Touch Sensor Insulating Patterns Prevent Short-Circuit Failures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch sensors for display devices are prone to short-circuit failures due to foreign substances introduced during the manufacturing process, which affects their reliability.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating insulating patterns made of inorganic or organic materials on both the conductive patterns and signal lines in the sensing and non-sensing regions of the touch sensor, these patterns are formed in the same layer and process as the conductive layers to prevent short-circuit failures by covering the surfaces and protecting against foreign substances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foreign substance prevention measures are not implemented, then manufacturing process is simple, but short-circuit failures occur during use
Solution Approach 1:
An insulating pattern is introduced as an intermediary layer between foreign substances and conductive patterns. This insulating pattern acts as a protective mediator that prevents direct contact between foreign substances and conductive elements, thereby eliminating short-circuit failures without fundamentally altering the manufacturing process flow
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating pattern is formed in advance during the manufacturing process, specifically in the same process as forming the second conductive layer. This preliminary protective action ensures that conductive patterns are already protected before foreign substances can cause damage during subsequent manufacturing steps or product use
2Reliability
If insulating patterns are added to protect conductive patterns, then short-circuit failures are prevented, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The formation of the insulating pattern is merged with the existing manufacturing process for creating the second conductive layer. Both patterns are formed simultaneously in the same process step, which means no additional separate manufacturing steps are required, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving reliability improvement
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating pattern serves multiple functions: it acts as a protective barrier against foreign substances, provides electrical insulation, and can be formed using the same manufacturing processes already in place for conductive layers. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized additional processes
Data Source
AI summary
A touch sensor for a display device includes: a base layer; a first conductive layer disposed in a sensing region on the base layer; an insulating layer disposed on the first conductive layer; a second conductive layer disposed on the insulating layer in the sensing region; a first insulating pattern disposed on the second conductive layer; a plurality of signal lines provided in a non-sensing region, the plurality of signal lines being electrically connected to the first and second conductive layers; and a second insulating pattern disposed on the plurality of signal lines. The first insulating pattern and the second insulating pattern include the same material and are provided in the same layer.