TW202443361A - Touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a touch panel including a substrate, a first metal layer, and a second metal layer. The first metal layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a plurality of first mesh electrodes extending along a first direction, and each first mesh electrode has an irregular mesh pattern. The second metal layer is disposed on the substrate and electrically insulated from the first metal layer, and the second metal layer includes a plurality of second mesh electrodes extending along a second direction, in which the first mesh electrodes cross the second mesh electrodes in a top view, and each second mesh electrode has another irregular mesh pattern.

Description

Touch panel

The present invention relates to a touch panel, and in particular to a touch panel including a grid electrode.

In recent years, in order to reduce manufacturing costs and impedance, touch panels with metal mesh as sensing electrodes have been developed. Common metal mesh electrodes are composed of periodic diamond grids. However, the periodic diamond grid is easy to produce visible moiré patterns when used with display panels with periodic pixel arrangements, such as liquid crystal display panels or organic light-emitting display panels, causing discomfort to users. Although the industry has proposed a solution to reduce moiré using irregular metal grids, this solution still has many disadvantages, such as uneven coupling capacitance and impedance of the touch panel and poor visual effects, so that it cannot meet the specifications of commercial products. Therefore, it is not easy to find touch panels with irregular metal grids in actual products.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a touch panel is provided, which includes a substrate, a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The substrate has a plurality of first virtual areas and a plurality of second virtual areas, wherein the first virtual areas are separated from each other and arranged in an array, the second virtual areas are separated from each other and arranged in an array, the first virtual areas and the second virtual areas are arranged in a staggered manner, and the projection of one of the first virtual areas and one of the adjacent second virtual areas in a first direction and a projection in a second direction respectively have a first interval and a second interval. The first metal layer is disposed on the substrate, and the first metal layer includes a plurality of first grid electrodes extending along a first direction, wherein each first grid electrode includes a plurality of first grid lines and a plurality of first nodes, and the first grid lines are connected through the first nodes and surround a plurality of irregular first quadrilaterals, so that each first grid electrode has a grid pattern of an irregular shape, wherein in a top view of the touch panel, each first node is respectively disposed in one of the corresponding first virtual areas. The second metal layer is disposed on the substrate and is electrically insulated from the first metal layer, and the second metal layer includes a plurality of second grid electrodes extending along a second direction, wherein the first grid electrodes are interlaced with the second grid electrodes in a top view, and each second grid electrode includes a plurality of second grid lines and a plurality of second nodes, and the second grid lines are connected through the second nodes and surround a plurality of second quadrilaterals, so that each second grid electrode has another grid pattern of an irregular shape, wherein in a top view, each second node is respectively disposed in one of the corresponding second virtual areas.

The content of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings. In order to make the content of the present invention clearer and easier to understand, the drawings below may be simplified schematic diagrams, and the elements therein may not be drawn to scale. Moreover, the number and size of each element in the drawings are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a touch panel of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are enlarged schematic views of the structure of the touch panel in region R1 of FIG. 1. In order to clearly show the structure of the touch panel, FIG. 2 shows the positional relationship between the virtual region and the grid electrode, and FIG. 3 shows the angle relationship between the grid lines of the grid electrode. In addition, in order to clearly show the grid patterns of different metal layers, the grid lines of different metal layers in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 are shown with different thicknesses, but they are not used to limit the line width of the grid lines. As shown in FIG. 1 , the touch panel 1 provided in the present embodiment includes a substrate 12, a first metal layer 14, and a second metal layer 16, wherein the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 are disposed on the substrate 12, and the second metal layer 16 is electrically insulated from the first metal layer 14. The first metal layer 14 includes a plurality of first grid electrodes 141 extending along a first direction D1, and the second metal layer 16 includes a plurality of second grid electrodes 161 extending along a second direction D2. For example, the outer contours of the first grid electrode 141 and the second grid electrode 161 may be a strip or other suitable shapes, but are not limited thereto. Furthermore, the first grid electrode 141 is interlaced with the second grid electrode 161 in a top view of the touch panel 1 (i.e., viewed along the top view direction TD of the touch panel 1) and generates capacitive coupling to form a plurality of sensing units SU for detecting the position of a touch object. Each sensing unit SU may be formed, for example, by interlacing a first grid electrode 141 and a second grid electrode 161. For example, the first grid electrode 141 and the second grid electrode 161 may be a driving electrode for transmitting a driving signal and a sensing electrode for receiving a sensing signal in the touch panel 1, or vice versa.

