KR102275883B1 - Touch window - Google Patents

Abstract

A touch window according to an embodiment includes a substrate; a first sensing electrode on the substrate; an intermediate layer on the first sensing electrode; and a second sensing electrode on the intermediate layer and a wiring electrode connected to the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode, wherein the wiring electrode includes a first wiring electrode connected to one end of the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode. and a second wire electrode connected to one end of the sensing electrode.

Description

touch window {TOUCH WINDOW}

Embodiments relate to touch windows.

Recently, in various electronic products, a touch window for inputting an image by contacting an input device such as a finger or a stylus to an image displayed on a display device has been applied.

For example, the touch window may detect a position by arranging a sensing electrode and a wiring electrode connected to the sensing electrode on a substrate, and sensing a change in capacitance or the like when a region in which the sensing electrode is disposed is touched. .

Meanwhile, the touch signal sensed from the sensing electrode is transmitted to the chip mounted on the printed circuit board through the wire electrode, and thus an operation according to the touch signal may be performed.

The touch window may include a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode extending in different directions, and the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode may be disposed on different layers.

For example, the first sensing electrode may be disposed on a substrate, the second sensing electrode may be disposed on another substrate, and the wiring electrode may be disposed on the substrate.

In this case, when the wiring electrode and the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode are connected, the number of processes may increase, and reliability may be deteriorated according to a process error.

Accordingly, there is a need for a touch window having a new structure capable of solving the above problems.

The embodiment is intended to provide a touch window having improved reliability.

A touch window according to an embodiment includes a substrate; a first sensing electrode on the substrate; an intermediate layer on the first sensing electrode; and a second sensing electrode on the intermediate layer and a wiring electrode connected to the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode, wherein the wiring electrode includes a first wiring electrode connected to one end of the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode. and a second wire electrode connected to one end of the sensing electrode.

In the touch window according to the embodiment, a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode are first disposed on a substrate and an intermediate layer, respectively, and then a first wiring electrode and a second wiring electrode are formed to form the sensing electrode and the wiring electrode can be connected

Accordingly, since a process of forming a separate hole, ie, a connection hole, on the intermediate layer is not required to connect the sensing electrode and the wiring electrode, process efficiency may be improved.

In addition, it is possible to prevent contact failure between the sensing electrode and the wiring electrode due to an error in the connection hole, thereby improving the reliability of the touch window.

Accordingly, the touch window according to the embodiment may be manufactured with improved process efficiency and may have improved reliability.

1 is a diagram illustrating a perspective view of a touch window according to an embodiment.
2 is a diagram illustrating a plan view of a touch window according to an embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along area AA′ of FIG. 2 .
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a region BB′ of FIG. 2 .
5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a touch device in which a touch window and a display panel are combined according to an exemplary embodiment.
6 to 9 are diagrams for explaining a touch device apparatus to which a touch window according to an embodiment is applied.

In the description of embodiments, each layer (film), region, pattern or structure is “on” or “under” the substrate, each layer (film), region, pad or patterns. The description of being formed in " includes all those formed directly or through another layer. The standards for upper/above or lower/lower layers of each layer will be described with reference to the drawings.

In addition, when it is said that a certain part is "connected" with another part, it includes not only the case where it is "directly connected" but also the case where it is "indirectly connected" with another member interposed therebetween. In addition, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means that other components may be further provided without excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

In the drawings, the thickness or size of each layer (film), region, pattern, or structure may be changed for clarity and convenience of description, and thus does not fully reflect the actual size.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the touch window according to the embodiment may include a substrate 100 , an intermediate layer 200 , a sensing electrode 300 , and a wiring electrode 400 .

The substrate 100 may be rigid or flexible.

For example, the substrate 100 may include glass or plastic. In detail, the substrate 100 includes chemically strengthened/semi-tempered glass such as soda lime glass or aluminosilicate glass, or polyimide (PI) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). , propylene glycol (PPG), reinforced or soft plastic such as polycarbonate (PC), or may include sapphire.

In addition, the substrate 100 may include a photoisotropic film. For example, the substrate 100 may include Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC), Cyclic Olefin Polymer (COP), photoisotropic polycarbonate (PC), or photoisotropic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

Sapphire has excellent electrical properties such as dielectric constant, so it can dramatically increase the touch response speed, and it can easily implement spatial touch such as hovering, and has high surface strength, so it can be applied as a cover substrate. Here, hovering refers to a technique for recognizing coordinates even at a distance slightly away from the display.

