Touch sensor panel having an index matching passivation layer

• US 10,444,874 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tung, Chun-Hao, Dorjgotov, EnkhAmgalan, Kuwabara, Masato, Kang, Sunggu, Chen, Cheng, Zhong, John Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Douglas M
• Application Number:
  US14/957,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20160195949A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/208 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/111 using layers comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree

Abstract

Touch sensor panels typically include a plurality of layers that can be stacked on top of each other. When the touch sensor panel is used in a bright environment, incident light can hit the interfaces between those layers of the stackup having mismatched refractive indices and can reflect off those interfaces. The light reflected from those interfaces can give rise to the appearance of fringes on the touch sensor panel, which can be visually distracting. In order to reduce the appearance of these fringes, embodiments of the disclosure are directed to the addition of an index matching passivation layer between a conductive layer of traces and an adhesive layer in the touch sensor panel stackup.

Claims

1. A stackup, comprising:

a plurality of conductive material layers having a first refractive index;

a plurality of adhesive layers having a second refractive index, each adhesive layer paired with one of the conductive material layers on opposite sides of a substrate;

a first index matching passivation layer disposed between a first conductive material layer and a first adhesive layer, and a second index matching passivation layer disposed between a second conductive material layer and a second adhesive layer, wherein

the first and second index matching passivation layers, the first and second conductive material layers, and the first and second adhesive layers are separate layers, and

the first and second index matching passivation layers have a third refractive index that is between the first and second refractive indices and are disposed on a first side of each of the first and second conductive material layers, respectively;

wherein the first index matching passivation layer is configured for contacting the first adhesive layer at a first interface, and for contacting the first conductive material layer at a second interface; and

wherein the first index matching passivation layer is selected to produce a percentage reflectance at the first interface of less than 1%, and also a percentage reflectance at the second interface of less than 1%.

2. The stackup of claim 1, wherein the third refractive index of the first and second index matching passivation layers is selected to reduce light reflected from an interface between the first conductive material layer and first adhesive layer, and also between the second conductive material layer and the second adhesive layer.

3. The stackup of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive material layers are configured as a drive line layer and a sense line layer formed on opposite sides of a substrate.

4. The stackup of claim 1, wherein the stackup is incorporated with a display device to form a touch screen.

5. The stackup of claim 1, wherein the stackup is incorporated into a computing device.

6. A sensing panel, comprising:

a first conductive layer of traces;

a first adhesive;

a first set of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from and disposed between the first adhesive and a first side of the first conductive layer of traces;

a second conductive layer of traces;

a second adhesive;

a second set of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from and disposed between the second adhesive and a first side of the second conductive layer of traces, and

a substrate disposed between the first conductive layer of traces and the second conductive layer of traces;

wherein the index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets are selected to reduce an interference of light reflected between the first adhesive and the first conductive layer of traces and between the second adhesive and the second conductive layer of traces;

wherein the first set of one or more index matching passivation layers is configured for contacting the first adhesive at a first interface, and for contacting the first conductive layer of traces at a second interface; and

wherein the first set of one or more index matching passivation layers is selected to produce a percentage reflectance at the first interface of less than 1%, and also a percentage reflectance at the second interface of less than 1%.

7. The sensing panel of claim 6, wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first set have a refractive index that is between the refractive indices of the first adhesive and the first conductive layer of traces, and

wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the second set have a refractive index that is between the refractive indices of the second adhesive and the second conductive layer of traces.

8. The sensing panel of claim 7, wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets have a refractive index from 1.6 to 1.75.

9. The sensing panel of claim 6, wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets are made from acrylic and an additive, the additive selected from a group consisting of rutile, anatase, ZnO, and ZrO₂.

10. The sensing panel of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second sets of one or more index matching passivation layers has a combined thickness of 2-15 μ

m.

11. The sensing panel of claim 6, wherein the first and second conductive layer of traces are made from Indium Tin Oxide.