The substrate 12 can be used to carry the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16. The substrate 12 can include, for example, a transparent substrate, a display panel or other hard substrates. The material of the transparent substrate can include, for example, a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, an acrylic substrate, a quartz substrate, a sapphire substrate or other suitable substrate materials. When the substrate 12 includes a display panel, the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 can be formed on the display surface of the display panel or in the display panel, or formed inside and outside the display panel respectively. The first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 can include, for example, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, nickel, zinc, other suitable materials or alloys or combinations thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each first grid electrode 141 may include a plurality of first grid lines L1 and a plurality of first nodes P1, and the first grid lines L1 are connected through the first nodes P1 and surround a plurality of first quadrilaterals Q1, so that each first grid electrode 141 has an irregular grid pattern. In addition, each second grid electrode 161 includes a plurality of second grid lines L2 and a plurality of second nodes P2, and the second grid lines L2 are connected through the second nodes P2 and surround a plurality of second quadrilaterals Q2, so that each second grid electrode 121 has an irregular grid pattern. Since the first grid electrode 141 and the second grid electrode 161 may respectively have irregular grid patterns without periodicity, it is not easy to interfere with the periodically arranged pixels in the display panel to produce moiré.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , a first node P1 may be connected to four first grid lines L1, and the four first grid lines L1 may surround a first quadrilateral Q1. Furthermore, each first quadrilateral Q1 may be an irregular quadrilateral, for example, its two opposite sides are not parallel and do not have the same length, so the first quadrilateral Q1 may be spliced to form an irregular grid pattern without periodicity. Any two adjacent first quadrilaterals Q1 may be, for example, different from each other. Each first node P1 may be a corner of the first quadrilateral Q1, and the first grid line L1 connected between two adjacent first nodes P1 may serve as a side of the first quadrilateral Q1. In some embodiments, a portion of the first grid lines L1 may, for example, be connected only to the first node P1 of the outermost first quadrilateral Q1. Similarly, a second node P2 can be connected to four second grid lines L2, and the four second grid lines L2 can surround a second quadrilateral Q2. Each second quadrilateral Q2 can be an irregular quadrilateral, for example, its two opposite sides are not parallel and do not have the same length, so the second quadrilateral Q2 can be spliced to form an irregular grid pattern without periodicity. Any two adjacent second quadrilaterals Q2 can be different from each other. Each second node P2 can be a corner of the second quadrilateral Q2, and the second grid line L2 connected between two adjacent second nodes P2 can serve as a side of the second quadrilateral Q2. In some embodiments, a portion of the second grid lines L2 can be, for example, only connected to the second node P2 of the outermost second quadrilateral Q2. It should be noted that, since the first grid electrode 141 and the second grid electrode 161 are both formed by quadrilaterals, the impedance of the first grid electrode 141 can be similar to or the same as the impedance of the second grid electrode 161, so that the touch panel 1 can have uniform electrical properties. In addition, since the node (e.g., the first node P1 or the second node P2) and the plurality of grid lines (e.g., the first grid line L1 or the second grid line L2) can be formed, for example, by a lithography process and an etching process, the width of the node can be, for example, slightly larger than the line width of the grid line due to the limitation of the process, but not limited thereto. The line width of the first grid line L1 can be, for example, the same as the line width of the second grid line L2.

