TWI604359B - Touch panel and electronic device - Google Patents

Description

Touch panel and electronic device

The present invention relates to a touch panel, and more particularly to a touch panel that designs different virtual electrode patterns in a display area and a non-display area, and an electronic device using the touch panel.

A typical touch panel has a plurality of touch electrode patterns. For a capacitive touch panel, the area of the touch electrode pattern affects a corresponding capacitance value. In some applications, a dummy (or redundant) electrode pattern is placed between adjacent touch electrode patterns to avoid visual effects caused by gaps between the touch electrode patterns. The virtual touch electrode pattern and the touch electrode pattern are generally not electrically connected. However, if an electrostatic discharge (ESD) phenomenon occurs, the adjacent touch electrode patterns and the dummy electrode patterns may be electrically connected to each other due to electrostatic breakdown, which makes the touch electrode pattern equivalent. The area becomes larger, causing the touch signal to be abnormal.

Please refer to FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 illustrates an electrode pattern of a conventional touch panel. The substrate 110 of the touch panel 100 has a display area 110 a and a non-display area (also referred to as a mask area) 110 b . Transparent conductive layer shape of the touch panel 100 The substrate 110 is formed on the substrate 110 and includes a plurality of touch electrode patterns 121, a plurality of touch electrode patterns 122, and a plurality of dummy electrode patterns 123. The plurality of touch electrode patterns 121 of each row are electrically connected to each other to form a column of touch electrodes extending in the X direction, and the plurality of touch electrode patterns 122 of each column are mutually connected by a plurality of bridges 124 Electrically connected to form a row of touch electrodes extending in the Y direction. The touch electrode rows and the touch electrode columns are spatially isolated. Each of the touch electrode arrays and the touch electrode rows spans the display area 110a and the non-display area 110b, and the partial dummy electrode patterns 123 are located in the display area 110a, and the partial dummy electrode patterns 123 are simultaneously crossed across the display area 110a. Non-display area 110b. As shown in FIG. 1 , since the electrode patterns formed by the touch electrode patterns 121 and 122 and the dummy electrode pattern 123 are symmetrical, the electrode pattern of FIG. 1 can be regarded as being composed of a plurality of electrode blocks 130 having the same size. And each of the electrode blocks 130 includes the same touch electrode pattern and a dummy electrode pattern (as shown in FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 1 , each of the touch electrode arrays and the touch electrode rows spans the display area 110a and the non-display area 110b, and the partial dummy electrode patterns 123 are located in the display area 110a, and the partial dummy electrode patterns 123 are located. It is to simultaneously span the display area 110a and the non-display area 110b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, part of the electrode blocks 130 are distributed in the display area, and the electrode blocks 130 located around the touch panel 100 span the display area 100a and the non-display area 100b. In general, when the problem of electrostatic breakdown occurs, the adjacent touch electrode pattern and the dummy electrode pattern in the non-display area 100b are generally caused by the coupling effect of the shielding layer corresponding to the non-display area 100b. The road, that is, the electrostatic discharge path is mainly concentrated in the non-display area. Therefore, how to solve the problems caused by the above electrostatic discharge is an issue of concern to those skilled in the art.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a touch panel including a substrate, a plurality of first electrode blocks, and a plurality of second electrode blocks. The substrate has a display area and a non-display area. The first electrode block and the second electrode block are formed on the substrate, and the second electrode block is disposed around the first electrode block. Each of the first electrode blocks is completely disposed in the display area and at least a portion of each of the second electrode blocks is located in the non-display area. Each of the first electrode blocks includes a first touch electrode pattern and a first dummy electrode pattern, wherein the first dummy electrode pattern is adjacent to the first touch electrode pattern, and the first dummy electrode pattern is at the corresponding first electrode The first area is occupied by the block. The second electrode block includes a second touch electrode pattern and a second region. At least a portion of the second region is located in the non-display region, the portion includes at least one second dummy electrode pattern, and an area of the second dummy electrode pattern is smaller than an area of the first dummy electrode pattern.

In some embodiments, the second region spans the display area and the non-display area.

In some embodiments, the shape of the first touch electrode pattern is the same as the shape of the second touch electrode pattern.

In some embodiments, the shape of the first touch electrode pattern is different from the shape of the second touch electrode pattern. The first touch electrode pattern has a first a pattern portion and a second pattern portion, the second touch electrode pattern having a first pattern portion and a second pattern portion, the first pattern portion of the first touch electrode pattern being the same position relative to the corresponding first electrode block The first pattern portion of the second touch electrode pattern is located at the display area, and the second pattern portion of the second touch electrode pattern is located at a position of the first pattern portion of the second touch electrode pattern relative to the corresponding second electrode block. The shape and the area of the first pattern portion of the second touch electrode pattern are the same as the shape and area of the first pattern portion of the first touch electrode pattern, and the second pattern of the second touch electrode pattern is located in the non-display area. The area of the portion is an area different from the second pattern portion of the first touch electrode pattern.

In some embodiments, the second dummy electrode pattern is adjacent to the second touch electrode pattern.

In some embodiments, a distance between the second dummy electrode pattern and the second touch electrode pattern is greater than a distance between the first dummy electrode pattern and the first touch electrode pattern.

In some embodiments, a first gap is formed between the first dummy electrode pattern and the first touch electrode pattern, and a second gap is formed between the second dummy electrode pattern and the second touch electrode pattern. A first insulating material is disposed in the first gap, and a second insulating material is disposed in the second gap, and a dielectric constant of the first insulating material is greater than a dielectric constant of the second insulating material.

