Peratech launches advanced sensing material for touchscreens

Sara Ver-Bruggen - 06 Apr 2011

UK company Peratech has developed a clear, electrically conductive material that can enhance touchscreens.

The Quantum Tunneling Composite (QTC) Clear material, which took a year to develop, can improve both resistive and capacitive force-sensitive touchscreen applications. Peratech is looking to license the technology with touchscreen manufacturers, either as a replacement to resistive touchscreens, or as an enhancement to capacitive touchscreens.

A touchscreen manufacturer licensing the material is at advanced stages of testing QTC Clear to create force-sensitive touchscreens to replace resistive touchscreens, as it is almost identical to manufacture. Publicised partners in the touchscreen manufacturing industry that license Peratech's other force-sensing materials include Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Nissha Printing.

However the company declines to confirm if one of these, or another unnamed partner, is using the new offering.

Conductivity

QTC Clear exploits Peratech's core patented electroactive polymeric materials. The materials are able to provide varying levels of conductivity under dynamic conditions. They can be used in a range of applications, including smart fabrics, medical monitors, toys and games, robotics, and security. QTCs can be processed as inks and pastes, and consist of metallic or non-metallic nanoparticles combined in an elastomeric binder.

The spiked surface of the particles is electrically insulated by silicone rubber, which enables the particles to get close, but not touch, even when the QTC material is squeezed or densely loaded.

The surface spikes allow a higher concentration of electron charge to build up at their tips. The increased charge on the spikes effectively decreases the width of the potential barrier in quantum tunneling, reducing the distance and energy required for the electron charge to tunnel through.

In some ways the QTC Clear material is more advanced than Peratech's existing QTC offerings, by allowing capacitive touchscreen applications to help save power, enable 3D input and provide more intuitive interaction in gaming applications. However its enhanced functionality will not replace the company's other QTC products, but help customers overcome specific design challenges.

For touchscreen applications, QTC materials can be screen-printed in layers about 6-8µ thick. QTC Clear is compatible with these processes also.

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