KR100980078B1 - Touch Panel Having Closed Loop Electrode for Equipotential Bulid-Up and Manufacturing Method Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a touch panel used in a 5-wire touch screen or a capacitive touch screen and a method of manufacturing the same. In particular, the distortion of the equipotential linearity in the vicinity of an equipotential forming electrode included in the touch panel. By eliminating the dead zone of the touch screen and maximizing the active area, the equipotential forming electrodes are formed in a closed loop of a simple pattern, which can be applied to touch screens of small systems such as mobile phones. The present invention relates to a touch panel and a method of manufacturing the same, which reduce process defects, contribute to productivity, and improve electrical requirements such as terminal resistance. The equipotential forming electrode is patterned with a material having a much higher conductivity than the transparent conductive film, and constitutes a closed line in the form of a straight line, a square zigzag, a triangular tooth, and a wave, and the terminal resistance between the signal connection terminals is several ohms or more. The thickness, width, and electrical conductivity can be adjusted, and auxiliary electrodes and the like can be included to make the properties of the potential formed by the electrodes composed of this closure into a more desirable form.

Touch screen, touch panel, transparent conductive film, closed circuit, equipotential forming electrode,

Description

Touch Panel Having Closed Electrode for Equipotential Formation and Manufacturing Method Thereof {Touch Panel Having Closed Loop Electrode for Equipotential Bulid-Up and Manufacturing Method Thereof}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a touch panel used in a touch screen for inputting information of an electronic display device and a method of manufacturing the same. In particular, the present invention relates to an equipotential linearity near an equipotential forming electrode included in a touch panel. It can be applied to touch screens of small systems such as mobile phones by forming equipotential forming electrodes in a closed loop with a simple pattern to reduce the dead zone of the screen and maximize the active area without distortion. The present invention relates to a touch panel capable of reducing defects on the process, contributing to productivity improvement, and improving electrical requirements such as terminal resistance.

As the touch screen, a resistive film type, a capacitive type, an ultrasonic type, or an infrared type are used. Dual resistive 4-wire touch screens and capacitive touch screens are widely used, and 4-wires are widely used in small to medium-sized and larger sizes of 20 inches or more, and capacitive type is the size and effective area of the formed electrode group. As a result, it is widely applied to medium and large sizes of 10 inches to 20 inches. In addition, the 5-wire touch screen of the resistive film type can improve the reliability significantly compared to the 4-wire touch screen, but the pattern of the electrode forming the equipotential is similar to that of the electrode groups of the capacitive touch screen. It is mainly applied to medium and large size.

1 is a view for explaining the structure of a capacitive touch panel 10 according to the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 1, the capacitive touch panel 10 according to the related art is a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) material such as ITO, ZnO, SnO 2, and the like, above and below a transparent substrate 11 such as glass. The films 12 and 13 are formed, and the equipotential forming electrode 14 is formed on the upper transparent conductive film 12. On the equipotential forming electrode 14, a protective film 15 in contact with a human finger is formed. When a finger touches the passivation layer 15 in the touch panel 10 having such layers, a capacitive coupling is formed between the finger and the passivation layer 15. By reading the change in the signal applied to the film 12 through the transparent conductive film 12 or the like, it is possible to interpret the x, y coordinates of the position where the finger is in contact. Here, the equipotential forming electrode 14 allows the equipotential to be uniformly distributed on the upper transparent conductive film 12, and thus the position where the finger touches can be accurately interpreted.

2 is a view for explaining the structure of the 5-wire touch panel 20 of the resistive film method according to the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 2, in the 5-wire touch panel 20 according to the related art, a transparent conductive film 22 is formed on a lower transparent substrate 21 such as glass, and an equipotential forming electrode 23 is formed thereon. . The lower transparent substrate 21 is in close contact with the upper transparent substrate 26 while maintaining a predetermined distance by the intermediate spacer 24. The upper transparent substrate 26 may be in the form of glass or transparent film. A transparent conductive film 25 is formed below the upper transparent substrate 26. In the touch panel 20 having such layers, when a finger or a pen touches the upper transparent substrate 26, the transparent conductive film 25 and the lower transparent substrate 21 below the upper transparent substrate 26 at the contact position. ) The transparent conductive film 22 may be in contact with each other. At this time, by reading the change in the signal applied to the transparent conductive film 22 on the lower transparent substrate 21 through the transparent conductive film 25, it is possible to interpret the x, y coordinate of the position where the finger is in contact. . Here, the equipotential forming electrode 23 allows the equipotential to be uniformly distributed on the transparent conductive film 22 on the lower transparent substrate 21, thereby allowing the finger contacted position to be accurately interpreted.

3 is an example showing the pattern of the equipotential forming electrode according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 3, an equipotential forming electrode generally includes a horizontal pattern 31 and a vertical pattern 32 along edges on a transparent conductive film in a TCO substrate, and includes signal connection terminals A, B, C, Through D) the necessary signal is applied. The horizontal pattern 31 is symmetrically formed at the edges of the top and bottom sides of the TCO substrate, and the vertical pattern 32 is symmetrically formed at the edges of the left and right sides of the TCO substrate. The horizontal pattern 31 and the vertical pattern 32 may be patterned with metal (eg, fired silver paste) electrode groups having the same shape as each other to form an equipotential, or may be patterned with metal electrode groups having different shapes. May be

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between an equipotential formed in the example of FIG. 3 and an active region.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the equipotential forming electrode is patterned as shown in FIG. 3, it can be seen that the formed equipotential has a lot of distortion near the metal electrode of the edge, and as a result, the active region and the display where the linearity is guaranteed. The distance between the viewing areas exposed is needed. That is, since the active region starts from a distance away from the equipotential forming electrode, a dead zone is created, which causes a ratio of the margin for the active display area to the total viewing area in a small system such as a mobile phone. There is a problem that it is difficult to apply to a small system is large.

