Projected capacitive (PCI or PCAP) touch technologies are available commercially in a number of different constructions. Every PCI touch panel structure has advantages and applicable markets and products. In this issue of AMT News Express, we will highlight the structural features of commercially available PCI touch panels and AMT PCI touch panels.

Currently, the three most common PCI touch panel structures on the market are:

1. Film Type with a GFF (Glass-Film-Film) structure. The top most layer of décor glass is used to protect and decorate the touch panel surface. AMT PCI touch panels utilize this design.
2. Glass Type which, currently, has a few iterations. One is GG (Glass-Glass) design which places both PCI sensing and driving layers on one piece of glass. Décor glass is added to the surface for a two glass layer lamination. Another method utilizes a structure designed with two layers of ITO glass. Décor glass is added to the surface for a three glass layer lamination (Glass-Glass-Glass).
3. Glass/Film Type composite structure which utilize ITO glass and ITO film. Adding a décor glass surface makes this a (Glass-Glass-Film) lamination or a (Glass-Film) lamination if decorative ink is printed directly onto the ITO glass layer.

Of course, there are other ways of designing PCI touch panel structure but we will not elaborate more on this subject here.

AMT PCI touch panels utilize a GFF structure which makes the panels lightweight and AMT’s standard product line, ranging from 3.4″ to 24″, allows quick response to the various décor glass thicknesses and designs required by customers. The flexibility of GFF production can also satisfy industrial and medical application standards and the low quantity/high diversity service required by many customers. In addition, the stability of the PCI GFF design and manufacturing processes is high, this structure allows long-term supply of products to customers, satisfies the various system design requirement considerations of customers, and can meet industrial and medical system design criteria in different environments and at various operating temperatures.

As part of the GG PCI structure manufacturing process, the touch panel’s active area is designed with bridge connections composed of molybdenum aluminum molybdenum. Due to the presence of these bridge circuits, the active area surface is not flat and achieving a tight bond using optically clear adhesive is challenging. Users must also pay close attention to product use in environments with varying humidity and temperature. GG manufacturing is akin to TFT-LCD production in that different generations of manufacturing equipment can only utilize specific glass sizes and thicknesses for production. Thus, an GG line must produce large quantities of touch panels of the same size to realize any economic benefits and lacks flexibility in production. If a three glass layer PCI structure is utilized, the biggest issue becomes the weight of the PCI touch panel and this must be taken into account in system mechanism design.

Whether using a GFF or glass PCI touch panel structure, a very important key to reliability is the corresponding PCI control board. A touch panel needs to be paired with a proper controller in order to possess high reliability and fidelity. Furthermore, the combination of controller and firmware is also essential. The driving and sensing layers of AMT PCI touch panels utilize film and, after much validation, can be combined with different top layer décor glass thicknesses to become an excellent comprehensive PCI touch solution for customers. AMT provides highly reliable touch products paired with user friendly setting utilities. Even if system integrators use locally sourced décor glass for lamination, AMT PCI touch solutions are easy to assemble and set while meeting the standards of the market and customers.

AMT is a touch panel expert. We listen to the voices of customers and consider customer needs to provide them with the most suitable total touch solution. If you have any PCI touch product question or requests, you are welcome to contact us.

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