In some embodiments, the dielectric constant of the first insulating material is between 7 and 8. The dielectric constant of the second insulating material is between 3 and 4.5.

In some embodiments, the touch panel further includes a shielding layer and an insulating layer. The shielding layer is disposed on the substrate and the second touch electrode in the non-display area Between the cases and between the substrate and the second dummy electrode pattern. In some embodiments, the insulating layer is disposed over the second touch electrode pattern and the second dummy electrode pattern in the non-display area. In some embodiments, the insulating layer is disposed between the second touch electrode pattern and the shielding layer and between the second dummy electrode pattern and the shielding layer in the non-display area. In some embodiments, the shielding layer is disposed on one side of the substrate, and the insulating layer is disposed on the other side of the substrate in the non-display area. In some embodiments, the material of the insulating layer comprises hafnium oxide.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide an electronic device including the above touch panel. In the electronic device and the touch panel proposed by the embodiments of the present invention, the probability of occurrence of electrostatic discharge or the increased capacitance value of the electrode pattern can be reduced.

The above described features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

100,200‧‧‧ touch panel

110a, 210a‧‧‧ display area

110b, 210b‧‧‧ non-display area

121, 122‧‧‧ touch electrode pattern

123‧‧‧Virtual electrode pattern

124‧‧‧Bridge

130‧‧‧Electrode block

210‧‧‧Substrate

230‧‧‧First electrode block

240‧‧‧Second electrode block

AA’‧‧‧ Tangent

310, 311‧‧‧ first touch electrode pattern

313, 314, 315, 316‧‧‧ first virtual electrode pattern

323, 324, 325, 326‧‧‧ first area

330,331‧‧‧second touch electrode pattern

333, 333a, 333b, 333c, 333d, 334a, 334b, 334c, 334d, 335a, 335b, 335c, 335d, 336‧‧‧ second virtual electrode pattern

343, 344, 345, 346‧‧‧ second area

310a, 311a, 330a, 331a‧‧‧ first pattern part

310b, 311b, 330b, 331b‧‧‧ second pattern part

D‧‧‧ gap

D1‧‧‧First gap

D2‧‧‧Second gap

910‧‧‧Substrate

920‧‧ ‧ shadowing layer

930‧‧‧Insulation

940‧‧‧Transparent conductive layer

FIG. 1 is a top view of a conventional touch panel.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement of electrode blocks in a conventional touch panel.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a first electrode block and a second electrode block according to the first embodiment.

4a-4d are schematic diagrams showing the arrangement of the first electrode block and the second electrode block according to the first embodiment.

[Fig. 5a] is an enlarged view showing a first electrode block and a second electrode block according to the first embodiment.

[Fig. 5b to 5c] are enlarged views of the first dummy electrode, the second dummy electrode, the first region and the second region, according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a first electrode block and a second electrode block according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a first electrode block and a second electrode block according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a first electrode block and a second electrode block according to a fourth embodiment.

9 is a side cross-sectional view showing a touch panel according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a touch panel according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a touch panel according to a seventh embodiment.

The aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawings. It should be emphasized that, according to the standard practice in the industry, the features in the figures are not drawn to scale, and in fact each feature can be arbitrarily increased or decreased. In addition, other features may be added between features and features unless specifically noted as "direct contact" below.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the touch panel according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, the substrate 210 of the touch panel 200 has a display area 210a and a non-display area 210b. A transparent conductive layer of the touch panel 200 is formed on the substrate 210 and includes a plurality of electrode blocks. The electrode blocks may be divided into a first electrode block 230 arranged in an array shape in the display region 210a, and a second electrode disposed around the first electrode block 230 arranged in an array shape. The block 240, wherein the shape and area of the first electrode block 230 and the second electrode block 240 are the same, but the shape or area of the dummy electrode pattern in the first electrode block 230 and the second electrode block 240 are different. . In this embodiment, the second electrode block 240 completely surrounds the first electrode block 230 arranged in an array shape in the display area 210a, and each of the first electrode blocks 230 is completely disposed in the display area 210a; One portion of each of the second electrode blocks 240 is disposed in the non-display area 210b, and the other portion is disposed in the display area 210a. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the second electrode block 240 may be partially surrounded by the first electrode block 230 arranged in an array shape in the display area 210a according to the design of the touch panel (as shown in FIGS. 4a-4c). Show). Moreover, in other embodiments, the second electrode block 240 can also be completely disposed within the non-display area 210b (as shown in Figure 4d). In the present invention, the arrangement of the first electrode block 230 and the second electrode block 240 is not limited to the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4a-4d, as long as the touch panel includes a plurality of electrode blocks, and the electrode blocks can be Divided into a plurality of first electrode blocks 230 in the display area 210a, and a plurality of second electrode blocks 240 disposed around the first electrode blocks 230, and each of the first electrode blocks 230 is completely It is disposed in the display area 210a, and at least a portion of each of the second electrode blocks 240 is disposed in the non-display area 210b, that is, within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above rectangular or square touch panel, since the display area 210a is rectangular or square, the plurality of first electrode blocks 230 in the display area 210a are arranged in an array shape. In other embodiments of the present invention, the touch panel may also be a circular, elliptical or triangular shape (also referred to as a shaped panel), and the display area has a circular shape corresponding to the shape of the touch panel. An elliptical or triangular shape, thus in an embodiment of the profiled panel, the plurality of first electrode segments within the display region are not arranged in an array shape.