In addition, in the case of patterning the broken metal electrode groups as multiple layers as the equipotential forming electrode as shown in FIG. 3, not only the entire viewing area but also the active display area in the TCO substrate is reduced, so that the mobile phone which requires the smallest possible size is required. There is a problem that it is difficult to apply to the same small system.

In addition, in order to distribute the equipotential which ensures linearity to the edge of the electrode for forming the equipotential, the electrode groups for forming the equipotential must be precisely printed in a symmetrical structure as shown in FIG. 3, and an inexpensive process for patterning a metal electrode. In the printing process, there is a problem in that precise printing that can reduce the defective rate is not easy.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is a transparent conductive substrate, for example, a substrate coated with a TCO thin film such as ITO, AZO, ATO or Al, Ni, Cr, SUS, Ti, etc. In forming an equipotential forming electrode on a half-mirror coated film or a substrate coated with a conductive transparent film, an equipotential linearity is formed even near the equipotential forming electrode by forming a closed loop continuously. The present invention provides a touch panel and a method of manufacturing the same, which can reduce dead zone and maximize active area by eliminating distortion.

Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel and a method for manufacturing the same, which can reduce the defects in the patterning process and contribute to the productivity by patterning the pattern of the equipotential forming electrode in a simple shape as possible.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to form a variety of equipotential forming electrodes in consideration of the shape, electrical conductivity (terminal resistance), size (line width), etc. on the transparent conductive substrate to be applied to the touch screen of small systems such as mobile phones. The present invention provides a variety of touch panels and methods for manufacturing the same.

Further, another object of the present invention, when applying the above-described closed electrode in a small system, in the case of forming the wiring by reducing the electrical conductivity of the closed electrode wiring in order to increase the resistance between the signal connection terminal to reduce the power consumption In order to improve this phenomenon, the material, line width, thickness, or number of patterns per unit length, the insertion of an auxiliary electrode or a signal connection are connected to the closed electrode wire to improve the phenomenon. The present invention provides a touch panel and a method of manufacturing the same having improved isopotential by using a method such as separation from a terminal.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a touch panel for a touch screen includes a transparent conductive film and an equipotential forming electrode on a transparent substrate, and the equipotential forming electrode is formed before or before the transparent conductive film is coated. After the conductive film is coated is characterized in that it comprises a closed electrode formed to overlap with the transparent conductive film along the edge of the region to form the equipotential of the transparent substrate.

The material of the closing electrode is higher in electrical conductivity than the transparent conductive film, and may include at least one or more of ITO, AZO, ATO, Al, Ni, Cr, SUS, Ti, Ag.

　 The closing electrode includes a plurality of signal connection terminals connected to the same material as the pattern of the closing electrode or separated from the pattern of the closing electrode, and the resistance of the closing electrode between the signal connection terminals is 10 kiloohms. It is characterized by the following. The closing electrode may be patterned in any one or more of a straight line, a square zigzag pattern, a triangular sawtooth, and a wavy shape between the signal connection terminals.

In addition, the touch panel according to another aspect of the present invention includes a transparent conductive film and an equipotential forming electrode on a transparent substrate, wherein the equipotential forming electrode is formed before or after the transparent conductive film is coated, A closed electrode formed to overlap with the transparent conductive film along an edge of a region to form an isoelectric potential of the transparent substrate, wherein the closed electrode forms a predetermined conductive thin film on a front surface thereof, It is characterized in that to form a pattern having a predetermined width from the edge of the transparent substrate by removing the area except the electrode portion to the closed.

In addition, the touch panel according to another aspect of the present invention, includes an equipotential forming electrode on the transparent substrate, the equipotential forming electrode is formed as a closed electrode along the edge of the region to form the equipotential of the transparent substrate, The closing electrode includes a plurality of signal connection terminals, and the closing electrode includes a plurality of patterns having a predetermined shape in the inner region of the transparent substrate spaced a predetermined distance from an edge after forming a predetermined conductive thin film on the front surface. Characterized in that form.

In addition, a touch panel according to another aspect of the present invention, a transparent substrate; A transparent conductive film coated on a predetermined layer on the transparent substrate; And 등 an equipotential forming electrode formed to overlap the transparent conductive film along an edge of a region before forming the transparent conductive film or after the transparent conductive film is coated, to form an equipotential of the transparent substrate. Silver, at least four signal connection terminals located at each corner; Horizontal patterns formed on two horizontal sides between the signal connection terminals; And a vertical pattern respectively formed on two vertical sides between the signal connection terminals, wherein the equipotential forming electrode forms one closure, and the horizontal patterns facing each other when predetermined signals are applied to the signal connection terminals. Equipotential between the two, or is characterized in that the equipotential between the vertical patterns facing each other.

