Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 8,115,742 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Jiang, Kai-Li, Liu, Liang, Fan, Shou-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDI, NABIL Z
• Application Number:
  US12/286,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/156, 428/1.4, 428/229.1, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A 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. At least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes at least two stacked carbon nanotube layers. Each carbon nanotube layer comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a single direction. The carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are substantially aligned along the same direction. A display device adopting the touch panel includes the touch panel and a display element.

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 conductive layer and the second conductive layer comprises at least two stacked carbon nanotube layers, each carbon nanotube layer comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes, a majority of carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer are substantially aligned in a single direction, and a majority of carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are substantially aligned along the same direction.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube layer comprises a carbon nanotube film or a plurality of carbon nanotube films that are coplanar.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween, and each of the plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments comprises the plurality of carbon nanotubes that are combined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein a thickness of the carbon nanotube film approximately ranges from 0.5 nanometers to 100 micrometers.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer are selected from the group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

6. 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.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrode plate further comprises two first-electrodes located separately at opposite ends of the first conductive layer, a second alignment direction is substantially perpendicular to a 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.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the first conductive layer are oriented along the first alignment direction.

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

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the second conductive layer are oriented along the second alignment direction.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulative layer located between the first and second electrode plates, wherein the insulative layer insulates the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 11, wherein one or more of dot spacers are separately located between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

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

14. 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 a material of the transparent protective film being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, benzocyclobutenes, polyester film, and polyethylene terephthalate.

15. 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 conductive layer and the second conductive layer comprises at least two stacked carbon nanotube layers, each carbon nanotube layer consists of a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a single direction, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are substantially aligned along the same direction; and

a display element adjacent to the touch panel.

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

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

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

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

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

20. 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 conductive layer and the second conductive layer comprises at least two stacked carbon nanotube layers, each carbon nanotube layer consists of at least one carbon nanotube film, the at least one carbon nanotube film consists of a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force, and each of the plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments consists of a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a single direction, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are substantially aligned along the same direction.