TWI490741B - Transparent touch panel - Google Patents

Description

Transparent touch panel

The present invention relates to a transparent touch panel in which a transparent sensor electrode is pulled out to a drawing line on a plane of a chemically strengthened glass substrate, and more specifically, a film is formed by sputtering. A transparent touch panel that is patterned to form a pull-out line.

a touch panel that performs an input operation by using a display of the display device as an index, so that the display of the display device disposed inside the device can form a transparent sensor electrode in the input operation region by visually inputting the operation region, and simultaneously A glass substrate is used as the insulating substrate that forms the transparent sensor electrode in the input operation region. Further, in this glass substrate, since the input operation region is exposed along the surface of the machine and is damaged by an external force, the surface and the back surface are ion-exchanged to form a stress-strengthened chemically strengthened glass substrate.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are diagrams showing the conventional transparent touch panel 100 of the projection type capacitive method described in Patent Document 1, and the input operation region 102a set on the surface of the chemically strengthened glass substrate 101, the plural along the X The X-side transparent sensor electrode 103x in the direction and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode 103y in the Y direction are formed to cross each other.

Each of the transparent sensor electrodes 103x and 103y is formed in a continuous strip shape in which the transparent conductive material is formed as a rhombic surface, and the connecting electrode of the insulating coating 104 over the X-side transparent sensor electrode 103x is interposed at a portion where the two intersect. 105 is electrically connected between the rhombic faces of the Y-side transparent sensor electrodes 103y interrupted at the intersections, whereby the respective transparent sensor electrodes 103x, 103y are insulated from each other in the orthogonal direction in the input operation region 102a. Cross wiring.

One side of each of the transparent sensor electrodes 103x, y, or both sides, is respectively connected to the drawing line 106 of the wiring area 102b wired around the input operation area 102a, and is pulled out until it is provided in a part of the wiring area 102b. The external connection portion 107 is electrically connected to a detection circuit that detects an input operation position through the external connection portion 107.

As shown in FIG. 7, the surface side of the chemically strengthened glass substrate 101 on which the transparent sensor electrodes 103x, 103y, the pull-out wires 106 and the like are formed is covered with a transparent top coat layer 108 formed of a transparent insulating material, and further, An insulating light shielding layer 109 is printed on the back side of the wiring region 102b. Since the pull-out line 106 is formed of a transparent conductive material, the insulating light-shielding layer 109 is formed on the drawing line 106 on the surface side on which the input operation is performed, and the transparent touch panel covering the pull-out line 106 is also recorded. It is another embodiment of the aforementioned Patent Document 1.

When the input operation body such as a finger approaches the transparent sensor electrodes 103x and 103y, the floating capacitance increases, so that the detection circuit outputs a rectangular pulse-shaped position detection signal to each of the transparent sensor electrodes 103x and 103y, from the increase of the floating capacitance. The position of each of the transparent sensor electrodes 103x and 103y of the position detecting signal whose waveform is distorted is outputted to detect the input operation position to the input operation area 102a.

[Previous Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-192124

The chemically strengthened glass substrate 101 used in the transparent touch panel 100 exchanges sodium ion ions of the surface layer and the back layer of the glass substrate into potassium ions having a large ionic radius so as not to be damaged by an external impact. This produces a compressive stress layer on the surface layer and the back layer. Since the tensile strength of the glass is much smaller than the compressive strength, the chemically strengthened glass can have a compressive stress layer on its surface layer in advance, and the external force can reach a five-fold strength of the glass substrate which is not chemically strengthened.

On the other hand, in order to detect the input operation position with high resolution, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of transparent sensor electrodes 103x and 103y in the input operation region 102a, and it is necessary to pull a plurality of pull electrodes connected to the respective transparent sensor electrodes 103x and 103y. The outgoing line is wired at a high density in the limited wiring area 102b around the input operation area 102a. Therefore, according to the limitation of the wiring of the prior printing method, the conductive material forming the drawing line 106 is formed on the surface of the chemically strengthened glass substrate 101 by sputtering, and the unnecessary portion is removed by photolithography for patterning. Each of the pull-out lines 106 is formed.

