All related applications are incorporated by reference. The present application is based on, and claims priority from, China Application Serial Number No. 201210388193.3, filed on Sep. 27, 2012, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to touch technology, and in particular to a touch device and manufacturing method thereof.
With the developments in the field of information technology, touch devices are increasingly used to provide a convenient way to deliver information between humans and machines. A typical touch device is formed by a plurality of electrodes in the x-direction and a plurality of electrodes in the y-direction in a staggered arrangement. The plurality of electrodes in the x-direction and the plurality of electrodes in the y-direction are formed on different layers and insulated from each other by an insulating layer.
Generally, a method for manufacturing the touch device comprising multiple electrode layers, comprises sequentially forming the plurality of electrodes in the x-direction, the insulating layer which covers the plurality of electrodes in the x-direction, and the plurality of electrodes in the y-direction on a substrate by performing sputtering, exposure, and developing processes. However, in the above-mentioned method for manufacturing the touch device, a previously formed layer structure may be damaged during the formation of a subsequently formed layer structure thereon. For example, the electrodes may be cracked or delaminated from the substrate after undergoing several rounds of sputtering, exposure, and developing processes.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for development of methods for forming a structure of a touch device capable of mitigating or eliminating the aforementioned problems.
The present disclosure provides a touch device and manufacturing method thereof, wherein at least sensing electrodes are formed by a transfer-printing process so as to reduce or eliminate damage to a previously formed layer structure during the formation of a subsequently formed layer structure thereon, and therefore improving manufacturing yields.
An exemplary embodiment of a manufacturing method of a touch device is provided in accordance with the present disclosure. The manufacturing method comprises providing a substrate having a viewing region. A plurality of first sensing electrodes are spaced apart from each other on the substrate corresponding to the viewing region. An insulating layer is formed on the plurality of first sensing electrodes. A plurality of second sensing electrodes are transfer-printed onto the insulating layer, wherein the plurality of second sensing electrodes is spaced apart from each other, and wherein the plurality of first sensing electrodes is in a staggered arrangement with the plurality of second sensing electrodes and insulated from the plurality of second sensing electrodes by the insulating layer.
Another exemplary embodiment of a manufacturing method of a touch device is provided in accordance with the present disclosure. The manufacturing method comprises providing a substrate having a viewing region. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. A plurality of first sensing electrodes are spaced apart from each other on the first surface. A plurality of second sensing electrodes are transfer-printed onto the second surface and spaced apart from each other, wherein the plurality of first sensing electrodes are in a staggered arrangement with the plurality of second sensing electrodes and insulated from the plurality of second sensing electrodes by the substrate.
An exemplary embodiment of a touch device is provided in accordance with the present disclosure. The touch device comprises a substrate having a viewing region, a plurality of first sensing electrodes, an insulating layer, and a plurality of second sensing electrodes. The plurality of first sensing electrodes are spaced apart from each other on the substrate corresponding to the viewing region. The insulating layer is disposed on the plurality of first sensing electrodes. The plurality of second sensing electrodes are spaced apart from each other on the insulating layer by a transfer-printing process, and wherein the plurality of first sensing electrodes are in a staggered arrangement with the plurality of second sensing electrodes and insulated from the plurality of second sensing electrodes by the insulating layer.
Yet another exemplary embodiment of a touch device is provided in accordance with the present disclosure. The touch device comprises a substrate having a viewing region, a plurality of first sensing electrodes and a plurality of second sensing electrodes. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The plurality of first sensing electrodes are spaced apart from each other on the first surface of the substrate. The plurality of second sensing electrodes are spaced apart from each other on the second surface of the substrate by a transfer-printing process, and wherein the plurality of first sensing electrodes are in a staggered arrangement with the plurality of second sensing electrodes and insulated from the plurality of second sensing electrodes by the substrate.
According to the embodiments, at least the second sensing electrodes of the touch device are formed by a transfer-printing process, such that the multi-layer structure is formed in two parts. Accordingly, compared to the conventional fabrication method of the sputtering, exposure, and developing processes, damage to a previously formed layer structure during the formation of a subsequently formed layer structure thereon is reduced or eliminated and manufacturing yield may be improved. Moreover, the use of the transfer-printing process instead of the sputtering, exposure, and developing processes simplifies the manufacturing process and improves production efficiency. In addition, the use of expensive equipment (such as the equipment for the sputtering, exposure, and developing processes) is not required. As a result, price competitiveness is improved and the pollution caused by chemical solutions is also reduced.
The following description is provided for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is determined by reference to the appended claims. Moreover, the same or similar elements in the drawings and the description are labeled with the same reference numbers.
Referring to
The substrate 100 has a viewing region 110. The plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 are spaced apart from each other on the substrate 100 corresponding to the viewing region 110 and arranged along a first axial direction, such as the x-direction. The insulating layer 220 is formed on the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230. The plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 are spaced apart from each other on the transfer-printing film 200 and arranged along a second axial direction, such as the y-direction. The plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 are transfer-printed onto the insulating layer 220 and are in a staggered arrangement with the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230. The first axial direction and the second axial direction intersect with each other. For example, the first axial direction and the second axial direction are perpendicular to each other, but it is not limited thereto. The insulating layer 220 is disposed between the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240, such that the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 are insulated from each other by the insulating layer 220.
