Touch panel and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9857922-B2
Application number	US-201314142717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2013
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A touch panel is partitioned into a sensing region and a circuit region and the circuit region is positioned around the edges of the sensing region. The touch panel comprises an electrode layer, a first wire layer, a second wire layer and an insulating layer. The electrode layer is disposed in the sensing region. The first wire layer is disposed in the circuit region and electrically connects to the electrode layer. The second wire layer electrically connects to the first wire layer in the circuit region. The insulating layer has a portion being disposed between the first wire layer and the second wire layer in the circuit, and has a plurality of first through holes wherein the first wire layer electrically connects to the second wire layer through the first through holes. The present disclosure also provides a method of manufacturing a touch panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch panel having a sensing region and a circuit region located on an edge of the sensing region, the touch panel comprising:
an electrode layer disposed in the sensing region;
a first wire layer disposed in the circuit region and electrically connected to the electrode layer;
a second wire layer electrically connected to the first wire layer in the circuit region; and
an insulating layer having a portion disposed between the first wire layer and the second wire layer in the circuit region and having a plurality of first through holes in the circuit region, wherein:
one of the first wire layer or the second wire layer is positioned over the insulating layer, disposed in the plurality of first through holes, and in contact with the other one of the first wire layer or the second wire layer positioned under the insulating layer, such that the first wire layer electrically connects to the second wire layer through the plurality of first through holes at a plurality of locations in the circuit region, and
the first wire layer comprises a first wire and the second wire layer comprises a second wire, wherein each of the first wire and the second wire extend continuously from a first instance of the plurality of first through holes to a second instance of the plurality of first through holes such that the first wire and the second wire are electrically coupled in parallel through at least the first instance of the plurality of first through holes and the second instance of the plurality of first through holes.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first wire layer comprises a plurality of first wires, and
the second wire layer comprises a plurality of second wires corresponding to the first wires.

3. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first wire layer and the electrode layer are disposed on a substrate,
a portion of the insulating layer in the sensing region is disposed on the electrode layer, and
the portion of the insulating layer in the circuit region is disposed on the first wire layer.

4. The touch panel according claim 1 , wherein the first wire layer and the electrode layer are made of a same transparent conducting material.

5. The touch panel according to claim 3 , wherein:
the electrode layer comprises first-direction electrode units and second-direction electrode units being arranged at intervals and connecting wires connecting neighboring second-direction electrode units,
the first-direction electrode units are disposed on two sides of the connecting wires,
the portion of the insulating layer in the sensing region has a plurality of second through holes,
the plurality of second through holes expose parts of the first-direction electrode units,
the second wire layer comprises a plurality of bridge wires disposed on the portion of the insulating layer in the sensing region, and
the plurality of bridge wires electrically connect neighboring first-direction electrode units through the plurality of second through holes.

6. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second wire layer in the circuit region is disposed on a substrate,
a portion of the insulating layer in the sensing region is disposed on the substrate, and
the portion of the insulating layer in the circuit region is disposed on the second wire layer.

7. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the second wire layer is made of metal, metal alloy, transparent conducting material, or a combination of the same.

8. The touch panel according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer is formed by materials of different refractive indexes stacked together.

9. A method of manufacturing a touch panel having a sensing region and a circuit region located on an edge of the sensing region, the method comprising:
forming an electrode layer in the sensing region;
forming a first wire layer in the circuit region, wherein the first wire layer is electrically connected to the electrode layer;
forming a second wire layer, wherein the second wire layer is electrically connected to the first wire layer in the circuit region; and
forming an insulating layer having a portion disposed between the first wire layer and the second wire layer in the circuit region and having a plurality of first through holes in the circuit region, wherein:
one of the first wire layer or the second wire layer is positioned over the insulating layer, disposed in the plurality of first through holes, and in contact with the other one of the first wire layer or the second wire layer positioned under the insulating layer, such that the first wire layer electrically connects to the second wire layer through the plurality of first through holes at a plurality of locations in the circuit region, and
the first wire layer comprises a first wire and the second wire layer comprises a second wire, wherein each of the first wire and the second wire extend continuously from a first instance of the plurality of first through holes to a second instance of the plurality of first through holes such that the first wire and the second wire are electrically coupled in parallel through at least the first instance of the plurality of first through holes and the second instance of the plurality of first through holes.

10. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 9 , wherein:
the first wire layer and the electrode layer are disposed on a substrate,
a portion of the insulating layer in the sensing region is disposed on the electrode layer, and
the portion of the insulating layer in the circuit region is disposed on the first wire layer.

11. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 10 , wherein the forming the electrode layer and the first wire layer on the substrate comprises:
forming a transparent conducting layer on the substrate; and
etching the transparent conducting layer to form the electrode layer and the first wire layer.

12. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 10 , wherein:
the electrode layer comprises first-direction electrode units and second-direction electrode units arranged at intervals and connecting wires connecting neighboring second-direction electrode units,
the first-direction electrode units are disposed on two sides of the connecting wires,
the portion of the insulating layer in the sensing region has a plurality of second through holes,
the plurality of second through holes expose parts of the first-direction electrode units,
the second wire layer comprises a plurality of bridge wires disposed on the portion of the insulating layer in the sensing region, and
the plurality of bridge wires electrically connect neighboring first-direction electrode units through the plurality of second through holes.

13. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 9 , wherein:
the second wire layer in the circuit region is disposed on a substrate,
a portion of the insulating layer in the sensing region is disposed on the substrate, and
the portion of the insulating layer in the circuit region is disposed on the second wire layer.

14. A touch panel having a sensing region and a circuit region located on an edge of the sensing region, the touch panel comprising:
an electrode layer disposed in the sensing region;
a first wire disposed in the circuit region and electrically connected to the electrode layer;
a second wire electrically connected to the first wire in the circuit region; and
an insulating layer having a portion disposed between the first wire and the second wire in the circuit region and having a plurality of fir

Assignees

• Tpk Touch Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Liu Chen-Yu
• Lee Lu-Hsing

Classifications

• H05K1/09

  Use of materials for the {conductive, e.g. } metallic pattern · CPC title

• G06F3/047

  using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires · CPC title

• Y10T29/49105

  Switch making · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04103

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