In the top view of the touch panel 1 (viewed along the top view direction TD), the first quadrilateral Q1 and the second quadrilateral Q2 may be arranged in a staggered manner, so that only one second node P2 is arranged in one first quadrilateral Q1, and only one first node P1 is arranged in one second quadrilateral Q2. In this embodiment, the first quadrilateral Q1 and the second quadrilateral Q2 that are intertwined with each other in the top view may be different from each other, for example.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 , the first grid lines L1 may be interlaced with the second grid lines L2 in the top view (viewed along the top view direction TD), so that a sensing unit SU formed by interlacing one of the first grid electrodes 141 and one of the second grid electrodes 161 may have multiple intersections CP. In some embodiments, since one of the first grid lines L1 may only form one intersection CP with one of the corresponding second grid lines L2, the number of intersections CP in different sensing units SU may be the same or similar to each other, but is not limited thereto. Through the same or similar number of intersections CP, the coupling capacitance of different sensing units SU can be similar or consistent to meet the requirements of the applied product.

The following will further describe in detail the method of forming the first quadrilateral Q1 and the second quadrilateral Q2, so that the irregular grid patterns of the first grid electrode 141 and the second grid electrode 161 can be formed by irregular quadrilaterals. As shown in FIG. 2 , the substrate 12 may have a plurality of first virtual regions VR1 for limiting the position of the first node P1 and a plurality of second virtual regions VR2 for limiting the position of the second node P2, wherein the first virtual regions VR1 are separated from each other and arranged in an array, the second virtual regions VR2 are separated from each other and arranged in an array, the first virtual regions VR1 and the second virtual regions VR2 are arranged in a staggered manner, and the projection of one of the second virtual regions VR2 and an adjacent first virtual region VR1 in the first direction D1 and in the second direction D2 respectively have a first interval S1 and a second interval S2. In the top view, each first node P1 is disposed in a corresponding first virtual region VR1, and each second node P2 is disposed in a corresponding second virtual region VR2, so that each first node P1 may not overlap with the second grid line L2, and each second node P2 may not overlap with the first grid line L1. Since the coupling capacitance generated by the overlap of the first node P1 and the second grid line L2 and/or the overlap of the second node P2 and the first grid line L1 is different from the coupling capacitance generated by the overlap of the first grid line L1 and the second grid line L2, the above design can reduce or avoid the occurrence of abnormal or uneven coupling capacitance.

It is worth noting that the first interval S1 and the second interval S2 may be greater than 0, for example, greater than the alignment error of the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 in the top view. The alignment error of the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 may be, for example, a process error of laminating the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16, or a process error of patterning the first metal layer 14 or the second metal layer 16, but is not limited thereto. In other words, the projections of the first virtual area VR1 and the second virtual area VR2 in the first direction D1 do not overlap, and the projections of the first virtual area VR1 and the second virtual area VR2 in the second direction D2 do not overlap. In some embodiments, the first interval S1 may be the same as or different from the second interval S2. It should be noted that the width of the interval (e.g., the first interval S1 or the second interval S2) needs to be greater than the width of the node (e.g., the first node P1 or the second node P2) so that the projections of the first node P1 and the second node P2 in the adjacent first virtual region VR1 and the second virtual region VR2 in the first direction D1 or the second direction D2 do not overlap each other, thereby avoiding the problem of abnormal or uneven coupling capacitance. In addition, the width of the interval (e.g., the first interval S1 or the second interval S2) may be smaller than the width of the first virtual region VR1 and/or the width of the second virtual region VR2.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the projections of one of the second virtual regions VR2 and another first virtual region VR1 adjacent thereto in the first direction D1 may have a third interval S3, and the projections of one of the second virtual regions VR2 and another first virtual region VR1 adjacent thereto in the second direction D2 may have a fourth interval S4 in the second direction D2. For example, the third interval S3 may be the same as or different from the first interval S1, and/or the fourth interval S4 may be the same as or different from the second interval S2.

