Polymer Touch Panels –
Ready for Mass Production
Dr. Stephan Kirchmeyer
Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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Agenda
The Heraeus Group

Materials and Technologies provided by Heraeus for Touch Technologies
Polymer Touch Sensors based on PEDOT
PEDOT Invisible Etching Technology
Conclusion
Heraeus Precious Metals Leverkusen
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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The Heraeus Group
We are a global precious metals and technology Group with firm roots in
Germany. The company has been family-owned for 160 years.
Heraeus business groups: Precious metals, materials and technology,
sensors, dental products, biomaterials and medical products, quartz glass,
and specialty light sources.
In 2013, we generated €3.6 billion in product revenue and €13.5 billion in
precious metals trading revenue with about 12.500 employees worldwide in
more than 110 companies.
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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Materials and Technologies provided by Heraeus for Touch
Technologies
•
•
•
Drying and curing lamps, Heraeus Noblelight
Clevios Conductive Polymers,
Heraeus Precious metals
Metal-Pastes, Heraeus Precious Metals
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
•
Contact Materials, Heraeus Materials Technology
•
TCO-Sputter targets, Heraeus Materials Technology
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Touch Panel Screen: Trends
Lighter
Thinner
Smaller
Cheaper
Sensitivity
Flexibility
Hero_Front.jpg, www.apple.com
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
Flexible_iPhone.png, www.macworld.co.uk
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CLEVIOS™ P; PEDOT:PSS
Trade name for the water-based dispersion of the
polymer complex poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/
polystyrene sulfonate (PEDT/PSS or PEDOT/PSS)
Submicrometer sized gel particles
Produced at the Heraeus site in Leverkusen,
Germany, commercially available in ton-scale
Forms a continuous film upon drying
Ideal for slot dye coating: worldwide several 10 million
m² antistatic films with PEDOT used per year in the
electronics industry
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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Design of G1F (DITO) Touch Panel Screens
G1F Double-Sided ITO
On plane view
Transmit Layer
ITO
PET
ITO
G1F
LCD
Receive Layer
Cross section
Mutual capacitance sensing allows
unlimited multi-touch sensing
CM
Diamond pattern on both sides of the
PET substrate
CM
CM
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
CM
CM
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Our Target: Substitute ITO by CleviosTM P in TPSs
Demands
ITO/PET
CleviosTM/PET
Low sheet resistance
100 – 250 sq
High Transmission
83 – 90 % @ 150 sq
High Flexibility
Create Pattern
Low Price
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CleviosTM Films: Flexible and Robust
Paetzold et al., Appl.Phys.Lett.82(2003)3342
10
Paetzold et al., Appl.Phys.Lett.82(2003)3342
2
PET//ITO
PET//PEDOT/PSS
10
4
10
3
10
2
Sheet Resistance (Ohm/sq)
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Radius of Curvation (mm)
PET//ITO (100nm)
PET//PEDOT/PSS (100nm)
10
1
Relative Resistance
10
Bending radius: 8mm
0
10
0
10
1
2
3
10
10
10
Number of Cycles
4
10
5
Clevios-coatings do not form cracks on multiple bending
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Clevios™ Etch Technology
Coated Clevios™
Printed mask polymer
Clevios™ Etch
Clevios™ loses
conductivity but
remains on film
Standard Etch
Invisible diamond-lines
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
Clevios™ physically
etched away
Stripping of mask polymer:
structured film
Visible diamond-lines
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Patterning by Clevios™ SET S and Clevios™ ETCH
Print
Clevios™ F
Print
Clevios™ SET S
Printed by gravure
(R2R) or Screen**
printing
Use wet layer
thickness 6-10µm
Dry for 5 min @ 80°C
Clevios™
Etch
Etch 60-120 seconds
in 10% Clevios Etch
solution*) @ 27°C
Rinse with DI-water
Dry 2 min @ 100°C
Clevios™ SET S
Removal
Remove with 1.25%
ammonia solution
Rinse for 2 min @ 25°C or
30-60 sec. @40°C
Wash with DI-water dry for
2 min @ 100 °C
Acid rinse
Use for rinse 1% sulfuric
acid solution
Rinse for or 30 -60 seconds
Wash with DI-water
Dry for 2 min @ 100°C
* Etching time based on Clevios™ F ET coating. Etching time for other formulations can be different .
** 355 mesh/inch; 31 µm Polyester yellow
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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Clevios™ Etch Technology
before etch
after etch
Y(D65/10°) at
sphere
84.91
85.09
L*
93.84
93.92
a*
-0.12
-0.09
b*
-0.16
0.39
Haze
0.66
0.76
SR (Ohm/sq)
250
2.75E+07
FOM (Y0=98.8)
(Ohm)
14.0
1.53E+06
 Film’s optical appearance remains after etching
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Clevios™ Touch Sensors are Unique

Device robustness

Freedom of Design

Light weight


Lower process cost
Business chance for
smaller players
Explanation
Remarks
•
Enables to manufacture fully
flexible devices, not
achievable with ITO
•
plastic substrate leads light
weight and safety compared
with glass
•
Coating, printing, R2R
processing
•
More cost efficient that
sputtered ITO
R2R processing
•
•
Low initial investment
Potentially use existing
facilities
Screen printing
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
•
•
Existing coating & printing
machines facilitates the start
of a new business in a new
application field
slot-die coating
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Clevios Touch Panels – Ready for Mass Production
•
•
Clevios’ long term stability and reliability
proven for many years in LCD displays as
• EMI-shielding
• antistatics layers
•
Worldwide network of partners supports the PEDOT technology
•
Supply chain for materials and processes technology established
•
Cost advantage coating vs. sputter well recognized
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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Business Unit Functional Coatings
Clevios Touch Panels – Supply Chain
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Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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PEDOT:PSS 15-Inch Diagonal Projected Capacitive Touch Panel
Demonstrated at Finetech Japan 2013*
*Courtesy Nagaoka Sangkyo & Toyo Label
16
Clevios ™PEDOT : PSS
Capacitive Touch Sensor*
*Courtesy of Toyo Label
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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Touch Panel Screen: Demo Kit
①
②
③
The demo kits of SKC:
①: R-Type TSP with SKC (Structure: FG – Resistive Type)
②: PDLC with SKC (Structure: Smart window - Dual Type)
③: C-Type TSP with SKC (Structure: 1 layer – Capacitive type)
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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Projected Capacitive 3.5-Inch Touch Sensors*
*Courtesy of Xymox Technologies, Inc.
Clevios™ PEDOT:PSS on Kodak HCF
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Heraeus & Consumer Electronics
Heraeus positions itself as a partner to the display
and components industry
Focus: Development and optimization of materials
and production processes for touch panels & displays,
deposition of metallic and nonmetallic surfaces
Lighthouse project:

As a materials supplier, we need strategic partners
able to produce displays and touch panels

Cooperation with the Industrial Technology Research
Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan

Goal: To build a touch-panel sensor with maximum
Heraeus Inside, where Heraeus products make the
crucial feature possible for end customers
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
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Conclusions
Continuous progress in conductivity, cost, and versatility as well as the tailored
structuring process make the PEDOT-based conductive polymers best choice as
transparent conductor in the future touch screen market.
Touch screens based on Clevios™ are commercialized.
Heraeus will continue to develop Clevios™ further towards the needs of the touch
screen applications.
Technical and other information available from
www.clevios.com.
Thank you for your attention
Heraeus Precious Metals is a member of the
Stephan Kirchmeyer | HPM | 2014-11-26
Heraeus Precious Metals Leverkusen
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