SENSOR EMPLOYING OVERLAPPING GRID LINES AND CONDUCTIVE PROBES FOR EXTENDING A SENSING SURFACE FROM THE GRID LINES

摘要

An electronic sensor forms a grid to detect surface features of a proximally located object, such as a fingerprint. The grid includes a plurality of parallel drive lines connectable to a drive source and a plurality of parallel pickup lines oriented substantially perpendicular to the drive lines and overlapping the drive lines. The drive lines are separated from the pickup lines by an insulating dielectric layer. The overlaps where the drive lines and pickup lines cross define impedance-sensitive electrode pairs which act as pixels at which surface features of the proximally located object are detected. One or more conductive probes extend from one or more corresponding impedance-sensitive electrode pairs, through an overlay layer of insulating material, to the sensing surface.

主权项

1. A fingerprint sensor, comprising:
a first conductor formed as a drive line; a second conductor formed as a pickup line, wherein the drive line is oriented substantially perpendicular to the pickup line; a dielectric layer separating the drive line and the pickup line; an overlay layer formed of an insulating material and located over a crossover location at which the pickup line overlaps the drive line; and a conductive probe embedded within the overlay layer and having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is in proximity to the crossover location and the second end is in proximity to a top surface of the overlay layer.