Also, the substrate 100 may be bent while having a partially curved surface. That is, the substrate 100 may be bent while partially having a flat surface and partially having a curved surface. In detail, the tip of the substrate 100 may be curved while having a curved surface, or may have a surface including a random curvature and may be curved or bent.

In addition, the substrate 100 may be a flexible substrate having a flexible characteristic.

Also, the substrate 100 may be a curved or bent substrate. That is, the touch window including the substrate 100 may also be formed to have flexible, curved, or bent characteristics. For this reason, the touch window according to the embodiment is easy to carry and can be changed into various designs.

A sensing electrode and a wiring electrode may be disposed on the substrate 100 . That is, the substrate may be a support substrate.

The substrate may include a cover substrate. That is, the sensing electrode and the wiring electrode may be supported by a cover substrate.

Alternatively, a separate cover substrate may be further disposed on the substrate. That is, the sensing electrode and the wiring electrode may be supported by a substrate, and the substrate and the cover substrate may be directly or indirectly bonded through an adhesive layer.

An effective area AA and an ineffective area UA may be defined in the substrate 100 .

A display may be displayed in the effective area AA, and a display may not be displayed in the ineffective area UA disposed around the effective area AA.

Also, in at least one of the effective area AA and the ineffective area UA, the position of the input device (eg, a finger, etc.) may be detected. When an input device such as a finger is in contact with the touch window, a difference in capacitance occurs at a portion in contact with the input device, and the portion in which the difference occurs may be detected as a contact position.

The intermediate layer 200 may be disposed on the substrate 100 . The intermediate layer 200 may be disposed on at least one of an effective area and an ineffective area of the substrate 100 .

The intermediate layer 200 may include a material different from that of the substrate 100 . For example, the intermediate layer 200 may include a dielectric material.

For example, the intermediate layer 200 may include, as an insulator series, alkali metal or alkaline earth metal halogen compounds such as LiF, KCl, CaF2, MgF2, or fused silica, SiO2, SiNX, etc.; As a semiconductor series, InP, InSb, etc.; Transparent oxides used in semiconductors and dielectrics, such as In compounds mainly used in transparent electrodes such as ITO and IZO, or transparent oxides used in semiconductors and dielectrics of ZnOx, ZnS, ZnSe, TiOx, WOx, MoOx, ReOx, etc. Alq3, NPB, TAPC, 2TNATA, CBP, Bphen, etc. as organic semiconductor series; Silsesquioxane or a derivative thereof (hydrogen-silsesquioxane (H-SiO3/2)n, methyl-silsesquioxane (CH3-SiO3/2)n), porous silica or fluorine as a low dielectric constant material Alternatively, it may include porous silica doped with carbon atoms, porous zinc oxide (porous ZnOx), fluorine-substituted polymer compound (CYTOP), or a mixture thereof.

In addition, the intermediate layer 200 may have a visible light transmittance of about 75% to about 99%.

In this case, the thickness of the intermediate layer 200 may be smaller than the thickness of the substrate 100 . In detail, the thickness of the intermediate layer 200 may be about 0.01 times to about 0.1 times the thickness of the substrate 100 . For example, the thickness of the substrate 100 may be about 0.1 mm, and the thickness of the intermediate layer 200 may be about 0.001 mm, but is not limited thereto.

Also, a cross-sectional area of the intermediate layer 200 may be different from a cross-sectional area of the substrate 100 . In detail, the cross-sectional area of the intermediate layer 200 may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the substrate 100 .

A separate adhesive layer is not required between the substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 200 . That is, the intermediate layer 200 may be disposed in direct contact with the substrate 100 . Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the adhesive layer, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the touch window.

The sensing electrode 300 may be disposed on the substrate 100 . In detail, the sensing electrode 300 may be disposed on the substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 200 .

The sensing electrode 300 may include a first sensing electrode 310 and a second sensing electrode 320 . The first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may be disposed at different positions. Also, the first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may be disposed to extend in different directions.

The first sensing electrode 310 may be disposed on the substrate 100 . The first sensing electrode 310 may be disposed in direct or indirect contact with the substrate 100 . Accordingly, the first sensing electrode 310 may be disposed between the substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 200 .

The first sensing electrode 310 may be disposed on the effective area AA of the substrate 100 . Also, the first sensing electrode 310 may be disposed to extend in one direction on the effective area AA of the substrate 100 .

The second sensing electrode 320 may be disposed on the intermediate layer 200 . The second sensing electrode 320 may be disposed in direct or indirect contact with the intermediate layer 200 . Accordingly, the first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may be supported by different supporting members and disposed at different positions.

