Capacitive Touch Panel Intaglio Electrode Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Capacitive touch panels using ITO electrodes face issues with poor touch sensitivity, high manufacturing costs, and visibility due to complex photo etching processes and inaccurate alignment in screen-printing processes, making them unsuitable for large areas and economically feasible.

Innovation Solution

A capacitive touch panel with an intaglio micro pattern formed by an imprinting process, featuring a conductive layer with low resistance, where sensing and wiring electrodes are formed simultaneously on a resin layer laminated on a transparency substrate, improving touch sensitivity and optical transmittance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If photo etching process is used to form ITO transparency electrode pattern, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepattern alignment accuracyVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the photolithography step from the manufacturing process and replaces it with an imprinting process that directly forms the intaglio pattern on the resin layer, eliminating the need for photo etching while maintaining pattern precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the photochemical etching process with a mechanical imprinting process where a mold is pressed into the resin layer to form the intaglio pattern, substituting chemical processes with a mechanical approach that achieves similar precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of manufacture

If screen-printing process is used to form electrode pattern, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidalign tolerance accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by forming the intaglio pattern on the resin layer before depositing the conductive material, ensuring precise pattern definition is established beforehand, which maintains alignment accuracy while using a simpler subsequent deposition process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Illumination intensity

If ITO transparency electrode is used for capacitive touch screen, then optical transmittance is improved, but touch sensitivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoptical transmittanceVSAvoidtouch sensitivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from planar electrodes to three-dimensional intaglio patterns with vertical depth, creating sensing regions at multiple levels that enhance touch sensitivity while maintaining optical transmittance through the transparent substrate and resin layer structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite structure combining transparent resin material with conductive materials in the intaglio regions, creating a multi-functional layer that provides both optical clarity and enhanced electrical sensing capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Illumination intensity

If ITO material is used for electrode, then optical property is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoptical transmittanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive ITO material with cheaper conductive materials such as conductive polymers or metal particles that can be deposited in the intaglio regions, using cost-effective materials while maintaining the necessary electrical and optical properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentEP2544080B1Capacitive touch panel and manufacturing method for same
Publication Date: 2019.08.28 MIRAENANOTECH
  • EP2544080B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2544080B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2544080B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

The present invention relates to a capacitive touch panel and a method for manufacturing the same, in which the material having lower resistance than that of ITO is filled in the intaglio formed on the resin layer, which is patterned to form the embedded sensing electrode and the sensing electrodes and the wiring electrodes are formed at the same time by using the same resistance material; in which the capacitive touch panel includes a first sensing layer formed with a plurality of first direction sensing electrodes, which are patterned and a plurality of first wiring electrodes; and a second sensing layer formed with a plurality of second direction sensing electrodes, which are patterned and a plurality of second wiring electrodes; in which the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer are bonded in the mutual vertical direction.