KR20160130603A - Touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch panel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a touch panel which includes a substrate which is divided into an effective region and a non-effective region, an electrode which is formed on the effective region of the substrate and senses a touch input, and a line which is formed in the non-effective region and is electrically connected to the electrode. The electrode is formed with a mesh shape. A dummy electrode is formed in a region where the electrode is connected to the line. So, the electric conduction property of the touch panel can be improved.

Description

TOUCH PANEL {TOUCH PANEL}

The present invention relates to a touch panel.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a touch panel has been applied to an image displayed on a display device in various electronic products by a method of touching an input device such as a finger or a stylus.

The touch panel is typically divided into a resistive touch panel and a capacitive touch panel. The resistance film type touch panel detects the change of resistance according to the connection between electrodes when pressure is applied to the input device and detects the position. A capacitance type touch panel senses a change in electrostatic capacitance between electrodes when a finger touches them, thereby detecting the position. Considering the convenience of the manufacturing method and the sensing power, recently, in a small model, the electrostatic capacity method has attracted attention.

On the other hand, the electrode of the touch panel is electrically connected to the wiring, and such wiring can be driven by being connected to an external circuit. At this time, disconnection may occur due to a change in design or a change in density between the electrode and the wiring. In addition, there may be a problem that the characteristics are deteriorated because the electrode is not smoothly connected to the wiring due to cracks or the like.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2014-0071026 (Apr.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems and is intended to improve the electric conduction characteristics of a touch panel.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch panel including a substrate divided into a valid region and an ineffective region, an electrode formed on an effective region of the substrate and sensing touch input, The electrode may be formed in a mesh shape and may include a dummy electrode formed in a region where the electrode and the wiring are connected to each other. At this time, the dummy electrode is formed in a mesh shape, and the mesh shape includes an opening between the mesh line and the mesh line. In the present invention, the mesh shape of the electrode and the mesh shape of the dummy electrode are different in size of the opening. In one embodiment, the diameter of the opening of the dummy electrode may be between 10% and 50% of the diameter of the opening of the electrode.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the electrode includes a pen touch electrode for sensing a touch signal by a stylus pen, and may further include a sensing electrode for sensing an electrostatic input signal. At least one of the pen touch electrode and the sensing electrode is formed in a mesh shape, and a mesh-shaped dummy electrode is formed in a region where at least one of the pen touch electrode and the sensing electrode is connected to the wiring .

The sensing electrode and the pen touch electrode are alternately arranged on the substrate, and a plurality of pen touch electrodes may be disposed between adjacent sensing electrodes.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the dummy electrode may be formed on the ineffective area of the substrate.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the electrical conductivity between the electrode and the wiring in the touch panel.

In addition, visibility can be maintained while improving electrical conductivity.

1 is a plan view of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a plan view of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a plan view of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 4 to 7 illustrate examples of application of the touch panel according to various embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments disclosed herein should not be construed or interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the description including the embodiments of the present specification has various applications. Accordingly, any embodiment described in the Detailed Description of the Invention is illustrative for a better understanding of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to embodiments.

The functional terms shown in the drawings and described below are examples of possible expressions. In other embodiments, other terms may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the following detailed description.

Furthermore, the expression "including an element" is merely referred to as an "open" expression, and the element should not be understood as excluding the additional elements.

Means that each layer (film), region, pattern or structure is formed 'on' or 'under' of the substrate, each layer (film), region, pad or patterns Includes all that is formed directly or through another layer.

Further, when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but it should be understood that other elements may be present in between do.

Also, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, the components should not be limited by the terms, and the terms may be used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another Is used.

1 is a plan view of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the touch panel includes a substrate 100 divided into a valid region and a non-valid region, an electrode 200 formed on an effective region of the substrate 100 to sense a touch input, And a wiring 400 electrically connected to the electrode 200.

The substrate 100 is a means for supporting the electrode 200, the wiring 400, and the like. The substrate 100 may be rigid or flexible. For example, the substrate 100 may comprise glass or plastic. In detail, the substrate 100 may include chemically reinforced / semi- toughened glass such as soda lime glass or aluminosilicate glass, or may include polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) , Propylene glycol (PPG) polycarbonate (PC), or the like, or may include sapphire. In addition, the substrate 100 may include an optically isotropic film. For example, the substrate 100 may include a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), a cyclic olefin polymer (COP), a polycarbonate (PC), a light polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), or the like. Sapphire has excellent electrical properties such as dielectric constant, which not only greatly improves the speed of touch reaction but also can easily realize spatial touch such as hovering and can be applied as a cover substrate because of its high surface strength. Hovering refers to a technique of recognizing coordinates even at a small distance from the display.

