Integrated polarizer and conductive material

• US 10,073,569 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Cheng, Kuwabara, Masato, Kang, Sunggu, Zhong, John Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sejoon
• Application Number:
  US14/166,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3033 in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer

Abstract

A polarizer integrated with conductive material and a process for forming a polarizer integrated with conductive material are disclosed. A polarizer can be integrated with conductive material to form a portion of a touch sensor panel. In one example, a layer of conductive film forming either the row or column traces can be patterned on a surface of a substrate in the polarizer. In another example, the layer of conductive film can be patterned on a viewing angle compensation film of the polarizer. One or more of the polarizer'"'"'s polarizing layer, protective substrates or viewing angle compensation film can act as a dielectric between the conductive material forming the rows and column traces in the stack-up. As a result, the clear polymer spacer acting as a dielectric in touch panels can be removed, reducing the thickness of the touch screen stack-up.

Claims

1. A polarizer stack-up comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate;

a polarizing layer disposed between the first substrate and second substrate;

a first layer of conductive material patterned on a first surface of the first substrate; and

a second layer of conductive material patterned on the second substrate;

wherein the first layer of conductive material forms at least a first electrode of a capacitive touch sensor panel, the second layer of conductive material forms at least a second electrode of the capacitive touch sensor panel, and the polarizing layer forms at least a part of a dielectric layer of the capacitive touch sensor panel,

wherein the polarizing layer is disposed between the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material.

2. The polarizer stack-up of claim 1, wherein the second layer of conductive material is patterned on a second surface of the second substrate.

3. The polarizer stack-up of claim 1, wherein the polarizer stack-up is coupled to a display stack-up.

4. The polarizer stack-up of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second layers of conductive material are located in a display stack-up.

12. The polarizer stack-up of claim 1, wherein the second layer of conductive material is configured to drive a liquid crystal layer of a display.

13. The polarizer stack-up of claim 2, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed between the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material.

14. The polarizer stack-up of claim 13, further comprising:

an adhesive located between the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material.

15. The polarizer stack-up of claim 13, further comprising:

a color filter array located between the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material.

16. The polarizer stack-up of claim 2, wherein the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

17. The polarizer stack-up of claim 16, further comprising:

an adhesive located between the first substrate and the second substrate.

20. The touch screen of claim 1, further comprising:

a display, wherein the second layer of conductive material is configured to drive a liquid crystal layer of the display.

5. A method of forming a polarizer, the method comprising:

disposing a polarizing layer between a first substrate and a second substrate;

patterning a first layer of conductive material on a first surface of the first substrate; and

patterning a second layer of conductive material on the second substrate;

wherein the first layer of conductive material forms at least a first electrode of a capacitive touch sensor panel,

the second layer of conductive material forms at least a second electrode of the capacitive touch sensor panel, and

the polarizing layer forms at least a part of a dielectric layer of the capacitive touch sensor panel,

wherein the polarizing layer is further located between the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second layer of conductive material is patterned on-a second surface of the second substrate.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein disposing the polarizing layer between the first substrate and the second substrate includes laminating the polarizing layer to the first substrate and the second substrate using an adhesive.

19. The method of claim 5, where disposing the polarizing layer between the first substrate and the second substrate includes laminating the polarizing layer to the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material using an adhesive.

7. A touch screen comprising:

a polarizer integrated with a second layer of conductive material forming an electrode of a capacitive touch sensor panel, the polarizer stack-up comprising;

a first substrate and a second substrate;

a polarizing layer disposed between the first substrate and second substrate; and

a first layer of conductive material patterned on a first surface of the first substrate;

a third substrate; and

the second layer of conductive material patterned on-the second substrate, or a first surface of the third substrate;

wherein the first layer of conductive material forms at least a first electrode of the capacitive touch sensor panel, the second layer of conductive material forms at least a second electrode of the capacitive touch sensor panel, and the polarizing layer forms at least a part of a dielectric layer of the capacitive touch sensor panel,

wherein the polarizing layer is disposed between the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material.

8. The touch screen of claim 7, wherein the second layer of conductive material is patterned on the third substrate, and wherein the dielectric layer of the capacitive touch sensor panel comprises the third substrate.

9. The touch screen of claim 7, wherein the second layer of conductive material is patterned on the third substrate, and wherein the dielectric layer of the capacitive touch sensor panel comprises the first substrate, the second substrate and the third substrate.

10. The touch screen of claim 7, wherein the third substrate is a color filter layer.

11. The touch screen of claim 7, wherein the second layer of conductive material is patterned on the first surface of the second substrate, and wherein the dielectric layer of the capacitive touch sensor panel comprises at least one of the first or second substrates and the polarizing layer.

21. The touch screen of claim 7, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate of the polarizer stack-up are disposed between the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material.

22. The touch screen of claim 21, further comprising:

an adhesive located between the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material of the polarizer stack-up.

23. The touch screen of claim 7, wherein the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material of the polarizer stack-up are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate of the polarizer stack-up.

24. The touch screen of claim 7, wherein the first layer of conductive material and the second layer of conductive material of the polarizer stack-up are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.