The touch panel may be used for a 5-wire resistive touch screen or a capacitive touch screen.

In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a touch panel for a touch screen includes: coating a transparent conductive film on a transparent substrate; And forming an equipotential forming electrode patterned into a closed pattern by overlapping the transparent conductive film along an edge of a region before forming the transparent conductive film or after the transparent conductive film is coated to form an equipotential of the transparent substrate. Include.

In addition, a touch panel for a touch screen according to another aspect of the present invention includes a transparent conductive film and an equipotential forming electrode on a transparent substrate, wherein the equipotential forming electrode is disposed in a horizontal or vertical direction between a plurality of signal connection terminals. As characterized in that it comprises a closed electrode in which the resistance value per unit length is changed.

The closed electrode is formed before the transparent conductive film is coated or after the transparent conductive film is coated, and is formed to overlap the transparent conductive film along an edge of a region to form an equipotential of the transparent substrate. .

The resistance value may be changed by changing the number of patterns per unit length of the closing electrode in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals.

In addition, the resistance value may be changed by changing a material of the closed electrode in a horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals.

The resistance value may be changed by changing the line width or thickness of the closed electrode in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals.

The closing electrode may be patterned in any one or more of a straight line, a square zig zag pattern, a triangular saw tooth, and a wavy shape between the signal connection terminals.

The auxiliary electrode may further include an auxiliary electrode spaced apart from the closed electrode along the closed electrode. The auxiliary electrode may include: a first electrode separated from a pattern of the closing electrode in a horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals; And a second electrode connected at at least one point of the pattern of the closing electrodes in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals. The second electrode may be connected at a horizontal center point or a vertical center point of the closing electrode.

The signal connection terminals may be connected to the same material as the pattern of the closing electrode or may be separated from the pattern of the closing electrode. The signal connection terminals comprise at least four signal connection terminals located at each corner.

The closed electrode may be formed by any one of a printing method, a vapor deposition method, an inkjet printing method, and a Podel method.

In addition, a method of manufacturing a touch panel for a touch screen according to another aspect of the present invention includes coating a transparent conductive film on a transparent substrate; And forming an electrode with an equipotential forming closure in which a resistance value per unit length is changed in a horizontal or vertical direction between the plurality of signal connection terminals.

As described above, in the touch panel according to the present invention, according to the equipotential forming electrode formed in a closed loop connected continuously without interruption, distortion of the equipotential linearity at the edge of the transparent conductive film substrate, that is, near the equipotential forming electrode Since the dead zone is reduced, the active zone can be maximized.

In addition, in the touch panel according to the present invention, since the equipotential forming electrode is formed in a simple pattern such as a straight line, a square zigzag pattern, a triangular saw tooth, and a wavy shape, the entire viewing area of the transparent conductive film substrate is reduced by reducing the area where the pattern is formed. And it can be enlarged, there is an effect that it is easy to obtain a symmetric structure in the pattern forming process.

In addition, in the touch panel according to the present invention, the equipotential forming electrode may be selected in various shapes, various electric conduction (terminal resistances), various sizes (line widths), and the like to be applied to a touch screen of a small system such as a mobile phone. There is an effect that can provide a touch panel conforming to the standard.

In addition, in the touch panel according to the present invention, as a method for preventing the terminal resistance from becoming smaller as it becomes smaller, through the method of correcting the linearity distortion of the equipotential line that increases as the resistance of the closed electrode is increased, Applying closed electrodes to the touch screen can also reduce power consumption by increasing terminal resistance.

In the touch panel according to the present invention, the method for changing the density of the closed components per unit length of the closed electrodes in which the equipotential forming electrodes are formed in a simple pattern such as a straight line, a square zigzag pattern, a triangular tooth, and a wavy shape, In addition, there is an effect of reducing the power consumption by increasing the terminal resistance at a small size by a method of separating the signal connection terminal from the closed electrode and adding an auxiliary electrode to the closed electrode.

In order to fully understand the present invention, the operational advantages of the present invention, and the objects achieved by the practice of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described in the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5 is a view for explaining a touch panel 50 having an equipotential forming electrode 51 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the touch panel 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an equipotential forming electrode 51. The equipotential forming electrode 51 is formed of a straight metal electrode patterned in a closed loop and includes signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D at each corner. Necessary signals can be applied by appropriate wiring in the vicinity of the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D (electrodes capable of applying or detecting voltage and current) at each corner. Here, the signal connection terminals are illustrated as being included only at each corner. However, the signal connection terminals are not limited thereto, and other terminals may be further included in each side in order to apply a signal or interpret a signal change.

As described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the touch panel according to the present invention may be particularly used for a 5-wire touch screen of a resistive type or for a capacitive type touch screen.

Transparent substrates such as indium tin oxide (ITO), Al doped Zinc Oxide (AZO), and the like on glass (glass), PET (poly ethylene terephthalate), PC (poly carbonate), PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate), etc. Substrates coated with a highly conductive TCO thin film such as ATO (antimony tin oxide), substrates coated with a half mirror thin film such as Al, Ni, Cr, SUS (stainless steel), Ti, or other conductive transparent film (touch A substrate coated with a conductive film for forming a potential distribution for position detection) is prepared, and an equipotential forming electrode 51 is formed on the conductive transparent film layer. Alternatively, the equipotential forming electrode 51 may be first formed on the transparent substrate as described above, and then the conductive transparent film layer may be coated. That is, the equipotential forming electrode 51 is patterned along the edge of the region overlapping the transparent conductive film to form the equipotential of the transparent substrate, and is in the form of a closed loop electrode all connected together.

