The invention relates to a display; in particular, to a capacitive touch panel.
In general, compared with the technology of plugging the external touch-sensing module on the display module, the touch-sensing electrode disposed on the encapsulation layer of the display module through the on-cell technology can effectively reduce the module thickness.
Since the traces of the touch sensing layer and the traces of the display layer are disposed in different layers respectively, it is conventionally to use different flexible circuit boards (FPCs) to couple the touch sensing layer and the display layer respectively, or to use a flexible circuit board divided into two areas bonding to the touch sensing layer and the display layer respectively. However, the above-mentioned methods not only increase the cost of the FPCs, but also require separate bonding processes, which may also lead to a decrease of manufacturing yield. The above problems need to be overcome.
Therefore, the invention provides a capacitive touch panel to overcome the above-mentioned problems in the prior art.
An embodiment of the invention is a capacitive touch panel. In this embodiment, the capacitive touch panel includes a plurality of pixels. A laminated structure of each pixel includes a substrate, a display layer, a thin-film encapsulation layer and a conductive layer from bottom to top. The display layer is disposed above the substrate. The thin-film encapsulation layer opposite to the substrate is disposed above the display layer. The thin-film encapsulation layer includes alternately stacked organic material layer and inorganic material layer. The conductive layer is disposed above the display layer. The conductive layer is electrically connected to a contact on the display layer through a via formed in the thin-film encapsulation layer.
In an embodiment, the thin-film encapsulation layer is formed by alternately stacking at least one the organic material layer and at least one the inorganic material layer through a thin-film encapsulation technology.
In an embodiment, the display layer includes a display area and a non-display area, the contact is formed in the non-display area and a position of the via formed in the thin-film encapsulation layer corresponds to the non-display area.
In an embodiment, the conductive layer includes a touch sensing electrode suitable for mutual-capacitive touch sensing technology or self-capacitive touch sensing technology.
In an embodiment, the conductive layer further includes a trace coupled to the touch sensing electrode, and the touch sensing electrode is electrically connected to the contact on the display layer through the trace and the via in order.
In an embodiment, the display layer includes an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) laminated structure.
In an embodiment, the contact on the display layer is coupled to a driving circuit and the driving circuit is a touch driving circuit or a touch and display driving integrated circuit.
In an embodiment, the conductive layer is disposed above the thin-film encapsulation layer.
In an embodiment, the conductive layer is disposed in the thin-film encapsulation layer.
In an embodiment, the conductive layer is located between the alternately stacked organic material layer and inorganic material layer.
In an embodiment, the conductive layer is filled into the via to be electrically connected to the contact on the display layer.
In an embodiment, the capacitive touch panel further includes a conductive filling layer. The conductive filling layer is filled into the via and used for electrically connecting the conductive layer and the contact on the display layer.
In an embodiment, after the conductive filling layer is filled into the via, the conductive layer is formed and electrically connected to the conductive filling layer.
In an embodiment, a part of the conductive layer is disposed above the conductive filling layer and electrically connected to the conductive filling layer.
In an embodiment, after the conductive layer is formed, the conductive filling layer is filled into the via and electrically connected to the conductive layer.
In an embodiment, a part of the conductive layer is disposed under the conductive filling layer and electrically connected to the conductive filling layer.
In an embodiment, the capacitive touch panel further includes another conductive layer disposed above the display layer
In an embodiment, the conductive layer and the another conductive layer are both disposed in the thin-film encapsulation layer and insulated from each other.
In an embodiment, the conductive layer and the another conductive layer are both disposed above the thin-film encapsulation layer and insulated from each other.
In an embodiment, the conductive layer is electrically connected through a bridge structure, and the bridge structure and the another conductive layer are insulated from each other.
Compared to the prior arts, the capacitive touch panel of the invention can be used in any self-luminous display (e.g., the OLED display, but not limited to this) having on-cell laminated structure and using thin-film encapsulation technology and suitable for mutual-capacitive touch sensing technology and self-capacitive touch sensing technology. Since the touch sensing electrode disposed on the thin-film encapsulation layer or in the thin-film encapsulation layer can be electrically connected to the contact on the display layer through the via formed in the non-display area of the thin-film encapsulation layer, the capacitive touch panel of the invention can decrease the number of the FPCs and the times of the bonding processes through its innovative laminated structure and layout to effectively reduce cost and enhance the manufacturing yield.