It should be noted that, in the present invention, the touch panel 200 can be a One Glass Solution (OGS) touch panel, that is, a transparent conductive layer of the touch panel is formed on a cover lens. On the substrate. In this embodiment, since the area around the substrate of the protective cover has a shielding layer (for example, black ink or white ink), the non-display area 210b corresponds to the area having the shielding layer, and the display area 210a corresponds to the non-shading layer. region. However, the present invention is not limited to this aspect. For example, the touch panel 200 of the present invention can be separately fabricated and then bonded to the protective cover and the display panel to form a touch display device. In this embodiment, since the touch panel does not have the shielding layer, the non-display area 210b of the touch panel 200 corresponds to the area where the protective cover has the shielding layer, and the display area 210a of the touch panel 200 corresponds to An area without a shadow layer. In addition, in another embodiment of the present invention, the touch panel 200 of the present invention can be designed as an integrated (On-cell or In-cell) touch display panel with the display panel (for example, on On-cell). In an embodiment, the touch electrode pattern is formed on the surface of the color filter substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, and in the implementation of the In-cell, the touch electrode pattern is formed in the color filter. The surface of the liquid crystal layer facing the liquid crystal layer or the surface of the thin film transistor array substrate facing the liquid crystal layer in the display panel is bonded to the protective cover to form a touch display device. In this embodiment, the non-display area 210b of the touch panel 200 corresponds to the area where the protective cover has the shielding layer, and the display area 210a of the touch panel 200 corresponds to the area without the shielding layer. Yet another embodiment of the present invention In this example, the touch panel 200 of the present invention can be designed as an integrated (On-cell or In-cell) touch display panel with the display panel, and the assembled touch display device does not have a protective cover. In this embodiment, the non-display area 210b of the touch panel 200 corresponds to a black matrix area around the color filter substrate, and the display area 210a of the touch panel 200 corresponds to the color filter substrate. Other areas.

In addition, the touch panel 200 is included in an electronic device, and the electronic device may be a television, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, or any device having a touch function, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5a simultaneously, FIG. 5a is a partial top view of the touch panel 200, that is, a partial top view corresponding to the lower right corner of the touch panel 200 of FIG. Basically, in the embodiment of FIG. 3 and FIG. 5a, the dummy electrode pattern adjacent to the touch electrode pattern (which may be a driving electrode or a sensing electrode) is cut into a plurality of patterns in the non-display area 210b, so that The area of the dummy electrode pattern becomes small.

Specifically, the first electrode block 230 includes a touch electrode pattern 310 and a touch electrode pattern 311 (all may be referred to as a first touch electrode pattern). In this embodiment, the touch electrode pattern 310 is a driving electrode pattern, and the touch electrode pattern 311 is a driving electrode pattern. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the touch electrode pattern 310 may be a driving electrode pattern. And the touch electrode pattern 311 is a sensing electrode pattern. The first electrode block 230 also includes dummy electrode patterns 313, 314, 315, and 316 (which may be referred to as a first dummy electrode pattern). In this embodiment, the touch electrode pattern 310 and the dummy electrode patterns 313, 314, There is a gap between 315 and 316, and there is no electrical connection between them; similarly, there is a gap between the touch electrode pattern 311 and the dummy electrode patterns 313, 314, 315 and 316, and there is no electrical connection with each other. In this embodiment, the dummy electrode patterns 313, 314, 315, and 316 are adjacent to the touch electrode patterns 310, 311, and the dummy electrode patterns 313, 314, 315, and 316 respectively occupy the first electrode block 230. First regions 323, 324, 325, and 326. Specifically, the first region 323 refers to an area formed by the outline of the dummy electrode pattern 313 in the first electrode block 230 in the upper view of the touch panel 200, that is, a virtual electrode pattern. 313 is a projection area on the substrate 210 of the touch panel 200. Similarly, the first regions 324, 325, and 326 are projection areas of the dummy electrode patterns 314, 315, and 316 on the substrate 210 of the touch panel 200, respectively.

