JP2014207004A - Seamless capacitive touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a seamless capacitive touch panel.SOLUTION: The seamless capacitive touch panel comprises a substrate, a pattern layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The pattern layer is formed on the substrate. The first electrode is formed on the pattern layer. The second electrode is formed on the substrate. The first electrode and the second electrode are separated by the pattern layer to prevent conduction between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Description

  The present invention relates to a capacitive touch panel, and more particularly to a seamless capacitive touch panel.

  In recent years, mobile phones with touch panels have become more popular in the market. Therefore, more developers are developing various types of touch panels. Among these touch panels, capacitive touch panels have better resistance and feel, and have become next-generation touch panels instead of resistive touch panels. However, the capacitive touch panel is more expensive. That is the main reason why capacitive touch panels are not more widely introduced in consumer products.

  Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram showing electrodes of a prior art hypothetical capacitive touch device. The hypothetical capacitive touch device senses the touched position with two layers of electrodes. The estimated capacitive touch device includes a substrate (not shown) such as a glass substrate. A cover layer (not shown) is disposed on the glass substrate. A Y-axis electrode layer 12 is disposed on the upper surface of the glass substrate. The Y-axis electrode layer 12 includes a plurality of Y-axis electrodes y1, y2, y3, and y4 that are separated from each other by a fixed distance. The X-axis electrode layer 11 is disposed on the lower surface of the glass substrate. The X-axis electrode layer 11 includes a plurality of X-axis electrodes x1, x2, x3, and x4 that are separated from each other by a fixed distance. The Y-axis electrodes y1, y2, y3, and y4 are perpendicular to the X-axis electrodes x1, x2, x3, and x4. When the finger is in contact with or near the cover layer, the capacitance value between the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode at the contacted position changes. After sensing the change of the capacitance value by the sensing circuit, the X-axis coordinate and the Y-axis coordinate of the contact position can be determined. In the capacitive touch device described above, the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode are disposed on the lower surface and the upper surface of the glass substrate, respectively, or the glass substrate having an insulating layer so as to separate the X-axis electrode from the Y-axis electrode. It needs to be placed on the same surface.

  See FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional capacitive touch panel. The capacitive touch panel has a transparent substrate 21 and a transparent cover plate 25. The lower transparent conductive layer 22, the insulating layer 23, and the upper transparent conductive layer 24 are continuously formed on the transparent substrate 21. The transparent cover plate is bonded to the transparent substrate 21 with an optical transparent adhesive so as to form a capacitive touch panel. As shown in FIG. 1, the capacitive touch panel has an X-axis electrode and a Y-axis electrode. The X-axis electrode is formed by the transparent conductive layer 22 below, and the Y-axis electrode is formed by the transparent conductive layer 24 above. However, the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode are formed of different transparent conductive layers. When the X-axis electrode and Y-axis electrode are not properly aligned, a thin line is seen at the seam between the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode, which affects the image quality of the touch screen.

  The present invention provides a capacitive touch panel having a substrate, a pattern layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The pattern layer is formed on the substrate. The first electrode is formed on the pattern layer. The second electrode is formed on the substrate. The first electrode and the second electrode are separated by a pattern layer in order to prevent conduction between the first electrode and the second electrode.

  The present invention further provides a capacitive touch panel having a substrate, a first pattern layer, a plurality of first electrodes, a second pattern layer, and a plurality of second electrodes. The first pattern layer is formed on the first surface of the substrate. The plurality of first electrodes are formed on the first surface of the substrate and the first pattern layer, and the first electrode formed on the first surface of the substrate and the first electrode formed on the first pattern layer are Are separated by the first pattern layer. The second pattern layer is formed on the second surface of the substrate. The plurality of second electrodes are formed on the second surface of the substrate and the second pattern layer, and the second electrode formed on the second surface of the substrate and the second electrode formed on the second pattern layer are Are separated by the second pattern layer.

  These and other objects of the present invention should become apparent after a person skilled in the art has read the detailed description of the preferred embodiments described in the various figures below.

