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 although this technology may seem new, it has actually been around since the 1960s.
In fact, the technology behind the touch screen 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-operated touch screen that actually used the same capacitive touch mechanism still used in cell phones and other devices to this day.
Although other types of touch screen technology exist, 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 touch 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 in a flexible plastic.
A roll-to-roll evaporator system from leading industry 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 the preferred method over other technologies such as roll-to-plate and plate-to-plate 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 our devices instructions by using our fingers on the screen.
In fact, semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as the roll-to-roll evaporation system, 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 came from and the technology used to produce the semiconductor film used in touch screens today. Without machines that use a roll-to-roll evaporator system, we would not be able to enjoy the many touch screen devices that are available to us today.