The advantage and spirit of the invention may be understood by the following detailed descriptions together with the appended drawings.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is a capacitive touch panel. In practical applications, the capacitive touch panel can be used in any self-luminous display (e.g., the OLED display, but not limited to this) having on-cell laminated structure and using thin-film encapsulation technology and suitable for mutual-capacitive touch sensing technology and self-capacitive touch sensing technology. The touch sensing layer of the capacitive touch panel is formed by a conductive material. The touch sensing layer can be disposed on the thin-film encapsulation layer or in the thin-film encapsulation layer. The thin-film encapsulation layer is formed by alternately stacking at least one the organic material layer and at least one the inorganic material layer through a thin-film encapsulation technology.
In this embodiment, the capacitive touch panel includes a plurality of pixels. A laminated structure of each pixel includes a substrate a display layer, a thin-film encapsulation layer and a conductive layer from bottom to top. The display layer is disposed above the substrate. The thin-film encapsulation layer opposite to the substrate is disposed above the display layer. The thin-film encapsulation layer includes alternately stacked organic material layer and inorganic material layer. The conductive layer is disposed above the display layer. The conductive layer is electrically connected to a contact on the display layer through a via formed in the thin-film encapsulation layer.
Please refer to
The display layer DL includes a display area AA and a non-display area BA. The thin-film encapsulation layer TFE is formed by alternately stacking at least one the organic material layer and at least one the inorganic material layer through a thin-film encapsulation technology. A via VIA is disposed on the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE corresponding to the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. A contact CT is disposed in the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. A display driving integrated circuit DIC is also disposed in the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. The display driving integrated circuit DIC is coupled to the display area AA through traces WD. The conductive layer CL includes a touch sensing electrode TS and its trace TR. The touch sensing electrode TS is suitable for mutual-capacitive touch sensing technology and self-capacitive touch sensing technology.
In this embodiment, the touch sensing electrode TS is coupled to the trace TR and the trace TR is electrically connected to a contact CT formed on the non-display area BA of the display layer DL through the via VIA. The contact CT can be coupled to a touch driving integrated circuit TIC through a trace WT. Thus, the touch sensing electrode TS can be electrically connected to the touch driving integrated circuit TIC through the trace TR, the via VIA, the contact CT and the trace WT in order; a touch driving signal outputted by the touch driving integrated circuit TIC can be transmitted to the touch sensing electrode TS through the trace WT, the contact CT, the via VIA and the trace TR in order.
In practical applications, the touch driving integrated circuit TIC can be disposed on the flexible printed circuit FPC, and the display layer DL can include an OLED laminated structure, but not limited to this.
It should be noted that the conductive layer CL is disposed above the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE in this embodiment; however, in fact, the conductive layer CL of the invention can be disposed in the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE. And, the number of the conductive layer CL is not limited to one layer; it can be multiple conductive layers insulated from each other.
In addition, if the touch driving integrated circuit TIC and the display driving integrated circuit DIC are integrated into a touch and display driving integrated circuit disposed on the non-display area BA of the display layer DL, for example, a touch and display driver integration (TDDI) IC. Since the touch sensing electrode TS is electrically connected to the contact CT formed on the non-display area BA of the display layer DL, it can be further electrically connected to the touch and display driving integrated circuit which is also formed on the non-display area BA of the display layer DL.
Please refer to
The display layer DL includes a display area AA and a non-display area BA. The thin-film encapsulation layer TFE includes an inorganic material layer IN1, an organic material layer OR1, an inorganic material layer IN2 and an organic material layer OR2 from bottom to top. A position of a via VIA formed in the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE corresponds to the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. The via VIA passes through the organic material layer OR2, the inorganic material layer IN2, the organic material layer OR1 and the inorganic material layer IN1 in order from top to bottom and reaches the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. The conductive layer CL formed above the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE can be filled into the via VIA and extended to the non-display area BA of the display layer DL.