In this embodiment, the first virtual regions VR1 may be identical to each other, that is, they have the same width in the first direction D1 and the same width in the second direction D2. Similarly, the second virtual regions VR2 may be identical to each other, that is, they have the same width in the first direction D1 and the same width in the second direction D2. In addition, according to actual design requirements, the first virtual regions VR1 may be the same as or different from the second virtual regions VR2. For example, the area of each first virtual region VR1 may be greater than 0, and the area of each second virtual region VR2 may be greater than 0.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the first virtual region VR1 has a pitch Px1 in the first direction D1 and a pitch Py1 in the second direction D2, and the second virtual region VR2 has a pitch Px2 in the first direction D1 and a pitch Py2 in the second direction D2. Since the first virtual region VR1 and the second virtual region VR2 may be arranged in the same array, the pitch Px1 may be the same as the pitch Px2, and the pitch Py1 may be the same as the pitch Py2. Herein, the “pitch in the first direction D1” may refer to the distance between the left sides (or the center points or the right sides) of two adjacent first virtual regions VR1 (or second virtual regions VR2) in the first direction D1, and the “pitch in the second direction D2” may refer to the distance between the upper sides (or the center points or the lower sides) of two adjacent first virtual regions VR1 (or second virtual regions VR2) in the second direction D2. For example, the ratio of the width a1 of the first virtual region VR1 in the first direction D1 to the pitch Px1 may be less than 0.6, and the ratio of the width a2 of the second virtual region VR2 in the first direction D1 to the pitch Px2 may be less than 0.6. In addition, a ratio of a width b1 of the first virtual region VR1 in the second direction D2 to the pitch Py1 may be less than 0.6, and a ratio of a width b2 of the second virtual region VR2 in the second direction D2 to the pitch Py2 may be less than 0.6.

It should be noted that, as shown in FIG. 2, the first nodes P1 disposed in the first virtual region VR1 in the same row and/or the same line may be located at different positions in the corresponding first virtual region VR1, for example, the distances between the first node P1 and the upper side (or lower side) of the corresponding first virtual region VR1 extending along the second direction D2 are different from each other, and the distances between the first node P1 and the left side (or right side) of the corresponding first virtual region VR1 extending along the first direction D1 are different from each other. Through this design, the first quadrilateral Q1 in the same row and the same column may have an irregular shape, thereby forming an irregular grid pattern. For example, each first virtual region VR1 may have a plurality of points that are evenly distributed or arranged in an array, and the position of each point in each first virtual region VR1 is the same as the position of a corresponding point in other first virtual regions VR1. That is, the distances between this point and the upper side and the left side of its first virtual region VR1 are respectively the same as the distances between the corresponding point and the upper side and the left side of the corresponding first virtual region VR1. By randomly selecting points at different positions in the first virtual region VR1 as the first nodes P1, the first quadrilateral Q1 connected by the first grid line L1 can have an irregular shape and form an irregular grid pattern. Similarly, the second nodes P2 disposed in the second virtual region VR2 in the same row and/or the same column may be located at different positions in the corresponding second virtual region VR2, for example, the distances between the second node P2 and the upper side (or lower side) of the corresponding second virtual region VR2 extending along the second direction D2 are different from each other, and the distances between the second node P2 and the left side (or right side) of the corresponding second virtual region VR2 extending along the first direction D1 are different from each other. Through this design, the second quadrilateral Q2 in the same row and the same column may have an irregular shape, thereby forming an irregular grid pattern. The method of forming the irregular second quadrilateral Q2 may be, for example, the same or similar to the method of forming the first quadrilateral Q1 described above, and therefore will not be described in detail herein. The first virtual area VR1 and/or the second virtual area VR2 may have, for example, 100×100 or 1000×1000 points or other suitable point arrays, and the node may be a point randomly selected from the point array.

As shown in FIG. 3 , in a first quadrilateral Q1, four first grid lines L1 corresponding to the same first node P1 may have four angles θ11, θ12, θ13, θ14 (or angles θ11′, θ12′, θ13′, θ14′), wherein each angle θ11, θ12, θ13, θ14 is an angle between any two adjacent ones of the four first grid lines L1, and any two of the angles θ11, θ12, θ13, θ14 (or angles θ11′, θ12′, θ13′, θ14′) may be different from each other. One of the angles θ11, θ12, θ13, θ14 (or angles θ11′, θ12′, θ13′, θ14′) may be, for example, greater than 30 degrees. In addition, two angles facing the same direction in two adjacent first quadrilaterals Q1 (or two angles corresponding to two adjacent first nodes P1 and facing the same direction) (for example, angle θ11 and angle θ11', angle θ12 and angle θ12', angle θ13 and angle θ13', or angle θ14 and angle θ14') may be different from each other to reduce the consistency of the first quadrilaterals Q1, thereby reducing the generation of moiré. In some embodiments, the two angles facing the same direction in the above-mentioned two first quadrilaterals Q1 may be, for example, a blunt angle greater than 90 degrees and a sharp angle less than 90 degrees, respectively, but not limited thereto.