12. The sensing panel of claim 6, wherein the first and second adhesives are a pressure sensitive adhesive.

13. The sensing panel of claim 6, wherein the sensing panel is incorporated with a computing system.

14. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

a first conductive layer of traces;

a first adhesive;

a first set of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from and disposed between the first adhesive and a first side of the first conductive layer of traces;

a second conductive layer of traces;

a second adhesive;

a second set of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from and disposed between the second adhesive and a first side of the second conductive layer of traces; and

a substrate disposed between the first conductive layer of traces and the second conductive layer of traces;

wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first set are selected to reduce a percentage of light reflectance at a first interface between the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first set and the first adhesive and at a second interface between the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first set and the first conductive layer of traces such that the percentage of light reflectance at the first and second interfaces are each less than 1%; and

wherein the index matching passivation layers in the second set reduces a percentage of light reflectance at a third interface between the index matching passivation layers in the second set and the second adhesive and at a fourth interface between the index matching passivation layers in the second set and the second conductive layer of traces.

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 14, wherein the percentage of light reflectance at the first interface is approximately equal to the percentage of light reflectance at the second interface, and

wherein the percentage of light reflectance at the third interface is approximately equal to the percentage of light reflectance at the fourth interface.

16. The touch sensor panel of claim 14, wherein the percentage of light reflectance at each of the first, second, third, and fourth interfaces is less than 1%.

17. A method of reducing an appearance of fringes on a stackup having first and second conductive layers of traces with a substrate disposed therebetween, first and second adhesive layers, and first and second index matching layers, the method comprising:

forming first and second sets of one or more index matching passivation layers, the first and second sets of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from the first and second conductive layers of traces, the first and second adhesive layers, and the first and second index matching layers;

disposing the first set of one or more index matching passivation layers between the first conductive layer of traces and the first adhesive layer;

disposing the second set of one or more index matching passivation layers between the second conductive layer of traces and the second adhesive layer; and

using the first set of one or more index matching passivation layers to reduce an interference of light reflected from a first interface between the first adhesive layer and the first set of one or more index matching passivation layers and from a second interface between the first set of one or more index matching passivation layers and the first conductive layer of traces such that the percentage of light reflectance at the first and second interfaces are each less than 1%.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting a refractive index for the index matching passivation layers in the first set that is between the refractive indices of the first adhesive and the first conductive layer of traces; and

selecting a refractive index for the index matching passivation layers in the second set that is between the refractive indices of the second adhesive and the second conductive layer of traces.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets have a refractive index from 1.6 to 1.75.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming the index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets from acrylic and an additive, the additive selected from a group consisting of rutile, anatase, ZnO, and ZrO₂.

21. A method of reducing an appearance of fringes on a stackup having first and second conductive layers of traces with a substrate disposed therebetween, first and second adhesive layers, and first and second index matching layers, the method comprising:

forming first and second sets of one or more index matching passivation layers, the first and second sets of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from the first and second conductive layers of traces, the first and second adhesive layers, and the first and second index matching layers;

disposing the first set of one or more index matching passivation layers between the first conductive layer of traces and the first adhesive layer;

disposing the second set of one or more index matching passivation layers between the second conductive layer of traces and the second adhesive layer;

using the index matching passivation layers in the first set to reduce a percentage of light reflectance at a first interface between the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first set and the first adhesive and at a second interface between the index matching passivation layers in the first set and the first conductive layer of traces such that the percentage of light reflectance at the first and second interfaces are each less than 1%; and

using the index matching passivation layers in the second set to reduce a percentage of light reflectance at a third interface between the index matching passivation layers in the second set and the second adhesive and at a fourth interface between the index matching passivation layers in the second set and the second conductive layer of traces.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the percentage of light reflectance at the first interface is approximately equal to the percentage of light reflectance at the second interface, and

wherein the percentage of light reflectance at the third interface is approximately equal to the percentage of light reflectance at the fourth interface.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the percentage of light reflectance at each of the first, second, third, and fourth interfaces is less than 1%.