On the other hand, the second electrode block 240 includes a touch electrode pattern 330 and a touch electrode pattern 331 (both may be referred to as a second touch electrode pattern), and the second electrode block 240 also includes a plurality of dummy electrode patterns. (Also called the second virtual electrode pattern). Taking the second electrode block 240 in the lower right corner of FIG. 5a as an example, it includes second dummy electrode patterns 333a, 333b, 333c, 333d, 334a, 334b, 334c, 334d, 335a, 335b, 335c, 335d and 336. Similarly, in this embodiment, the touch electrode pattern 330 is a sensing electrode pattern, and the touch electrode pattern 331 is a driving electrode pattern. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the touch electrode pattern 330 may be The electrode pattern is driven, and the touch electrode pattern 331 is a sensing electrode pattern. As shown in FIG. 5a, similar to the first electrode block 230, adjacent touch electrode patterns and virtual There is also a gap between the electrode patterns. The touch electrode pattern 310 is a touch electrode with the plurality of first electrode blocks 230 disposed in the display area 210a and the plurality of second electrode blocks 240 disposed around the first electrode blocks 230. The pattern 330 is electrically connected to form a touch electrode row, and the touch electrode pattern 311 is electrically connected to the touch electrode pattern 331 to form a touch electrode column. Referring to FIG. 5a, 5b, and 5c, the first virtual electrode patterns 313, 314, 315, 316 and the first regions 323, 324, 325, 326 in the first electrode block 230 are illustrated. And the first dummy electrode patterns 333a-333d, 334a-334d, 335a-335d, 336 and the second regions 343, 344, 345, 346 in the second electrode block 240 in the lower right corner of FIG. 5a. The first region 323 in the first electrode block 230 corresponds to the second region 343 in the second electrode block 240. In detail, the size and shape of the first region 323 are the same as the second region 343, and the position of the first region 323 with respect to the first electrode block 230 is the same as the second region 343 with respect to the corresponding second electrode region. The location of block 240. In particular, at least a portion of the second region 343 is within the non-display region 210b, and portions of the non-display region 210b include the second dummy electrode patterns 333b, 333c, and 333d. As can be seen from FIG. 5a, the second dummy electrode patterns 333a, 333b, 333c, and 333d are generated by cutting the first dummy electrode patterns 313 into a plurality of electrode patterns, wherein the second dummy electrode patterns 333b, 333c, and 333d are located. In the non-display area 210b, the second dummy electrode pattern 333a is located in the display area 210a, and between the adjacent second dummy electrode patterns 333a and 333b, between the adjacent second dummy electrode patterns 333b and 333c, and adjacent a gap between the second dummy electrode patterns 333c and 333d, that is, a second dummy electrode pattern Cases 333a and 333b, 333b and 333c, and 333c and 333d are not electrically connected. In other words, the areas of the second dummy electrode patterns 333a, 333b, 333c, and 333d are smaller than the area of the first dummy electrode pattern 313, and the second dummy electrode patterns 333a, 333b, 333c, and 333d are adjacent to the touch electrode pattern. 330, 331, and having a gap with the touch electrode patterns 330, 331. Further, as shown in FIG. 5c, the first dummy electrode pattern 313 is filled with respect to the first region 323 (because the first region 323 is defined by the outline of the first dummy electrode pattern 313, that is, the first dummy electrode The second region 343 of the same size as the first region 323 includes the second dummy electrode patterns 333a, 333b, 333c, and 333d, and the adjacent second virtual region 313 is on the substrate 210 of the touch panel 200. There is a gap between the electrode patterns 333a and 333b, between 333b and 333c, and between 333c and 333d, so that the area of each of the second dummy electrode patterns 333a, 333b, 333c, and 333d is smaller than that in the first region 323 except in the second region 343. The total area of the second dummy electrode patterns 333a, 333b, 333c, and 333d in the second region 343 is also smaller than the area of the first dummy electrode pattern 313 in the first region 323, outside the area of the first dummy electrode pattern 313.

In addition, in the same second electrode block 240, a plurality of other virtual electrode patterns 334a, 334b, 334c, and 334d of the lower left area and a plurality of virtual electrode patterns 335a, 335b, 335c, and 335d of the upper right area are included, The first dummy electrode patterns 314 and 315 are respectively formed by cutting, and will not be described herein.

It should be noted that the above is the virtual electrode pattern in the second electrode block 240 located in the lower right corner corner of the touch panel 200 in FIG. 5a. By way of example, the second electrode block 240 at other locations may be used to fine-tune the second dummy electrode pattern located in the non-display area 210b according to the principles described above, and the same description will not be repeated here. For example, taking the second electrode block 240 in the lower left corner of FIG. 5a as an example, since only the lower side portion of the second electrode block 240 is located in the non-display area 210b, the same shape as the first area 323 is The second region of the size is the second dummy electrode patterns 353a, 353b, 353c, and 353d, and the second region having the same shape and size as the first region 324 is including the second dummy electrode patterns 354a, 354b, 354c, and 354d. The area of each of the second dummy electrode patterns 353a, 353b, 353c, and 353d is smaller than the area of the first dummy electrode pattern 313 in the first region 323, and the second dummy electrode patterns 353a, 353b, 353c in the second region and The total area of 353d is also smaller than the area of the first dummy electrode pattern 313 in the first region 323. Likewise, the area of each of the second dummy electrode patterns 354a, 354b, 354c, and 354d is smaller than the area of the first dummy electrode pattern 314 in the first region 324, and the second dummy electrode patterns 354a, 354b in the second region, The total area of 354c and 354d is also less than the area of the first virtual electrode pattern 314 in the first region 324.

In the prior art, the shape, area, or spacing of the touch electrode patterns and the dummy electrode patterns in the second electrode block 240 are generally arranged as the touch electrode patterns and the dummy electrode patterns in the first electrode block 230. the same. Therefore, when the electrostatic discharge occurs and the adjacent touch electrode patterns and the dummy electrode patterns in the non-display area 210b are short-circuited, the area of the equivalent touch electrode pattern becomes large, and the touch signal is abnormal (when the adjacent touch electrodes are adjacent) When the pattern and the dummy electrode pattern are short-circuited, since the dummy electrode pattern is electrically connected to the adjacent touch The electrode pattern is controlled so that the equivalent touch electrode pattern area becomes larger). As described in the paragraph [0004] of the specification, when the problem of electrostatic breakdown occurs, the adjacent touch electrode patterns in the non-display area are usually short-circuited with the dummy electrode pattern, and in this embodiment, because The second dummy electrode patterns 333b, 333c, 333d, 334b, 334c, 334d, 335b, 335c, and 335d adjacent to the touch electrode patterns 330 or 331 in the display region 210b have a small area (compared with the prior art). Therefore, even if the touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 is short-circuited with one adjacent second dummy electrode pattern 333b, 333c, 333d, 334c, 335d due to electrostatic destruction, the equivalent touch electrode pattern 330 Or the area of 331 will only increase slightly compared with the original area, so it will not cause abnormal touch signals.