When a film is formed by the sputtering method to the chemically strengthened glass 101, a cluster of a conductive material of the drawing line 106 is driven into the surface of the glass substrate 101 at a high speed to inject excess atoms into the lattice of the film, even if it is considered. glass The difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate and the conductive material may also generate an internal stress in a direction in which the film is expanded along the surface, and a tensile stress is applied to the surface of the chemically strengthened glass substrate 101 by film formation. As a result, the compressive stress occurring in the surface layer of the chemically strengthened glass substrate 101 is offset by the sputtering step of forming a conductive material on the surface thereof, and even if it is chemically strengthened, a sufficient effect cannot be obtained, and the external force is easily broken. problem.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a high-density wiring of a plurality of pull-out wires in a wiring region of a chemically strengthened glass substrate by a sputtering method and a photo-etching method. A transparent touch panel that degrades the strength of a chemically strengthened glass substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, the transparent touch panel of claim 1 is characterized in that: a plurality of transparent sensors formed by chemically strengthening the glass substrate on the plane side and insulating the input operation regions on the plane of the glass substrate The electrode is connected to the plurality of pull-out wires around the input operation region of the flat surface of the glass substrate so that the plurality of transparent sensor electrodes are respectively pulled out to the external connection portion; and the transparent portions are transmitted through the external connection portion. The electrical signal output from the detector electrode detects a transparent touch panel that is input to the input operation area; and an insulating layer made of synthetic resin is formed on the wiring area of the flat surface of the glass substrate on which the plurality of pull-out wires are wired. A conductive film which is sputter-deposited on the insulating layer is patterned by photolithography to form the plurality of pull-out lines.

The insulating layer can be formed in the wiring area by a method other than sputtering. The plurality of pull-out wires are formed of a conductive film which is sputter-deposited on the insulating layer. Therefore, the tensile stress generated in the conductive film during sputtering is applied to the surface of the insulating layer and is not transmitted to the surface. The surface of the chemically strengthened glass substrate in the wiring area.

Since the glass substrate is fixed to the outer casing or the like, when the input operation region near the center receives an external force, a large bending stress is generated in the wiring region near the fixed end. However, since the plane of the glass substrate in the wiring region is not subjected to the tensile stress due to sputtering and is maintained in a chemically strengthened state, the glass substrate is not easily broken even if an external force is applied.

A transparent touch panel of claim 2, characterized in that the insulating layer is formed by an insulating light shielding layer covering the periphery of the input operation region.

Since the insulating light shielding layer covering the portion other than the input operation region is used as the insulating layer, the step of forming the insulating layer is not required.

The transparent touch panel of claim 3, characterized in that the plurality of transparent sensor electrodes are composed of a plurality of X-side transparent sensor electrodes orthogonal to each other in the input operation region, and a plurality of Y-side transparent sensor electrodes The insulating layer between the X-side transparent sensor electrode and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode and the insulating layer of the wiring area are insulated at each intersection of the X-side transparent sensor electrode and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode. It is formed in the same printing step using insulating ink.

In the printing step of insulating the insulating coating between the X-side transparent sensor electrode and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode at the intersection portion, the insulating layer can be simultaneously formed.

Patent application No. 4 of the transparent touch panel, characterized in that the transparent sensor electrode is formed by indium oxide, and the pull-out wire is formed of a conductive material containing molybdenum. to make.

Even if a molybdenum film of a hard metal is formed by sputtering, tensile stress does not act on the surface of the glass substrate.

According to the invention of claim 1, the strength of the chemically strengthened glass substrate does not deteriorate even if the drawing line of the wiring region wired on the plane of the glass substrate is densely wired by the sputtering method.

According to the invention of claim 2, the insulating light-shielding layer is used as the insulating layer, and the insulating layer interposed between the drawing line and the glass substrate can be formed in the step of forming the insulating light-shielding layer.

