Flexible Touch Panel Using Carbon Nanotube Conductive Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch panels with indium tin oxide (ITO) layers have poor mechanical durability, low chemical endurance, uneven resistance, and low transparency, making them unsuitable for flexible displays and resulting in low sensitivity, accuracy, and brightness, especially in humid environments.
Innovation Solution
A touch panel design featuring flexible substrates with carbon nanotube layers as conductive materials, which provide superior toughness, uniform conductivity, and high transparency, along with a simple fabrication method using a super-aligned array of carbon nanotubes and a pulling process to form uniform carbon nanotube films.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If indium tin oxide (ITO) layers are used as conductive materials in conventional touch panels, then the panels can be manufactured with existing processes, but the mechanical durability is poor and chemical endurance is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from indium tin oxide (ITO) to carbon nanotubes (CNT), transforming the conductive layer's properties to achieve both flexibility and durability while maintaining manufacturability through a simplified pulling process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses carbon nanotubes as a composite conductive material that combines high mechanical strength, flexibility, and electrical conductivity, replacing traditional ITO layers to resolve the contradiction between manufacturability and reliability
2Ease of manufacture
If indium tin oxide (ITO) layers are used in conventional touch panels, then production can proceed with standard techniques, but the transparency is low especially in humid environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition from ITO to carbon nanotubes, which inherently provide higher transparency and optical stability, particularly in humid environments, while maintaining production feasibility through the pulling process
3Ease of manufacture
If indium tin oxide (ITO) layers are used in touch panels, then existing manufacturing processes can be utilized, but the resistance distribution is uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the conductive material to carbon nanotubes, which provide uniform resistance distribution due to their consistent one-dimensional conductivity, eliminating the resistance unevenness problem while remaining compatible with simplified manufacturing processes
4Stability of the object's composition
If rigid substrates are used in conventional touch panels, then structural stability is maintained, but the panels cannot be used with flexible displays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the substrate material from rigid glass to flexible polymer films, enabling the touch panel to adapt to flexible displays while maintaining structural stability through the flexible substrate's inherent mechanical properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible polymer substrates combined with carbon nanotube conductive layers, creating a composite structure that provides both flexibility for adaptive applications and structural stability for reliable operation
5Ease of manufacture
If conventional ITO-based touch panels are used, then production costs are controlled, but the sensitivity and accuracy are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the conductive layer material to carbon nanotubes, which provide superior electrical conductivity and uniform resistance, thereby enhancing touch sensitivity and accuracy while keeping production costs controlled through the simplified pulling process
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 carbon nanotube-based touch panel offers improved durability, sensitivity, accuracy, and brightness, suitable for flexible displays, with enhanced mechanical strength and uniform resistance distribution, while being cost-effective for mass production.
Implementation Method 1
Each carbon nanotube layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes... the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer both include a carbon nanotube layer
Data Source
AI summary
A touch panel includes a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate, and a first conductive layer disposed on a lower surface of the first substrate. The second electrode plate includes a second substrate, and a second conductive layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer both include a carbon nanotube layer. Each carbon nanotube layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes. The first substrate and the second substrate are flexible. Further, the present invention also relates to a display device. The display device includes a displaying unit and a touch panel.