Further, in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 5a to 5c, the second regions 343, 344, and 345 span the display region 210a and the non-display region 210b. However, in other embodiments, when the virtual electrode patterns have different configurations, the second regions 343, 344 or 345 may also be completely located in the non-display region 210b, that is, at least a portion of the second regions 343, 344, and 345. It is in the non-display area 210b. The first regions 323, 324, 325, 326 and the second regions 343, 344, 345, 346 are used to indicate the positions of the corresponding dummy electrode patterns in the first electrode block 230 and the second electrode block 240, It is within the spirit and scope of the present invention to cut the dummy electrode pattern located adjacent to the touch electrode pattern in the non-display area 210b into a dummy electrode pattern having a smaller area in the second electrode block 240.

It should be noted that, in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 5a to 5c, the first dummy electrode patterns 313, 314, 315, and 316 are strip-shaped electrode patterns, but The present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust the shape and area of the first virtual electrode patterns 313, 314, 315, and 316 without affecting the visual effects and functions of the touch panel.

In addition, FIG. 3 and FIGS. 5a-5c illustrate that the second dummy electrode patterns adjacent to the touch electrode patterns 330 or 331 located in the non-display area 210b are cut into three second dummy electrode patterns 333b, 333c, and 333d, 3 second dummy electrode patterns 334b, 334c and 334d and 3 second dummy electrode patterns 335b, 335c and 335d, but the present invention does not limit the number of second dummy electrode patterns, and the technical field has a common knowledge in the process. The number of second virtual electrode patterns is adjusted by itself within the capability range and without affecting the visual effect of the touch panel. When the number of the second dummy electrode patterns is finely cut, that is, the area of the second dummy electrode pattern is smaller, when the electrostatic breakdown causes the touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 and an adjacent second dummy electrode When the pattern is short-circuited, the increase in the area of the equivalent touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 is smaller, so that the touch signal is less likely to be abnormal.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the difference between FIG. 6 and FIG. 5 a is that the embodiment of FIG. 6 does not cut the second dummy electrode pattern in the second electrode block 240 located in the non-display area 210 b adjacent to the touch electrode pattern. The dummy electrode pattern having a smaller area is increased by the gap d between the second dummy electrode pattern 333 in the non-display area 210b and the touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 adjacent thereto. The material of the dummy electrode pattern and the touch electrode pattern are both conductors, and the gap between the dummy electrode pattern and the touch electrode pattern is usually filled with an insulating material. Therefore, the larger the gap d is, during the electrostatic discharge, the gap d The less likely the insulating material is to break down, resulting in a second virtual electrode pattern The case 333 is short-circuited with the second touch electrode pattern 330 or 331. Similarly, the gap d between the second dummy electrode patterns 334 and 335 in the non-display area 210b to the adjacent touch electrode patterns 330 or 331 is also increased to reduce the second dummy electrode pattern 334 due to electrostatic discharge. Or the probability of 335 being shorted to the second touch electrode pattern 330 or 331.

Compared with the first dummy electrode pattern 313, in this embodiment, the side of the second dummy electrode pattern 333 adjacent to the touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 is indented, so that the gap d is increased, and thus the second dummy electrode pattern 333 The area is smaller than the area of the first dummy electrode pattern 313, that is, the area of the second dummy electrode pattern 333 in the second region 343 is smaller than the area of the first dummy electrode pattern 313 in the first region 323. Similarly, the areas of the second dummy electrode patterns 334 and 335 are smaller than the areas of the first dummy electrode patterns 314 and 315, that is, in the second areas 344 and 345, the areas of the second dummy electrode patterns 334 and 335 are respectively smaller than The area of the first dummy electrode patterns 314 and 315 in the first regions 324 and 325.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , the shape and area of the touch electrode patterns 310 , 311 located in the first electrode block 230 are the same as the touch electrode patterns 330 in the second electrode block 240 , Shape and area of 331. However, in some embodiments, the second electrode block 240 and the first electrode block 230 can also be implemented as the touch electrode patterns 330, 331 in the second electrode block 240 in FIG. 7, respectively. The touch electrode patterns 310, 311 located in the first electrode block 230 have different shapes, and the difference is in the portion of the touch electrode patterns 330, 331 located in the non-display area 210b. In the embodiment of FIG. 7 , the first touch electrode patterns 310 and 311 respectively have There are first pattern portions 310a, 311a and second pattern portions 310b, 311b, and the second touch electrode patterns 330, 331 have first pattern portions 330a, 331a and second pattern portions 330b, 331b, respectively. The positions of the first pattern portions 310a, 311a of the first touch electrode patterns 310, 311 with respect to the corresponding first electrode block 230 are the same as the first pattern portions 330a, 331a of the second touch electrode patterns 330, 331. At the location of the corresponding second electrode block 240. The first pattern portions 330a, 331a of the second touch electrode patterns 330, 331 are located within the display area 210a, and the second pattern portions 330b, 331b are located within the non-display area 210b. Compared with the touch electrode patterns 310 and 311 located in the first electrode block 230, the shapes and areas of the first pattern portions 310a and 311a of the first touch electrode patterns 310 and 311 are the same as the second touch electrode patterns 330. The shape and the area of the first pattern portions 330a and 331a of the first touch electrode patterns 310 and 311 are different from those of the second touch electrode patterns 330 and 331. The shape of the two pattern portions 330b, 331b, and the areas of the second pattern portions 330b, 331b of the second touch electrode patterns 330, 331 are smaller than the second pattern portions 310b, 311b of the first touch electrode patterns 310, 311, respectively. The area is such that the gap d between the second dummy electrode pattern 333 located in the non-display area 210b to the touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 adjacent thereto is increased.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, the second pattern portion 330b of the second touch electrode patterns 330, 331 is changed because the change of the area of the touch electrode pattern affects the capacitance value and causes the change of the touch signal. The area of 331b is preferably slightly smaller than the second figure of the first touch electrode patterns 310, 311. The area of the portion 310b, 311b is to avoid causing abnormal touch signals. Therefore, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, the area of the second pattern portions 330b, 331b of the second touch electrode patterns 330, 331 is smaller than the second pattern portions 310b, 311b of the first touch electrode patterns 310, 311. Outside the area, the side of the second dummy electrode pattern 333 adjacent to the touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 is retracted in conjunction with the embodiment of FIG. 6, so that in the non-display area 210b, the second dummy electrode pattern 333 and the phase The gap d between the adjacent touch electrode patterns 330 or 331 is increased.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 , although the second dummy electrode pattern 333 is not cut into a plurality of patterns as shown in FIG. 5 a , in the non-display area 210 b , the second dummy electrode pattern 333 and the second touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 The gap d between the two may be relatively large (greater than the distance between the first dummy electrode pattern 313 and the first electrode pattern 310 or 311), and the increased distance may reduce the adjacent second in the non-display area 210b during electrostatic discharge. The probability that the virtual electrode pattern 333 and the second touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 are short-circuited occurs. In some embodiments, the teachings of FIG. 5a and FIGS. 6 and 7 may also be combined, that is, the second dummy electrode patterns 333b, 333c, 333d, 334b, 334c, 334d, 335b, 335c, and 335d are adjacent to each other in FIG. 5a. The distance between the second touch electrode patterns 330 or 331 may be increased, or the portion of the second dummy electrode pattern 333 located in the non-display area 210b in FIG. 6 or 7 may be cut into a plurality of smaller area patterns.