It is the schematic which shows the electrode of the capacitive touch panel by which the prior art was estimated. It is sectional drawing of the capacitive touch panel of a prior art. 1 is a schematic view showing a first embodiment of a capacitive touch panel of the present invention. 1 is a schematic view showing a first embodiment of a capacitive touch panel of the present invention. 1 is a schematic view showing a first embodiment of a capacitive touch panel of the present invention. 1 is a schematic view showing a first embodiment of a capacitive touch panel of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the capacitive touch panel of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the capacitive touch panel of the present invention.

  Please refer to FIG. 3 to FIG. 3 to 6 show a first embodiment of the capacitive touch panel of the present invention. The capacitive touch panel of the present invention has an X-axis electrode and a Y-axis electrode. One arrangement of these X and Y axis electrodes can be seen in FIG. The capacitive touch panel of the present invention uses a pattern layer for separating the electrodes in order to remove the seam between the electrodes, thereby further improving the image quality of the touch screen.

  As shown in FIG. 3, first, a layer of photoresist is applied to the substrate 31 (such as by spin coating). The substrate 31 may be any plastic type substrate, or a rigid substrate such as a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, or a quartz substrate. Furthermore, the capacitive touch panel of the present invention may be integrated with the display panel so as to be a touch display panel. For example, the capacitive touch panel can be formed on the substrate 31. After completing the capacitive touch panel, the capacitive touch panel can be attached to the display panel. In addition, the capacitive touch panel and the display panel may share the same substrate, that is, the substrate 31 may be a substrate of the display panel, such as a color filter substrate of the display panel. After forming the capacitive touch panel on the color filter substrate, the color filter glass substrate can be assembled with other components to form the touch display panel. After applying a layer of photoresist to the substrate 31, a first mask is used to perform a photolithography process on the photoresist layer to form a pattern layer 32 on the X-axis electrode. The process for forming the pattern layer 32 includes the step of first forming a photoresist layer on the substrate 31, and an exposure process using a mask (such as a gray scale mask, a halftone mask, or a phase shift mask). And performing a development process on the photoresist layer to form a pattern layer 32 for the X-axis electrode. One step is formed between the pattern layer 32 for that X-axis electrode and the development process. In a preferred embodiment, after the development process, indentations are formed at the edges of the pattern layer 32 to make an edge angle less than 90 degrees.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the transparent conductive layer is applied to the substrate 31 by surface coating, sputter coating, vapor deposition, screen printing or pad printing. Its transparent conductive layers are indium tin oxide (ITO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), aluminum zinc oxide (AZO), gallium zinc oxide (GZO), mica-like iron oxide (MIO), Alternatively, it can be made of any kind of transparent conductive material such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, antimony oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, aluminum oxide, or metal oxide selected from silicon oxide. The transparent conductive layer can be formed by any thin film technique such as physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition. Due to the notches and steps between the pattern layer 32 and the substrate 31, the conductive layer formed on the pattern layer 32 and the conductive layer formed on the substrate 31 are separated by the pattern layer 32. The transparent conductive layer formed on the pattern layer 32 further forms an X-axis electrode 41. The transparent conductive layer formed on the substrate 31 needs to have a connection cut thereof in the X-axis direction in order to further form the Y-axis electrode 42. Therefore, the second mask is used to perform photolithography and each etching process to form the Y-axis electrode 42. The X-axis electrode 41 and the Y-axis electrode 42 are separated by the pattern layer 32 by the notches of the pattern layer 32.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the insulating layer 51 is formed on the X-axis electrode 41 and the Y-axis electrode. The X-axis electrode 41 and the Y-axis electrode 42 are separated by the pattern layer 32 in order to prevent conduction between the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode 42. A part of the Y-axis electrode 42 is separated from other parts of the Y-axis electrode 42 by the pattern layer 32. A third mask is used to perform photolithography and each etching process to form a through hole 52 in the insulating layer 51 to electrically connect the two portions of the Y-axis electrode 42.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a conductive layer 61 is formed on the insulating layer 51 in order to electrically connect the two portions of the Y-axis electrode. Thereafter, a protective layer 62 is formed thereon. The conductive layer 61 may be a metal conductive layer. Since the conductive area between the two portions of the Y-axis electrode 42 is small, the non-transparent metal conductive layer does not affect the transmission of the touch panel, and the metal conductive layer provides better conduction. A fourth mask is used to perform photolithography and each etching process to form the conductive layer 61 to electrically connect the two portions of the Y-axis electrode 42.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the first embodiment of the capacitive touch panel of the present invention. The capacitive touch panel includes a substrate 31, a pattern layer 32, an X-axis electrode 41, a Y-axis electrode 42, an insulating layer 51, a conductive layer 61, and a protective layer 62. The X-axis electrode 41 of the present invention is formed on the pattern layer 32. The X-axis electrode 41 and the Y-axis electrode 42 are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis electrode 41 and the Y-axis electrode 42 are separated by the pattern layer 32 in order to prevent conduction between the X-axis electrode 41 and the Y-axis electrode 42. According to the above arrangement, there is no seam between the X-axis electrode 41 and the Y-axis electrode 42.