In the embodiment, the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 may be formed onto the insulating layer 220 by a transfer-printing process. For example, the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 may be formed onto the transfer-printing film 200 by a printing process, such as a gravure printing process. Next, the transfer-printing film 200 having the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 is attached to the substrate 100, such that the insulating layer 220 is disposed between the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240. In the embodiment, the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 may be formed by a photolithography process including sputtering, exposure and developing process, wherein the materials of the first sensing electrodes 230 may comprise indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin fluorine oxide (ITFO), aluminum zinc oxide (AZO), fluorine zinc oxide (FZO), or other high-temperature-resistant materials. In other embodiments, the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 may be directly formed onto the substrate 100 by a screen printing and etching process. The materials of the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 may be optical transparent conductive ink comprising colloid solution of nano silver, colloid solution of indium tin oxide (ITO), colloid solution of indium zinc oxide (IZO), colloid solution of indium tin fluorine oxide (ITFO), colloid solution of aluminum zinc oxide (AZO), colloid solution of fluorine zinc oxide (FZO), colloid solution of nano carbon tube, or colloid solution of conductive polymer, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), wherein the optical transparent conductive ink has a conductivity which is greater than 1/Ωcm.
In the present embodiment, the substrate 100 may further comprise a border region 130 surrounding the viewing region 110. Moreover, the touch device further comprises a plurality of traces 300 disposed on the substrate 100 corresponding to the border region 130, thereby electrically connecting to the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240, respectively. In another embodiment, the plurality of traces 300 is formed on a transfer-printing film 210 and then disposed on the substrate 100 corresponding to the border region 130 by the transfer-printing process, thereby electrically connecting to the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240.
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In the present embodiment, since the transfer-printing process is performed at a low temperature, the previously formed layer structures before the second sensing electrodes 240, such as the insulating layer 220 and the first sensing electrodes 230 would not be damaged by a high temperature. In other embodiments, the insulating layer 220 also can be formed by the transfer-printing process. The previously formed layer structures before the second sensing electrodes 240 and the insulating layer 220, such as the first sensing electrodes 230, would not be damaged by the high temperature. Further, in other embodiments, the insulating layer 220, the first sensing electrodes 230 and the second sensing electrodes 240 can be totally formed by the transfer-printing process.
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In the embodiment, the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 may be formed onto the second surface 100B of the substrate 100 by a transfer-printing process. For example, the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 may be formed onto the second transfer-printing film 200B by a printing process, such as a gravure printing process. Next, the second transfer-printing film 200B having the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 is attached to the second surface 100B of the substrate 100. The materials of the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 may be the same materials as in the above-mentioned embodiment in
In addition, the touch device further comprises a plurality of traces 300 disposed on the substrate 100 corresponding to the border region 130, thereby electrically connecting to the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240. In another embodiment, the plurality of traces 300 is formed onto a transfer-printing film 210 and then disposed between the transfer-printing film 200B and the substrate 100 corresponding to the border region 130 by the transfer-printing process, thereby electrically connecting to the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240.
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Next, a second transfer-printing film 200B is provided to transfer-print a plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 onto the second surface 100B of the substrate 100. For example, the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 and a plurality of traces 300 are formed onto the second transfer-printing film 200B by a printing process. Preferably, the printing process is a gravure printing process, and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 and the plurality of traces 300 may be simultaneously formed by the same printing process or respectively formed by different printing processes. The second transfer-printing film 200B having the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 and the plurality of traces 300 is then attached to the second surface 100B of the substrate 100. The plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 correspond to the viewing region 100 and are in a staggered arrangement with the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230. The substrate 100 is disposed between the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240, such that the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 are insulated from each other. The plurality of traces 300 correspond to the border region 130 and are electrically connected to the plurality of first sensing electrodes 230 and the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240, respectively. Moreover, after the step of attaching the second transfer-printing film 200B having the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 and the plurality of traces 300 to the substrate 100, a heat or ultraviolet treatment may be performed according to the selected materials of the second transfer-printing film 200B, thereby curing the plurality of second sensing electrodes 240 and the plurality of traces 300.
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In the above-mentioned embodiments, the substrate 100 may be composed of glass, plastic film, or another conventional transparent substrate material. The insulating layer 220 may be composed of the insulating ink materials, such as optical transparent ink, having a conductivity of less than 10−10/Ωcm. The plurality of traces 300 may be composed of conductive ink, such as silver colloid, copper colloid or carbon colloid, having a conductivity which is greater than 1/Ωcm. The transfer-printing film 200, the first transfer-printing film 200A and second the transfer-printing film 200B may be composed of flexible plastic film, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, or polyimide. Moreover, the transfer-printing film may have a thickness of between 20 μm and 200 μm.
According to the embodiments, the insulating layer and the sensing electrodes of the touch device are formed by a transfer-printing process, such that a multi-layer structure is formed in two parts. Compared to the conventional fabrication method including the sputtering, exposure, and developing processes, damage to a previously formed layer structure during the formation of a subsequently formed layer structure thereon may be reduced or eliminated, thereby improving the yield and material selectivity of the sensing electrodes of the touch device. Accordingly, the material of the sensing electrodes is not limited to high temperature resistant materials. Moreover, the use of the transfer-printing process instead of the sputtering, exposure, and developing processes can simplify the manufacturing process and improve production efficiency. In addition, the use of expensive equipment (such as the equipment for the sputtering, exposure, and developing processes) is not required. Therefore, price competitiveness can be improved and the pollution caused by chemical solutions can be reduced.
While the present disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2012 1 0388193 | Sep 2012 | CN | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20090002338 | Kinoshita | Jan 2009 | A1 |
20120193210 | Yau | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20130169558 | Min | Jul 2013 | A1 |
20150234503 | Min | Aug 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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101869010 | Oct 2010 | CN |
102063232 | May 2011 | CN |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20140085550 A1 | Mar 2014 | US |