Touch Screen Panel Coupling Patterns Reduce Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch screen panels face sensitivity deterioration due to high resistance at intersections of sensing patterns, exacerbated by the need for additional mask processes and parasitic capacitance, which complicates the formation of coupling patterns.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves forming coupling patterns of a material with lower resistance than the sensing patterns, on the same layer as the metal patterns, eliminating the need for an additional mask process and reducing line resistance by using indium tin oxide (ITO) for the sensing patterns and conductive materials for coupling patterns, with wider end portions to prevent breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional coupling patterns are formed using a separate mask process, then the sensing patterns can be coupled together, but the manufacturing complexity increases and resistance at intersections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coupling patterns with the metal patterns by forming both on the same layer using the same mask process. This eliminates the need for a separate mask process for coupling patterns, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the necessary electrical coupling between sensing patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal pattern layer serves dual functions: it provides both the coupling patterns for connecting sensing patterns and the metal patterns for outline definition. This multi-functionality reduces the number of manufacturing steps while achieving multiple objectives.
2Reliability
If additional coupling patterns are formed using a separate mask process, then the sensing patterns can be coupled together, but the manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the formation of coupling patterns and metal patterns into a single mask process step. This merging of operations reduces the total number of manufacturing steps, thereby improving productivity and reducing manufacturing time and cost.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If coupling patterns are formed with narrow width to reduce parasitic capacitance, then capacitance is reduced, but the resistance increases and breakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the coupling patterns by using metal material instead of transparent conductive oxide material. This parameter change allows the coupling patterns to have both low resistance and controlled width, resolving the trade-off between resistance and parasitic capacitance.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch screen panel that includes a transparent substrate, first sensing patterns formed on the transparent substrate and having first sensing cells arranged in a column and first coupling lines for coupling adjacent first sensing cells, second sensing patterns formed on the transparent substrate and having second sensing cells arranged in a row of the same Y coordinate in a second direction. An insulating layer is formed on the first and second sensing patterns with a number of contact holes formed to expose end portions of the second sensing cells that form the second sensing patterns are formed. A number of coupling patterns are formed on the insulating layer where the contact holes were formed. A number of metal patterns are arranged on edges of regions in which the first and second sensing patterns are formed to electrically couple the sensing patterns in the units of the column or the row to position detection lines.