Flexible Touch Sensor Polymer Substrate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch sensor devices are rigid and complex, limiting their portability and flexibility due to the use of heavy glass substrates, and their manufacturing processes are cumbersome, making it difficult to integrate flexible touch sensing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensor device with a flexible design featuring a conductive pattern on a substrate, layered with polymer materials that include conductive and non-conductive regions, allowing for increased bendability and simplified manufacturing by using materials like silver nano wires and PEDOT:PSS for enhanced flexibility and conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If glass substrate is used for touch sensor device, then structural strength is improved, but weight and rigidity increase, reducing portability and flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid glass substrate with a flexible polymer substrate, enabling the touch sensor device to be bendable and portable while maintaining structural integrity through the polymer material selection and layered结构设计
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures including ITO/ZnO layered conductive patterns on polymer substrates, combining the advantages of different materials to achieve both flexibility and structural strength simultaneously
2Reliability
If traditional touch sensor structure with separate insulating layers is used, then electrical insulation is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the substrate and insulating layer functions into a single polymer substrate layer, eliminating the need for separate insulating layers while maintaining electrical insulation through the inherent properties of the polymer material and the elevated positioning of conductive patterns
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer substrate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the structural base, the insulating layer, and the flexible support, reducing the total number of components and simplifying the device structure
3Manufacturing precision
If complex manufacturing process is used for touch sensor device, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity and ease of manufacture deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent forms the conductive pattern directly on the polymer substrate before subsequent processing steps, establishing the baseline structure early to simplify later manufacturing steps and improve overall process efficiency
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 solution enhances the bendability and flexibility of touch sensor devices, enabling them to be foldable, rollable, or stretchable, while also simplifying the manufacturing process by eliminating the need for additional insulating layers and reducing the risk of short circuits.
Implementation Method 1
oxidizing the portion of the first polymer layer not covered by the first mask pattern to form a first non-conductive region
Data Source
AI summary
A touch sensor device including a first conductive pattern disposed on a substrate and a first polymer layer disposed on the first conductive pattern. The first polymer layer includes a first conductive region and a first non-conductive region. The touch sensor device also includes a second polymer layer disposed on the first polymer layer. The second polymer layer includes a second conductive region and a second non-conductive region.