Touch Panel Sensing Electrode with Buffer Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Indium tin oxide (ITO) used in touch panels is costly, prone to physical damage, and unsuitable for flexible devices due to its characteristics, and mesh electrodes made of fine conductive wires are visible, leading to visibility issues and high resistance, especially in large-size touch panels.
Innovation Solution
A touch panel design featuring a sensing electrode with a conductive pattern hidden in the active area, utilizing a first and second buffer layer to prevent over-etching and delamination, reduce visibility, and improve adhesive strength, while maintaining low resistance and high printing quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If mesh electrodes made of fine conductive wires are used, then the electrode pattern visibility is reduced, but the resistance increases especially in large-size touch panels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining metal electrode layer with buffer layers (organic material layer and inorganic material layer). This composite material approach allows the metal to provide low resistance while the buffer layers and overlying layers hide the pattern visibility, achieving both low resistance and pattern hiding in large-size touch panels
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces buffer layers as intermediary elements between the metal electrode layer and the environment. These buffer layers (organic and inorganic materials) act as mediators that prevent direct light reflection from the metal wires while maintaining electrical conductivity, thus reducing visibility without significantly increasing resistance
2Ease of manufacture
If ITO is used as transparent electrode, then the fabrication is simple and sensing power is good, but the cost is high and the electrode is easily damaged by bending
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive ITO with metal materials that can be deposited more cheaply. While metal alone would be damaged by bending, the patent uses the metal in conjunction with buffer layers that protect it, effectively creating a durable composite structure that is both cost-effective and reliable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin film structures with buffer layers that provide flexibility and protection. The organic material layer and inorganic material layer act as flexible protective shells that allow the metal electrode to bend without damage, making the touch panel suitable for flexible devices
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additional antireflection layers are applied to mesh electrodes, then the pattern visibility is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer layers in the patent serve multiple functions simultaneously: they act as adhesion promoters between layers, provide pattern hiding by reducing light reflection, and protect the metal electrode from oxidation and damage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated antireflection layers, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
A touch panel (10) includes a substrate (100); and a sensing electrode (200;201) with a conductive pattern on the substrate (100), wherein the sensing electrode (200;201) includes: an electrode layer (211;222); and a first buffer layer (223;312;400;12) on the electrode layer (211;222).