According to the invention of claim 3, the insulation between the pull-out line and the glass substrate can be formed by the printing step of the insulating coating between the insulated X-side transparent sensor electrode and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode. Floor.

According to the invention of claim 4, even if the drawing wire is formed of a conductive material of molybdenum containing a hard metal, the strength of the glass substrate does not deteriorate. The pull-out line can be formed using a conductive material containing molybdenum having excellent electrical contact characteristics to indium oxide constituting the transparent sensor electrode.

Hereinafter, a transparent touch panel 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 . The transparent touch panel 1 is an input device of an electronic device such as a mobile phone, and is attached to the casing toward the inside of the electronic device from the upper side of FIG. 1(b) so that the lower side of the figure is adjacent to the casing. The output operation is performed on the outside, and the upper surface of the glass substrate shown in the figure will be described below as a plane.

The transparent touch panel 1 uses a transparent glass substrate 2 as an insulating substrate forming a sensor electrode in order to allow a display device disposed inside the device to perform an input operation visually. The glass substrate 2 is disposed along the surface of the outer casing so as to be immersed in a potassium nitrate melt at a temperature of about 380 ° C in place of the sodium ion (Na ⁺ ) of the front and back layers, so as not to be damaged by an external force. Potassium ions (K ⁺ ) are chemically strengthened. Since the ionic radius of potassium ions (K ⁺ ) is larger than that of sodium ions (Na ⁺ ), compressive stress is generated in the front and back layers of the chemically strengthened glass substrate 2. In general, the glass substrate 2 has a tensile strength which is considerably smaller than the compressive strength, and the tensile stress is broken on the front and back surfaces. Therefore, the compressive stress is generated in advance in the front and back layers, and the strength can be made before the chemical strengthening. 5 times the intensity.

The plane of the glass substrate 2, as shown in FIG. 1, is divided into a plurality of X-side transparent sensor electrodes 3, 3... and Y-side transparent sensor electrodes 4, 4... along an orthogonal XY direction. The input region 2a formed in a matrix shape is drawn around the wiring region 2b of the plurality of lines 5, 5, ....

The plurality of X-side transparent sensor electrodes 3 formed in the input operation region 2a are thinly banded between the diamond-shaped X-pattern bodies separated by the intersection region intersecting the Y-side transparent sensor electrodes 4. The connection electrode 6 is electrically connected and is wired in a strip shape along the Y direction. Further, each of the Y-side transparent sensor electrodes 4 formed in the input operation region 2a has a rhombic Y-pattern body which is almost identical to the X-pattern body, and passes through the intersection region intersecting the X-side transparent sensor electrode 3 Become a thin wide map The case is continuously wired along the X direction. The connection pattern of the Y-side transparent sensor electrode 4 is transmitted through the insulating coating 7 formed on the connection electrode 6 across the connection electrode 6, whereby the X-side transparent sensor electrode 3 and the Y side intersecting at each intersection area are transparent. The sensor electrodes 4 are insulated from each other and wired.

The X-side transparent sensor electrode 3 and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode 4 can be formed of any transparent conductive material that can be formed on the glass substrate 2 by patterning a thin film, but here, the same as the connection electrode 6 It is formed of indium tin oxide (ITO, Indium Tin Oxide). Further, as the insulating coating 7, an insulating material such as cerium oxide (SiO ₂ ) is used.

In the wiring region 2b around the input operation region 2a, the insulating light-shielding layer 8 composed of a light-shielding insulating resin is printed and formed on the entire region. The insulating light-shielding layer 8 shields the input operation area 2a from the operator by shielding the periphery of the input operation area 2a, and makes the portion other than the display screen on the inner side inconspicuous. Therefore, as long as it is light-shielding, Any coloring, black here. Further, in the present invention, the sputtering step is used as the lower bottom of the drawing line 5 formed in the wiring region 2b, and the strength of the wiring region 2b of the glass substrate 2 is prevented from being deteriorated as will be described later.

