Touch panel

• US 8,237,680 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2008
• 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, Chen, Ga-Lane, Cheng, Jia-Shyong, Wu, Jeah-Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowman, Mary Ellen
• Application Number:
  US12/583,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 445/24, 313/336, 257/222, 524/496
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• 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: H10K 30/821 comprising carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 Rod, strand, filament or fiber

Abstract

A touch panel includes a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate connected to the first electrode plated. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate, and a first conductive layer disposed on the first substrate. The second electrode includes a second substrate, and a second conductive layer disposed on the second substrate. The first or the second conductive layer includes at least one carbon nanotube composite layer.

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising:

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

a second electrode plate comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on the second substrate,

wherein the first or the second conductive layers comprises at least one carbon nanotube composite layer comprising a stand-alone, self-adhesive carbon nanotube film, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube segments joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

each of the plurality of carbon nanotube segments comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes parallel to each other and joined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

the plurality of carbon nanotube segments are successively oriented and integrated together by van der Waals attractive force therebetween to form the carbon nanotube film.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube composite layer further comprises a polymer material infiltrated in the carbon nanotube film.

3. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotube composite layer comprises two or more carbon nanotube films stacked with each other, an angle between longitudinal axes of the carbon nanotubes of the adjacent carbon nanotube films ranges from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees.

4. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the carbon nanotube film has a thickness in the range of about 0.5 nm to about 1 mm.

5. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the polymer material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, Benzo Cyclo Butene, polyalkenamer and combinations thereof.

6. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the first electrode plate further comprises two first electrodes arranged along a first direction, the two first electrodes are electrically connected to the first conductive layer.

7. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein the second electrode plate further comprises two second electrodes arranged along a second direction, the two second electrodes are electrically connected to the second conductive layer, and the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

8. The touch panel of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the first and second electrode plates.

9. The touch panel of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of dot spacers located between the first and second electrode plates.

10. A touch panel, comprising:

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

a second electrode plate comprising a second substrate and a second conductive layer located on a top surface of the second substrate and opposite to the first conductive layer;

both the first and second conductive layers comprise a carbon nanotube layer and a polymer material infiltrated into the carbon nanotube layer, wherein the carbon nanotube layer comprises a stand-alone, self-adhesive carbon nanotube film, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube segments joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

each of the plurality of carbon nanotube segments comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes parallel to each other and joined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

the plurality of carbon nanotube segments are successively oriented and integrated together by van der Waals attractive force therebetween to form the carbon nanotube film.

11. The touch panel of claim 10, wherein the carbon nanotube layer comprise two or more directly stacked carbon nanotube films, an angle between longitudinal axes of the carbon nanotubes of the adjacent carbon nanotube films ranges from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees.

12. A touch panel, comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate, a first conductive layer located on the first substrate, two first electrodes electrically connected to the first conductive layer, a direction from one of the two first electrodes across the first conductive layer to the other of the two first electrodes being defined as a first direction;

a second electrode plate comprising a second substrate, a second conductive layer located on the second substrate, two second electrodes electrically connected to the second conductive layer, a direction from one of the two second electrodes across the second conductive layer to the other of the two second electrodes being defined as a second direction;

an insulating layer located between the first and second electrode plates; and

a plurality of dot spacers located between the first and second electrode plates;

wherein the insulating layer and the plurality of dot spacers space the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate,

wherein the first conductive layer comprises a first carbon nanotube composite layer comprising a stand-alone, self-adhesive first carbon nanotube film;

the first carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of first carbon nanotube segments joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

each of the plurality of first carbon nanotube segments comprises a plurality of first carbon nanotubes parallel to each other and joined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

the plurality of first carbon nanotube segments are successively oriented and integrated together by van der Waals attractive force therebetween to form the first carbon nanotube film,

wherein the second conductive layer comprises a second carbon nanotube composite layer comprising a stand-alone, self-adhesive second carbon nanotube film;

the second carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of second carbon nanotube segments joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

each of the plurality of second carbon nanotube segments comprises a plurality of second carbon nanotubes parallel to each other and joined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

the plurality of second carbon nanotube segments are successively oriented and integrated together by van der Waals attractive force therebetween to form the second carbon nanotube film,

wherein the first carbon nanotubes in the first conductive layer are arranged along the first direction, and the second carbon nanotubes in the second conductive layer are arranged along the second direction.

13. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein the first carbon nanotube composite layer further comprise polymer material infiltrated into the first carbon nanotube film, and the second carbon nanotube composite layer further comprise polymer material infiltrated into the second carbon nanotube film.

14. The touch panel of claim 13, wherein the polymer material is polymethyl methacrylate.