Also, the substrate 100 may be curved with a partially curved surface. That is, the substrate 100 may be partially flat and partially curved with a curved surface. In detail, the end of the substrate 100 may have a curved surface, or may have a curved surface with a random curvature, and may be curved or bent.

In addition, the substrate 100 may be a flexible substrate having a flexible characteristic.

In addition, the substrate 100 may be a curved or a bended substrate. That is, the touch panel including the substrate 100 may be formed to have a flexible, curved, or bent characteristic. Accordingly, the touch panel according to the embodiment is easy to carry and can be changed into various designs.

The substrate 100 may include a cover substrate. That is, the electrode 200, the wiring 400, and the like can be supported by the cover substrate. Alternatively, a separate cover substrate may be further disposed on the substrate 100. That is, the electrode 200, the wiring 400 and the like are supported by the substrate 100, and the substrate 100 and the cover substrate can be laminated (bonded) through an adhesive layer.

In the substrate 100, a valid region VA and a non-valid region UA may be defined. The display may be displayed in the effective area VA and the display may not be displayed in the non-valid area UA disposed around the valid area VA. Also, at least one of the valid area VA and the ineffective area UA can sense the position of an input device (e.g., a finger or the like). When such an input device such as a finger touches the touch panel, a difference in capacitance occurs at a portion where the input device is contacted, and a portion where such a difference occurs can be detected as the contact position.

The electrode 200 may include a transparent conductive material to allow electricity to flow therethrough without interfering with the transmission of light. For example, the electrode 200 may include indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide oxide, oxide, copper oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, and the like. In addition, the electrode 200 may include a nanowire, a photosensitive nanowire film, a carbon nanotube (CNT), a graphene, a conductive polymer, or a variety of metals. For example, the electrode 200 may be formed of Cr, Ni, Cu, Al, Ag, Mol, or an alloy thereof.

The electrodes 200 formed in the view area or the active area may be formed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO, a Cu mesh, or an Ag mesh. That is, the above-mentioned patterns made of the material can be effectively utilized to enhance the visibility of the display by implementing them in a mesh shape. Further, the wiring 400 extending from the electrodes 200 may be formed of various materials including a layered material such as ITO, Cu mesh, Ag mesh, Cu, Ag, or metal nitride oxide.

The electrode 200 of the present invention may be formed into a mesh shape having mesh lines and openings.

The mesh wire may be formed of a conductive material such as a metal paste containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Ni, Cu, Al, Ag, Mo, and alloys thereof.

The electrode 200 may include a plurality of sub-electrodes, and the sub-electrodes may be arranged so as to intersect with each other in a mesh shape. In detail, the plurality of sub-electrodes crossing each other in a mesh shape can include the mesh line LA and the opening OA between the mesh lines LA. The line width of the mesh line LA may be about 0.1 mu m to about 10 mu m. If the line width of the mesh line LA is less than about 0.1 mu m, it may be impossible in the manufacturing process or may short-circuit the mesh line. If the line width exceeds about 10 mu m, the mesh line may be visually recognized from the outside, . Preferably, the line width of the mesh line LA may be about 0.5 mu m to about 7 mu m. More preferably, the linewidth of the mesh wire may be between about 1 [mu] m and about 3.5 [mu] m.

Further, the openings may be formed in various shapes. For example, the opening OA may have various shapes such as a square, a diamond, a pentagon, a hexagon, a polygonal shape, or a circular shape. Further, the opening may be formed in a regular shape or a random shape.

Since the electrode 200 has a mesh shape, it is possible to prevent the electrode 200 from being visible to the user on the display area, for example, as an effective area. That is, even if the electrode 200 is formed of metal, it can be made invisible. Also, even if the electrode 200 is applied to a touch panel of a large size, the resistance of the touch panel can be reduced.

In addition to the electrode 200 described above, the wiring 400 may also be formed in a mesh structure.

In this embodiment, the touch panel includes a dummy electrode 300 formed in a region where the electrode 200 and the wiring 400 are connected.

The dummy electrode 300 is in contact with the electrode 200 and is also in contact with the wiring 400 to electrically connect the electrode 200 and the wiring 400. At this time, with respect to the arrangement of the dummy electrode 300 on the substrate, the dummy electrode 300 may be formed so as to exist over the ineffective area, the effective area or the ineffective area and the effective area of the substrate.

The dummy electrode 300 may include the same or similar material as the electrode 200. In addition, the electrode 200 may be formed in a mesh shape.

