KR20130008743A - Touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch panel, comprising: a transparent window, a shielding layer formed in an outer region on one surface of the transparent window to define an effective display area, and formed with transparent ink to cover the shielding layer on one surface of the transparent window. A first connection portion formed of a planarization layer and a transparent conductive material having a length in the X-axis direction greater than a width in the Y-axis direction and arranged in a plurality of transverses and a plurality of rows in the effective display area on the flattening layer And an insulating layer formed on the planarization layer such that both ends of the length in the X-axis direction are exposed and also cover side surfaces of the width in the Y-axis direction, and M on the planarization layer along the Y axis. N columns on the X-axis are respectively connected to adjacent columns, while the dogs are electrically connected by a second connecting portion formed to form a body on the insulating layer by the same process. Remote doedoe comprises a sensing electrode formed in contact with the exposed portion of the first connecting portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sensing electrode from disconnecting by removing the step generated by the planarization layer by the shielding layer.

Description

Touch panel {Touch panel}

The present invention relates to a touch panel, and more particularly, to a touch panel in which a sensing electrode is integrally formed on one surface of a transparent window.

In general, the touch panel is an input device that can be easily used by anyone of all ages by interactively and intuitively operating a computer by simply touching a button displayed on a display with a finger.

The touch panel can be classified into a resistive method, a capacitive method, an ultrasonic method, and an infrared method according to an operation method. Among the capacitive methods, the touch sensing panel has a thin thickness, high durability, and multi-touch. Widely used in various electronic devices.

Conventional capacitive touch sensing panels are manufactured by a process of attaching a separate substrate based on PET or the like and having a sensing electrode formed on one surface thereof to a transparent window using an adhesive layer such as an optical clean adhesive (OCA) film.

However, when attaching a substrate on which a sensing electrode is formed to a transparent window using an adhesive layer, various defects such as bubbles, scratches, and foreign matters are generated, which not only lowers the production yield but also reduces the defective rate during the attaching process. Since additional processes, such as surface treatment by plasma etc., are included, manufacturing cost increases.

Accordingly, a sensing electrode, a wiring part, and an input / output pad formed integrally with one surface of the transparent window are formed, and the other surface corresponding to the one surface is in contact with each other so that the manufacturing process can be simplified and the yield can be increased while reducing the thickness and weight. Touch panels including electrode integrated windows have been developed.

The touch panel according to the related art including the above-described electrode-integrated window has a predetermined pattern on one surface of the transparent window in order to define an effective display area of the sensing electrode and the touch panel of the transparent window. And a shielding layer formed and visually shielding, a wiring portion formed on the shielding layer, and an input / output pad formed on the shielding layer and connected to the sensing electrode by the wiring portion.

The touch panel including the electrode-integrated window is formed by printing an opaque ink or the like with a shielding layer printed on an outer region of one surface of the transparent window, and the shielding layer is formed on the other side of the transparent window with the wiring part and the input / output pad formed thereon. In order to visually shield in the form of a thickness of about several μm. In addition, after the shielding layer is formed, a sensing electrode is formed by depositing a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) on one surface of the transparent window and patterning the same by a photography method.

However, the touch panel according to the prior art as described above has a problem that the sensing electrode is disconnected by the transparent window and a large step because the shielding layer is formed to a thick thickness of about several μm.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel which can prevent the detection electrode from being disconnected by the step of the shielding layer.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a touch panel includes a transparent window, a shielding layer formed on an outer region on one surface of the transparent window to define an effective display area, and a cover layer on the one surface of the transparent window. A planarization layer formed of a transparent ink, and a transparent conductive material having a length in the X-axis direction greater than a width in the Y-axis direction and arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of rows in the effective display area on the planarization layer. A first connection portion formed of an insulating layer, an insulating layer formed on the planarization layer so that both ends of the length in the X-axis direction are exposed, and a side surface of the width in the Y-axis direction is also covered; Therefore, M (M is a natural number) are electrically connected by a second connecting portion formed to form a body on the insulating layer by the same process, while N rows on the X-axis are Each spaced-apart contact heat doedoe comprises a sensing electrode formed in contact with the exposed portion of the first connecting portion.

The transparent window is formed of synthetic resin or soda lime glass.

The planarization layer is formed of a transparent ink.

The planarization layer is formed by silkscreen printing, gravure printing or comma printing.

The first connection portion is formed by forming a mask layer exposing a portion to be formed on the planarization layer, depositing a transparent conductive material, and then removing the mask layer.

