Touch Window Electrode Oxidation for Anti-Reflection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes in touch windows are expensive, prone to physical damage, and exhibit high resistance, making them unsuitable for flexible devices and large touch panels, while alternative mesh-shaped electrodes face issues with insufficient filling and reliability.

Innovation Solution

A touch window with a sensing electrode formed as a plating layer, reducing thickness and ensuring uniformity, and an anti-reflective oxide layer is formed by oxidizing the electrode layer, enhancing visibility and reliability without additional anti-reflective layers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If ITO is used as the electrode material, then the transparency and electrical conductivity are improved, but the cost increases and the resistance to physical damage decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresistance to physical damageVSAvoidcost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive ITO with a mesh-shaped electrode formed by metallic paste or conductive ink, which is cheaper and more durable against physical damage while maintaining electrical conductivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite structure combining mesh-shaped electrode with transparent insulating layers, achieving both cost reduction and improved mechanical strength while maintaining transparency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Area of stationary object

If ITO is used for large touch panels, then the coverage area is improved, but the resistance increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch panel areaVSAvoidelectrical resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the electrode into a mesh shape with multiple conductive paths, allowing current to flow through multiple parallel routes and reducing overall resistance while maintaining large area coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If metallic paste is used to form narrow line width electrodes, then the electrical conductivity is improved, but the filling completeness decreases leading to defects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical conductivityVSAvoidfilling completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state of the electrode material from paste to oxidized metal layer, enabling uniform thin film formation that completely fills narrow patterns without defects while maintaining electrical conductivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Object-affected harmful factors

If additional anti-reflective layers are formed on the electrode, then the reflection control is improved, but the overall thickness increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight reflectionVSAvoidtouch window thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the anti-reflective function with the electrode layer by forming an oxide layer on the electrode surface, eliminating the need for separate anti-reflective layers and reducing overall thickness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 reduces the overall thickness of the touch window, improves reliability, and maintains electrical properties while preventing reflection and damage, making it suitable for flexible and large-scale applications.

Implementation Method 1

an oxide layer, which may serve as an anti-reflective layer, may be formed by oxidizing a part of the electrode layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Data Source

PatentEP2966553B1Touch window
Publication Date: 2020.02.19 LG INNOTEK CO LTD
  • EP2966553B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2966553B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP2966553B1 patent drawingFigure 5~8

AI summary

Disclosed is a touch window. The touch window includes a substrate (100); and an electrode part (200) on the substrate (100). The sensing electrode (210 ; 300) includes a base substrate (211) formed with a pattern part (P); and an electrode layer (212) on the pattern part (P), where the electrode layer (212) has a thickness (T1) in a range of 0.03 µm to 3 µm.