Corrosion mitigation for metal traces

• US 10,048,814 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mohapatra, Siddharth, Kang, Sunggu, Zhong, John Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KYUNG S
• Application Number:
  US14/960,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 200600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/58 Electric connections to or between contacts; Terminals for high tension switches H01H33/025; for electromagnetic relays H01H50/14; for circuit breakers H01H71/08
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/04 of switch contacts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

Processes for manufacturing touch sensors with one or more guard traces to reduce the effect of moisture damage are provided. One example process can include forming one or more guard traces between an edge of the touch sensor and the metal traces that route the drive and sense lines to bond pads. The one or more guard traces can be uncoupled from the drive lines and sense lines to protect the inner metal traces from moisture damage. In some examples, ends of the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by copper. In other examples, ends of the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by indium tin oxide or the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by a strip of indium tin oxide. In yet other examples, the guard trace can be floating (e.g., not coupled to ground).

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel comprising:

a plurality of touch nodes, each touch node configured for forming a self-capacitance to ground;

one or more bond pads;

a plurality of routing traces that electrically couples the plurality of touch nodes to the one or more bond pads and circuitry; and

a trace positioned between edges of the touch sensor panel and the plurality of routing traces, the trace configured to at least one of block, absorb, and detect moisture.

2. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the trace is electrically decoupled from the plurality of touch nodes.

3. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the trace includes copper.

4. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the trace includes indium tin oxide (ITO).

5. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry coupled to the trace and configured to detect an open circuit.

6. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to stimulate the plurality of touch nodes or sense a capacitance from the plurality of touch nodes.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, wherein a width of the trace is greater or less than a width of the plurality of routing traces.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 1, further comprising:

a second trace configured to at least one of block, absorb, and detect moisture.

9. A method of manufacturing a touch sensor panel, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of touch nodes, each touch node configured to form a self-capacitance to ground;

forming a plurality of routing traces electrically coupled to circuitry; and

forming and locating a trace between edges of the touch sensor panel and the plurality of routing traces, the trace configured to at least one of block, absorb, and detect moisture.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the trace is formed on a same layer as the plurality of touch nodes and the plurality of routing traces.