In the present embodiment, the insulating light-shielding layer 8 is formed of a material such as carbon or chromium in the photocurable insulating resin. Therefore, when the plurality of pull-out wires 5 are wired on the insulating light-shielding layer 8, the pull-out line 5 cannot be Insulating coating layer 7 is also formed on the insulating light-shielding layer 8 of the wiring region 2b in the same manner as the printing of the insulating coating layer 7 in the above-mentioned intersecting region.

a plurality of pull-out wires that are wired on the insulating coating 7 of the wiring region 2a 5. Each of the X-side transparent sensor electrodes 3 and each of the Y-side transparent sensor electrodes 4 are respectively insulated from each other and pulled out to the external connection portion 9 of the wiring region 2a.

All of the pull-out wires 5 are arranged in the external connection portion 9 and are connected to the corresponding electrodes of the flexible wiring substrate through the opposite-polar conductive adhesive or the like, and are transmitted through the external connection portions 9 to the X-side transparent sensor electrodes 3 On both sides of each of the Y-side transparent sensor electrodes 4, a detection circuit (not shown) that detects an input operation to the input operation region 2a is connected.

That is, the total number of the pull-out wires 5 is twice that of the sensor electrodes 3, 4 formed in the input operation region 2a, and it is necessary to insulate all the pull-out wires 5 from each other in the limited wiring region 2a. Therefore, after the film is formed on the insulating coating 7 by sputtering, it is patterned by photolithography to be densely wired.

For the pull-out line 5, ITO which constitutes the connected transparent sensor electrodes 3, 4, and because of physical, chemical, electrical contact characteristics are excellent, and the resistivity is low, and the laminated MAM (molybdenum, aluminum) , molybdenum) three-layer composite material. That is, according to the film forming step of sputtering, it is divided into molybdenum. aluminum. The three layers of molybdenum are formed into a film, but in this sputtering step, by causing the cluster to be driven into the film at a high speed, the crystal lattice of the film is pressed into excess atoms, and the film is extended on the surface of the substrate. Swell. As a result, the substrate is subjected to tensile stress by the film formed along the surface.

In particular, molybdenum which is directly formed on the surface of the substrate is a hard metal, so that a large tensile stress is generated on the surface of the substrate in accordance with the film formation step of the sputtered molybdenum. Here, as in the case where the drawing line 5 is directly formed on the plane of the glass substrate 2, the glass substrate 2 which is chemically strengthened to generate compressive stress is used. The planes are subjected to tensile stress and cancel each other out, and become a substrate that is easily broken. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the insulating light-shielding layer 8 formed of an insulating synthetic resin and the insulating coating layer 7 form a film of MAM on the plane of the glass substrate 2, so even in the plane of the sputtering step glass substrate 2 It is also not subjected to tensile stress and maintains the strength of chemical strengthening.

(In this section, the internal stress along the plane of the glass substrate in the case where the pull-out line 5 composed of MAM is formed directly on the glass substrate 2, and the pull-out line formed of MAM on the insulating coating 7 are formed. If the measured stress of 5 occasions can obtain the measured value, compare and display the experimental value).

The entire planar side of the glass substrate 2 on which the transparent sensor electrodes 3 and 4 and the pull-out line 5 are formed is covered with a top coat layer 10 made of a transparent insulating resin as shown in FIG. 1 to make the transparent sensor electrode 3, 4 or pull-out line 5 is protected.

In the transparent touch panel 1 configured as described above, when the input operation body such as a finger in the input operation region 2a approaches the lower side of FIG. 1(b), the transparent sensor electrodes 3, 4 in which the operation body is approached are interposed by interposing the glass substrate 2. Since the electrostatic capacitance is increased, the X-side transparent sensor electrode 3 and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode 4, which are respectively changed by the electrostatic capacitance, are detected, and the arrangement position on the input operation region 2a of the detection electrodes 3 and 4 is in the XY. The direction detects the input operation position.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing steps of the transparent touch panel 1 described above will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the insulating light-shielding layer 8 is printed on the entire wiring region 2b of the chemically strengthened glass substrate 2. The insulating light shielding layer 8 is formed without using a film forming step by sputtering, so the wiring area The strength of 2b does not deteriorate.

