Touch Sensor Surface Reinforcing Layer for Display Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display devices with touch sensors face challenges in maintaining bending characteristics and preventing snowflake bubble defects due to gas permeability and moisture sensitivity, especially under temperature changes.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a surface reinforcing layer formed by hydrogen plasma treatment and inorganic material infiltration layers in the touch sensor's insulating layers to enhance film density and resilience against temperature, moisture, and physical stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional organic insulating layer is used in the touch sensor, then the device maintains flexibility and ease of manufacture, but the layer exhibits gas permeability and moisture sensitivity leading to snowflake bubble defects under temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining organic insulating layer materials with inorganic materials through surface treatment. The hydrogen plasma treatment creates a composite structure where inorganic compounds are formed on the organic layer surface, providing both the flexibility of organic materials and the gas/moisture barrier properties of inorganic materials, thereby preventing snowflake bubble defects while maintaining device flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the organic insulating layer surface through hydrogen plasma treatment. This treatment modifies the surface composition and structure, creating a denser surface layer with reduced gas permeability while maintaining the bulk properties of the organic layer, thus preventing moisture ingress and snowflake bubble formation without compromising flexibility
2Reliability
If the insulating layer is treated to increase film density and block gas passage, then resistance to temperature and moisture improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or chemical coating processes with hydrogen plasma treatment. This plasma-based surface treatment achieves dense, gas-impermeable layers through controlled chemical reactions in a plasma environment, simplifying the manufacturing process while effectively preventing moisture and gas penetration, thus improving reliability without significantly complicating manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogen plasma treatment acts as a strong chemical treatment that accelerates the formation of inorganic compounds on the organic layer surface. This accelerated chemical process creates a dense, protective surface layer that blocks gas and moisture passage, achieving high reliability while maintaining a relatively simple and controllable manufacturing process
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
The solution effectively blocks gas passage, increases bending capability, and reinforces surface encapsulation characteristics, eliminating snowflake bubble defects and improving durability in high-temperature, high-humidity environments.
Implementation Method 1
a first surface reinforcing layer formed by performing surface treatment on the first inorganic insulating layer
Implementation Method 2
The first surface reinforcing layer may obtained by performing hydrogen plasma treatment on a surface of the first inorganic insulating layer
Implementation Method 3
a first inorganic material infiltration layer disposed on a surface of the first organic insulating layer, the first inorganic material infiltration layer including an organic material from the surface of the first organic insulating layer and further including an inorganic material infiltrated into a free volume near the surface of the first organic insulating layer
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes: a display element layer disposed on a substrate, the display element layer including pixels; an encapsulation layer covering the display element layer; and a touch sensor disposed on the encapsulation layer. The touch sensor includes a first inorganic insulating layer disposed on the encapsulation layer; a first surface reinforcing layer formed by performing surface treatment on the first inorganic insulating layer and disposed on the first inorganic insulating layer; a first conductive layer disposed on the first surface reinforcing layer; a first organic insulating layer covering the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer disposed on the first organic insulating layer and connected to the first conductive layer while penetrating the first organic insulating layer.