Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 8,237,674 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• 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): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowman, Mary Ellen
• Application Number:
  US12/286,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 524/496, 257/222, 349/12, 313/336, 428/339
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component

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 aligned in a single direction, and the carbon nanotubes in the two adjacent carbon nanotube layers arranged along different directions. 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 plat; 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 of the at least two directly stacked carbon nanotube layers comprises a plurality of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes aligned in a single direction, and the unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are aligned in different directions, each of the at least two directly stacked carbon nanotube layers comprises at least one carbon nanotube film, and the at least one carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein an angle between the aligned directions of the carbon nanotubes in the two adjacent carbon nanotube layers approximately ranges from above 0°

to less than or equal to 90°

.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least two directly stacked carbon nanotube layers comprises a plurality of coplanar carbon nanotube films.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments comprises a plurality of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes that are parallel to each other, and combined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the at least one carbon nanotube film approximately ranges from 0.5 nanometers to 100 micrometers.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes in the at least two carbon nanotube layers is selected from the group consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein diameters of the single-walled carbon nanotubes approximately ranges from 0.5 nanometers to 50 nanometers, diameters of the double-walled carbon nanotubes approximately ranges from 1 nanometer to 50 nanometers, and diameters of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes approximately ranges from 1.5 nanometers to 50 nanometers.

8. 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 thereof, a second direction is perpendicular to a first direction, and each of the two first-electrodes is oriented along the second direction and electrically connected to the first conductive layer.

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 thereof, and each of the two second-electrodes is oriented along the first direction and electrically connected to the second conductive layer.

10. 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.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein one or more dot spacers are separately located between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

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

13. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent protective film located on an upper surface of the first electrode plate, wherein a material of the transparent protective film is selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, benzocyclobutenes, polyester film and polyethylene terephthalate.

14. 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 comprises at least two directly stacked carbon nanotube layers, each of the at least two directly stacked carbon nanotube layers comprises at least one carbon nanotube film, and the at least one carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of successively oriented unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween and the unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are aligned along different directions and

a display element adjacent to the touch panel.

15. The display device as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the at least two directly stacked carbon nanotube layers comprises a plurality of coplanar carbon nanotube films.

16. The display device as claimed in claim 14, wherein an angle between the aligned directions of the unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes in the two adjacent carbon nanotube layers approximately ranges from greater than 0°

and up to and including 90°

.

17. 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 directly stacked carbon nanotube layers, each of the at least two directly stacked carbon nanotube layers consists of a plurality of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes aligned in a single direction and joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween, and the unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes in two adjacent carbon nanotube layers are aligned in different directions.