The second sensing electrode 320 may be disposed on an area of the intermediate layer 200 corresponding to the effective area AA of the substrate 100 . Also, the second sensing electrode 320 may be disposed on the intermediate layer 200 to extend in a direction different from that in which the first sensing electrode 310 extends.

At least one sensing electrode of the first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may include a transparent conductive material to allow electricity to flow without interfering with the transmission of light, for example, the sensing The electrode is a metal such as indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, copper oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, etc. Oxides may be included.

Alternatively, at least one of the first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may be a nanowire, a photosensitive nanowire film, a carbon nanotube (CNT), graphene, a conductive polymer, or mixtures thereof may be included.

When a nano-composite such as nanowire or carbon nanotube (CNT) is used, it can be configured in black, and has the advantage of being able to control color and reflectance while securing electrical conductivity by controlling the content of nanopowder.

Alternatively, at least one of the first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may include various metals. For example, the sensing electrode 300 may include chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), or molybdenum (Mo). At least one of gold (Au), titanium (Ti), and alloys thereof may be included.

In addition, at least one of the first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may be disposed in a mesh shape. For example, the first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may include a plurality of sub-electrodes intersecting each other, and the first sensing electrode 310 by the sub-electrodes ) and/or the second sensing electrode 320 may be entirely disposed in a mesh shape.

Since the sensing electrode has a mesh shape, the pattern of the sensing electrode may not be visible on the effective area AA. That is, even if the sensing electrode is formed of a metal, the pattern may be invisible. In addition, even when the sensing electrode is applied to a large-sized touch window, the resistance of the touch window may be lowered.

The first sensing electrode 310 and the second sensing electrode 320 may include the same or different materials. For example, the first sensing electrode 310 on the substrate 100 may include a transparent conductive material, and the second sensing electrode 320 on the intermediate layer 200 may include a nanowire. Examples are not limited thereto.

The wiring electrode 400 may be disposed on the substrate 100 . For example, the wiring electrode 400 may be disposed on the ineffective area UA of the substrate 100 .

The wire electrode 400 may include a first wire electrode 410 and a second wire electrode 420 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the first wiring electrode 410 may be disposed while being connected to the first sensing electrode 310 . For example, the first wire electrode 410 may be connected to one end of the first sensing electrode 310 . In detail, the first wiring electrode 410 may be connected to the first sensing electrode 310 disposed on the substrate 100 and the substrate 100 . That is, the first wiring electrode 410 and the first sensing electrode 310 may be disposed on the same surface of the substrate, and may be connected on the same surface of the substrate.

The first sensing electrode 310 and the first wiring electrode 410 may be disposed to overlap each other. That is, a first overlapping area OA1 in which the first sensing electrode 310 and the first wiring electrode 410 overlap may be formed on the substrate 100 .

The intermediate layer 200 may be disposed on an area other than the first overlapping area OA1 on the substrate 100 . That is, the first overlapping area OA1 may not be covered by the intermediate layer 200 and may be exposed to the outside.

The first sensing electrode 310 and the first wiring electrode 410 may be connected in the overlapping region. For example, the first wire electrode 410 may be disposed on one end of the upper surface of the first sensing electrode 310 . That is, in a region where the first sensing electrode 310 and the first wiring electrode 410 overlap, the first wiring electrode 410 may be disposed while completely or partially covering the first sensing electrode 310 . can That is, in a region where the first sensing electrode 310 and the first wiring electrode 410 overlap, the first wiring electrode 410 may be disposed on the upper surface of the first sensing electrode 310 .

In addition, the first sensing electrode 310 and the first wiring electrode 410 may be disposed in direct contact with the substrate 100 .

One end of the first wiring electrode 410 may be connected to the first sensing electrode 310 , and the other end of the first wiring electrode 410 may be connected to a printed circuit board. For example, the other end of the first wire electrode 410 may be connected to a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

A driving chip or the like may be mounted on the printed circuit board, and a touch signal sensed from the first sensing electrode may be received through the first wiring electrode and an operation may be performed accordingly.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the second wire electrode 420 may be disposed while being connected to the second sensing electrode 320 . For example, the second wire electrode 420 may be connected to one end of the second sensing electrode 320 . In detail, the second wiring electrode 420 may be connected to the second sensing electrode 320 disposed on the intermediate layer 200 and the intermediate layer 200 . That is, the second wiring electrode 420 and the second sensing electrode 320 may be disposed on different surfaces, and may be connected on the surface on which the second sensing low electrode 320 is disposed.