Similarly, in a second quadrilateral Q2, four second grid lines L2 corresponding to the same second node P2 may have four angles θ21, θ22, θ23, θ24 (or angles θ21', θ22', θ23', θ24'), wherein each angle θ21, θ22, θ23, θ24 is the angle between any two adjacent ones of the four first grid lines L2, and any two of the angles θ21, θ22, θ23, θ24 (or angles θ21', θ22', θ23', θ24') may be different from each other. One of the angles θ21, θ22, θ23, θ24 (or angles θ21', θ22', θ23', θ24') may be, for example, greater than 30 degrees. In addition, two angles facing the same direction in two adjacent second quadrilaterals Q2 (or two angles corresponding to two adjacent second nodes P2 and facing the same direction) (for example, angle θ21 and angle θ21', angle θ22 and angle θ22', angle θ23 and angle θ23', or angle θ24 and angle θ24') may be different from each other. In some embodiments, the two angles facing the same direction in the two second quadrilaterals Q1 may be, for example, a blunt angle greater than 90 degrees and a sharp angle less than 90 degrees, respectively, but are not limited thereto.

In addition, in the top view (viewed along the top-view direction TD), the first grid line L1 and the second grid line L2 corresponding to one intersection CP may form two pairs of angles (a pair of angles α and a pair of angles β or a pair of angles α’ and a pair of angles β’), and each pair of angles α (or angles β, α’, β’) are opposite to each other and the same. Moreover, the sum of adjacent angles α and angles β (or angles α’ and angles β’) is 180 degrees. In some embodiments, two angles corresponding to two adjacent intersections CP and facing the same direction (for example, angle α and angle α’ or angle β and angle β’) may be different from each other.

It is worth mentioning that, through the design of the nodes and grid lines, the node positions, grid line lengths and angles may not be repetitive or periodic, so that the first grid electrode 141 and the second grid electrode 161 may have irregular grid patterns without periodicity, and thus are not likely to interfere with the periodically arranged pixels in the display panel to produce moiré, thereby improving the transmittance or optical properties of the touch panel 1. Furthermore, by designing quadrilateral grids in both the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16, the impedance of the first grid electrode 141 may be similar or identical to the impedance of the second grid electrode 161, and the capacitances of different sensing units SU may also be similar or identical, thereby maintaining the electrical uniformity and stability of the touch panel 1 and meeting the specification requirements of product applications. In addition, through the above-mentioned grid design, the alignment error between the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 will not affect the visual effect of the touch panel 1, thereby reducing the difficulty of manufacturing or improving the manufacturing efficiency.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the first metal layer 14 may optionally further include a plurality of first dummy electrodes 142 extending along the first direction D1, and each first grid electrode 141 is disposed between two adjacent first dummy electrodes 142 and separated from the first dummy electrodes 142 by a fifth interval S5. When viewed along the top view direction TD, the first dummy electrodes 142 may be interlaced with the second grid electrodes 161. In one embodiment, the first dummy electrodes 142 may have an irregularly shaped grid pattern. Specifically, the first virtual electrode 142 may include a plurality of third grid lines L3 and a plurality of third nodes P3, and the third grid lines L3 may be connected through the third nodes P3 to surround a plurality of irregular quadrilaterals, so that each first virtual electrode 142 has an irregular grid pattern. Since the third node P3 may be disposed in the first virtual region VR1, and the conditions of the quadrilateral of the first virtual electrode 142 may be similar to or the same as the conditions of the first quadrilateral Q1, no further details are given here. It should be noted that the third grid line L3 adjacent to the first grid electrode 141 can extend along the same straight line as the outermost first grid line L1 in the first grid electrode 141, so that the first grid electrode 141 and the first dummy electrode 142 can form a pattern similar to an irregular trapezoid, so that the first grid electrode 141 and the first dummy electrode 142 can present a uniform visual effect.

