Transparent strain sensors in an electronic device

• US 9,612,170 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vosgueritchian, Michael, Smith, John Stephen, Filiz, Sinan, Pedder, James E., Xu, Tingjun, Wen, Xiaonan
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US14/823,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20170023420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 73862041-862046
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/22 using resistance strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/225 Measuring circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2287 constructional details of the strain gauges adjustable resistors H01C10/00
• 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: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

One or more strain sensors can be included in an electronic device. Each strain sensor includes a strain sensitive element and one or more strain signal lines connected directly to the strain sensitive element. The strain sensor(s) are used to detect a force that is applied to the electronic device, to a component in the electronic device, and/or to an input region or surface of the electronic device. A strain sensitive element is formed or processed to have a first gauge factor and the strain signal line(s) is formed or processed to have a different second gauge factor. Additionally or alternatively, a strain sensitive element is formed or processed to have a first conductance and the strain signal line(s) is formed or processed to have a different second conductance.

Claims

1. A transparent strain sensor positioned in a visible area of an electronic device, the transparent strain sensor comprising:

a transparent strain sensitive element comprised of a first transparent conductive material having a first gauge factor;

a transparent strain signal line connected directly to the transparent strain sensitive element and comprised of a different second transparent conductive material having a second gauge factor, wherein the first gauge factor is greater than the second gauge factor.

2. The transparent strain sensor of claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive material has a first electrical resistance and the second transparent conductive material a second electrical resistance and the first electrical resistance is greater than the second electrical resistance.

3. The transparent strain sensor of claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive material and the second transparent conductive material each comprise a transparent conducting oxide film.

4. The transparent strain sensor of claim 3, wherein the first transparent conductive material comprises one of a gallium doped zinc oxide film and an aluminum doped zinc oxide film.

5. The transparent strain sensor of claim 3, wherein the second transparent conductive material comprises an indium tin oxide film.

6. The transparent strain sensor of claim 3, wherein the first transparent conductive material comprises a multi-layer transparent conductive structure that includes an insulating layer disposed between two transparent conducting oxide films.

7. The transparent strain sensor of claim 2, wherein the second transparent conductive material in the strain signal line is processed to produce the second electrical resistance.

8. The transparent strain sensor of claim 7, wherein the second transparent conductive material is doped with one or more dopants to produce the second electrical resistance.

9. The transparent strain sensor of claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive material in the strain sensitive element is processed to produce the first gauge factor.

10. The transparent strain sensor of claim 8, wherein the first transparent conductive material in the strain sensitive element is laser annealed to produce the first gauge factor.

11. The transparent strain sensor of claim 1, wherein the visible area of the electronic device comprises a display stack of the electronic device.

12. A transparent strain sensor positioned in a visible area of an electronic device, the transparent strain sensor comprising:

a transparent strain sensitive element comprising a hybrid transparent conductive material that includes;

a first transparent conductive segment having a first gauge factor and a first electrical resistance; and

a second transparent conductive segment connected to the first conductive segment that has a second gauge factor and a second electrical resistance,

wherein the first gauge factor is greater than the second gauge factor and the first electrical resistance is greater than the second electrical resistance.

13. The transparent strain sensor of claim 12, further comprising at least one transparent strain signal line connected directly to the transparent strain sensitive element, wherein the at least one transparent signal line has a third gauge factor and a third electrical resistance, wherein the third electrical resistance is less than the first and the second electrical resistances.

14. The transparent strain sensor of claim 12, wherein the visible area of the electronic device comprises a display stack of the electronic device.

15. A method for producing a transparent strain sensor, the method comprising:

providing a transparent strain sensitive element on a substrate, wherein the transparent strain sensitive element comprises one or more first transparent conductive materials having a first gauge factor; and

providing a transparent strain signal line that is connected directly to the transparent strain sensitive element on the substrate, wherein the transparent strain signal line comprises one or more second transparent conductive materials that are different from the one or more first transparent conductive materials and have a different second gauge factor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more first transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain sensitive element has a first electrical resistance and the one or more second transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain signal line has a second electrical resistance, the first electrical resistance being greater than the second electrical resistance.

17. A method for producing a transparent strain sensor, the method comprising:

providing a transparent strain sensitive element on a substrate, wherein the transparent strain sensitive element comprises one or more transparent conductive materials;

providing a transparent strain signal line that is connected directly to the transparent strain sensitive element on the substrate; and

processing the one or more transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain sensitive element to adjust a property of the one or more transparent conductive materials to increase a gauge factor of the transparent strain sensitive element.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the transparent strain signal line is comprised of the same one or more transparent conductive materials.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising processing the one or more transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain signal line to increase a conductance of the transparent strain signal line.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein processing the one or more transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain sensitive element to increase the gauge factor of the transparent strain sensitive element comprises laser annealing the one or more transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain sensitive element to increase a crystallinity of the one or more transparent conductive materials to increase the gauge factor of the transparent strain sensitive element.

21. A method for producing a transparent strain sensor, the method comprising:

providing a transparent strain sensitive element on a substrate;

providing a transparent strain signal line that is connected directly to the transparent strain sensitive element on the substrate, wherein the transparent strain signal line comprises one or more transparent conductive materials; and

processing the one or more transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain signal line to adjust a property of the one or more transparent conductive materials to increase a conductance of the transparent strain signal line.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein processing the one or more transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain signal line to increase the conductance of the transparent strain signal line comprises doping the one or more transparent conductive materials in the transparent strain signal line with one or more dopants to reduce an electrical resistance of the one or more transparent conductive materials to increase the conductance of the transparent strain signal line.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

a display stack for a display, comprising;

a cover glass; and

a strain sensing structure positioned below the cover glass, the strain sensing structure comprising;

a substrate;

a first transparent strain sensitive element positioned on a first surface of the substrate;

a second transparent strain sensitive element positioned on a second surface of the substrate; and

one or more transparent strain signal lines connected directly to each transparent strain sensitive element, wherein the first and the second transparent strain sensitive elements have a gauge factor that is greater than a gauge factor of the transparent strain signal lines, and wherein the first and the second transparent strain sensitive elements and the transparent strain signal lines are positioned in an area that is visible when viewing the display;

sense circuitry electrically connected to the transparent strain signal lines; and

a controller operably connected to the sense circuitry and configured to determine an amount of force applied to the cover glass based on the signals received from the sense circuitry.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the first and the second transparent strain sensitive elements are each comprised of one of a gallium doped zinc oxide film and an aluminum doped zinc oxide film and the transparent strain signal lines are comprised of a indium tin oxide film.