  Please refer to FIG. 7, which is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the capacitive touch panel of the present invention. The capacitive touch panel 70 includes a substrate 71, a conductive layer 72, a pattern layer 73, an X-axis electrode 74, a Y-axis electrode 75, and a protective layer 76. In the second embodiment, the conductive layer 72 is formed on the substrate 71 in order to electrically connect the two portions of the Y-axis electrode 75. The conductive layer 72 is formed directly below the pattern layer 73 so that the insulating layer 51 and the through hole 52 in FIG. 6 are unnecessary. Similarly, the X-axis electrode 74 is formed on the pattern layer 72, and the X-axis electrode 74 and the Y-axis electrode 75 are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis electrode 74 and the Y-axis electrode 75 are formed at the end of the pattern layer 72 and the angle 77 of the end is less than 90 degrees. In order to prevent conduction between the shaft electrode 75, the pattern layer 72 separates the conductive film. According to the above arrangement, there is no seam between the X-axis electrode 74 and the Y-axis electrode 75.

  Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the capacitive touch panel of the present invention. The capacitive touch panel 80 includes a substrate 81, an X-axis pattern layer 82, a plurality of X-axis electrodes 83, a Y-axis pattern layer 84, a plurality of Y-axis electrodes 85, and a protective layer 86. In the third embodiment, the X-axis electrode 83 and the Y-axis electrode 85 are formed on different surfaces of the substrate 81, respectively. The X-axis electrode 83 and the Y-axis electrode 85 are perpendicular to each other. Since there is a notch formed at the end of the pattern layer 82 with the angle 87 of the end being less than 90 degrees, the X-axis electrode 83 formed on the pattern layer 82 is applied to the substrate 81 by the pattern layer 82. Separated from the X-axis electrode 83 formed. Accordingly, there is no seam between the X-axis electrodes 83. Similarly, the Y-axis electrode 85 formed on the pattern layer 84 is separated from the Y-axis electrode 85 formed on the substrate 81 by the pattern layer 84. Therefore, there is no seam between the Y-axis electrodes 85. Further, the amount of X-axis electrode 83 and Y-axis electrode 85 in FIG. 8 is twice the amount of X-axis electrode 74 and Y-axis electrode 75 in FIG. 7 so that capacitive touch panel 80 has a higher resolution. .

  In summary, the capacitive touch panel of the present invention uses a pattern layer to separate the electrodes so that there are no seams between the electrodes, and further improves the image quality of the touch screen. The X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode can be installed on the same side or different sides of the substrate. When the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode are installed on the same side of the substrate, the X-axis electrode is connected to the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode to prevent conduction between the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode. It is formed in the pattern layer so as to be separated by the pattern layer. There is no seam between the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode. When the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode are installed on different sides of the substrate, the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode are separated from each other by the X-axis pattern layer and the Y-axis pattern layer, respectively. Therefore, there is no seam between the X-axis electrode and the Y-axis electrode. Also, the amount of the X-axis electrode and Y-axis electrode is doubled to provide higher resolution.

  Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous improvements and variations of devices and methods may be made while maintaining the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims (1)

Capacitive touch panel:
substrate;
A patterned layer formed directly on the substrate;
A first electrode formed on the pattern layer ;
A second electrode formed directly on the substrate;
An insulating layer formed on the first electrode and the second electrode; and
A step is formed between the pattern layer and the substrate, and the second electrode and the first electrode are separated by the pattern layer to prevent conduction between the first electrode and the second electrode. ,
Capacitive touch panel.

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