Ultra-fine Copper Mesh Electrode for Touch Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
The touch display industry faces challenges in achieving high aperture ratio and low manufacturing costs due to the use of un-transparent electrodes, which affect light transmission and comfort, and require high-resolution exposure equipment, leading to increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An ultra-fine copper mesh is developed with a transparent substrate and a copper electrode layer coated with a cuprous oxide antireflective conductive film, formed through a low-cost manufacturing process that includes deposition, oxidation, surface treatment, and over-etching to create a mesh pattern, reducing reflection and maintaining high production quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If un-transparent electrodes are used in touch display screens, then the electrode can provide sufficient electrical conductivity and structural stability, but the aperture ratio is reduced and light transmission is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the electrode material transparent in specific regions while maintaining conductivity. The copper mesh structure provides conductive pathways only where needed (along the mesh lines), while the spaces between mesh lines remain transparent, allowing light transmission. This resolves the contradiction by localizing the conductive function to specific areas rather than using a continuous opaque electrode layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining copper mesh with transparent substrates and applying transparent conductive oxides (such as ITO or IZO) on the copper mesh surface. This composite structure maintains the electrical conductivity of copper while allowing light transmission through the transparent oxide layer and the mesh structure, thus improving aperture ratio without sacrificing conductivity.
2Illumination intensity
If the electrode width is reduced to improve aperture ratio, then more screen area is available for display, but the manufacturing cost increases due to higher resolution requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the electrode into a mesh structure with discrete conductive lines rather than a continuous thin film. This segmentation allows the electrode to provide sufficient conductivity through the distributed mesh pattern while maintaining larger open spaces for light transmission. The mesh geometry can be optimized to achieve high aperture ratios without requiring extremely fine feature sizes that would increase manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the electrode structure by using ultra-fine copper mesh with specific wire diameters and spacing patterns. By optimizing these parameters, the patent achieves high aperture ratios while keeping the manufacturing process feasible. The copper mesh can be manufactured using established techniques without requiring high-resolution lithography, thus controlling manufacturing costs.
3Reliability
If metallic electrode materials are used to ensure conductivity, then the electrical performance is sufficient, but reflection of natural light occurs affecting viewing comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer of transparent conductive oxide (such as ITO or IZO) on the copper mesh surface. This intermediary layer serves as a mediator that maintains electrical conductivity while reducing light reflection. The transparent oxide has different optical properties than metallic copper, providing anti-reflective characteristics while preserving the conductive function, thus resolving the contradiction between conductivity and reflection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies color changes by using transparent conductive oxides that have different optical absorption and reflection characteristics compared to metallic copper. These oxide layers can be engineered to have specific optical properties that minimize reflection in the visible spectrum while maintaining electrical conductivity, thereby improving viewing comfort without sacrificing electrical performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ultra-fine copper mesh achieves low reflection and high production quality, enhancing user comfort and reducing manufacturing costs by allowing the same high-cost production quality at a lower cost, while maintaining the thin and light characteristics of liquid crystal displays.
Implementation Method 1
a first antireflective conductive film, disposed on the top surface of the first pure copper deposited film, wherein the first antireflective conductive film comprises a cuprous oxide (Cu2O)
Implementation Method 2
an a first antireflective conductive film, disposed on the top surface of the first pure copper deposited film, wherein the first antireflective conductive film comprises a cuprous oxide (Cu2O)
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides an ultra-fine copper mesh for a display and a touch panel, comprising a transparent substrate, having an upper surface and a lower surface with respect to the upper surface; and a first copper electrode layer comprising a first pure copper deposited film, having a top surface and a bottom surface with respect to the top surface, wherein the bottom surface of the first pure copper deposited film is disposed on the upper surface of the transparent substrate; and a first antireflective conductive film, disposed on the top surface of the first pure copper deposited film, the first antireflective conductive film comprises a cuprous oxide (Cu2O). After the first antireflective conductive film is subjected to an exposure developing process, the first copper deposited film layer of the first copper electrode layer and the first antireflective conductive film are simultaneously subjected to an over-etching process on the transparent substrate to form together at least one mesh pattern.