Referring to FIG. 8 , in the non-display area 210 b , the gap between the second dummy electrode pattern 333 and the adjacent second touch electrode patterns 330 , 331 (also referred to as a second gap) is also provided with insulation. Material 410 (also Known as the second insulating material, the insulating material 410 has a relatively low dielectric constant. Specifically, in some embodiments, an over coating layer is usually deposited after the metal wires of the electrode pattern and the electrode pattern are electrically connected, and the cover layer is filled with the touch electrode pattern and the dummy electrode pattern. Therefore, the first gap D1 (also referred to as the first gap) between the first touch electrode patterns 310, 311 and the first dummy electrode pattern 313 is also provided with an insulating material (also referred to as a first insulating material). However, the dielectric constant of the first insulating material is greater than the dielectric constant of the second insulating material 410. For example, the dielectric constant of the first insulating material is between 7 and 8, and the dielectric constant of the second insulating material 410 is between 3 and 4.5. For example, the material of the first insulating material may be a transparent resin, The material of the second insulating material 410 may be cerium oxide. However, the dielectric constant and material of the first insulating material and the second insulating material 410 are not limited thereto. Because the dielectric material having a lower dielectric constant represents the lower the energy stored in the dielectric material as the electrostatic field spans the dielectric material, the dielectric material having a lower dielectric constant has better electric field shielding capability. By providing a second dielectric material 410 having a lower dielectric constant in the gap D2 between the second touch electrode patterns 330, 331 and the second dummy electrode pattern 333, the second touch electrode in the non-display area 210b can be reduced. The probability of a short circuit between the patterns 330, 331 and the second dummy electrode pattern 333 due to electrostatic breakdown. That is, the adjacent second touch electrode pattern can be reduced by providing a lower dielectric constant insulating material in the gap between the adjacent second touch electrode pattern and the second dummy electrode pattern in the non-display area. The probability of short-circuiting with the second virtual electrode pattern due to electrostatic breakdown.

It should be noted that in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the non-display area The size of the second gap D2 between the second dummy electrode pattern 333 and the second touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 in 210b may be greater than the first gap between the first dummy electrode pattern 313 and the first electrode pattern 310 or 311. The size of the D1, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments of the present invention, the second gap between the second dummy electrode pattern 333 and the second touch electrode pattern 330 or 331 in the non-display area 210b The size of D2 may also be equal to the size of the first gap D1 between the first dummy electrode pattern 313 and the first electrode pattern 310 or 311. In addition, the embodiment of FIG. 8 can also be combined with the embodiments of FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, that is, the second touch electrode patterns and the second in the non-display area 210b in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. The gap between the dummy electrode patterns is provided with an insulating material of a lower dielectric constant.

Although the second insulating material 410 is not filled with the second gap D2 between the second touch electrode patterns 330 and 331 and the second dummy electrode pattern 323, the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments of the present invention, the second insulating material 410 may fill the second gap D2 between the second touch electrode patterns 330, 331 and the second dummy electrode patterns 333.

It should be noted that the shapes of the touch electrode patterns and the dummy electrode patterns described above are merely examples, and the present invention does not limit the shape, configuration, and formation method of the patterns. For example, although the touch electrode pattern is a conventional single-sided ITO (SITO) structure in the embodiments of FIGS. 3-8, the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the touch electrode pattern may be a single layer solution (OLS) structure or a double sided ITO (DITO) structure. In addition, although the touch electrodes of the touch panel 100 in FIGS. 3-8 are designed as mutual capacitance The (mutual-capacitance) type, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the touch electrode design of the touch panel may also be a self-capacitance type.

