Touch Panel Insulation Layer Design for Thickness Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch panels face challenges in reducing thickness and manufacturing cost due to the need for multiple substrates and harmful etching processes, which also damage the substrates and affect yield and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A touch panel design using two insulation substrates with conductive films and wires, where the insulation layer isolates the extending segments of the conductive wires from the conductive films, eliminating the need for separate conductive blocks and reducing the number of substrates, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and preventing substrate damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If three substrates (two insulation substrates and one decorative substrate) are used in the touch panel, then the touch panel can achieve the required insulation and conductivity functions, but the thickness of the touch panel increases and cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the decorative substrate and one insulation substrate into a single integrated substrate. The decorative patterns are directly formed on the insulation substrate through printing or other deposition methods, eliminating the need for a separate decorative substrate layer. This merging reduces the total number of substrates from three to two, thereby reducing the overall thickness while maintaining both the insulation function and the decorative appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation substrate is given multiple functions: it provides electrical insulation, serves as a mechanical support, and carries the decorative patterns. By making the insulation substrate multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate dedicated insulation substrates and decorative substrates, reducing the total substrate count and thickness while maintaining all required functions.
2Manufacturing precision
If wet etching process or dry etching process (such as laser etching process) is performed to form separate conductive blocks in the conductive film, then the conductive blocks can be formed, but the manufacturing cost increases and the substrates are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using etching processes to remove material and form conductive blocks, the patent inverts the approach by using a deposition or printing process to add conductive material in specific patterns. The conductive film is formed with pre-defined separate conductive blocks through screen printing, inkjet printing, or other deposition methods, eliminating the need for harmful etching processes while achieving the same electrical isolation effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical etching process with a deposition or printing process. Instead of removing conductive material through wet or dry etching, the conductive film is directly formed with the desired pattern of separate blocks through material deposition, substitution of the harmful etching mechanism with a non-destructive alternative that achieves the same functional result.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch panel including a first insulation substrate, a first conductive film, a first insulation film, first conductive wires, a second insulation substrate, a second conductive film, and second conductive wires is provided. The first conductive film is disposed on the first insulation substrate and the first insulation layer covers a portion of a periphery of the first conductive film so that the first conductive film has an exposed region. The first conductive wires are disposed on the periphery of the first conductive film and each of the first conductive wires includes an electrode segment and an extending segment. The electrode segment is electrically connected with the first conductive film and the extending segment is electrically isolated from the first conductive film. The second conductive film is disposed on the second insulation substrate. The second conductive wires are disposed on the periphery of the second conductive film.