Unlike the material of the transparent conductive film, the equipotential forming electrode 51 has a higher conductivity than the transparent conductive film, for example, metal made of Al, Ag, Cu, Cr, Ni, SUS, Ti, ITO, AZO, or ATO. Materials or alloys thereof or laminated structures thereof, such as Cr-Cu-Cr laminated structures, may be used. In the present invention, it is preferable that the resistances between the two signal connection terminals, for example, the resistances of AB, BC, CD, DA are all equal to or less than 10 kilo ohms. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and resistance between horizontal patterns facing each other, for example, BC and DA, is the same, and resistance between vertical patterns facing each other, for example, AB and CD, is equal to the horizontal pattern. Can be equal to each other with different resistance values. As such, when the vertical pattern resistance and the horizontal pattern resistance are different, power consumption may be different when the x-axis equipotential is formed and the y-axis equipotential is formed, and the degree of equipotential distortion (linear line, etc.) may be slightly different. The resistances of BC, CD and DA can all be different. In this case, the linearity of the distorted equipotential can be solved by appropriate correction methods such as appropriate four-point compensation or zero-point compensation .

Basically, the horizontal patterns formed on two horizontal sides between the signal connection terminals, for example, B-C and D-A, are preferably formed in the same shape pattern so as to have the same resistance value. In addition, it is preferable to form the vertical patterns formed on the two vertical sides between the signal connection terminals, for example, A-B and C-D, respectively, in a pattern having the same shape so as to have the same resistance value. 5 shows an example in which a horizontal pattern and a vertical pattern are patterned in a straight shape having the same shape. As long as the resistance is satisfied, as described below, the pattern shape may be patterned not only in a straight line but also in a square zig-zag pattern, triangular teeth, and wavy shapes, or a combination thereof. The resistance of the equipotential forming electrode 51 may be determined to a value required by selecting a material to change the electrical conductivity or by changing the thickness of the pattern or the line width of the pattern.

In the capacitive method, 0V and signal high frequency signals can be applied to the signal connection terminals A and B in order to analyze the x coordinate, and signal connection terminals B and C in order to interpret the y coordinate. At 0V, a constant high frequency signal may be applied to the signal connection terminals A and D. In the 5-wire touch screen, in order to interpret the x coordinate, 0 V may be applied to the signal connection terminals A and B, and a constant DC signal, for example, 5 volts may be applied to the signal connection terminals C and D, and the y coordinate may be interpreted. In order to do this, 0 V may be applied to the signal connection terminals B and C, and a constant DC signal may be applied to the signal connection terminals A and D, for example, 5 volts.

As such, when a signal is applied to the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D, and a finger, a pen, or the like is in contact, the signal is transmitted through another transparent conductive film (13 in FIG. 1 or 26 in FIG. 2). By reading, we can interpret the x, y coordinates of the position where the finger touched. Even when the vertical pattern resistance and the horizontal pattern resistance are different, the analysis method for the contacted position is similar. For example, the magnitude of the signal applied to the signal connection terminals is the same as that of the vertical pattern and the horizontal pattern. You can interpret the x or y coordinates differently. For example, if the resistance is large, the applied signal is made large, and if the resistance is small, the applied signal is made small. At this time, the x, y coordinates of the contacted position can be analyzed through the change of the signal read out for the applied signal.

The equipotential forming electrode 51 allows the potential to be uniformly distributed in the transparent conductive film on the transparent substrate, whereby the position where the finger touches can be accurately interpreted. When the corresponding signal is applied to the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D to interpret the x coordinate, the equipotential is vertically formed between the horizontal patterns facing each other, as shown in the equipotential line 55 of FIG. 5. When the corresponding signal is applied to the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D in order to interpret the y coordinate, the equipotential is formed horizontally between the vertical patterns facing each other.

In the present invention, as in the equipotential line 55 of FIG. 5, the distortion of the equipotential linearity is almost eliminated even near the equipotential forming electrode 51, so that dead zones can be reduced and the active region can be maximized. Such equipotentials are formed, although not shown, even among the vertical patterns. In addition, since the equipotential forming electrode 51 is formed in a simple linear pattern, the area in which the pattern is formed can be reduced so that all regions other than the equipotential forming electrode 51 become the entire viewing region in the TCO substrate. In the pattern formation process, it is very easy to obtain a symmetrical structure.
In particular, in the present invention, the distortion of the equipotential linearity is not only improved in the vicinity of the equipotential forming electrode, such as the equipotential forming electrode 51, but also as described below, per unit length in the horizontal or vertical direction of the equipotential forming electrode. The resistance value can be changed, which increases the overall resistance and reduces the power consumption while uniformizing the potential distribution by the equipotential forming electrode on the transparent conductive film, thereby improving the linearity of the equipotential line and correcting the distortion (compare with FIG. 11). 12, the active area (the area where the linearity of the equipotential lines is guaranteed) becomes larger than the conventional case. That is, dead zones in which the linearity of the equipotential lines are not guaranteed are not exposed to the display and thus are not used as the contacting positions. Such dead zones can be significantly reduced. As such, the change in the resistance value per unit length of the equipotential closing electrode may increase the active area so that the display portion may be efficiently used when applied to the touch screen of a small system such as a mobile phone.