Further, the transparent conductive layers in Examples 3 to 8 were formed of a transparent conductive material. The transparent conductive material includes, for example, Indium tin oxide (ITO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), fluorine tin oxide (FTO) or other conductive and transparent materials such as nanowires. (Nano silver wire, nano copper wire), but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments of the present invention, the first touch electrode pattern, the first dummy electrode pattern, the second touch electrode pattern, and the second dummy electrode in the first electrode block and the second electrode block The pattern may also be formed from a metal layer having a mesh (eg, a metal mesh).

Therefore, those skilled in the art have retouched or modified the contents disclosed in FIGS. 3-8 to design touch electrode patterns and dummy electrode patterns of other shapes. As long as the virtual electrode pattern is located in the non-display area and the adjacent portion of the touch electrode pattern is cut into a smaller area pattern, the gap between the touch electrode pattern in the non-display area and the adjacent virtual electrode pattern is increased, or It is within the spirit and scope of the present invention to provide an insulating material having a lower dielectric constant in the gap between the touch electrode pattern in the non-display area and the adjacent dummy electrode pattern.

Next, please refer to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a partial enlarged view of a cross section of the touch panel in the display area and the non-display area (for example, FIG. 9 may correspond to a cross-sectional view of the tangent AA' of FIG. 3). The touch panel includes a substrate 910, a shielding layer 920, an insulating layer 930, and a transparent conductive layer 940. The material of the substrate 910 includes, for example, glass A glass, a polymer, a composite, or other suitable material, and the substrate 910 has a display area 910a and a non-display area 910b. A shielding layer 920 is disposed on the substrate 910. The material of the shielding layer 920 may include black ink, white ink, photoresist material or other opaque insulating material, but is not limited thereto. The shielding layer 920 is provided with an insulating layer 930. The material of the insulating layer 930 includes, for example, cerium oxide, but is not limited thereto. A transparent conductive layer 940 is disposed on the insulating layer 930. The transparent conductive layer 940 includes the first touch electrode pattern of the first electrode block 230 and the first dummy electrode pattern and the second touch electrode pattern and the second dummy electrode pattern of the second electrode block 240. In other words, in the non-display area 910b, the shielding layer 920 is disposed between the transparent conductive layer 940 and the substrate 910, and the insulating layer 930 is disposed between the shielding layer 920 and the transparent conductive layer 940. That is, the shielding layer 920 is disposed between the second touch electrode pattern and the substrate 910 in the non-display area 910b and between the second dummy electrode pattern and the substrate 910, and the insulating layer 930 is disposed in the non-display area 910b. Between the shielding layer 920 and the second touch electrode pattern and between the shielding layer 920 and the second dummy electrode pattern. In this embodiment, the substrate 910 can be a substrate of a cover lens, but the invention is not limited thereto. In the embodiment of FIG. 9, if an electrostatic discharge test is performed on the lower surface side of the substrate 910, or an electrostatic charge is accumulated on the lower surface of the substrate 910, the insulating layer 930 can be used to reduce electrostatic coupling to the non-display area 910b. The transparent conductive layer 940 is used to enhance the electrostatic protection capability.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the insulating layer 930 is disposed in the non-display area 910b and extends to the partial display area 910a. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the insulating layer 930 may be disposed only in the non-display area 910b. Or absolutely The edge layer 930 is disposed in the non-display area 910b and extends into the entire display area 910a.

Please refer to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a partial enlarged view of a cross section of a touch panel in a display area and a non-display area according to another aspect of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the materials of the substrate 910, the shielding layer 920, the insulating layer 930, and the transparent conductive layer 940 are the same as those of the embodiment of FIG. 9, and the same description will not be repeated here. A shielding layer 920 is disposed on the substrate 910. A transparent conductive layer 940 is disposed on the shielding layer 920, and an insulating layer 930 is disposed on the transparent conductive layer 940. That is, in the non-display area 910b, the second touch electrode pattern and the second dummy electrode pattern are disposed on the shielding layer 920, and the insulating layer 930 is the second touch electrode pattern and the second layer disposed in the non-display area 910b. Above the virtual electrode pattern. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, if an electrostatic discharge test is performed above the touch panel, that is, above the insulating layer 930, or an electrostatic charge is accumulated on the upper surface of the insulating layer 930, the insulating layer 930 can be used to reduce static electricity. The transparent conductive layer 940 is coupled to the non-display area 910b to enhance the electrostatic protection capability.

It should be particularly noted that a cover layer is generally deposited over the transparent conductive layer 940 to protect the touch electrode pattern and the dummy electrode pattern, and is planarized. That is, although not shown in FIG. 10, the cover layer may be located between the transparent conductive layer 940 and the insulating layer 930, or the cover layer may be located above the insulating layer 930. Although the cover layer is also an insulating material, the commonly used cover layer has a dielectric constant of about 7 to 8, and the insulating layer 930 in this embodiment is an insulating material having a lower dielectric constant than the cover layer (for example, SiO 2 ). And the dielectric constant of the insulating layer 930 is preferably between 3 and 4.5. and also That is to say, in addition to depositing the cap layer, an insulating layer 930 having a lower dielectric constant than the cap layer is additionally formed in the non-display region 910b, and the electrode pattern electrostatically coupled to the non-display region 910b can be further reduced to enhance the electrostatic protection capability.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the insulating layer 930 is disposed in the non-display area 910b and extends into the partial display area 910a. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the insulating layer 930 may be disposed only in the non-display area 910b. Alternatively, the insulating layer 930 may be disposed in the non-display area 910b and extend into the entire display area 910a.

