Capacitive touch panel and a method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,489,090 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ho, Kwan-Sin, Zhang, Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Ilana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hermann, Kirk
• Application Number:
  US13/409,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/174, 178/18.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch technology and provides a capacitive touch panel which has low-visibility metal jumper. The touch panel comprises of a transparent substrate and at least one metal juniper. A mask layer, reflectance of which is lower than that of the metal jumper, is set between the metal jumper and the transparent substrate to block the light reflected by the metal jumper. The mask layer can reduce light reflection of the metal jumper so as to reduce visibility of the metal jumper.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch panel comprising:

a transparent substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a sensing circuit layer placed on the second surface of the transparent substrate for sensing touch and generating sense signals, wherein the sensing circuit layer comprises a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, wherein adjacent first electrodes are electrically connected through a first-axis wire, and wherein a metal jumper is overlapped with adjacent second electrodes to electrically connect the adjacent second electrodes while the metal jumper and the first-axis wire are electrically insulated by an insulating layer, wherein a width of the insulating layer is less than a distance between the adjacent second electrodes that overlap the metal jumper;

a mask layer, wherein reflectance of the mask layer is lower than that of the metal jumper, and wherein the mask layer is set between the metal jumper and the transparent substrate and interposed between the insulating layer and the transparent substrate to block light reflected by the metal jumper;

a black matrix laminated around the second surface of the transparent substrate; and

a protective layer configured to shield electromagnetic noise, wherein the protective layer is set between the black matrix and the transparent substrate.

2. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer is coated on the second surface of the transparent substrate and comprises a plurality of mask pieces, one of the mask pieces being positioned corresponding to the metal jumper.

3. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are insulated from each other and set in two mutually vertical directions.

4. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the insulating layer comprises a plurality of insulating sheets.

5. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 4, wherein the insulating sheets are made of melanocratic or black insulating materials.

6. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the black matrix is made of grey, brown or black non-conductive mask material.

7. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive touch panel further comprises a second protective layer, wherein the second protective layer is placed on a surface of the sensing circuit layer.

8. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer is made of grey, brown or black non-conductive mask material.

9. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the mask material comprises black photoresistive material, brown photoresistive material, grey photoresistive material, nitride, oxide or a mixture of nitride and oxide.

16. The capacitive touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer is made up of a plurality of mask pieces, and wherein an area of each mask piece is equal to 10⁻

4 mm².

10. A method for reducing visibility of a metal jumper in a capacitive touch panel comprising:

providing a transparent substrate, wherein the transparent substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

coating a transparent conductive layer on the second surface of the transparent substrate;

forming a sensing circuit layer on the second surface of the transparent substrate by patterning the transparent conductive layer, wherein the sensing circuit layer comprises a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, wherein adjacent first electrodes are electrically connected through a first-axis wire;

placing an insulating layer on the first-axis wire after patterning the transparent conductive layer, wherein a width of the insulating layer is less than a distance between adjacent second electrodes;

forming the metal jumper across the insulating layer, the metal jumper overlapping and electrically connecting the adjacent second electrodes, wherein the metal jumper and the first-axis wire are electrically insulated by the insulating layer; and

placing a mask layer, wherein reflectance of the mask layer is lower than that of the metal jumper, wherein the mask layer is set between the transparent substrate and the metal jumper and interposed between the insulating layer and the transparent substrate, wherein the mask layer is coated on the second surface of the transparent substrate, and wherein the mask layer comprises a plurality of mask pieces, and one of the mask pieces corresponding to the metal jumper.

11. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 10, wherein the insulating layer comprises a plurality of insulating sheets, and wherein the insulating sheets are set at intersections of the first-axis wires and the metal jumper.

12. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 10, wherein the mask layer is made of grey, brown or black non-conductive mask material.

13. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 12, wherein the mask material comprises black photoresistive material, brown photoresistive material, grey photoresistive material, nitride, oxide or a mixture of nitride and oxide.

14. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 11, wherein the insulating sheets are made of melanocratic or black insulating materials.

15. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 10, wherein the metal jumper is overlapped with the adjacent second electrodes, and a length of the metal jumper is equal to the distance between the adjacent second electrodes.

17. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 10, further comprising forming a black matrix laminated around the second surface of the transparent substrate, wherein the mask layer is made synchronously with the black matrix.

18. A method for reducing visibility of a metal jumper in a capacitive touch panel comprising:

providing a transparent substrate, wherein the transparent substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

coating a transparent conductive layer on the second surface of the transparent substrate;

forming a sensing circuit layer on the second surface of the transparent substrate by patterning the transparent conductive layer, wherein the sensing circuit layer comprises a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes, wherein adjacent first electrodes are electrically connected through a first-axis wire;

placing an insulating layer on the first-axis wire after patterning the transparent conductive layer, wherein a width of the insulating layer is less than a distance between adjacent second electrodes;

forming the metal jumper across the insulating layer, the metal jumper overlapping and electrically connecting the adjacent second electrodes, wherein the metal jumper and the first-axis wire are electrically insulated by the insulating layer; and

placing a mask layer, wherein reflectance of the mask layer is lower than that of the metal jumper, wherein the mask layer is set between the transparent substrate and the metal jumper and interposed between the insulating layer and the transparent substrate, wherein the metal jumper is overlapped with the adjacent second electrodes, and a length of the metal jumper is equal to the distance between the adjacent second electrodes.

19. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 18, wherein the insulating layer comprises a plurality of insulating sheets, and wherein the insulating sheets are set at intersections of the first-axis wires and the metal jumper.

20. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 18, wherein the mask layer is made of grey, brown or black non-conductive mask material.

21. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 20, wherein the mask material comprises black photoresistive material, brown photoresistive material, grey photoresistive material, nitride, oxide or a mixture of nitride and oxide.

22. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 19, wherein the insulating sheets are made of melanocratic or black insulating materials.

23. The method for reducing visibility of the metal jumper in the capacitive touch panel according to claim 18, further comprising forming a black matrix laminated around the second surface of the transparent substrate, wherein the mask layer is made synchronously with the black matrix.