In this embodiment, a contact CT is formed in the non-display area BA of the display layer DL; therefore, the conductive layer CL formed above the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE can be electrically connected to the contact CT formed in the non-display area BA of the display layer DL through the via VIA.
Please refer to
The display layer DL includes a display area AA and a non-display area BA. Since the conductive layer CL is disposed in the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE, the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE can include an inorganic material layer IN1, an organic material layer OR1, an inorganic material layer IN2, an organic material layer OR2, the conductive layer CL, an inorganic material layer IN3 and an organic material layer OR3 from bottom to top. A position of a via VIA formed in the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE corresponds to the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. The via VIA passes through the organic material layer OR2, the inorganic material layer IN2, the organic material layer OR1 and the inorganic material layer IN1 in order from top to bottom and reaches the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. Then, the inorganic material layer IN3 and the organic material layer OR3 are formed above the conductive layer CL in order.
In this embodiment, a contact CT is formed in the non-display area BA of the display layer DL; therefore, the conductive layer CL formed in the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE can be electrically connected to the contact CT formed in the non-display area BA of the display layer DL through the via VIA.
Please refer to
It should be noted that in practical applications, except the above-mentioned laminated structures, two conductive layers can be both disposed above the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE and insulated from each other. One of the two conductive layers can be electrically connected through a bridge structure, and the bridge structure and the other conductive layer are insulated from each other, but not limited to this.
Please refer to
The display layer DL includes a display area AA and a non-display area BA. The thin-film encapsulation layer TFE includes an inorganic material layer IN1, an organic material layer OR1, an inorganic material layer IN2 and an organic material layer OR2 from bottom to top. A position of a via VIA formed in the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE corresponds to the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. The via VIA passes through the organic material layer OR2, the inorganic material layer IN2, the organic material layer OR1 and the inorganic material layer IN1 in order from top to bottom and reaches the non-display area BA of the display layer DL.
It should be noted that only a part of the conductive layer CL formed above the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE is filled into the via VIA, but the conductive layer CL is not extended downward to the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. Then, a conductive filling material can be used to fill into the via VIA to form a conductive filling layer CFM. Since a part of the conductive layer CL is filled into the via VIA, as shown in
Please refer to
The display layer DL includes a display area AA and a non-display area BA. The thin-film encapsulation layer TFE includes an inorganic material layer IN1, an organic material layer OR1, an inorganic material layer IN2 and an organic material layer OR2 from bottom to top. A position of a via VIA formed in the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE corresponds to the non-display area BA of the display layer DL. The via VIA passes through the organic material layer OR2, the inorganic material layer IN2, the organic material layer OR1 and the inorganic material layer IN1 in order from top to bottom and reaches the non-display area BA of the display layer DL.
It should be noted that before the conductive layer CL is formed above the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE, a conductive filling material can be used to fill into the via VIA to form a conductive filling layer CFM. Then, the conductive layer CL is formed above the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE. At this time, a part of the conductive layer CL will cover the conductive filling layer CFM formed earlier than the conductive layer CL. By doing so, the conductive layer CL formed above the thin-film encapsulation layer TFE can be electrically connected to the contact CT formed in the non-display area BA of the display layer DL through the conductive filling layer CFM filled in the via VIA.
Compared to the prior arts, the capacitive touch panel of the invention can be used in any self-luminous display (e.g., the OLED display, but not limited to this) having on-cell laminated structure and using thin-film encapsulation technology and suitable for mutual-capacitive touch sensing technology and self-capacitive touch sensing technology. Since the touch sensing electrode disposed on the thin-film encapsulation layer or in the thin-film encapsulation layer can be electrically connected to the contact on the display layer through the via formed in the non-display area of the thin-film encapsulation layer, the capacitive touch panel of the invention can decrease the number of the FPCs and the times of the bonding processes through its innovative laminated structure and layout to effectively reduce cost and enhance the manufacturing yield.
With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62500594 | May 2017 | US |