The sensing electrode is formed by forming a mask layer exposing a portion to be formed including an exposed portion of the first connection portion on the planarization layer, depositing a transparent conductive material and then removing the mask layer.

Therefore, the touch panel of the present invention has an advantage that the planarization layer can prevent the sensing electrode from being disconnected by removing the step generated by the shielding layer.

1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 1.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments of the present invention may be modified into various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. The embodiments of the present invention are provided to enable those skilled in the art to more fully understand the present invention.

1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 1.

1 and 2, a plane of a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment may include a transparent window 11, a shielding layer 13, a planarization layer 15, a sensing electrode 25, and a wiring unit 29. And an input / output pad 31.

The shielding layer 13 is formed by printing an opaque ink or the like on a portion of the transparent window 11, preferably, an outer region, to define an effective display area of the touch panel. In addition, the shielding layer 13 visually shields the wiring portion 29 and the input / output pad 31 formed on the upper surface of the shielding layer 13 from being exposed to the other surface of the transparent window 11.

The sensing electrode 25 is formed in any one of a diamond shape, a rectangular shape, a honeycomb shape, and a right triangle shape by interposing the planarization layer 15 on one surface of the transparent window 11. The sensing electrode 25 is a transparent conductive material such as indium-tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or zinc oxide (ZnO) that has excellent light transmittance and electrical conductivity. M is a natural number) and N (N is a natural number).

The sensing electrodes 25 are formed in M rows in which N pieces formed along the Y axis are electrically connected by the second connection part 27 formed by the same process to form a body. In addition, each of the M columns in which N pieces are electrically connected along the Y axis by the second connection part 27 of the sensing electrode 25 is formed to be spaced apart from adjacent ones on the X axis.

Each of the M sensing electrodes 25 spaced apart from the adjacent one on the X axis is electrically connected to each other through the first connection unit 19. In the above, both ends of the first connector 19 are exposed by the insulating layer 21, and both ends of the exposed first connector 19 are in contact with each sensing electrode 25 to be electrically connected to each other.

Although the sensing electrodes 25 are described as being spaced apart from each other in which N pieces are connected along the Y axis and M columns on the X axis are adjacent to each other, in another embodiment of the present invention, M pieces are connected along the X axis and N on the Y axis. Columns may be formed spaced apart from each other adjacent to each other.

The wiring portion 29 and the input / output pad 31 are formed of a conductive metal such as aluminum (Al) or copper (Cu) on the shielding layer 13. In the above, the wiring unit 29 is formed to connect each of the plurality of sensing electrodes 25 formed to be connected along the X axis to the input / output pad 31.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 2.

The cross-sectional structure of the touch panel illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a shielding layer 13, a planarization layer 15, a first connection portion 19, an insulating layer 21, and a sensing electrode 25 formed on one surface of the transparent window 11. And a second connection portion 27.

The transparent window 11 may be formed of a transparent synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephtalete (PET) or acrylic, or soda lime glass.

The shielding layer 13 is formed in the outer region on one surface of the transparent window 11. In the shielding layer 13, the wiring part 29 and the input / output pad 31 formed thereon are prevented from being visually exposed to the other side of the transparent window 11 while preventing the decoration of the transparent window 11. The opaque ink such as black is formed to have a thickness of about 2 to 5 μm by a method such as silk screen printing, gravure printing, or comma printing. In addition, the shielding layer 13 may define an effective display area of the touch panel.

The planarization layer 15 is formed to cover the shielding layer 13 on one surface of the transparent window 11. The planarization layer 15 is formed of a transparent ink such as UV (ultraviolet) transparent ink to a thickness of about 3 to 7 μm by a method such as silk screen printing, gravure printing, or comma printing. As a result, the planarization layer 15 reduces or eliminates the step between the transparent window 11 and the shielding layer 13.

The first connection portion 19 is patterned in the effective display area of the touch panel defined by the shielding layer 13 on the planarization layer 15 so that the length in the X-axis direction is larger than the width in the Y-axis direction, It is formed to be arranged in a plurality of rows. In the first connection portion 19 is a transparent conductive material such as ITO (indium-tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide) or ZnO (zinc oxide) excellent in light transmittance and electrical conductivity 1000 ~ 2000Å It is formed to a thickness of about. The first connection portion 19 may be formed by depositing a transparent conductive material and patterning the photolithography method. In addition, the first connector 19 may form an indium-tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or the like after forming a first mask layer (not shown) that exposes a portion to be formed on the planarization layer 15. It may be formed by depositing a transparent conductive material such as zinc oxide (ZnO) by a method such as sputtering and removing the first mask layer.