The second sensing electrode 320 and the second wire electrode 420 may be disposed to overlap each other. That is, a second overlapping area OA2 in which the second sensing electrode 320 and the second wiring electrode 420 overlap may be formed on the intermediate layer 200 . The second sensing electrode 320 and the second wiring electrode 420 may be connected in the overlapping region. For example, the second wiring electrode 420 may be disposed on one end of the upper surface of the second sensing electrode 320 . That is, in a region where the second sensing electrode 320 and the second wiring electrode 420 overlap, the second wiring electrode 420 may be disposed while completely or partially covering the second sensing electrode 320 . can That is, in a region where the second sensing electrode 320 and the second wiring electrode 420 overlap, the second wiring electrode 420 may be disposed on the upper surface of the second sensing electrode 320 .

For example, the second wiring electrode 420 on the substrate 100 extends in this order from one surface of the substrate 100 , a side surface of the intermediate layer 200 , and an upper surface of the intermediate layer 200 to extend the second wiring electrode 420 . It may be connected to the sensing electrode 320 .

Accordingly, the second wiring electrode 420 may be disposed in contact with the side surface and the top surface of the intermediate layer 320 .

Also, a region where the first sensing electrode and the first wiring electrode overlap may be located on a different plane from a region where the second sensing electrode and the second wiring electrode overlap.

That is, the region where the first sensing electrode and the first wiring electrode overlap is located on one surface of the substrate 100 , and the region where the second sensing electrode and the second wiring electrode overlap is the intermediate layer 200 . It may be located on one side of

In addition, the second sensing electrode 320 and the second wiring electrode 420 may be disposed in direct contact with the substrate 100 .

One end of the second wire electrode 420 may be connected to the second sensing electrode 320 , and the other end of the second wire electrode 420 may be connected to a printed circuit board. For example, the other end of the second wire electrode 420 may be connected to a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

A driving chip or the like may be mounted on the printed circuit board, and a touch signal sensed from the second sensing electrode may be received through the second wiring electrode and an operation may be performed accordingly.

The first wiring electrode 410 and the second wiring electrode 420 may be formed by coating and curing a paste including conductive powder on the substrate 100 .

For example, the first wiring electrode 410 and the second wiring electrode 420 may include chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), and molybdenum (Mo). ). Gold (Au), titanium (Ti), and a conductive powder containing at least one metal among alloys thereof, a solvent and a binder are mixed to form a conductive paste, and the conductive paste is applied on a substrate to form it. .

For example, in the touch window according to the embodiment, the first wiring electrode and the second wiring electrode may be formed by using such a conductive paste and a printing apparatus, such as gravure printing or an offset printing method. Accordingly, a separate etching process is not required to form the wiring electrode pattern, and the wiring electrode pattern can be formed at once.

The conductive paste may include conductive powder, a solvent, and a binder.

The solvent may include an organic solvent. For example, the solvent may include alcohols, glycols, polyols, ethers, glycol ethers, glycol ether esters, and esters. It may be selected from the group consisting of, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

The binder may serve to impart adhesion between the conductive powder and the substrate. For example, the binder may be selected from the group consisting of epoxy, ester, acryl, and vinyl, but embodiments are not limited thereto.

As the wiring electrode 400 is formed by applying a conductive paste, the wiring electrode may further include an organic material together with the conductive material. Accordingly, the sensing electrode 300 and the wiring electrode 400 may include different materials.

In the touch window according to the embodiment, a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode are first disposed on a substrate and an intermediate layer, respectively, and then a first wiring electrode and a second wiring electrode are formed to form the sensing electrode and the wiring electrode can be connected

Accordingly, since a process of forming a separate hole, ie, a connection hole, on the intermediate layer is not required to connect the sensing electrode and the wiring electrode, process efficiency may be improved.

In addition, it is possible to prevent contact failure between the sensing electrode and the wiring electrode due to an error in the connection hole, thereby improving the reliability of the touch window.

Accordingly, the touch window according to the embodiment may be manufactured with improved process efficiency and may have improved reliability.

Hereinafter, a touch device in which the aforementioned touch window and the display panel are combined will be described with reference to FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the touch device according to the embodiment may include a touch window disposed on the display panel 800 .

In detail, referring to FIG. 5 , the touch device may be formed by combining the substrate 100 and the display panel 800 . The substrate 100 and the display panel 800 may be bonded to each other through an adhesive layer 700 . For example, the substrate 100 and the display panel 800 may be laminated to each other through an adhesive layer 700 including an optically clear adhesive (OCA).