The dummy electrode 300 prevents a disconnection between the electrode 200 and the wiring 400 to improve the electrical characteristics of the touch panel. When the electrode 200 is formed in the shape of a mesh, the number of contacts where the electrode 200 and the wiring 400 are electrically connected to each other can not be secured due to the structural characteristics of the mesh, so that the electrode 200 and the wiring 400 are electrically As shown in FIG. However, the present invention further includes a dummy electrode 300 formed in a region where the electrode 200 and the wiring 400 are connected to each other, and the electrode 200 and the wiring 400 are more tightly connected through the dummy electrode 300 . As a result, the electrical conductivity between the electrode 200 and the wiring 400 is improved and disconnection is prevented. Even if a crack or the like occurs in the electrode 200, the electrode 200 is electrically connected to the wiring 400 through the dummy electrode 300, The reliability of the touch panel can be improved.

The metal structure of the electrode 200 or the dummy electrode 300 may be formed by disposing a metal layer on the front surface of the substrate 100 and etching the metal layer into a mesh shape, . For example, a metal such as copper (Cu) is deposited on the entire surface of a substrate 100 such as poly (ethylene terephthalate), and then the copper layer is etched to form an embossed mesh-shaped copper metal mesh electrode 200 ) Can be formed.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a resin layer (or an intermediate layer) including a photocurable resin (UV resin) or a thermosetting resin is formed on a substrate 100, and then a meshed pattern is formed on the resin layer Then, the conductive material may be filled in the engraved pattern. At this time, the engraved pattern of the resin layer can be formed by imprinting a mold having a relief pattern. The conductive material may be a metal paste containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Ni, Cu, Al, Ag, Mo, and alloys thereof. Accordingly, it is possible to form a meshed pattern of the engraved pattern by filling the metal paste in the meshes of the meshed pattern and hardening or plating the meshes.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a resin layer (or an intermediate layer) including a photo-curing resin (UV resin) or a thermosetting resin is formed on a substrate 100, and then a nano pattern And at least one metal layer of Cr, Ni, Cu, Al, Ag, Mo, or an alloy thereof may be deposited on the resin layer by a sputtering process or the like. The nano pattern and the micro pattern can be formed by imprinting a mold having a relief pattern, and the relief pattern can be formed by imprinting a mold having a relief pattern. Then, the metal pattern formed on the nano pattern and the micro pattern is etched to remove only the metal layer formed on the nano pattern, and only the metal layer formed on the micro pattern is left, so that a mesh pattern can be formed. A difference in the etching rate may occur depending on the difference in bonding area between the nano pattern and the micro pattern and the metal layer during the metal layer etching. That is, since the contact area between the micropattern and the metal layer is larger than the contact area between the nano pattern and the metal layer, etching of the electrode material formed on the micropattern is less likely to occur, and the metal layer formed on the micropattern, As the metal layer formed on the nano pattern is etched and removed, a pattern of a relief pattern or a relief mesh pattern of micro pattern can be formed on the substrate 100.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the mesh shape of the electrode 200 and the mesh shape of the dummy electrode 300 may be formed to have different sizes of the openings. In particular, the opening of the dummy electrode 300 mesh may be formed smaller than the mesh of the electrode 200. The dummy electrode 300 formed in the region where the wiring 400 and the electrode 200 are connected forms a mesh having a smaller size than the electrode 200. As a result, in the present invention, the number of contacts of the wiring 400 and the dummy electrode 300 is increased compared to the number of contacts when the wiring 400 and the electrode 200 are directly connected to each other. As the number of contacts between the wiring 400 and the dummy electrode 300 increases, the electrical conductivity between the wiring 400 and the electrode 200 improves and the defect rate due to the open occurrence can be reduced.

More specifically, the diameter of the opening of the dummy electrode 300 may be 10% to 50% of the diameter of the opening of the electrode 200. When the diameter of the opening of the dummy electrode 300 is less than 10% of the diameter of the opening of the electrode 200, the mesh size of the dummy electrode 300 becomes excessively small, which may cause difficulties in the process. On the other hand, if it exceeds 50%, the amount of increase in the number of contacts between the wiring 400 and the electrode 200 is not so small, and the degree of improvement of the electrical conductivity is low.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the mesh shape of the electrode 200 and the mesh shape of the dummy electrode 300 may be formed to have different widths, that is, line widths of the mesh lines. In particular, it is preferable that the line width of the dummy electrode 300 is made thicker than the line width of the electrode 200 so that the contact area between the wiring 400 and the dummy electrode 300 is increased more than before. As the contact area between the wiring 400 and the dummy electrode 300 is increased, the conductivity between the wiring 400 and the electrode 200 can be improved and the defective rate due to the occurrence of open can also be lowered.

On the other hand, the combination of the above-described embodiments, that is, the diameter of the opening of the dummy electrode 300 is made smaller than the diameter of the opening of the electrode 200, and the dummy electrode 300 is made thick, And the contact surface between the dummy electrode 300 and the dummy electrode 300 may be maximized.

2 is a plan view of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the electrode 200 may include a pen touch electrode 220 for sensing a touch signal by a stylus pen.

