The basic structure of a capacitive touch screen

Capacitive touch screens are constructed from multiple layers of material. The core is a touch-sensing layer embedded with a transparent conductive layer, typically made of ITO (indium tin oxide), bonded to the display. Each touch point is sensed through a change in the electric field.

1. Substrate: Virtually any insulating material can be used as a substrate, with glass and PET being the most commonly used.

2. X/Y Electrodes: The material used is generally ITO (conductive and transparent). These electrodes are a crucial component of the sensor, and their properties determine the sensitivity. A shielding layer is typically added beneath the substrate, as the biggest source of interference for touchscreen TIO modules is signal interference from the module itself.

3. Panel: Generally, materials with a high dielectric constant and minimal thickness are selected for better signal quality. Glass is a good choice.

4. Insulator: This insulates the X and Y electrodes.