Also, the intermediate layer 200 may be bonded to each other through the cover substrate 101 and the adhesive layer 700 on the intermediate layer 200 .

The display panel 800 may include a first substrate 810 and a second substrate 820 .

When the display panel 800 is a liquid crystal display panel, the display panel 800 includes a first substrate 810 including a thin film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode, and a second substrate including color filter layers. 820 may be formed in a bonded structure with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween.

In addition, in the display panel 800 , a thin film transistor, a color filter, and a black matrix are formed on a first substrate 810 , and a second substrate 820 is bonded to the first substrate 810 with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. It may be a liquid crystal display panel having a color filter on transistor (COT) structure. That is, a thin film transistor may be formed on the first substrate 810 , a protective film may be formed on the thin film transistor, and a color filter layer may be formed on the protective film. In addition, a pixel electrode in contact with the thin film transistor is formed on the first substrate 810 . In this case, in order to improve the aperture ratio and simplify the mask process, the black matrix may be omitted, and the common electrode may also serve as the black matrix.

Also, when the display panel 800 is a liquid crystal display panel, the display device may further include a backlight unit that provides light from a rear surface of the display panel 800 .

When the display panel 800 is an organic light emitting display panel, the display panel 800 includes a self-luminous element that does not require a separate light source. In the display panel 800 , a thin film transistor is formed on a first substrate 810 , and an organic light emitting device in contact with the thin film transistor is formed. The organic light emitting device may include an anode, a cathode, and an organic light emitting layer formed between the anode and the cathode. In addition, a second substrate 820 serving as an encapsulation substrate for encapsulation may be further included on the organic light emitting device.

Hereinafter, an example of a touch device apparatus to which a touch window according to the above-described embodiments is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , as an example of a touch device apparatus, a mobile terminal is illustrated. The mobile terminal may include an effective area (AA) and an invalid area (UA). The effective area AA may sense a touch signal by a touch of a finger, and a command icon pattern unit and a logo may be formed in the ineffective area.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the touch window may include a flexible touch window that is bent. Accordingly, a touch device apparatus including the same may be a flexible touch device apparatus. Accordingly, the user can bend or bend it by hand.

Referring to FIG. 8 , such a touch window may be applied not only to a touch device such as a mobile terminal but also to a car navigation system.

Also, referring to FIG. 9 , such a touch panel may be applied to a vehicle. That is, the touch panel may be applied to various parts within the vehicle to which the touch panel may be applied. Accordingly, it is applied to not only a personal navigation display (PND), but also a dashboard, etc. to implement a center information display (CID). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that such a touch device may be used in various electronic products.

Features, structures, effects, etc. described in the above-described embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to only one embodiment. Furthermore, features, structures, effects, etc. illustrated in each embodiment can be combined or modified for other embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. Accordingly, the contents related to such combinations and modifications should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

In addition, although the embodiments have been mainly described above, these are merely examples and do not limit the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains are exemplified above in the range that does not depart from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. It can be seen that various modifications and applications that have not been made are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiments may be implemented by modification. And the differences related to these modifications and applications should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims (10)

Board;
a first sensing electrode on the substrate;
an intermediate layer on the first sensing electrode;
a second sensing electrode on the intermediate layer; and
a wire electrode connected to the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode;
The wiring electrode includes a first wiring electrode connected to one end of the first sensing electrode and a second wiring electrode connected to one end of the second sensing electrode,
the first wiring electrode and the second wiring electrode are disposed on the same surface of the substrate;
the first wiring electrode is disposed on an upper surface of the first sensing electrode in a first overlapping region where the first sensing electrode and the first wiring electrode overlap;
the second wiring electrode is disposed on an upper surface of the second sensing electrode in a second overlapping region where the second sensing electrode and the second wiring electrode overlap;
the first overlapping region is disposed on one surface of the substrate;
The second overlapping region is disposed on one surface of the intermediate layer,
and the second wiring electrode is disposed in contact with a side surface and an upper surface of the intermediate layer. delete The method of claim 1,
the first wiring electrode is disposed in direct contact with the first sensing electrode;
The second wiring electrode is a touch window disposed in direct contact with the second sensing electrode. delete delete The method of claim 1,
the first sensing electrode and the first wiring electrode are connected on the substrate;
The second sensing electrode and the second wiring electrode are connected on the intermediate layer. delete The method of claim 1,
The first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode include a material different from that of the first wiring electrode and the second wiring electrode. 9. The method of claim 8,
The first wire electrode and the second wire electrode include an organic material. The method of claim 1,
At least one sensing electrode of the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode is disposed in a mesh shape.

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