Next, a thin film of ITO is formed by sputtering on the entire flat surface of the glass substrate 2 including the insulating layer light layer 8. In this sputtering step, a thin film of ITO is directly formed on the input operation region 2a of the plane of the glass substrate 2, but the ITO is softer than the molybdenum constituting the MAM, so that it is not subjected to a large pull during the film formation process. Stretch the tension.

Further, the glass substrate 2 is fixedly attached to the outer casing, and when the outer input operation region 2a receives an unexpected external force, a large bending moment is generated by the wiring region 2b close to the fixed end, so that the input operation region 2a is input. The plane does not have a tensile stress that causes the glass substrate 2 to be broken. That is, even if the input operation region 2a is formed by sputtering, the strength of the entire glass substrate 2 is not impaired.

The ITO thin film formed on the entire surface of the glass substrate 2 is removed by etching, and the portion of the connection electrode 6 which is only the intersection region is removed by etching, as shown in Fig. 3 (a) and (b). Each of the intersecting regions of the region 2a is formed with an elongated connecting electrode 6 along the Y direction.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the input operation region 2a is crossed over the respective connection electrodes 6, and the wiring region 2b is formed by printing to cover the entire insulating light-shielding layer 8 by SiO. ₂ is composed of an insulating coating 7.

Thereafter, the sputtering material is repeatedly sputtered with molybdenum, aluminum, and molybdenum, and a film of a three-layer structure composed of MAM is formed on the entire plane of the glass substrate 2 shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b). As shown in Fig. 5 (a) and (b), the X-side transparent sensor electrode 3 and the Y side are exposed by photolithography. The pattern of the pull-out line 5 from the respective sides of the sensor electrode 4 to the external connection portion 9 is removed, and the rest is removed. The sputtering step of forming the film of the MAM in the wiring region 2b is formed by laminating the insulating light-shielding layer 8 and the insulating coating layer 7 on the plane of the glass substrate 2, so that tensile stress is not generated on the plane of the glass substrate 2. effect. Further, the input operation region 2a is temporarily subjected to tensile stress in the same sputtering step, but since the MAM film on the input operation region 2a is completely removed, there is no tensile stress.

Then, the ITO thin film is formed by sputtering on the entire flat surface of the glass substrate 2, and as shown in FIG. 6, the X-side transparent sensor electrode 3, the Y-side transparent sensor electrode 4, and the pull are left by photolithography. The portion of the line 5 is removed to remove the ITO film. By using the patterning of the photolithography method, the X-shaped transparent sensor electrodes 3 which are formed in the diamond-shaped X-pattern body formed in the input operation region 2a by the connection electrodes 6 and are strip-shaped along the Y direction are formed. . Further, the Y-side transparent sensor electrode 4, the thin wide connection pattern is formed over the connection electrode 6 on the insulating coating 7 formed on the intersection region, and the X-side transparent sensor electrode 3 intersecting at each intersection region The Y-side transparent sensor electrodes 4 are insulated from each other and wired. The ITO thin film forming each of the X-side transparent sensor electrodes 3 and the Y-side transparent sensor electrodes 4 is electrically connected to the pull-out line 5 by being left on both sides of the pull-out line 5 as well.

In the above-described step, ITO is directly formed on the input operation region 2a of the glass substrate 2 by sputtering, so that tensile stress is applied, but the reason why the connection electrode 6 is formed and sputtered into the film is the same. Do not The strength of the external force of the entire glass substrate 2 is damaged.

Next, after the flexible wiring board is connected to the external connection portion 9, the entire surface of the glass substrate 2 is covered with the top coat 10 using a roll coater to manufacture the transparent touch panel 1.

In the foregoing embodiment, the transparent contact for inserting the plane forming the X-side transparent sensor electrode 3, the Y-side transparent sensor electrode 4 or the pull-out line 5 and the reverse side of the glass substrate 2 for input operation is explained. The panel 1 is controlled, but the input operation may be performed by forming the top of the top coat.

