Transparent touch-responsive capacitor with variable-pattern micro-wires
View Patent ↗A touch-responsive capacitive apparatus includes a transparent substrate having electrically connected first pad micro-wires and electrically connected first interstitial micro-wires formed in a first micro-wire layer. The first pad micro-wires are electrically connected to the first interstitial wires. Electrically connected second pad micro-wires and electrically connected second interstitial micro-wires are formed in a second micro-wire layer. The second pad micro-wires are electrically connected to the second interstitial wires. The first or second micro-wire layers are supported by the transparent substrate and pairs of first and second pad areas define corresponding touch-responsive capacitors. A first interstitial micro-pattern is dissimilar from a first pad micro-pattern or a second interstitial micro-pattern is dissimilar from a second pad micro-pattern.
1. A touch-responsive capacitive apparatus, comprising:
a transparent substrate;
a plurality of electrically connected first pad micro-wires formed in a first pad micro-pattern in first pad areas in a first micro-wire layer and a plurality of electrically connected first interstitial micro-wires formed in a first interstitial micro-pattern in first interstitial areas in the first micro-wire layer, the first pad micro-wires electrically connected to the first interstitial wires and one or more first pad micro-wires in a first pad area is electrically connected to one or more first pad micro-wires in another first pad area by one or more first interstitial micro-wires;
a plurality of electrically connected second pad micro-wires formed in a second pad micro-pattern in second pad areas in a second micro-wire layer and a plurality of electrically connected second interstitial micro-wires formed in a second interstitial micro-pattern in second interstitial areas in the second micro-wire layer, the second pad micro-wires electrically connected to the second interstitial wires and one or more second pad micro-wires in a second pad area is electrically connected to one or more second pad micro-wires in another second pad area by one or more second interstitial micro-wires;
wherein the first or second micro-wire layers are supported by the transparent substrate, the first interstitial and first pad micro-wires form an array of first separated electrodes that extend in a first direction, the second interstitial and second pad micro-wires in the second micro-pattern form an array of second separated electrodes that extend in a second direction different from the first direction, the first pad areas of the first electrodes overlap the second pad areas of the second electrodes, and overlapping pairs of first and second pad areas define corresponding touch-responsive capacitors; and
wherein the first interstitial micro-pattern is dissimilar from the first pad micro-pattern or the second interstitial micro-pattern is dissimilar from the second pad micro-pattern and the electrical resistance of the first interstitial micro-wires across the first interstitial area is less than the electrical resistance of the first pad micro-wires across the first pad area or the electrical resistance of the second interstitial micro-wires across the second interstitial area is less than the electrical resistance of the second pad micro-wires across the second pad area.
2. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the width of the first interstitial micro-wires is the same as the width of the first pad micro-wires.
3. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the width of at least some of the first interstitial micro-wires are different from the width of the first pad micro-wires.
4. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the width of at least some of the first interstitial micro-wires is greater than the width of the first pad micro-wires and the width of at least some of the first interstitial micro-wires is less than the width of the first pad micro-wires.
5. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical resistance of the first interstitial micro-wires is less than the electrical resistance of the first pad micro-wires.
6. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transparency of one or more first interstitial areas is greater than the transparency of one or more of the first pad areas.
7. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interstitial micro-pattern is a rotation of the first pad micro-pattern.
8. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interstitial micro-pattern length is different from the first pad micro-pattern length.
9. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , further including a dielectric layer having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side adjacent the first micro-wire layer and the second side adjacent the second micro-wire layer.
10. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the transparent substrate provides the dielectric layer or the dielectric layer is separate from the transparent substrate.
11. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first pad micro-pattern is the same micro-pattern as the second pad micro-pattern.
12. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interstitial micro-pattern is the same pattern as the second interstitial micro-pattern or wherein the first interstitial micro-pattern is a rotated second interstitial micro-pattern.
13. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resistance across the first interstitial area in a first direction is different from the resistance across the first interstitial area in a second direction different from the first direction.
14. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first interstitial micro-wires are orthogonal to the second interstitial micro-wires.
15. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interstitial micro-wires overlap the second interstitial micro-wires or wherein the first pad micro-wires overlap the second pad micro-wires.
16. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interstitial micro-wires are offset from the second interstitial micro-wires or wherein the first pad micro-wires are offset from the second pad micro-wires.
17. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , further including a first transparent substrate layer on which the first micro-wire layer is formed and a second transparent substrate layer on which the second micro-wire layer is formed.
18. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first or second pad or interstitial micro-wires are a metal, a metal alloy, or include cured or sintered metal particles.
19. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the metal is nickel, tungsten, silver, gold, titanium, or tin or includes nickel, tungsten, silver, gold, titanium, or tin.
20. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the transparent substrate has greater than 80% transmittance to light at 550 nm;
the first pad micro-wires are metallic and have a width greater than or equal to 0.5 um less than or equal to 20 um;
the first interstitial micro-wires are metallic and have a width greater than or equal to 0.5 um and less than or equal to 20 um; and
the first pad micro-wires and first interstitial micro-wires occupy an area less than 15% of the first pad area and first interstitial area.
21. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first or second interstitial micro-pattern has no micro-wire breaks.
22. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first or second interstitial micro-pattern has a shorter micro-pattern path length than the first or second pad micro-wires.
23. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein first interstitial micro-wires extending across the first interstitial area extend in the first direction and the first pad micro-wires extend in a direction other than the first direction or the second interstitial micro-wires extending across the second interstitial area extend in the second direction and the second pad micro-wires extend in a direction other than the second direction.
24. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interstitial micro-wires extend straight across the first interstitial area in the first direction or the second interstitial micro-wires extend straight across the second interstitial area in the second direction.
25. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interstitial micro-wires form a grid or straight lines and the first pad micro-wires form diamonds or the second interstitial micro-wires form a grid or straight lines and the second pad micro-wires form diamonds.
26. The touch-responsive capacitive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interstitial micro-wires form an array of straight lines and the first pad micro-wires form a grid or the second interstitial micro-wires form an array of straight lines and the second pad micro-wires form a grid.