Touch Sensor Groove Structure for Flexible Display Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for integrating touch electrodes into flexible organic light-emitting diode display panels often increase panel thickness, damage light-emitting layers, and complicate manufacturing due to photoetching and wet etching processes.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensor with a substrate featuring intersecting grooves on its surface, where the touch electrode is filled, allowing for inkjet printing of the electrode material solution that flows and spreads uniformly, reducing fabrication difficulties and enhancing connection reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If photoetching and wet etching processes are used to form touch electrodes, then the touch electrode can be formed on the surface, but the light-emitting layer and thin-film encapsulation layer are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate surface is segmented into raised regions and groove regions through patterned grooves. The touch electrode material is selectively deposited only in the groove regions, separating the electrode formation from the sensitive light-emitting and encapsulation layers on the raised regions, thus avoiding damage while enabling electrode formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves act as an intermediary structure that allows touch electrode material to be placed in a protected manner. The grooves serve as physical barriers and containment structures, enabling electrode deposition without requiring harmful photoetching or wet etching processes that would otherwise damage the underlying layers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional module laminating technology is used to integrate touch function, then the touch function is achieved, but the panel thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touch electrode structure is merged directly into the substrate itself through groove formation and material deposition. This integration eliminates the need for separate touch module laminating, combining the substrate and touch electrode into a single unified structure, thereby achieving touch function without increasing panel thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding touch functionality in the vertical dimension through lamination, the invention uses the horizontal dimension by creating patterned grooves on the substrate surface. This lateral structuring approach enables touch electrode integration within the existing panel thickness envelope.
3Ease of manufacture
If touch electrode material solution is printed into grooves with uniform depth, then the process is simple, but the fluidity and uniform spreading of material solution is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves are designed with asymmetric depth characteristics: deeper at the bottom and gradually shallower toward the opening. This asymmetric depth profile creates optimal fluid dynamics for material solution spreading, allowing uniform electrode formation while maintaining manufacturing simplicity. The varying depth compensates for surface tension and viscosity effects during deposition.
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
This approach reduces panel thickness, stabilizes the touch electrode formation, and prevents damage to the light-emitting layers, improving the operational reliability of the display panel.
Implementation Method 1
A vertical distance from a bottom of the intersection region to the second surface is greater than a vertical distance from a bottom of the extension region to the second surface, which may enhance a fluidity of touch electrode material solution in the groove
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a touch sensor, comprising: a substrate and a touch electrode, where touch sensor includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface of the substrate is provided with a plurality of grooves which are strip-shaped, the plurality of grooves intersect with other to define a grid shape, the plurality of grooves comprise intersection regions and extension regions, a vertical distance from the intersection region to the second surface is greater than a vertical distance from the extension region to the second surface, and the bottom of the plurality of grooves does not exceed the first surface; and the touch electrode is filled in the groove.