Further, the wiring region 2b of the glass substrate 2 may be a transparent touch panel in which the drawing line 5 is formed by interposing an insulating layer, and the shape of the sensor electrodes 3 and 4 or the forming step thereof may be arbitrary. The transparent touch panel is not limited to the electrostatic capacitance method, and may be a resistive film in which the resistance value per unit length of the sensor electrode is uniform, and the input operation is detected by a resistance method.

Further, the insulating layer formed between the plane of the glass substrate 2 and the drawing line 5 formed in the wiring region 2b is not limited to the above-described insulating coating layer 7 or insulating light shielding layer 8 unless it is formed by sputtering. Formed in other steps.

[Industry use possibility]

The present invention is suitably applied to a transparent touch panel in which a wire is drawn at a high density around a input operation region of a glass substrate.

1‧‧‧Transparent touch panel

2‧‧‧ glass substrate

2a‧‧‧Input operation area

2b‧‧‧Wiring area

3‧‧‧X side transparent sensor electrode (transparent sensor electrode)

4‧‧‧Y side transparent sensor electrode (transparent sensor electrode)

5‧‧‧ Pull out the line

7‧‧‧Insulation coating (insulation layer)

8‧‧‧Insulating light shielding layer (insulation layer)

9‧‧‧External connection

Fig. 1(a) is a plan view of a transparent touch panel 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the middle of (a).

Fig. 2 shows the first step of forming the insulating layer optical layer 8. (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken at a position along the line A-A.

Fig. 3 shows a second step of forming the connection electrode 6 in the input operation region 2a. (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken at a position along the line A-A.

4 is a third step of covering the connection electrode 6 and the insulating light shielding layer 8 with an insulating coating 7. (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken at a position along the line A-A.

Fig. 5 shows a fourth step of the wiring pull-out line 5 shown in the wiring region 2b. (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view cut at a position along the line A-A in the diagram of Fig. 1(a).

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the fifth step of forming the transparent sensor electrodes 3, 4 in the input operation region 2a, taken along the line A-A.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the prior transparent touch panel 100.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the transparent touch panel 100.

1‧‧‧Transparent touch panel

2‧‧‧ glass substrate

2a‧‧‧Input operation area

2b‧‧‧Wiring area

3‧‧‧X side transparent sensor electrode (transparent sensor electrode)

4‧‧‧Y side transparent sensor electrode (transparent sensor electrode)

5‧‧‧ Pull out the line

7‧‧‧Insulation coating (insulation layer)

8‧‧‧Insulating light shielding layer (insulation layer)

9‧‧‧External connection

10‧‧‧ top coating

Claims (3)

A transparent touch panel comprising: a glass substrate chemically reinforced on a plane side; a plurality of transparent sensor electrodes formed by insulating the input operation regions of the planar surface of the glass substrate, and a plurality of transparent senses The detector electrodes are respectively pulled out to the external connection portion, and are connected to the plurality of pull-out wires around the input operation region of the plane of the glass substrate; the electrical signals output from the transparent sensor electrodes through the external connection portion. A transparent touch panel that detects an input operation to the input operation area; and a wiring layer formed on the surface of the glass substrate on which the plurality of pull-out wires are wired is formed of a synthetic resin to cover an insulating light-shielding layer surrounding the input operation region The first insulating layer is formed on the first insulating layer to form a second insulating layer, and the conductive thin film which is sputter-deposited on the second insulating layer is patterned by photolithography to form the plurality of pull-out lines. The transparent touch panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transparent sensor electrodes are composed of a plurality of X-side transparent sensor electrodes and a plurality of Y-side transparent sensor electrodes orthogonal to each other in the input operation region. The insulating layer between the X-side transparent sensor electrode and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode and the insulating layer of the wiring region are insulated at each intersection of the X-side transparent sensor electrode and the Y-side transparent sensor electrode. Is using insulating ink The same printing step is formed. A transparent touch panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transparent sensor electrode is formed of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), and the pull-out wire is formed of a conductive material containing molybdenum.