Pressure-sensitive display touch unit, touch screen, and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10558287-B2
Application number	US-201415103862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

A pressure-sensitive display screen touch-control unit, a touch screen and a manufacturing method thereof. The touch-control unit mainly comprises a driving electrode, a lower electrode, and a dielectric layer sandwiched between the driving electrode and the lower electrode. When a pressure is applied between the driving electrode and the lower electrode, a tunnel current IT is formed, and a voltage VT exists between the driving electrode and the lower electrode. With the touch-control unit, an external pressure may be converted into a current signal to make pressure an information input mode; and the touch-control unit is combined with the existing capacitive touch screen or the resistive touch screen, such that the touch-control unit may be compatible with the existing multi-point touch function, and may also sense change in pressure sensitively. Functions of the existing touch screens may be enhanced to rich operations and applications of touch screens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A capacitive touch screen, comprising:
a driving electrode and a receiving electrode formed on a front panel made from glass or a polymer;
an ultra-thin dielectric layer, which is provided below the driving electrode; and
a lower electrode, which is sandwiched between the driving electrode and the front panel;
wherein a thickness of the dielectric layer being between 0.5 nm and 5 nm, the dielectric layer forming a barrier of free electrons between the driving electrode and the lower electrode;
wherein when a pressure is applied between the driving electrode and the lower electrode, a tunnel current I T is formed; a voltage V T exists between the driving electrode and the lower electrode; and the relation between the tunnel current I T and the voltage V T between the driving electrode and the lower electrode is:
I T =CV T exp(− AU 0 d )

where: C and A are proportional constants; U 0 is an arithmetic mean value of escape barriers of the driving electrode and the lower electrode; and d is the thickness of the dielectric layer;
the dielectric layer is made from polyamide, polyimide, poly(p-phenylene terephthamide), polyurea, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum alkoxide or Zincone; and
the dielectric layer is manufactured by atomic layer deposition or molecular layer deposition.

2. The capacitive touch screen according to claim 1 , wherein the driving electrode and the lower electrode are transparent or semi-transparent conductors, and are made from any one of indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), fluorine-doped zinc oxide (FTO), gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO), graphene and metal nanowire array.

3. A resistive touch screen comprising:
a hard substrate and a soft substrate of the touch screen;
a first resistive film on the hard substrate;
a second resistive film formed at the lowest end of the soft substrate;
an insulating fulcrum between the first resistive film and the second resistive film;
wherein an array of a driving electrode and a dielectric layer is formed on the soft substrate; and
then a lower electrode is formed; and an insulating film covered the array is formed between the second resistive film and the lower electrode;
wherein a thickness of the dielectric layer being between 0.5 nm and 5 nm, the dielectric layer forming a barrier of free electrons between the driving electrode and the lower electrode;
wherein when a pressure is applied between the driving electrode and the lower electrode, a tunnel current I T is formed; a voltage V T exists between the driving electrode and the lower electrode; and the relation between the tunnel current I T and the voltage V T between the driving electrode and the lower electrode is:
I T =CV T exp (− AU 0 d )

where: C and A are proportional constants; U 0 is an arithmetic mean value of escape barriers of the driving electrode and the lower electrode; and d is the thickness of the dielectric layer;
the dielectric layer is made from polyamide, polyimide, poly(p-phenylene terephthamide), polyurea, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum alkoxide or Zincone; and
the dielectric layer is manufactured by atomic layer deposition or molecular layer deposition.

4. The resistive touch screen according to claim 3 , wherein the driving electrode and the lower electrode are transparent or semi-transparent conductors, and are made from any one of indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), fluorine-doped zinc oxide (FTO), gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO), graphene and metal nanowire array.

5. A method for manufacturing a resistive touch screen as defined in claim 3 , the method comprising:
forming the first resistive film on the hard substrate of the touch screen;
forming the second resistive film at the lowest end of the soft substrate;
combining the soft substrate and the hard substrate by an insulating fulcrum;
wherein before the second resistive film is formed, first, an array of the driving electrode and the ultra-thin dielectric layer is formed on the soft substrate; and then, the lower electrode is formed; and finally, the array is covered by an insulating film; and
manufacturing the dielectric layer by atomic layer deposition or molecular layer deposition, a thickness of the dielectric layer being between 0.5 nm and 5 nm;
wherein the dielectric layer is made from polyamide, polyimide, poly(p-phenylene terephthamide), polyurea, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum alkoxide or Zincone.

6. A method for manufacturing a resistive touch screen according to claim 5 , wherein the driving electrode and the lower electrode are transparent or semi-transparent conductors, and are made from any one of indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), fluorine-doped zinc oxide (FTO), gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO), graphene and metal nanowire array.

Assignees

• Kunshan New Flat Panel Display Technology Ct Co Ltd
• Kunshan Govisionox Optoelectronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhu Shaopeng
• Qiu Yong
• Chen Hong
• Huang Xiuqi

Classifications

• G06F3/0414 Primary

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/045

  using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F2203/04104

  Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger · CPC title