Reduced contrast improved transmission conductively coated transparent substrate

• US 20040137240A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Halsey, Eugene IV, Getz, Catherine A.
• Application Number:
  US10/744,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20040137240A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/446
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/365 Coating different sides of a glass substrate
• 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: H01J 29/868 Screens covering the input or output face of the vessel, e.g. transparent anti-static coatings, X-ray absorbing layers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0213 Electrical arrangements not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/26 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension

Abstract

A conductively coated panel for inclusion in a transparent interactive input device useful with an electro-optic display includes a transparent substrate having a transparent, conductive layer on at least one surface. The conductive layer is applied in a predetermined pattern with at least one area having a conductive layer thereon and a second area without a conductive layer. A transparent layer of a metal oxide such as silicon dioxide overlies both areas whereby visible contrast between the areas is reduced and light transmission through the coated panel is increased. An interactive device, and a method for forming an interactive device with the conductively coated panel, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A reduced contrast, increased transmission, conductively coated panel, comprising:

a transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface;

a transparent, conductive layer on at least one surface of said substrate, said conductive layer being in a predetermined pattern such that there is at least one area having a conductive layer thereon and a second area without a conductive layer on said one substrate surface;

a transparent layer of metal oxide overlying said one and said second areas of said one substrate surface whereby visible contrast between said one area and said second area is reduced and light transmission through said coated panel is increased; and

wherein said coated panel is adapted for use in an interactive device.

2. The panel of claim 1 wherein said conductive layer on said one substrate surface is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, doped tin oxide, and doped zinc oxide.

3. The panel of claim 2 wherein said transparent metal oxide layer comprises an oxide of at least one of silicon, zirconium, titanium, tungsten and tantalum.

4. The panel of claim 3 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area of at least about 600 Angstroms.

5. The panel of claim 3 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area within the range of about 600 to about 1400 Angstroms.

6. The panel of claim 3 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area within the range of about 800 to about 1200 Angstroms.

7. The panel of claim 1 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a refractive index of at least about 2.00 at the sodium D line.

8. The panel of claim 1 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a refractive index within the range of at least from about 2.00 to about 2.20 at the sodium D line.

9. The panel of claim 1 wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of glass and plastic.

10. The panel of claim 1 wherein said one surface is said first surface of said substrate, said second surface of said substrate including a transparent, conductive layer in a predetermined pattern such that there is at least one area having a conductive layer thereon and a second area without a conductive layer on said second substrate surface, and a transparent layer of metal oxide overlying said one and said second areas on said second surface.

11. The panel of claim 10 wherein said conductive layer on said second substrate surface is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, doped tin oxide, and doped zinc oxide.

12. The panel of claim 11 wherein said transparent metal oxide layer on said second substrate surface comprises an oxide of at least one of silicon, zirconium, titanium, tungsten and tantalum.

13. The panel of claim 12 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area on said second surface of at least about 600 Angstroms.

14. The panel of claim 12 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area on said second surface within the range of about 600 to about 1400 Angstroms.

15. The panel of claim 12 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area on said second surface within the range of about 800 to about 1200 Angstroms.

16. The panel of claim 12 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a refractive index of at least about 2.00 at the sodium D line.

17. The panel of claim 12 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a refractive index within the range of at least from about 2.00 to about 2.20 at the sodium D line.

18. The panel of claim 10 wherein each of said conductive layers is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, doped tin oxide, and doped zinc oxide.

19. The panel of claim 10 wherein each of said metal oxide layers comprises an oxide of at least one of silicon, zirconium, titanium, tungsten and tantalum.

20. The panel of claim 19 wherein said respective metal oxide layer over said one area on each of said respective surfaces has a thickness of at least about 600 Angstroms.

21. The panel of claim 19 wherein said respective layer of metal oxide over said one area on each of said respective surfaces has a thickness within the range of about 600 to about 1400 Angstroms.

22. The panel of claim 19 wherein said respective layer of metal oxide over said one area on each of said respective surfaces has a thickness within the range of about 800 to about 1200 Angstroms.

23. The panel of claim 19 wherein each of said layers of metal oxide has a refractive index of at least about 2.00 at the sodium D line.

24. The panel of claim 19 wherein each of said layers of metal oxide has a refractive index within the range of at least about from 2.00 to about 2.20 at the sodium D line.

