What is the technology behind a touch screen?

Have you ever wondered how the touch screen of your mobile phone, tablet, LED TV or any other device actually works? It is amazing to think that we can now send commands to our devices with the touch of our hand and while this technology may seem new, it has actually been around since the 1960s.

In fact, the technology behind the touchscreen actually dates back to the 1940s, but it was only two decades later that it became feasible to use on a large scale.

ATMs have been using technology since 1965, when EA Johnson invented the first finger-actuated touch screen that actually used the same capacitive touch mechanism still used in cell phones and other devices to this day.

Although there are other types of touch screen technology, such as resistive touch or multi-touch technology, capacitive touch technology is preferred for mass-produced consumer products.

How is a capacitive touch screen made?

Today, a capacitive touch screen works by using an ITO touch film that is attached to the screen. This tactile film is basically a semiconductor that was printed using semiconductor manufacturing methods such as roll-to-roll processing, which uses a roll-to-roll evaporator system to create an electronic device on a flexible plastic.

A roll-to-roll evaporator system from the industry’s leading manufacturers can mass-produce ITO touch film that can be used on various devices such as smartphones, LCD or LED screens, tablets, and PC monitors.

Roll-to-roll technology is preferred over other technologies, such as roll-to-board and board-to-board technologies, because it offers a continuous process and higher throughput than the others. That ITO touch film is then programmed using software that allows us to give instructions to our devices by using our fingers on the screen.

In fact, semiconductor manufacturing processes such as roll-to-roll evaporation are also used for many other products such as solar panels, cameras, and printers.

Summary

So now you have a basic idea of ​​where the technology comes from and the technology that goes into producing the semiconductor film used in touch screens today. Without machines using a roll-to-roll evaporator system, we would not be able to enjoy the many touch screen devices available to us today.