Raw Materials

There are many materials used in touchscreens such as glass, polyester and plastics.
However, the main and the most important material that makes the touchscreens
work is a transparent conductive materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO). This film is
used to create the capacitive and resistive grid networks that capture the touch
signals, without obstructing the display screen.
Since we might be running out of ITO in the next few years, researchers and
manufacturers are exploring other options beside ITO.
Few other materials that are in contention to possibly replace ITO when it has been
fully consumed are graphene, copper nanowires and silver nanowires.

Components of Touchscreens
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Touch Screen Sensor

Typically a glass panel with a touch-responsive surface.
Controller
A printed circuit board (PCB) that is the interface between the sensor and the display.
The controller takes information from the touch screen and translates it into
information a computer can understand, such as cursor control, right and left clicks,
etc.
Software Driver
A computer program that allows the computer operating system and the controller
to communicate and helps the controller recognize input.

Mechanism of a Touchscreen
There are three different systems used in the mechanism of touch screen.
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Resistive System
In this resistive mechanism of touch screen two sheets are used one is conductive
and the other is resistive. Both cover the top glass panel. There is a space between
two sheets so that current pass when it is toggle. Now touching the screen forced
both layers to contact at a certain point. This contact of both layers cause in the
electric field a variation which is informed to the main system that a touch is felt. OS
transcribe the touch into desired action.

Capacitive System
Second method utilizes in touch screen is capacitive. To understand this mechanism,
it is better to know about human biology first. Many chemical reactions take place in
our body and electricity produced in result to perform different functions. That is the
reason why human heart is recharged with electric shocks for the recovery.
Considering human body a cell you can better understand this phenomenon. In this
system an electric charge sheet (capacitor) is directly placed on the glass. When we
touch the screen with finger, a static charge produces and reacts with the capacitor
(electric charge sheet). As the touch screen works due to electric current develop
when touches the finger.

Surface Acoustic Wave System

This type of touch screen works with the help of wave energy. This enables a touch to
transform into another form of energy and deliver the command which in response
perform the desired action. A pair of transducers is placed on glass plate sides. In the
glass plate there are reflectors. On touching the screen wave produced and which
transforms into energy for fulfilling the command. It tells where on the screen touch
is detected.