Touch Panel Electrode With Defined Intersection Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch panel electrodes, particularly those made of indium tin oxide, have high resistance and large size, leading to low current transmission speed and response time, which is inadequate for accurate touch position detection in larger devices.
Innovation Solution
A conductive film with intersecting first and second electrode patterns formed by thin metal wires, where the intersection area is defined to improve detection accuracy, with each pattern having a specific area and configuration to optimize surface electrical resistance and conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If indium tin oxide electrodes are used, then the touch panel can be manufactured with conventional materials, but the resistance is high and response speed is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from indium tin oxide to thin metal wires (such as aluminum, copper, or silver), fundamentally altering the electrical properties to achieve lower resistance and faster response speed while maintaining manufacturability through established thin-film deposition techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining thin metal wires arranged in grid patterns with transparent insulating layers, creating a multi-layer composite electrode system that achieves both low electrical resistance and optical transparency, resolving the contradiction between conductivity and manufacturability
2Area of stationary object
If the electrode size is increased for larger devices, then the touch panel can be applied to personal computer displays, but the current transmission speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the electrode into segmented thin metal wire grids rather than using continuous thick electrodes. This segmentation allows the electrical signal to travel through multiple parallel pathways simultaneously, maintaining high current transmission speed even across large touch panel areas suitable for personal computer displays
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces transparent insulating layers as intermediaries between the thin metal wire grids and the touch sensing surface. These intermediary layers enable large-area electrode construction while maintaining electrical performance by providing controlled electrical isolation and signal transmission pathways
3Reliability
If thin metal wire grids are used to reduce surface electrical resistance, then the response speed improves, but the detection accuracy at intersection portions needs optimization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality optimization by specifically designing the intersection portions of the thin metal wire grids with controlled area (greater than 1 mm² and less than 20 mm²). This local modification enhances the touch position detection accuracy at critical intersection points while maintaining the overall low resistance property of the thin wire grid structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic balance between the thin wire grid configuration for low resistance and the optimized intersection portion dimensions for detection accuracy. The intersection area parameters are dynamically adjusted to achieve the optimal trade-off between electrical performance and detection precision
Data Source
AI summary
A touch panel electrode includes two or more first electrode patterns; and two or more second electrode patterns, in which the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern overlap each other being insulated with a distance of equal to or less than 150 μm, the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern extend perpendicular to each other, each of the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern is a combination of a plurality of cells formed by thin metal wires, and the area of an overlapping portion between the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern is greater than 1 mm2 and equal to or less than 8 mm2.