Japan Display Inc. (JDI) has developed a capacitive-type flexible fingerprint sensor by integrating its capacitive-type glass-based fingerprint sensor and flexible display technologies.

JDI has been developing large-sized sensors and transparent sensors that enhance product design by taking further advantage of the features of glass-based fingerprint sensors currently being mass-produced. A very thin plastic, only several tens of microns thick, is used for the substrate on which the fingerprint sensor is formed, resulting in a flexible fingerprint sensor that is thin, lightweight, and that does not crack when bent.

In order to perform reliable personal authentication with a smart card, it is necessary to mount a large-sized fingerprint sensor capable of detecting the entire fingerprint, however a silicon fingerprint sensor is limited in sensor size in order to avoid cracking when bent. JDI claims that its flexible fingerprint sensor can achieve a large area, which cannot be realized with a silicon fingerprint sensor, making it easier to enhance security.

Smart door locks and personally-authenticated IoT (Internet of Things) devices can be more easily designed with form-curved shapes by taking advantage of the flexibility of JDI's flexible fingerprint sensor, and can be made into products that have unique design features. Using a plastic substrate also prevents cracking of the substrate when dropped, making the flexible fingerprint sensor suitable for portable equipment.

Specifications

• Sensor type: Capacitive
• Active sensor size: Approx. 10.5mm × Approx. 14.0mm
• Gradation: 256

The new capacitive-type flexible fingerprint sensor will be demonstrated in JDI's booth at The Society of Information Display (SID) "Display Week", at the San Jose Convention Center, May 14 - May 16, 2019, in San Jose , California, USA.