6 is a view for explaining a touch panel 60 having an equipotential forming electrode 61 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the touch panel 60 according to another embodiment of the present invention is formed of a square zigzag metal electrode patterned in a closed loop, and has signal connection terminals A, B, C, D) (electrodes capable of applying or detecting voltage and current). As in Fig. 5, necessary signals can be applied to the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D at each corner by appropriate wiring. Here, the signal connection terminals are illustrated as being included only at each corner. However, the signal connection terminals are not limited thereto, and other terminals may be further included in each side in order to apply a signal or interpret a signal change.

Before coding the transparent conductive layer or coating the transparent conductive layer on a transparent substrate such as glass (glass), polyethylene ethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), etc. ) Is formed. That is, the equipotential forming electrode 61 is patterned along the edge of the region overlapping the transparent conductive film to form the equipotential of the transparent substrate, and in particular, in FIG. 6, the equipotential forming electrode 61 is a closed loop electrode pattern patterned in a zigzag pattern. .

As described with reference to FIG. 5, the material of the equipotential forming electrode 61 may be formed of a material having higher conductivity than the transparent conductive film, for example, Al, Ag, Cu, Cr, Ni, SUS, Ti, ITO, AZO, or ATO. Conductive material or an alloy thereof or a laminated structure thereof, for example, a Cr-Cu-Cr laminated structure, may be used. The resistance between the two signal connection terminals, for example, A-B, B-C, C-D, and D-A, is preferably equal to or less than 10 kilo ohms. However, as described with reference to FIG. 5, only horizontal patterns facing each other may have the same resistance value, or both horizontal and vertical patterns may have different resistance values.

Here, the zigzag metal electrodes may also be patterned in the same shape as the vertical pattern and the horizontal pattern, or the vertical patterns may be the same shape, and the horizontal patterns may be the same shape as the vertical pattern and the other shape. That is, the pattern shape may be patterned as a square zigzag pattern, triangular saw teeth, and wavy shapes, or a combination thereof as well as a straight line as long as the resistance value is satisfied. The resistance of the equipotential forming electrode 61 may be determined to a value required by selecting a material to change the electrical conductivity or by changing the thickness of the pattern or the line width of the pattern.

As described in FIG. 5, when a signal is applied to the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D, and a finger, a pen, or the like is contacted, another transparent conductive film (13 of FIG. By reading the change in the signal through 26), the x, y coordinates of the position where the finger is in contact can be interpreted. In this case, as in the equipotential line 65 of FIG. 6, since the distortion of the equipotential linearity disappears even near the equipotential forming electrode 61, a dead zone may be reduced and the active region may be maximized. A simple equipotential forming electrode 61 having a square zig zag pattern was used to distribute the potential evenly on the transparent conductive film on the transparent substrate, whereby the position where the finger touched can be accurately interpreted. When analyzing the x coordinate, the equipotential is vertically formed between the horizontal patterns facing each other, as shown in the equipotential line 65 of FIG. 6, and when analyzing the y coordinate, the equipotential is transversely between the vertical patterns facing each other. Is done. As shown in FIG. 6, the distortion of the equipotential linearity is almost disappeared in the vicinity of the equipotential forming electrode 61.

In such an equipotential forming electrode 61, the area occupied by a simple zigzag pattern is considerably reduced compared to the conventional one, so that almost all regions other than the equipotential forming electrode 61 become the entire viewing area. In the pattern formation process, it is also very easy to obtain a symmetrical structure.

7 is a view for explaining a touch panel having an equipotential forming electrode according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the equipotential forming electrodes 51/61 of FIG. 5 or 6 may be replaced with a triangular serrated pattern, or may be formed by combining them.

8 is a view for explaining a touch panel having an equipotential forming electrode according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the equipotential forming electrodes 51/61 of FIG. 5 or 6 may be replaced with a wavy pattern, or may be formed by combining them.

5 and 6, the linearity of the equipotential is much better in the present invention than in the conventional method of FIG. In particular, even near the equipotential forming electrodes 51/61, there is almost no distortion, and the dead zone is almost disappeared.

In the case of FIG. 5, since the line width of the equipotential forming electrode 51 can be adjusted to 0.1 mm or less, application to a touch screen of a small system such as a mobile phone will be very advantageous. However, in the case where the equipotential forming electrode 51 is formed such that the resistance between the signal connection terminals is about tens of ohms, the power consumption can be increased, but the signal processing sweep for analyzing the x, y coordinates in a circuit ( By shortening the sweeping time to shorten the time the voltage is applied, the problem that the power consumption is relatively increased can be solved.

In Fig. 6, the resistance between the two signal connection terminals can be increased to a few hundred ohms, in which case the linearity distortion near the equipotential forming electrode 61 can lead to a slight decrease in linearity (without dead zone loss). This is a problem that can be solved according to an appropriate calibration algorithm, such as an 8-point calibration.

