Touch screen, manufacturing method thereof and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9996208-B2
Application number	US-201514785702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure provides a touch screen which comprises a transparent substrate having a surface which includes a central region and a peripheral region, an electrode array arranged in the central region and formed by a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of sensing electrodes, which are arranged on the surface of the transparent substrate, and multiple wires formed on the surface of the transparent substrate for electrically connecting each electrode in the electrode array to an external touch driving circuit, wherein all the electrodes in the electrode array and the multiple wires are formed by a single-layer metal which is formed on the surface of the transparent substrate. The disclosure further provides a manufacturing method of the touch screen. The manufacturing method comprises the step of forming the driving electrodes, in which the driving electrodes, the sensing electrodes and the wires connecting the electrodes of the touch screen are formed simultaneously of the single-layer metal which are directly formed on the surface of the transparent substrate. The disclosure further provides a display device comprising the touch screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch screen comprising:
a transparent substrate having a surface which includes a central region and a peripheral region;
an electrode array arranged in the central region and formed by a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of sensing electrodes, which are arranged on the surface of the transparent substrate; and
multiple wires formed on the surface of the transparent substrate for electrically connecting a respective electrode in the electrode array to an external touch driving circuit,
wherein all the electrodes in the electrode array and the multiple wires are formed of a single-layer metal which is formed on the surface of the transparent substrate,
the electrode array has a row direction and a column direction,
both the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes are alternately arranged in both the row direction and the column direction and are spaced apart from each other, so as to form multiple rows of electrodes and multiple columns of electrodes,
each two adjacent columns of electrodes constitute an electrode column pair,
each electrode column pair corresponds to one wire for the driving electrode and multiple wires for the sensing electrode, the one wire for the driving electrode is electrically connected with all of the driving electrodes in the electrode column pair, and each of the multiple wires for the sensing electrode is electrically connected with one corresponding sensing electrode in the electrode column pair,
at least a portion of each wire for the driving electrode is arranged in a gap region between two adjacent columns of electrodes of one corresponding electrode column pair;
the wires for the sensing electrode, which are electrically connected with two outermost columns of sensing electrodes in the electrode array, are arranged in the peripheral region;
at least a portion of the wires for the sensing electrode, which are electrically connected with the sensing electrodes in the electrode array other than the two outermost columns of sensing electrodes, are arranged in a gap region between two adjacent electrode column pairs; and
all the multiple wires are converged to a region of bonding pad located at one end of the transparent substrate in the peripheral region.

2. The touch screen according to claim 1 , wherein,
each electrode in the electrode array has a form of grid.

3. The touch screen according to claim 1 , wherein,
the wires for the sensing electrode extend from the respective sensing electrodes toward the one end in a first direction parallel with the column direction and converge to the region of bonding pad.

4. The touch screen according to claim 1 , wherein,
wires, which are electrically connected with a portion of sensing electrodes in at least one column of electrodes of the multiple columns of electrodes, extend from the respective sensing electrodes toward the one end in a first direction parallel with the column direction and converge to the region of bonding pad; and
wires, which are electrically connected with the other sensing electrodes in the at least one column of electrodes, extend from the respective sensing electrodes toward the other end of the transparent substrate opposite to the one end in a second direction opposite to the first direction, then extend along the peripheral region and converge to the region of bonding pad.

5. The touch screen according to claim 1 , further comprising a black matrix forming in the peripheral region, wherein the black matrix is located under the wires in the peripheral region to avoid that the wires in the peripheral region is visible from the other surface of the transparent substrate opposite to the surface.

6. A display device comprising a touch screen according to claim 1 .

7. A manufacturing method of a touch screen, comprising steps of:
providing a transparent substrate having a surface including a central region and a peripheral region;
forming a metal layer on the surface; and
patterning the metal layer through a single patterning process to form an electrode array in a form of grid in the central region and to form multiple wires in the peripheral region, the electrode array comprising a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of sensing electrodes, and the multiple wires being configured for electrically connecting each electrode in the electrode array to an external touch driving circuit,
wherein patterning the metal layer through a single patterning process comprises: forming the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes, which are spaced apart from each other, alternately both in a row direction of the electrode array and in a column direction thereof,
wherein, patterning the metal layer through a single patterning process comprises:
forming an electrode column pair from each two adjacent columns of electrodes:
forming multiple wires for the driving electrode and multiple wires for the sensing electrode from the metal layer;
wherein each wire for the driving electrode is electrically connected with all of the driving electrodes in one corresponding electrode column pair, and the multiple wires for the sensing electrode are electrically connected with respective sensing electrodes in the corresponding electrode column pair,
wherein, patterning the metal layer through a single patterning process comprises:
forming at least a portion of each wire for the driving electrode in a first gap region between two adjacent columns of electrodes of the electrode column pair;
forming the wires for the sensing electrode, which are electrically connected with two outermost columns of sensing electrodes in the electrode array, in the peripheral region;
forming at least a portion of the wires for the sensing electrode, which are electrically connected with the sensing electrodes in the electrode array other than two outermost columns of sensing electrodes, in a second gap region between two adjacent electrode column pairs, the second gap region being spaced apart from the first gap region by a column of electrodes; and
converging all the multiple wires to a region of bonding pad located at one end of the transparent substrate in the peripheral region.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 7 , wherein, patterning the metal layer through a single patterning process comprises: forming each electrode in the electrode array in a form of grid.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 7 , wherein, patterning the metal layer through a single patterning process comprises:
configuring wires for the sensing electrode to extend from the respective sensing electrodes toward the one end and converge to the region of bonding pad.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 7 , wherein,
wires, which are electrically connected with a portion of sensing electrodes in at least one column of electrodes, extend from the respective sensing electrodes toward the one end in a first direction parallel with the column direction and converge to the region of bonding pad; and
wires, which are electrically connected with the other sensing electrodes in the at least one column of electrodes, extend from the respective sensing electrodes toward the other end of the transparent substrate opposite to the one end in a second direction opposite to the first direction, then extend along the peripheral region and converge to the region of bonding pad.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
forming a black matrix in the peripheral region before forming the metal layer on the surface, such that the metal layer formed subsequently in the peripheral region is stacked on the black matrix.

12. The

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd
• Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xie Taofeng
• Zhang Lei
• Liu Yang
• Wu Lingyan

Classifications

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04103

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

• B05D2203/35

  Glass · CPC title