The insulating layer 21 is formed on the planarization layer 15 so that both ends of the length of the first connecting portion 19 in the X-axis direction are exposed and the side surface of the width in the Y-axis direction is also covered. In the above-described insulating layer 21, UV (ultraviolet) transparent ink having an insulating property is formed in a thickness of about 1 to 3 μm by a method such as silk screen printing, gravure printing, or comma printing.

The sensing electrode 25 is a transparent conductive material, such as indium-tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or zinc oxide (ZnO), which has excellent light transmittance and electrical conductivity on the planarization layer 15. It has a thickness of and is formed in any one shape such as diamond shape, rectangular shape, honeycomb shape and right triangle shape. In the above-described sensing electrodes 25, a plurality of sensing electrodes 25 are formed by the same process so as to be connected along the Y axis by the second connection part 27 forming one body. In addition, the sensing electrodes 25 connected along the Y-axis are respectively adjacent to each other on the X-axis and spaced apart at intervals of about 1 to 5 μm on the insulating layer 21, respectively, and are in contact with both exposed ends of the first connector 19. And is electrically connected.

The sensing electrode 25 may be formed by depositing a transparent conductive material and patterning the photolithography method. In addition, the sensing electrode 25 forms a second mask layer (not shown) on the planarization layer 15 and the insulating layer 21 to expose a portion where the sensing electrode 25 is to be formed. It may be formed by depositing a transparent conductive material such as -tin oxide), indium zinc oxide (IZO) or zinc oxide (ZnO) by sputtering or the like, and removing the second mask layer.

Since the sensing electrode 25 is formed in the planarization layer 15 having no step by the shielding layer 13, the sensing electrode 25 is prevented from being disconnected at a portion corresponding to the edge of the shielding layer 13. do.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the wiring unit 29 and the input / output pad 31 are formed on the shielding layer 13 as shown in FIG. 1.

In the touch panel having the above-described configuration, when a user touches a finger or a touch pen on the other surface on which the sensing electrode 25 of the transparent window 11 is not formed, a sensing signal is generated at the sensing electrode 120. The sense signal may include a capacitance change that occurs upon contact. The transparent window 11 is preferably formed to have a uniform thickness in order to generate a capacitance value capable of accurately determining the contact position and the pressure according to the contact.

The sensing signal generated by contacting the user's finger or the touch pen is a control unit mounted on a circuit board (not shown) through the wiring unit 29 and the input / output pad 31 electrically connected to the sensing electrode 25. (Not shown) receives a detection signal to determine whether a contact has occurred and a location where the contact has occurred.

As described above, the touch panel according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed by forming the planarization layer 15 on the transparent window so as to cover the shielding layer 13 so as to reduce or eliminate the step by the shielding layer 13. Disconnection of the sensing electrode 25 can be prevented.

Although a preferred embodiment of the touch panel according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims and the detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. This also belongs to the present invention.

11: window 13: shielding layer
15: planarization layer 19: first connection portion
21 insulating layer 25 sensing electrode
27: second connection portion 29: wiring portion

Claims (6)

With transparent windows,
A shielding layer formed in an outer region on one surface of the transparent window to define an effective display region;
A planarization layer formed of transparent ink so as to cover the shielding layer on one surface of the transparent window;
A first connection portion formed of a transparent conductive material having a length in the X-axis direction greater than a width in the Y-axis direction and arranged in a plurality of transverses and a plurality of rows in the effective display area on the planarization layer;
An insulating layer formed on the planarization layer such that both ends of the length in the X-axis direction are exposed and the side surfaces of the width in the Y-axis direction are covered;
N columns on the X-axis are spaced apart from adjacent columns, respectively, while M (M is a natural number) along the Y-axis on the planarization layer is electrically connected by a second connecting portion formed to form a body on the insulating layer by the same process. And a sensing electrode formed to be in contact with the exposed portion of the first connector.
The touch panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transparent window is made of synthetic resin or sodalime glass. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the planarization layer is formed of a transparent ink.
The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the planarization layer is formed by silk screen printing, gravure printing, or comma printing.
The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the first connection portion is formed by forming a mask layer exposing a portion to be formed on the planarization layer, depositing a transparent conductive material, and then removing the mask layer.
The touch electrode of claim 1, wherein the sensing electrode is formed by forming a mask layer exposing a portion to be formed including an exposed portion of the first connection portion on the planarization layer, depositing a transparent conductive material, and then removing the mask layer. panel.

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