Touch panel and display device using the same

• US 8,248,380 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• 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): Patel, Nimeshkumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowman, Mary Ellen
• Application Number:
  US12/286,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 257/222, 313/336
• 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. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate, and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate. The second electrode plate includes a second substrate, a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate, two first-electrodes, and two second-electrodes. The two first-electrodes and the two second-electrodes are electrically connected to the second conductive layer. At least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes a carbon nanotube layer. Each carbon nanotube layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes. Further, the present invention also relates to a display device. The display device includes a displaying unit and a touch panel.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate;

a second electrode plate spaced from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate, a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate, two first-electrodes, and two second-electrodes, the two first-electrodes and the two second-electrodes being electrically connected to the second conductive layer; and

wherein a direction from one of the two first-electrodes across the second conductive layer to the other of the two first-electrodes is defined as a first direction, a direction from one of the two second-electrodes across the second conductive layer to the other of the two second-electrodes is defined as a second direction different from the first direction, the second conductive layer comprises a first carbon nanotube film and a second carbon nanotube film directly stacked with each other, the first carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of first carbon nanotubes, the second carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of second carbon nanotubes, the plurality of first carbon nanotubes are arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of second carbon nanotubes are arranged along the second direction.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second conductive layer comprises one or more carbon nanotube films.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein each carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes disposed therein, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are arranged in a disordered or isotropic configuration, the plurality of carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube film are entangled with each other.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein each carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes oriented along a same direction.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises of a plurality of carbon nanotube segments joined end to end by the van der Waals attractive force therebetween;

the carbon nanotube segments are substantially oriented along a same direction; and

the carbon nanotube segments comprise of a plurality carbon nanotubes substantially oriented along the same direction.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein an angle exist between the direction of the carbon nanotubes of two adjacent carbon nanotube films;

the angle is greater than 0° and

up to 90°

, the two adjacent carbon nanotube films are directly stacked with each other.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein a thickness of each carbon nanotube film is in the approximate range from 0.5 nanometers to 100 microns.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the first substrate is selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate acrylic, polyethylene terephthalate, polyether polysulfones, polyvinyl polychloride, benzocyclobutenes, polyesters, and acrylic resins, and the material of the second substrate is selected from the group consisting of glasses, diamonds, quartzes, and plastics.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

10. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulative layer between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate to insulate the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate.

11. The touch panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein a plurality of dot spacers is disposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shielding layer disposed on a lower surface of the second substrate, and the material of the shielding layer being selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, antimony tin oxide, nickel-gold film, conductive resin films, carbon nanotube films, and any combination thereof.

13. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent protective film disposed on an upper surface of the first electrode plate, and the material of the transparent protective film being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, benzocyclobutenes, polyesters, acrylic resins, polyethylene terephthalate, and any combination thereof.

17. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of first carbon nanotubes are parallel to a surface of the first carbon nanotube film, the plurality of second carbon nanotubes are parallel to a surface of the second carbon nanotube film, the plurality of first carbon nanotubes are successive and joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween, the plurality of second carbon nanotubes are successive and joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

18. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer further comprises a third carbon nanotube film and a fourth carbon nanotube film stacked with each other, the third carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of third carbon nanotubes, the fourth carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of fourth carbon nanotubes, the plurality of third carbon nanotubes are arranged along the first direction, and the plurality of fourth carbon nanotubes are arranged along the second direction.

19. The touch panel as claimed in claim 18, wherein the plurality of third carbon nanotubes are parallel to a surface of the third carbon nanotube film, the plurality of fourth carbon nanotubes are parallel to a surface of the fourth carbon nanotube film, the plurality of third carbon nanotubes are successive and joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween, the plurality of fourth carbon nanotubes are successive and joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

14. A display device comprising:

a touch panel comprising;

a first electrode plate comprising;

a first substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate,

a second electrode plate separated from the first electrode plate and comprising;

a second substrate,

a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate,

two first-electrodes, and

two second-electrodes, the two first-electrodes and the two second-electrodes being electrically connected to the second conductive layer, and at least one of the first and the second conductive layers comprising a carbon nanotube layer, each carbon nanotube layer comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged substantially along a same direction; and

a display element located adjacent to the second electrode plate.

15. The display device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a first controller configured for controlling the touch panel, a central processing unit, and a second controller configured for controlling the display element, the first controller, the central processing unit and the second controller being electrically connected with each other, the display element being connected to the second controller, and the touch panel being connected to the first controller.

16. The display device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are parallel to a surface of the at least one of the first and the second conductive layers, the plurality of carbon nanotubes are successive and joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

20. A touch panel comprising:

a first electrode plate comprising a first substrate and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate;

a second electrode plate spaced from the first electrode plate and comprising a second substrate, a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate, two first-electrodes, and two second-electrodes, the two first-electrodes and the two second-electrodes being electrically connected to the second conductive layer; and

wherein at least one of the first and the second conductive layers comprises a carbon nanotube layer, and the carbon nanotube layer consists of a plurality of unfunctionalized carbon nanotubes.