In the example of FIG. 5, since it is difficult to implement the i-potential forming electrode 51 with a line width of 0.1 mm (recently implemented up to about 0.03 mm) by a general silk screen printing method, the thickness is formed into a thick film. (About 10 micrometers or less) can be formed to a few tens of ohms or less in the case of a small resistance. At this time, as a method for increasing the resistance, in the case of patterning as shown in Figure 6, even if the line width of the equipotential forming electrode 61 without the dead zone within a few mm can increase the resistance between the signal connection terminals to several hundred ohms or more. Will be. In addition to such a square zig zag pattern, an increase in resistance can also be brought about by taking a triangular sawtooth, a wave shape such as a wave, or the like as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The pattern formation of the equipotential forming electrode 51/61 may be performed by a deposition method, an inkjet printing method, a Podell method, or the like, in addition to the general printing method. As described above, a conductive material of Al, Ag, Cu, Cr, Ni, SUS, Ti, ITO, AZO, ATO or an alloy thereof or a laminated structure thereof, for example, a Cr-Cu-Cr laminated structure By adjusting the thickness, the terminal resistance can be controlled.

In the case of the simple printing method, as described above, the thickness of the metal electrode is controlled in the range of 5 to 15 micrometers, and the line width is at least about 30 micrometers so far, so the resistance of the small system is several tens of ohms. It can be small enough to bring about an increase in power consumption. However, as described above, there can be various ways to increase the length of the pattern to increase the resistance, and examples thereof are as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, wherein the square zigzag shape The resistance can be increased by increasing its length in various ways, such as triangular serrated or wavy.

In the above, as the deposition method, a glass mask, a metal shadow mask, or a vinyl mask may be contacted with a substrate and the metal may be deposited. In addition, various forms such as a method of etching after exposure using a mask after metal deposition by an electron beam or a sputter may be used as the deposition method.

In recent years, development of an inkjet printing method is in progress, and at this time, a pattern of the equipotential forming electrode 51/61 may be formed using high conductivity ink, for example, Ag ink. In addition, like the Podel method used for forming an electrode of a plasma display panel (PDP), a pattern of the equipotential forming electrodes 51/61 may be formed using a photosensitive silver paste.

In addition, the equipotential forming electrode in the form of a closed electrode as described above may be formed as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

9 is a view for explaining a touch panel 90 having an equipotential forming electrode 91 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, in the touch panel 90 according to another embodiment of the present invention, as described in FIGS. 5 to 8, the closed electrodes for forming the equipotential inside the substrate are not patterned in a predetermined shape. The equipotential forming electrode 91 may extend to the edge of the substrate while having a predetermined width.

That is, the method for forming the equipotential forming electrode 91 is a half-mirror thin film using Al, Ag, Cu, Cr, Ni, SUS, Ti, or the like using a general printing method, a vapor deposition method, an inkjet printing method, a Podel method, or the like. The conductive thin film is formed on the entire surface of the substrate in the form of a highly conductive TCO thin film such as ITO, AZO or ATO, or an alloy thereof or a laminated structure thereof, and then the equipotential forming electrode 91 as shown in FIG. By removing the region except the electrode portion, the electrode may be patterned into a lung having a predetermined width extending toward the edge of the substrate.

The predetermined positions of the corners of the equipotential forming electrode 91 formed as described above are used as the touch panel using the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D (electrodes capable of applying or detecting voltage and current). Alternatively, the equipotential may be formed with little distortion of the equipotential linearity in the vertical direction. Even when such an equipotential forming electrode 91 is used, the resistance between the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D may be 10 kilo ohms or less or a predetermined correction method may be used in the same manner as described above. Thus, the area occupied by the equipotential forming electrode 91 in the substrate can be manufactured to be significantly reduced compared to the conventional. Therefore, almost all regions other than the equipotential forming electrode 91 can be made into the entire viewing region, and it is very easy to obtain a symmetrical structure in such a pattern forming process.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for describing a touch panel 100 having an equipotential forming electrode 110 according to another exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 10, in the touch panel 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention, as described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, the closed electrodes for forming the equipotential inside the substrate are not patterned in a predetermined shape. The equipotential forming electrode 110 extends to the edge of the substrate and is formed of a transparent conductive film having a mesh shape from which a plurality of patterns 111 having a predetermined shape are removed.

That is, the method for forming the equipotential forming electrode 110 is a half-mirror thin film using Al, Ag, Cu, Cr, Ni, SUS, Ti, or the like by using a general printing method, a deposition method, an inkjet printing method, a Podel method, or the like. In addition, after forming a conductive transparent thin film in the form of a highly conductive TCO thin film, such as ITO, AZO-based dyes, ATO, or an alloy thereof or a laminated structure thereof, the substrate is spaced a certain distance from the edge as shown in FIG. In the inner region of the plurality of patterns of a predetermined shape may be made of a pattern in a removed form.

Such a mesh-like equipotential forming electrode 110 is to increase the average resistance and improve the transmittance compared to the closed pattern remaining on the edge, the plurality of patterns of the predetermined shape is a rule such as circular, triangular, square or straight form May be a pattern. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the square pattern 111 is formed, each pattern may be patterned to several hundred micrometers or less, which is much smaller than the size of a portion where a touch mechanism such as a finger or a pen contacts. In this case, the width of the conductive thin film patterned may be several tens of micrometers, and high transmittance may be maintained as described below. In this case, the etched region of the portion to be touched leaves only the transparent substrate, and as a result, the average transmittance of the patterned remaining conductive thin film region and the region remaining only of the transparent substrate is increased, and similarly, the average pattern While increasing the sheet resistance of the substrate, it is possible to form an electrode as a lung for forming an equipotential in the form of a conductive transparent thin film. In this case, a separate transparent conductive film may be used as shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, but it is preferable not to overlap the separate transparent conductive film.

