Single-Surface Touch Sensor Metal Mesh Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current touch sensors face challenges in reducing manufacturing costs, achieving lightness, and thinness, particularly due to the high resistance of indium tin oxide (ITO) films used in large-scale production, which limits their applicability and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensor design featuring a single surface configuration with conductive metal lines for both driving and sensing electrodes, eliminating the need for separate substrates and using a mesh pattern with shielding and opening portions to minimize dead zones and enhance connectivity, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and improving sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a transparent conductive film (ITO) is used in large-scale production, then the touch sensor can be manufactured, but the resistance is high (100 ohm/square or more) and sensitivity is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from ITO (indium tin oxide) to metal patterns with high conductivity. This parameter change in electrical conductivity directly resolves the contradiction by providing low resistance while maintaining manufacturability through established metal deposition techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures including metal patterns combined with transparent substrates, and later embodiments use transparent conductive oxides combined with metal patterns. This composite approach achieves both low resistance and optical transparency, resolving the sensitivity issue while maintaining manufacturability.
2Area of stationary object
If the size of screen is increased, then the display area is enlarged, but the cost of the ITO film is rapidly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive ITO film with cheaper metal patterns that can be manufactured at lower cost. Metal materials used in the patterns are more cost-effective than ITO, especially for large-scale production, directly addressing the cost increase problem when screen size is enlarged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material composition parameter from ITO to metal-based conductive patterns. This parameter change enables cost-effective manufacturing of large screens by using materials and processes that scale better economically than ITO deposition.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single surface configuration with metal patterns is used, then manufacturing cost is decreased and light transmittance is improved, but the complexity of electrode arrangement must be managed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the conductive patterns into distinct driving electrode patterns and sensing electrode patterns on the same surface. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each electrode type while maintaining simple manufacturing processes, resolving the contradiction between cost reduction and complexity management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges electrodes in specific spatial dimensions and orientations (e.g., orthogonal arrangements, interdigitated patterns) to achieve both low cost and manageable complexity. By carefully designing the dimensional layout, the patent simplifies the overall system while maintaining effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application relates to a touch sensor and a method of manufacturing the same, and the touch sensor according to the present application includes: a substrate; and a driving electrode unit, a sensing electrode unit, and a wiring electrode unit provided on the same surface of the substrate, in which each of the driving electrode unit, the sensing electrode unit, and the wiring electrode unit includes a conductive pattern including a shielding portion and an opening portion.