Next, please refer to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view of a cross section of a touch panel in a display area and a non-display area according to still another aspect of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the materials of the substrate 910, the shielding layer 920, the insulating layer 930, and the transparent conductive layer 940 are the same as those of the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10, and the same description will not be repeated here. In the embodiment of FIG. 11 , the substrate 910 has opposite sides, the shielding layer 920 and the transparent conductive layer 940 are stacked on one side thereof, and the insulating layer 930 is disposed on the other side of the substrate 910 . In the embodiment of FIG. 11, if an electrostatic discharge test is performed on the lower surface side of the substrate 910, or an electrostatic charge is accumulated on the lower surface of the substrate 910, the insulating layer 930 can be used to reduce electrostatic coupling to the non-display area 910b. The transparent conductive layer 640 is used to enhance the electrostatic protection capability.

In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the insulating layer 930 is disposed only in the non-display area 910b. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the insulating layer 930 may be disposed in the display area 910a and the non-display area 910b.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 9-11, the first touch electrode pattern, the first dummy electrode pattern, and the first electrode block in the first electrode block and the second electrode block are formed. The materials of the transparent conductive layer 940 of the second touch electrode pattern and the second dummy electrode pattern include, for example, Indium tin oxide (ITO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), and fluoride tin oxide (fluorine tin oxide). FTO) or other conductive and transparent materials, such as nanowires (nano-silver, nano-copper). However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments of the present invention, the first touch electrode pattern, the first dummy electrode pattern, the second touch electrode pattern, and the second dummy electrode in the first electrode block and the second electrode block The pattern may also be formed from a metal layer having a mesh (eg, a metal mesh).

It should be noted that the embodiment of FIGS. 9-11 can also be combined with the embodiments of FIGS. 3-8, that is, the touch electrode pattern and the dummy electrode in the non-display area are changed except for the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-8. The pattern layout manner, or filling the gap between the touch electrode pattern and the dummy electrode pattern in the non-display area by the insulating material with a lower dielectric constant, can also be combined with the embodiment of FIG. 9-11 to further enhance the static electricity. Discharge capacity.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

200‧‧‧ touch panel

210‧‧‧Substrate

210a‧‧‧Display area

210b‧‧‧Non-display area

230‧‧‧First electrode block

240‧‧‧Second electrode block

AA’‧‧‧ Tangent

Claims (10)

A touch panel includes: a substrate having a display area and a non-display area; a first touch electrode pattern disposed on the substrate and located in the display area; a first dummy electrode pattern disposed on the On the substrate, in the display area, the first dummy electrode pattern is adjacent to the first touch electrode pattern; a second touch electrode pattern is disposed on the substrate, and the second touch electrode pattern is at least partially The plurality of second dummy electrode patterns adjacent to the second touch electrode pattern are disposed on the substrate, and at least one of the second dummy electrode patterns is located in the non-display area The area of any of the second dummy electrode patterns located in the non-display area is smaller than the area of the first dummy electrode pattern. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein a total area of the second dummy electrode patterns is smaller than an area of the first dummy electrode pattern. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the first dummy electrode pattern and the first touch electrode pattern have a first gap, and any of the second dummy electrode patterns in the non-display area And a second gap between the second touch electrode pattern, the first gap Less than the second gap. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the first dummy electrode pattern and the first touch electrode pattern have a first gap, and any of the second dummy electrode patterns in the non-display area A second gap is disposed between the second touch electrode pattern, wherein a first insulating material is disposed in the first gap, and a second insulating material is disposed in the second gap, and a dielectric constant of the first insulating material is Greater than the dielectric constant of the second insulating material. A touch panel includes: a substrate having a display area and a non-display area; a first touch electrode pattern disposed on the substrate and located in the display area; a first dummy electrode pattern disposed on the On the substrate, in the display area, the first dummy electrode pattern is adjacent to the first touch electrode pattern, and the first dummy electrode pattern and the first touch electrode pattern have a first gap; a second touch electrode pattern disposed on the substrate, the second touch electrode pattern being at least partially located in the non-display area, and a second dummy electrode pattern disposed on the substrate and the second touch electrode The pattern is adjacent to each other, at least a portion of the second dummy electrode pattern is located in the non-display area, and a second gap is formed between the at least one portion and the second touch electrode pattern. Wherein the first gap is smaller than the second gap. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein the second dummy electrode pattern is located in the display area and the non-display area, and the second gap is larger than a portion of the second dummy electrode pattern located in the display area. a gap between the second touch electrode patterns. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein a first insulating material is disposed in the first gap, and a second insulating material is disposed in the second gap, and a dielectric constant of the first insulating material is greater than The dielectric constant of the second insulating material. The touch panel of claim 1 or 5, further comprising: a shielding layer disposed in the non-display area, the shielding layer is disposed on the substrate, and is located on the substrate and the second touch electrode pattern And an insulating layer disposed on the shielding layer and located above or below the second touch electrode pattern. The touch panel of claim 1 or 5, further comprising: a shielding layer disposed in the non-display area, the shielding layer is disposed on one side of the substrate, and is located on the substrate and the second touch Electrode pattern And an insulating layer disposed on the other side of the substrate in the non-display area. The touch panel of claim 4, wherein the dielectric constant of the first insulating material is between 7 and 8, and the dielectric constant of the second insulating material is between 3 and 4.5.