Capacitive sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10067008-B2
Application number	US-201615136546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to graphene-based capacitive sensors. In one embodiment, a touch sensor comprises a non-porous insulating substrate having a first side and a second side. A first conductive material is at least partially in communication with the first side. A second conductive material is at least partially in communication with the first side. A third conductive material is at least partially in communication with the second side. The first conductive material and the second conductive material are in communication. The first conductive material forms a linearization pattern. The first conductive material includes a metal. The second conductive material and/or third conductive material comprise graphene sheets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch sensor comprising:
a non-porous insulating substrate comprising a first side and a second side;
a first pin layer positioned proximate to the first side, wherein the first pin layer comprises a first set of spatially separated parallel electrodes each in electrical communication with a first trace;
a second pin layer positioned proximate to the second side, wherein the second pin layer comprises a second set of spatially separated parallel electrodes each in electrical communication with a second trace;
an insulating layer in communication with and positioned over the second set of spatially separated parallel electrodes and the second traces;
a grounding layer positioned
over a non-sensing region of the insulating layer;
over the second traces; and
adjacent to the first traces;

wherein the first pin layer, the second pin layer, and/or the grounding layer comprises a conductive composition having graphene sheets;
wherein the first set of spatially separated parallel electrodes and the second set of spatially separated parallel electrodes are configured to form intersections that correspond to unique touch coordinate pairs; and
wherein the touch sensor operates via projected-capacitance.

2. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first pin layer is printed on the first side of the substrate.

3. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the second pin layer is printed on the second side of the substrate.

4. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first pin layer and/or the second pin layer has a thickness of about 2 μm to about 3 mm.

5. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the grounding layer has a thickness of about 10 μm to about 70 μm.

6. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises polyethylene terephthalate, Kapton, vinyl, thermoplastic polyurethane, and/or polyurethane.

7. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is flexible or rigid.

8. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first pin layer has a pin width of about 1 μm to about 4 μm.

9. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the second pin layer has a pin width of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm.

10. A touch sensor fabrication method comprising,
forming a first pin layer on a first side of a substrate, wherein the first pin layer includes a first set of spatially separated parallel electrodes each in electrical communication with a first trace;
forming a second pin layer on a second side of the substrate, wherein the second pin layer includes a second set of spatially separated parallel electrodes each in electrical communication with a second trace;
positioning an insulating material to be in communication with and positioned over the second set of spatially separated parallel electrodes and the second traces proximate to the second pin layer;
forming a grounding layer to be positioned
over a non-sensing region of the insulating layer;
over the second traces; and
adjacent to the first traces;

wherein the first set of spatially separated parallel electrodes and the second set of spatially separated parallel electrodes are configured to form intersections that represent unique touch pairs; and
wherein the touch sensor operates via projected-capacitance.

11. The touch sensor fabrication method of claim 10 , wherein the step of forming the first pin layer and/or second pin layer on the substrate comprises a printing method.

12. The touch sensor fabrication method of claim 10 , wherein the first pin layer and/or the second pin layer has a thickness of about 2 μm to about 3 mm.

13. The touch sensor fabrication method of claim 10 , wherein the step of forming the grounding layer proximate to the insulating layer comprises a printing method.

14. The touch sensor fabrication method of claim 10 , wherein the insulating layer comprises a UV oligomer resin.

Assignees

• Vorbeck Materials Corp

Inventors

• Scheffer Dan F
• Brooks Louise
• Boehmcke Paige J
• Hudspeth Mathew A

Classifications

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04112

  Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material · CPC title

• G01L1/142 Primary

  using capacitors · CPC title