The pen touch electrode 220 senses an electromagnetic induction or an electric field generated when the stylus pen or the like approaches the touch panel and senses an input position. The pen touch electrode 220 may be formed according to the material, shape, or the like of the electrode 200 described above. Preferably, the plurality of pen touch electrodes 220 form a loop, and electromagnetic induction occurs in the loop Or whether the electric field is changing.

In addition, the electrode 200 may further include a sensing electrode 240 for sensing an electrostatic input signal.

The sensing electrode 240 is a structure for sensing a change in capacitance according to an input to identify an input position. The sensing electrode 240 may also be implemented by a material, a shape, or the like referred to above in connection with the electrode 200.

At least one of the pen touch electrode 220 and the sensing electrode 240 is formed in a mesh shape and at least one of the pen touch electrode 220 and the sensing electrode 240 and the wiring 400 may be connected to the dummy electrode 300 in the form of a mesh. Details related to the above are described above, so they are not described in duplicate.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensing electrode 240 and the pen touch electrode 220 may be alternately arranged on the substrate 100.

The sensing electrode 240 and the pen touch electrode 220 are disposed over the entire effective area of the substrate 100 and in a state in which they are not overlapped with each other, The sensing electrode 240 and the pen touch electrode 220 may be alternately arranged on the substrate 100 in order to individually sense the input by the method.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of pen touch electrodes 220 may be disposed between adjacent sensing electrodes 240. This can be confirmed from FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, two pen touch electrodes 220 are formed between adjacent sensing electrodes 240. The plurality of pen touch electrodes 220 are connected to each other to form a loop structure. The pen touch electrode 220 can sense the input based on the structure. In order to effectively form the loop structure, A plurality of pen touch electrodes 220 may be disposed between the plurality of touch electrodes.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the dummy electrode 300 may be formed on the ineffective region of the substrate 100. [ This makes it possible to prevent the dummy electrode 300, which has a relatively fine mesh line, from affecting the visibility of the touch panel, and at the same time, improve the electrical conductivity between the wiring 400 and the electrode 200 can do.

FIGS. 4 to 7 illustrate examples of application of the touch panel according to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a touch panel of the present invention applied to a mobile device. The above-described touch panel can be applied to the display portion of the mobile device.

Figure 5 shows a mobile device with a curved display, even among mobile devices. In the present embodiment, a substrate is partially curved with a curved touch panel applied thereto. For example, the substrate may be a touch panel that is partially curved with a flat surface and partially with a curved surface. Specifically, the end of the substrate may be curved with a curved surface, or may have a surface with a random curvature, and may be bent or bent. Or the substrate itself may be a flexible substrate having a flexible property. In addition, the substrate may be a curved or a bended substrate. That is, the touch panel including the substrate may be formed to have a flexible, curved, or bent characteristic. Accordingly, the mobile device to which the touch panel according to the embodiment is applied is easy to carry, and various designs can be changed.

6 is a perspective view of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the touch panel of the present invention may be applied to a navigation device for a vehicle, and the touch panel may be detachably attached to a vehicle.

7 is an example in which a vehicle display is implemented through a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. A dashboard and a front operation portion of the vehicle can be realized by the above-described touch panel.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

100 substrate
200 Electrodes
220 pen touch electrode
240 sensing electrode
300 dummy electrode
400 wiring

Claims (11)

A substrate divided into a valid region and a non-valid region;
An electrode formed on the effective region of the substrate and sensing a touch input; And
A wiring formed in a non-effective region of the substrate and electrically connected to the electrode;
/ RTI >
The electrode is formed in a mesh shape,
A dummy electrode formed in a region where the electrode and the wiring are connected;
A touch panel
The method according to claim 1,
The dummy electrode may be a touch panel
The method of claim 2,
Wherein the mesh shape includes a mesh line and a touch panel including an opening between the mesh lines
The method of claim 3,
The mesh shape of the electrode and the mesh shape of the dummy electrode are different from each other in the size of the openings of the touch panel
The method of claim 4,
Wherein the diameter of the opening of the dummy electrode is 10% to 50% of the diameter of the opening of the electrode.
The electrode according to claim 1,
A pen touch electrode for sensing a touch signal by a stylus pen;
The touch panel including
The plasma display panel of claim 6,
A sensing electrode for sensing an electrostatic input signal;
A touch panel
The method of claim 7,
Wherein at least one of the pen touch electrode and the sensing electrode is formed in a mesh shape,
A dummy electrode having a mesh shape is formed in a region where at least one of the pen touch electrode and the sensing electrode is connected to the wiring,
The method of claim 7,
The sensing electrode and the pen touch electrode are arranged on the substrate,
The method of claim 9,
A touch panel in which a plurality of pen touch electrodes are disposed between adjacent sensing electrodes
The method according to claim 1,
The dummy electrode may be a touch panel formed on the ineffective area of the substrate

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