Taiwan/Japan: ITRI and Komori Jointly Present New Touch Panel Technology

Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) team up with Japanese printing company, Komori Machinery Co., (Komori) to develop the one-step roll-to-roll metal mesh printing technology.  Unveiled by the two companies on August 26, 2014, the one-step R2R metal mesh is able to manufacture 11.6-inch tablet in one step and cut the production cost by around 30% compared with the existing technology.  This technology breakthrough will also give local touch penal suppliers an edge in the global penal market. 

According to Dr. C. T. Liu, General Director of Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories, ITRI, by combining ITRI’s specialty in flexible electronics and system integration with Komori’s ability in machinery manufacturing and refined printing technologies, ITRI and Komori jointly fabricated the touch penal with very slim and narrow bezel in 2013.  In 2014, the two companies also bring to the world an innovative breakthrough technology of putting medium- and large-sized touch sensors into mass production and printing metal mesh that can replace the costly ITO films (indium tin oxide), and meet the requirements of ultra-slim, narrow bezel, low cost, and simplified manufacturing process. 
 
Besides, significant advancements have been accomplished in manufacturing process.  ITRI and Komori adopt full printing system to print metal mesh.  The previous two-step process of printing the narrow bezel and the metal mesh separately can now be done in one step, instead of two, and the new technology is capable of printing lines of various widths in one step.  It reduces the complexity of the production and the costly lithography and etching processes required by ITO films.  The size of the touch penal is upgraded from 3.5 inch to 11.6 inch, and the new technology is more capable of mass production in terms of its defect-free rate and production rate.

Dr. C. T. Liu said that the ITO film is the most commonly used conductive layer materials for touch panels used in smartphones and tablets, etc., but it is expensive and difficult to be recycled.  The industry has been trying to figure out a way to replace it.  Now, with the minimum line width of 5um and great transparency and responsiveness, ITRI’s metal mesh is expected to replace ITO and to be used to fabricate touch panel of larger size. (August 2014)
/CCS