25. The panel of claim 19 wherein said panel has a visible light transmission therethrough of at least about 85%.

26. The panel of claim 19 wherein said visible light transmission through said panel is at least about 1.5% greater than that through an uncoated glass substrate.

27. A transparent interactive input device comprising:

an electro-optic display for displaying information; and

a conductively coated panel optically bonded to said electro-optic display, said panel including a transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface;

a transparent, conductive layer on at least one surface of said substrate, said conductive layer being in a predetermined pattern such that there is at least one area having a conductive layer thereon and a second area without a conductive layer on said one substrate surface; and

a transparent layer of metal oxide overlying said one and said second areas of said one substrate surface whereby visible contrast between said one area and said second area is reduced and light transmission through said coated panel is increased.

28. The transparent interactive input device of claim 27 wherein said conductive layer on said one substrate surface is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, doped tin oxide, and doped zinc oxide.

29. The transparent interactive input device of claim 28 wherein said transparent metal oxide layer comprises an oxide of at least one of silicon, zirconium, titanium, tungsten and tantalum.

30. The transparent interactive input device of claim 29 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area of at least about 600 Angstroms.

31. The transparent interactive input device of claim 29 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area within the range of about 600 to about 1400 Angstroms.

32. The transparent interactive input device of claim 29 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area within the range of about 800 to about 1200 Angstroms.

33. The transparent interactive input device of claim 27 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a refractive index of at least about 2.00 at the sodium D line.

34. The transparent interactive input device of claim 27 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a refractive index within the range of at least from about 2.00 to about 2.20 at the sodium D line.

35. The transparent interactive input device of claim 27 wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of glass and plastic.

36. The transparent interactive input device of claim 27 wherein said one surface is said first surface of said substrate, said second surface of said substrate including a transparent, conductive layer in a predetermined pattern such that there is at least one area having a conductive layer thereon and a second area without a conductive layer on said second substrate surface, and a transparent layer of metal oxide overlying said one and said second areas on said second surface.

37. The transparent interactive input device of claim 36 wherein said conductive layer on said second substrate surface is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, doped tin oxide, and doped zinc oxide.

38. The transparent interactive input device of claim 37 wherein said transparent metal oxide layer on said second substrate surface comprises an oxide of at least one of silicon, zirconium, titanium, tungsten and tantalum.

39. The transparent interactive input device of claim 38 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area on said second surface of at least about 600 Angstroms.

40. The transparent interactive input device of claim 38 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area on said second surface within the range of about 600 to about 1400 Angstroms.

41. The transparent interactive input device of claim 38 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a thickness over said one area on said second surface within the range of about 800 to about 1200 Angstroms.

42. The transparent interactive input device of claim 38 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a refractive index of at least about 2.00 at the sodium D line.

43. The transparent interactive input device of claim 38 wherein said layer of metal oxide has a refractive index within the range of at least from about 2.00 to about 2.20 at the sodium D line.

44. The transparent interactive input device of claim 36 wherein each of said conductive layers is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, doped tin oxide, and doped zinc oxide.

45. The transparent interactive input device of claim 44 wherein each of said metal oxide layers comprises an oxide of at least one of silicon, zirconium, titanium, tungsten and tantalum.

46. The transparent interactive input device of claim 45 wherein said respective metal oxide layer over said one area on each of said respective surfaces has a thickness of at least about 600 Angstroms.

47. The transparent interactive input device of claim 45 wherein said respective layer of metal oxide over said one area on each of said respective surfaces has a thickness within the range of about 600 to about 1400 Angstroms.

48. The transparent interactive input device of claim 45 wherein said respective layer of metal oxide over said one area on each of said respective surfaces has a thickness within the range of about 800 to about 1200 Angstroms.

49. The transparent interactive input device of claim 45 wherein each of said layers of metal oxide has a refractive index of at least about 2.00 at the sodium D line.

50. The transparent interactive input device of claim 45 wherein each of said layers of metal oxide has a refractive index within the range of at least from about 2.00 to about 2.20 at the sodium D line.

51. The transparent interactive input device of claim 45 wherein said panel has a visible light transmission therethrough of at least about 85%.

52. The transparent interactive input device of claim 45 wherein said visible light transmission through said panel is at least about 1.5% greater than that through an uncoated glass substrate.

53. The transparent interactive input device of claim 27 wherein said electro-optic display comprises a liquid crystal display.