By using a predetermined position of each corner of the mesh-like equipotential forming electrode 110 formed as described above as the signal connection terminals A, B, C, and D as a touch panel, there is almost no distortion of the equipotential linearity in the horizontal or vertical direction. Equipotential may be formed. Even when such an equipotential forming electrode 110 is used, the equipotential forming electrode 110 is formed by using a resistance between the signal connection terminals of 10 kilo ohms or less in the same manner as described above or by using a predetermined correction method in parallel. The area occupied by can be manufactured to be much smaller than before. Therefore, almost all regions other than the equipotential forming electrode 110 can be made into the entire viewing region, and it is very easy to obtain a symmetrical structure in such a pattern forming process.

When various types of equipotential forming closed-circuit electrodes as described above are applied to a touch panel for a small mobile touch screen, the resistance between signal connection terminals is too small to increase power consumption. As a method for preventing the resistance between terminals in the miniaturized device, the linearity of the equipotential lines may be distorted when the resistance of the closed electrode is arbitrarily increased, which may cause unstable coordinate analysis.

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a numerical analysis result according to the FEM (Finite Element Analysis) method when the resistance of the closed electrode for isoelectric potential is increased five times. For the same reason as above, when the material, line width, thickness, etc. of the equipotential forming closed-circuit electrode are increased to increase the resistance value for application to a small device, the linearity distortion of the equipotential line is far from the center of the x-axis as shown in FIG. The bigger it gets, the bigger it gets.

Therefore, even if the closed electrode is applied to the small mobile touch screen, in order to reduce the power consumption in use by increasing the terminal resistance to some extent, the linearity distortion of the above equipotential lines should be corrected. In order to correct the linear distortion while increasing the resistance as described above, the number of patterns per unit length of the closing electrode is changed in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals, the material of the closing electrode is changed, The method of changing the resistance value by changing the line width or thickness to make the density of the closed components in each longitudinal or longitudinal direction constant is presented. In addition, as described below, a method of separating the signal connecting terminal from the closed electrode and adding an auxiliary electrode to the closed electrode also increases the terminal resistance in the small device, thereby reducing power consumption.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment in which a resistance value per unit length of a closed electrode for equipotential formation is changed. As shown in FIG. 12 showing the lower left portion 1/4 of the touch panel, an isoelectrically formed closing electrode that may be formed before the transparent conductive film is coated on the transparent substrate or after the transparent conductive film is coated, is intended to form an equipotential of the transparent substrate. In the overlapping of the transparent conductive film along the edge of the region, the number of patterns per unit length of the closing electrode is changed in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals to change the resistance value per unit length. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the line resistance change of the closed electrode may be obtained by changing the density of the zigzag pattern not to be constant in the horizontal or vertical direction but at each position. It can be seen that the linearity of the equipotential lines is improved and the distortion is corrected at the side. As such, changing the number of zig-zag patterns per unit length at a required position to change the density distribution of each position may cause the electrical resistance (specific resistance, wire resistance, or sheet resistance) of the corresponding position to be changed. Such a change in the number of patterns may have a certain regularity, but may be irregular so that only a predetermined required position is a straight line without a special pattern according to the characteristics of the touch panel.

