Touch panel with an integral wiring harness

• US 20010028343A1
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MicroTouch Systems, Inc. (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: MicroTouch Systems, Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bottari, Frank J., Marble, Andrea C., LaCourse, Michele L.
• Application Number:
  US09/775,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20010028343A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24926 including ceramic, glass, porcelain or quartz layer

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a touch screen panel in which a glass substrate is coated with a resistive layer, a dielectric border layer is deposited on the periphery of the resistive layer, a pattern of conductive edge electrodes is applied to the resistive layer, and a conductive wire trace pattern is applied to the dielectric border layer to electrically isolate the wire trace pattern from the edge electrodes. The invention also features a touch screen panel manufactured in accordance with this method.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a touch screen panel, the method comprising:

coating an insulative substrate with a resistive layer;

depositing a dielectric border layer on the periphery of the resistive layer; and

applying a pattern of conductive edge electrodes to the resistive layer and applying a conductive wire trace pattern to the dielectric border layer to electrically isolate the wire trace pattern from the edge electrodes.

2. The method of

claim 1

in which the resistive layer is a tin oxide composition.

3. The method of

claim 1

in which the insulative substrate is glass.

4. The method of

claim 1

in which the step of depositing the dielectric border layer includes screen printing a lead borosilicate glass composition on the periphery of the resistive layer.

5. The method of

claim 1

in which the step of applying the pattern of conductive edge electrodes to the resistive layer and the step of applying the conductive wire trace pattern to the dielectric border layer includes screen printing silver/frit paste on the resistive layer to form the edge electrode pattern and simultaneously screen printing a silver/frit paste on the dielectric border layer to form the wire trace pattern.

6. The method of

claim 1

further including the step of applying a protective border layer over the edge electrodes and the wire traces.

7. The method of

claim 6

in which the step of applying the protective border layer includes screen printing an insulative composition over the edge electrodes and the wire traces.

8. The method of

claim 7

in which the insulative composition is a lead borosilicate glass composition.

9. The method of

claim 6

further including the step of firing the applied edge electrodes, the wire traces, the dielectric border layer, and the protective border layer.

10. The method of

claim 9

in which firing includes subjecting the panel to an elevated temperature in a first period of time to burn off any organic material and a dwell period at the elevated temperature to cure the electrodes and wire trace materials and to fuse the border layer materials.

11. The method of

claim 10

in which the elevated temperature is between 500°

C.-525°

C., the first time period is approximately 5 minutes and the dwell period is approximately 2-3 minutes.

12. A touch screen panel comprising:

a substrate with a resistive layer deposited on one surface thereof,

a dielectric border layer on the periphery of the resistive layer;

a conductive wire trace pattern on the dielectric border layer; and

a pattern of conductive edge electrodes on the resistive layer.

13. The touch screen panel of

claim 12

in which the resistive layer is a tin oxide composition.

14. The touch screen panel of

claim 12

in which the substrate is glass.

15. The touch screen panel of

claim 12

in which the dielectric border layer is formed from a lead borosilicate glass composition.

16. The touch screen panel of

claim 12

in which the conductive wire trace pattern is formed from a silver/frit paste composition.

17. The touch screen panel of

claim 12

in which the pattern of conductive edge electrodes are formed from a silver/frit paste composition.

18. The touch screen panel of

claim 12

further including a protective border layer over the edge electrodes and the wire traces.

19. The touch screen panel of

claim 18

in which the protective border layer is formed from a lead borosilicate glass composition.

20. A method of manufacturing a touch screen panel, the method comprising:

coating a substrate with a resistive layer;

applying a pattern of conductive edge electrodes to the resistive layer;

depositing a dielectric border layer over the conductive edge electrodes; and

applying a wire trace pattern on the dielectric border layer.

21. The method of

claim 20

in which the resistive layer is a tin oxide composition.

22. The method of

claim 20

in which the substrate is glass.

23. The method of

claim 20

in which the step of depositing the dielectric border layer over the conductive edge electrodes includes screen printing a lead borosilicate glass composition on the periphery of the touch screen panel over the conductive edge electrodes.

24. The method of

claim 20

in which the step of applying the pattern of conductive edge electrodes includes screen printing silver/frit paste on the resistive layer to form the edge electrode pattern.

25. The method of

claim 20

in which the step of applying a wire trace pattern includes screen printing silver/frit paste on the dielectric border layer to form the wire trace pattern thereon.

26. The method of

claim 20

further including the step applying a protective border layer over the wire trace pattern and the dielectric border layer.

27. The method of

claim 26

in which the step of applying the protective border layer includes screen printing an insulative composition over the wire trace pattern and the dielectric border layer.

28. The method of

claim 27

in which the insulative composition is a lead borosilicate glass composition.

29. The method of

claim 27

further including the step of firing the applied edge electrodes, the wire traces, the dielectric border layer, and the border layer.

30. The method of

claim 20

in which firing includes subjecting the panel to an elevated temperature in a first period of time to burn off any organic material and a dwell period at the elevated temperature to cure the electrodes and wire trace materials and to fuse the border layer materials.

31. The method of

claim 30

in which the elevated temperature is between 500°

C.-525°

C., the first time period is approximately 5 minutes and the dwell period is approximately 2-3 minutes.

32. A touch panel comprising:

a substrate with a resistive layer deposited on one surface thereof;

a pattern of conductive edge electrodes on the resistive layer;

a dielectric border layer over the pattern of conductive edge electrodes; and

a wire trace pattern on the dielectric border layer.

33. The touch panel of

claim 32

in which the resistive layer is a tin oxide composition.

34. The touch screen panel of

claim 32

in which the substrate is glass.

35. The touch screen panel of

claim 32

in which the dielectric border layer is formed from a lead borosilicate glass composition.

36. The touch screen panel of

claim 32

in which the conductive wire trace pattern is formed from a silver/frit paste composition.

37. The touch screen panel of

claim 32

in which the pattern of conductive edge electrodes are formed from a silver/frit composition.

38. The touch screen panel of

claim 32

further including a protective border layer over the edge electrodes and the wire traces.

39. The touch screen panel of

claim 38

in which the protective border layer is formed from a lead borosilicate glass composition.

40. A method of manufacturing a touch screen panel, the method comprising:

coating an insulative substrate with a resistive layer;

depositing a dielectric border layer on the periphery of the resistive layer;

applying a pattern of conductive edge electrodes to the resistive layer and applying a conductive wire trace pattern to the dielectric border layer to electrically isolate the wire trace pattern from the electrodes;

depositing a protective border layer over the edge electrodes and the wire traces to protect them; and

co-firing the wire trace pattern, the edge electrodes, the dielectric border layer, and the protective layer all at the same time.

41. A method of manufacturing a touch screen panel, the method comprising:

coating a substrate with a resistive layer;

applying a pattern of conductive edge electrodes to the resistive layer;

depositing a dielectric border layer over the conductive edge electrodes;

applying a wire trace pattern on the dielectric border layer;

applying a protective border layer over the wire trace pattern; and

co-firing the wire trace pattern, the edge electrodes, the dielectric border layer, and the protective border layer all at the same time.