In this embodiment, the second metal layer 16 may optionally further include a plurality of second dummy electrodes 162 extending along the second direction D2, and each second grid electrode 161 is disposed between two adjacent second dummy electrodes 162 and separated from the second dummy electrodes 162 by a sixth interval S6. Furthermore, when viewed along the top view direction TD, the second dummy electrodes 162 may be interlaced with the first dummy electrodes 142 and the first grid electrode 141. Specifically, the second virtual electrode 162 may include a plurality of fourth grid lines L4 and a plurality of fourth nodes P4, and the fourth grid lines L4 may be connected through the fourth nodes P4 to surround a plurality of irregular quadrilaterals, so that each second virtual electrode 162 has an irregular grid pattern. Since the fourth node P4 may be disposed in the second virtual region VR2, and the conditions of the quadrilateral of the second virtual electrode 162 may be similar to or the same as the conditions of the second quadrilateral Q2, no further description is given here. It should be noted that the fourth grid line L4 adjacent to the second grid electrode 161 can extend along the same straight line as the outermost second grid line L2 in the second grid electrode 161, so that the second grid electrode 161 and the second dummy electrode 162 can form a pattern similar to an irregular trapezoid, so that the second grid electrode 161 and the second dummy electrode 162 can present a uniform visual effect.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , the touch panel 1 may optionally include a plurality of first connecting electrodes 18 and a plurality of second connecting electrodes 20, wherein the first connecting electrodes 18 may be respectively disposed and connected to one end or both ends of the first grid electrode 141 to electrically connect the first grid electrode 141 to a pad or a control element, and the second connecting electrodes 20 may be respectively disposed and connected to one end or both ends of the second grid electrode 161 to electrically connect the second grid electrode 161 to a pad or a control element.

Please refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, which are cross-sectional schematic diagrams of touch panels of different embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, in a touch panel 1a of an embodiment, the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 can be disposed on the same side of the substrate 12, and the touch panel can also include an insulating layer 22 disposed between the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 to electrically insulate the first metal layer 14 from the second metal layer 16. The order in which the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 are disposed on the substrate 12 of the present invention is not limited to FIG. 4, and the positions of the two can also be interchanged. The stacking structure of the touch panel of the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 5 , in another embodiment of the touch panel 1b, the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 may be disposed on two opposite sides of the substrate 12, so that the substrate 12 may be used to electrically insulate the first metal layer 14 from the second metal layer 16. In some embodiments, the first metal layer 14 and the second metal layer 16 may also be formed on different substrates first and then bonded to each other by bonding, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In summary, in the touch panel of the present invention, since the node positions and the length and angle of the grid lines are not repetitive and periodic, the first grid electrode and the second grid electrode can have irregular grid patterns without periodicity, so it is not easy to interfere with the periodically arranged pixels in the display panel to produce moiré. In addition, by designing a quadrilateral grid in both the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the impedance of the first grid electrode can be similar or the same as the impedance of the second grid electrode, and the capacitance of different sensing units can also be similar or the same, so that the electrical uniformity and stability of the touch panel can be maintained and meet the specification requirements of product applications. The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

1,1a,1b: touch panel 12: substrate 14: first metal layer 141: first grid electrode 142: first virtual electrode 16: second metal layer 161: second grid electrode 162: second virtual electrode 18: first connection electrode 20: second connection electrode 22: insulation layer a1,a2,b1,b2: width CP: intersection D1: first direction D2: second direction L1: first grid line L2: second grid line L3: third grid line L4: fourth grid line P1: first node P2: second node P3: third node P4: fourth node Px1, Px2, Py1, Py2: pitch Q1: first quadrilateral Q2: second quadrilateral R1: region S1: first interval S2: second interval S3: third interval S4: fourth interval S5: fifth interval S6: sixth interval SU: sensing unit TD: top view direction VR1: first virtual region VR2: second virtual region θ11, θ12, θ13, θ14, θ11’, θ12’, θ13’, θ14’, θ21, θ22, θ23, θ24, θ21’, θ22’, θ23’, θ24’, α, β, α’, β’: angle

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a touch panel of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are schematic enlarged views of the touch panel of FIG. 1 in region R1. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic cross-sectional views of touch panels of different embodiments of the present invention.