The method of changing the number of patterns per unit length of the closing electrode in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals as well as changing the material of the closing electrode to have a different conductivity regularly or irregularly at each position, or The resistance value may be changed by varying the line width or thickness of each position. These methods can be applied to all cases, such as a straight line, a square zig-zag pattern, a triangle tooth, and a wave shape as described above. Since the number of patterns per unit length cannot be changed, it can be made by the other methods except the method.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for describing a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment in which an auxiliary electrode is added to a closed electrode for forming an equipotential. As shown in FIG. 13 showing the lower left quarter of the touch panel, the linearity of the equipotential line may be further improved by including an auxiliary electrode spaced from the closed electrode along the isoelectrically formed closing electrode. The auxiliary electrode is preferably formed in the horizontal and vertical directions between the signal connection terminals, that is, in the directions of the x axis and the y axis. In this case, in order to correct the equipotential on the touch panel vertically, horizontally and symmetrically, as shown in FIG. 13, the auxiliary electrode separated from the pattern of the closing electrode in each direction and the auxiliary electrode connected at the center point of the pattern of the closing electrode may be included. . The auxiliary electrode connected with the pattern of the closing electrode around the center of each direction corrects the asymmetry that may be caused by the difference in the sheet resistance of the transparent conductive film, the thickness, the width of the closing electrode wiring, and the line resistance in the actual touch panel manufacturing. I can give it.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for describing a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment in which a signal connection terminal and a closed electrode are spaced apart from each other. FIG. As described above, the formation of the closing electrode for equipotential formation may be performed in the form of connecting the closing electrode with the same material as the signal connection terminals at each corner, but is not limited thereto. In order to improve the linearity of the line, as shown in FIG. 14, which represents the lower left quarter of the touch panel, signal connection terminals at each corner may be separated from the pattern of the closing electrode. In this case, a signal may be transmitted from the signal connection terminal to the closed electrode through the transparent conductive film. In FIG. 14, although the linear closed electrode pattern is illustrated, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the closed electrode as described above may be applied to all cases, such as a square zigzag pattern, a triangular saw tooth, and a wave shape. The resistance value also changes in each longitudinal or longitudinal direction by changing the number of patterns per unit length of the closing electrode in the horizontal or vertical direction between the terminals, changing the material of the closing electrode, or changing the line width or thickness of the closing electrode. You can. In this way, when the signal connection terminal is spaced apart from the closed electrode, a potential distribution is first formed at the signal connection terminal through the transparent conductive film, and the potential distribution is electrically connected through the transparent conductive film, and the same potential is formed therein. The closing electrodes allow the potential distribution of the touch region to be linear.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment in which an auxiliary electrode is added to FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 15, even when the signal connection terminal is separated from the closed electrode, the auxiliary electrode can be applied in the same manner as in FIG. 13. Accordingly, the distribution of the primary potential generated between the signal connection terminal and the closing electrode can be adjusted in the direction in which the linearity of the equipotential line is improved through the auxiliary electrode. In addition, as described above, the auxiliary electrode and the closed electrode may be connected at the center of each direction. In the case where the closed electrodes are spaced apart from the signal connection terminals, the terminal resistance between the signal connection terminals can be greatly changed by changing the distance between the closed electrodes and the signal connection terminals. Then, in order to increase the potential difference of the closing electrodes, that is, to increase the resistance difference between the corners of the closing electrodes, as described above, the closing electrodes such as a zigzag pattern, triangular teeth, and wavy shapes are formed. In the longitudinal or longitudinal direction, the number of patterns per unit length of the closing electrode is changed, the material of the closing electrode is changed, or the line width or thickness of the closing electrode is changed in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals. Can change the resistance value. As described above, the closing electrode may be formed by a printing method, a vapor deposition method, an inkjet printing method, a Podel method, or the like.

As described above, optimal embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and the specification. Although specific terms have been used herein, they are used only for the purpose of describing the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims or the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible from this. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1 is a view for explaining the structure of a capacitive touch panel according to the prior art.

2 is a view for explaining the structure of a five-wire touch panel of the resistive film method according to the prior art.

3 is an example showing the pattern of the equipotential forming electrode according to the prior art.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between an equipotential formed in the example of FIG. 3 and an active region.

5 is a view for explaining a touch panel having an equipotential forming electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a view for explaining a touch panel having an equipotential forming electrode according to another embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view for explaining a touch panel having an equipotential forming electrode according to another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a view for explaining a touch panel having an equipotential forming electrode according to another embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a view for explaining a touch panel having an equipotential forming electrode according to another embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a diagram for describing a touch panel having an equipotential forming electrode according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a view for explaining the results of numerical analysis when the resistance of the closed electrode for isoelectric potential is increased five times.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment in which a resistance value per unit length of a closed electrode for equipotential formation is changed.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for describing a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment in which an auxiliary electrode is added to a closed electrode for forming an equipotential.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for describing a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment in which a signal connection terminal and a closed electrode are spaced apart from each other. FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment in which an auxiliary electrode is added to FIG. 14.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

A, B, C, D; Signal connection terminal

51, 61: equipotential forming electrode

55, 65: equipotential lines

Claims (13)

In the touch panel for the touch screen, A transparent conductive film and an equipotential forming electrode on the transparent substrate, The equipotential forming electrode, And a closed electrode in which a resistance value per unit length is changed in a horizontal or vertical direction between the plurality of signal connection terminals. The method of claim 1, wherein the closed electrode, The touch panel is formed before the transparent conductive film is coated or after the transparent conductive film is coated, and formed to overlap the transparent conductive film along an edge of a region to form an equipotential of the transparent substrate. The method of claim 1, And the resistance value is changed by changing the number of patterns per unit length of the closing electrode in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals. The method of claim 1, And the resistance value is changed by changing a material of the closed electrode in a horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals. The method of claim 1, And the resistance value is changed by changing a line width or thickness of the closed electrode in a horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals. The method of claim 1, wherein the closed electrode, And at least one of a straight line, a square zigzag pattern, a triangle tooth, and a wavy pattern between the signal connection terminals. The method of claim 1, The auxiliary touch panel further comprises an auxiliary electrode spaced apart from the closed electrode along the closed electrode. The method of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary electrode, A first electrode separated from the closing electrode pattern in a horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals Touch panel comprising a. The method of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary electrode, A second electrode connected at at least one point of the pattern of the closing electrodes in the horizontal or vertical direction between the signal connection terminals Touch panel further comprising. The touch panel as set forth in claim 9, wherein the second electrode is connected at a horizontal center point or a vertical center point of the closing electrode. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal connection terminals, Touch panel, characterized in that connected to the same material as the pattern of the closing electrode or separated from the pattern of the closing electrode. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal connection terminals, A touch panel comprising at least four signal connection terminals located at each corner. In the manufacturing method of the touch panel for the touch screen, Coating a transparent conductive film on the transparent substrate; And Forming an electrode with an equipotential forming closure in which a resistance value per unit length varies in a horizontal or vertical direction between a plurality of signal connection terminals; Method of manufacturing a touch panel comprising a.

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