the first metal lines and the second main lines, and

wherein there is an insulating layer between the one layer and the another layer.

12. The touch screen panel of claim 11, wherein first metal lines are connected to the first transparent sensing cells through first electrode portion contact holes formed in the insulating layer.

13. The touch screen panel of claim 11, wherein the bridges are connected to the second transparent sensing cells through the second metal electrode portions formed in the same layer as the first main lines.

14. A touch screen panel including a touch screen active area having first transparent sensing cells disposed in first rows and second transparent sensing cells disposed in second rows, an external connection area and a position detecting line area, the position detecting line area comprising:

first metal lines connected to the first transparent sensing cells, the first metal lines comprising;

first metal electrode portions connected to the first transparent sensing cells;

first connection lines connected to the first metal electrode portions and extending in a row direction in parallel with the first metal electrode portions; and

first main lines connected to the first connection lines and extending in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the first connection lines; and

second metal lines connected to the first transparent sensing cells, the second metal lines comprising;

second metal electrode portions connected to the second transparent sensing cells;

bridges connected to the second metal electrode portions and extending in a row direction in parallel with the second metal electrode portions; and

second main lines connected to the bridges and extending in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the second connection lines,

wherein the first transparent sensing cells, the second transparent sensing cells and the bridges are formed of the same transparent electrode, and

wherein the first main lines are interposed between the second row main lines and the second row transparent sensing cells.

15. The touch screen panel of claim 14, wherein the first transparent sensing cells are disposed in first rows in the touch screen active area,

wherein the second transparent sensing cells are disposed in second rows in the touch screen active area so as to alternate in a column direction with the first rows of first transparent sensing cells,

wherein the first metal lines correspond to odd numbered rows of first transparent sensing electrodes and the second main lines correspond to even numbered rows of the second transparent sensing electrodes.

16. The touch screen panel of claim 14, wherein the external connection area comprises exposed interconnections connected to the first main lines and the second main lines.

17. The touch screen panel of claim 14, wherein the first metal lines and the second metal lines are formed in one layer, and

wherein the bridges, the first transparent sensing cells and the second transparent sensing cells are formed in another layer different from the one layer having the first metal lines and the second main lines.

18. The touch screen panel of claim 17, wherein there is an insulating layer between the one layer and the another layer.

19. The touch screen panel of claim 17, wherein first metal lines are connected to the first transparent sensing cells through first electrode portion contact holes formed in the insulating layer.

20. The touch screen panel of claim 17, wherein the bridges are connected to the second transparent sensing cells through the second metal electrode portions formed in the same layer as the first main lines.