1: Touch panel

12: Substrate

14: First metal layer

141: First grid electrode

142: First virtual electrode

16: Second metal layer

161: Second grid electrode

162: Second virtual electrode

18: First connecting electrode

20: Second connecting electrode

D1: First direction

D2: Second direction

R1: Region

SU: Sensing unit

TD: Looking down

Claims (13)

A touch panel, comprising: A substrate, having a plurality of first virtual areas and a plurality of second virtual areas, wherein the first virtual areas are separated from each other and arranged in an array, the second virtual areas are separated from each other and arranged in the array, the first virtual areas and the second virtual areas are arranged in a staggered manner, and the projection of one of the first virtual areas and one of the adjacent second virtual areas in a first direction and a projection in a second direction respectively have a first interval and a second interval; A first metal layer is disposed on the substrate, and the first metal layer includes a plurality of first grid electrodes extending along the first direction, wherein each of the first grid electrodes includes a plurality of first grid lines and a plurality of first nodes, and the first grid lines are connected through the first nodes and surround a plurality of irregular first quadrilaterals, so that each of the first grid electrodes has an irregular grid pattern, wherein in a top view of the touch panel, each of the first nodes is respectively disposed in one of the corresponding first virtual areas; and A second metal layer is disposed on the substrate and is electrically insulated from the first metal layer, and the second metal layer includes a plurality of second grid electrodes extending along the second direction, wherein the first grid electrodes are interlaced with the second grid electrodes in the top view, each of the second grid electrodes includes a plurality of second grid lines and a plurality of second nodes, and the second grid lines are connected through the second nodes and surround a plurality of second quadrilaterals, so that each of the second grid electrodes has another grid pattern of irregular shape, wherein in the top view, each of the second nodes is respectively disposed in one of the corresponding second virtual areas. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein the first grid lines are respectively interlaced with the second grid lines in the top view. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein one of the first nodes is connected to four of the first grid lines, the four of the first grid lines have four angles, and two of the four angles are different. A touch panel as described in claim 3, wherein one of the four angles is greater than 30 degrees. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein each of the second nodes is respectively connected to four of the second grid lines, the four of the second grid lines have four angles, and two of the four angles are different. A touch panel as described in claim 5, wherein one of the four angles is greater than 30 degrees. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein two of the first quadrilaterals respectively have two angles, the angles are oriented in the same direction, and the angles are different from each other. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein two of the second quadrilaterals respectively have two angles, the angles are oriented in the same direction, and the angles are different from each other. The touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein the first metal layer further includes a plurality of first dummy electrodes, and one of the first grid electrodes is disposed between two adjacent ones of the first dummy electrodes. A touch panel as described in claim 9, wherein the second metal layer further includes a plurality of second dummy electrodes, one of the second grid electrodes is disposed between two adjacent ones of the second dummy electrodes, and in the top view, one of the second dummy electrodes is staggered with one of the first dummy electrodes. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein in the top view, one of the first grid electrodes and one of the second grid electrodes have multiple intersections, and one of the first grid electrodes and one of the second grid electrodes have two angles, which correspond to two adjacent ones of the intersections and face the same direction, and the angles are different from each other. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein the first virtual areas have a first pitch in the first direction, and the ratio of the width of the first virtual areas in the first direction to the first pitch is less than 0.6, and the second virtual areas have a second pitch in the first direction, and the ratio of the width of the second virtual areas in the first direction to the second pitch is less than 0.6. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein the first virtual areas have a third pitch in the second direction, and the ratio of the width of the first virtual areas in the second direction to the third pitch is less than 0.6, and the second virtual areas have a fourth pitch in the second direction, and the ratio of the width of the second virtual areas in the second direction to the fourth pitch is less than 0.6.

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