54. A method for making an interactive information device comprising:

1) forming a reduced contrast, increased light transmitting, conductively coated panel by providing a transparent substrate having first and second surfaces, applying a transparent, conductive layer on at least one surface of said first and second surfaces of said substrate in a predetermined pattern such that there is at least one area having a conductive layer thereon and a second area without a conductive layer on said one substrate surface, and applying a transparent layer of metal oxide overlying said one and said second areas of said one substrate surface whereby visible contrast between said one area and said second area is reduced and light transmission through said coated panel is increased; and

2) optically bonding said conductively coated panel to an electro-optic display for displaying information when electricity is applied thereto.

55. The method of claim 54 including applying a transparent, conductive layer on the other of said first and second surfaces of said substrate in a predetermined pattern such that there is at least one area having a conductive layer thereon and a second area without a conductive layer on said other substrate surface and applying a transparent layer of metal oxide overlying said one and said second areas of said other substrate surface.

56. The method of claim 55 including applying each of said transparent layers of metal oxide by physical vapor deposition coating selected from the group consisting of sputtering and evaporation coating.

57. The method of claim 55 including applying each of said transparent layers of metal oxide by a wet chemical deposition process.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein said wet chemical deposition process is selected from the group consisting of spin coating, roll coating, meniscus coating, dip coating, spray coating and angle dependent dip coating.

59. The method of claim 57 wherein said wet chemical deposition process includes forming a coated substrate by dip coating said substrate having said transparent, conductive layers thereon in a precursor solution for a metal oxide such that said transparent layers of metal oxide are applied to both surfaces of said substrate simultaneously.

60. The method of claim 59 including curing said coated substrate by baking at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time.

61. The method of claim 60 including chemically reducing said transparent conductive layers in an inert forming gas curing environment.

62. The method of claim 55 wherein each of said transparent, conductive layers on said substrate surfaces is applied in a predetermined pattern by applying a pattern of mask material to each of said respective substrate surfaces to mask said second areas, depositing said conductive layers over each of said surfaces including said respective patterns of mask material, and removing said patterns of mask material and conductive layers thereon to form said one and said second areas on each surface.

63. The method of claim 55 wherein each of said transparent, conductive layers on said substrate surfaces is applied in a predetermined pattern by depositing said conductive layers over each of said substrate surfaces and removing said conductive layers in said second area on each substrate surface by a post deletion method.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein said post deletion method is selected from the group consisting of laser ablation and chemical etching.

65. The method of claim 55 including applying a conductive electrode pattern over each of said respective surfaces of said substrate after application of said transparent conductive layers and prior to application of said transparent metal oxide layers.

66. The method of claim 65 including curing said transparent conductive layers and said conductive electrode patterns by baking at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time.

67. The method of claim 54 including applying said transparent layer of metal oxide by physical vapor deposition coating selected from the group consisting of sputtering and evaporation coating.

68. The method of claim 54 including applying said transparent layer of metal oxide by a wet chemical deposition process.

69. The method of claim 68 wherein said wet chemical deposition process is selected from the group consisting of spin coating, roll coating, meniscus coating, dip coating, spray coating and angle dependent dip coating.

70. The method of claim 68 wherein said wet chemical deposition process includes forming a coated substrate by dip coating said substrate having said transparent, conductive layer thereon in a precursor solution for silicon dioxide.

71. The method of claim 70 including curing said coated substrate by baking at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time.

72. The method of claim 71 including chemically reducing said transparent conductive layer in an inert forming gas curing environment.

73. The method of claim 54 wherein said transparent, conductive layer is applied in a predetermined pattern by applying a pattern of mask material to said substrate surface to mask said second area, depositing said conductive layer over said surface including said patterns of mask material, and removing said pattern of mask material and conductive layer 5 thereon to form said one area and said second area on said surface.

74. The method of claim 54 wherein said transparent, conductive layer is applied in a predetermined pattern by depositing said conductive layer over said substrate surfaces and removing said conductive layer in said second area by a post deletion method.

75. The method of claim 74 wherein said post deletion method is selected from the group consisting of laser ablation and chemical etching.

76. The method of claim 54 including applying a conductive electrode pattern over said one surface of said substrate after application of said transparent conductive layer and prior to application of said transparent metal oxide layer.

77. The method of claim 76 including curing said transparent conductive layer and said conductive electrode pattern by baking at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time.