Metal mesh TSPs to be applied to tablet PCs...Samsung Electronics gets ready for next-generation technologies
Samsung Electronics (SEC) will apply the metal mesh touch screen panel to the tablet PC it releases next year. Its strategy is to reinforce its cost competitiveness of tablet PCs and solve touch screen panel (TSP) supply and demand by replacing the indium tin oxide (ITO). In the long run, SEC is going to prepare the touch panels for flexible displays and develop the digitizer-less pen recognition technology.
According to the industry on December 3, the Advanced Development Team of the Wireless Business Division at Samsung Electronics received 7-8-inch metal mesh touch screen panels from domestic and overseas suppliers and is recently conducting approval tests. It is known that not only Korean TSP makers, but also Chinese companies like O-film Tech are on the list of suppliers.
Samsung Electronics is planning to complete the reliability test by the end of the year, and release a tablet PC with the metal mesh touch screen panel as early as the first half of next year.
The metal mesh is a technology for making grid patterns on the film and coating the pattern with metals like silver and copper. As the surface resistance is low, it is suitable for large-area display products like tablet PCs, and as it can be bent, it can be used for flexible displays too.
However, the ‘Moiré phenomenon,’ i.e. overlapping with the high-resolution displays over 200ppi (pixels per inch) and looking like ripples, was a hard nut to crack, which hindered its commercialization. That is why the metal mesh touch screen panel has been used for limited devices, such as all-in-one PCs, monitors and notebook PCs.
Samsung Electronics overcame the Moiré problem with a narrow line width and the patterning technology. Samsung Electronics reduced the line width of the metal mesh sensor from 5-6㎛ to 3㎛. If the line width is reduced to 1㎛, the metal mesh material can be used for smartphones as well.
If the metal mesh touch screen panel is produced in large quantities, its price competitiveness is expected to be 20-30% better than that of the existing ITO touch screen panel. As it does not use indium, a rare earth element, the raw materials cost will be lowered, and it uses an inexpensive process like printed electronics instead of the sputter (vacuum deposition).
Samsung Electronics used the patterning technology to enhance the performance of the existing metal mesh TSP. Previously the grid pattern was used for the metal mesh sensor, but it had to be redesigned depending on the TFT pixel type. Samsung Electronics secured a universal pattern technology and made it available for any TFT. The economies of scale can further lower the price of the metal mesh, and make it possible to quickly make TSP and respond to the tablet PC market.
“A line width smaller than 1.8㎛ is not visible to human eyes,” said a college professor majoring in optical science. “As Samsung Electronics realized the 3㎛ line width with the current process technology, the 1㎛ line width sensor will be available soon.”
Samsung Electronics will capitalize on the commercialization of the metal mesh TSP to accelerate the development of next-generation technologies like flexible displays and digitizer-less pen solutions. Currently, to implement the pen recognition solution in smartphones and tablet PCs, a driver chip separate from the digitizer sensor layer must be embedded. The Galaxy Note series is a typical example. If the line width of the TSP bezel line width is 10㎛, and the number of touch chip channels is increased, it will be possible to implement the pen recognition solution without any additional cost.
According to the industry on December 3, the Advanced Development Team of the Wireless Business Division at Samsung Electronics received 7-8-inch metal mesh touch screen panels from domestic and overseas suppliers and is recently conducting approval tests. It is known that not only Korean TSP makers, but also Chinese companies like O-film Tech are on the list of suppliers.
Samsung Electronics is planning to complete the reliability test by the end of the year, and release a tablet PC with the metal mesh touch screen panel as early as the first half of next year.
The metal mesh is a technology for making grid patterns on the film and coating the pattern with metals like silver and copper. As the surface resistance is low, it is suitable for large-area display products like tablet PCs, and as it can be bent, it can be used for flexible displays too.
However, the ‘Moiré phenomenon,’ i.e. overlapping with the high-resolution displays over 200ppi (pixels per inch) and looking like ripples, was a hard nut to crack, which hindered its commercialization. That is why the metal mesh touch screen panel has been used for limited devices, such as all-in-one PCs, monitors and notebook PCs.
Samsung Electronics overcame the Moiré problem with a narrow line width and the patterning technology. Samsung Electronics reduced the line width of the metal mesh sensor from 5-6㎛ to 3㎛. If the line width is reduced to 1㎛, the metal mesh material can be used for smartphones as well.
If the metal mesh touch screen panel is produced in large quantities, its price competitiveness is expected to be 20-30% better than that of the existing ITO touch screen panel. As it does not use indium, a rare earth element, the raw materials cost will be lowered, and it uses an inexpensive process like printed electronics instead of the sputter (vacuum deposition).
Samsung Electronics used the patterning technology to enhance the performance of the existing metal mesh TSP. Previously the grid pattern was used for the metal mesh sensor, but it had to be redesigned depending on the TFT pixel type. Samsung Electronics secured a universal pattern technology and made it available for any TFT. The economies of scale can further lower the price of the metal mesh, and make it possible to quickly make TSP and respond to the tablet PC market.
“A line width smaller than 1.8㎛ is not visible to human eyes,” said a college professor majoring in optical science. “As Samsung Electronics realized the 3㎛ line width with the current process technology, the 1㎛ line width sensor will be available soon.”
Samsung Electronics will capitalize on the commercialization of the metal mesh TSP to accelerate the development of next-generation technologies like flexible displays and digitizer-less pen solutions. Currently, to implement the pen recognition solution in smartphones and tablet PCs, a driver chip separate from the digitizer sensor layer must be embedded. The Galaxy Note series is a typical example. If the line width of the TSP bezel line width is 10㎛, and the number of touch chip channels is increased, it will be possible to implement the pen recognition solution without any additional cost.
Posts
No comments: