Touch sensor substrate, touch panel, display device, and method for producing touch sensor substrate

• US 10,331,249 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VTS Touchsensor Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: VTS Touchsensor Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Goto, Hiroki, Tanaka, Maki, Nakamura, Gen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jr., Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US15/388,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20170102808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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
• 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

Abstract

A touch sensor substrate including a base material having a first surface, and electrodes each having a bottom surface positioned on the first surface, a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, and side surfaces connecting the bottom and top surfaces, each of the electrodes having a blackened layer formed on the side surfaces and at least one of the bottom and top surfaces. The blackened layer has a surface resistivity of less than 1 Ω/square.

Claims

1. A touch sensor substrate, comprising:

a base material having a first surface; and

a plurality of electrodes each having a bottom surface positioned on the first surface, a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, and side surfaces connecting the bottom and top surfaces, each of the electrodes having a blackened layer formed on the side surfaces and at least one of the bottom and top surfaces,

wherein the blackened layer has a surface resistivity of less than 1 Ω

/square.

2. The touch sensor substrate of claim 1, wherein the blackened layer has a thickness of 0.2 μ

m or less.

3. The touch sensor substrate of claim 1, wherein the blackened layer has a reflectivity of less than 20% in a visible wavelength range of not less than 400 nm and not more than 780 nm.

4. The touch sensor substrate of claim 2, wherein the blackened layer has a reflectivity of less than 20% in a visible wavelength range of not less than 400 nm and not more than 780 nm.

5. A touch panel, comprising:

a sensor base including a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, and a transparent dielectric layer positioned between the first and second electrodes,

wherein the sensor base includes the touch sensor substrate of claim 1, and the first electrodes and/or the second electrodes are the electrodes of the touch sensor substrate.

6. A touch panel, comprising:

a sensor base including a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, and a transparent dielectric layer positioned between the first and second electrodes,

wherein the sensor base includes the touch sensor substrate of claim 2, and the first electrodes and/or the second electrodes are the electrodes of the touch sensor substrate.

7. A touch panel, comprising:

a sensor base including a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, and a transparent dielectric layer positioned between the first and second electrodes,

wherein the sensor base includes the touch sensor substrate of claim 3, and the first electrodes and/or the second electrodes are the electrodes of the touch sensor substrate.

8. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein the sensor base further includes a cover layer forming an operation surface of the sensor base.

9. The touch panel of claim 8, further comprising:

a peripheral circuit that measures capacitance between the first and second electrodes.

10. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein the sensor base further includes a cover layer forming an operation surface of the sensor base.

11. The touch panel of claim 10, further comprising:

a peripheral circuit that measures capacitance between the first and second electrodes.

12. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein the sensor base further includes a cover layer forming an operation surface of the sensor base.

13. The touch panel of claim 12, further comprising:

a peripheral circuit that measures capacitance between the first and second electrodes.

14. A display device, comprising:

a display panel that displays information;

the touch panel of claim 9; and

a driving circuit that drives the touch panel.

15. A display device, comprising:

a display panel that displays information;

the touch panel of claim 11; and

a driving circuit that drives the touch panel.

16. A display device, comprising:

a display panel that displays information;

the touch panel of claim 13; and

a driving circuit that drives the touch panel.

21. The touch sensor substrate of claim 1, wherein the blackened layer comprises an element selected from the group consisting of Pd, Hg, Ag, Ir, Pt and Au.

22. The touch sensor substrate of claim 1, wherein the blackened layer comprises Pd.

17. A method of producing a touch sensor substrate, comprising:

forming a plurality of electrode patterns on a first surface of a base material such that each of the electrodes has a bottom surface positioned on the first surface, a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, and side surfaces connecting the bottom and top surfaces; and

applying a blackening treatment to each of the electrode patterns such that a blackened layer is formed on the side surfaces and at least one of the top and bottom surfaces,

wherein the blackening treatment is one of a black sulfide treatment and a black substitution treatment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the blackening treatment is a black substitution treatment which immerses the electrode patterns in a blackening treatment solution at a temperature of 55°

C. or less for 120 seconds or less, and forms the blackened layer having a thickness of 0.2 μ

m or less on the electrode patterns by a substitution reaction between a metal in the electrode patterns and a Pd ion in the blackening treatment solution.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the black substitution treatment immerses the electrode patterns for 10 to 120 seconds in the blackening treatment solution having a temperature of from 35°

C. to 5.5°

C. and a pH of from 1.5 to 2.5, and including the Pd ion at a concentration of from 100 ppm to 500 ppm.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the black substitution treatment immerses the electrode patterns for a period of time adjusted such that a change in wire width of the electrode patterns before and after the black substitution treatment is 0.3 μ

m or less.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the blackening treatment is a black substitution treatment comprising a substitution reaction between a metal in the electrode patterns and an ion of an element selected from the group consisting of Pd, Hg, Ag, Ir, Pt and Au.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the blackening treatment is a black substitution treatment comprising a substitution reaction between a metal in the electrode pattern and a Pd ion.