CIRCUIT LAYOUT ON A TOUCH PANEL

• US 20080088601A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chien, Shun-Ta
• Application Number:
  US11/957,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3671 specially adapted for use as electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/33 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• 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: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/167 incorporating printed resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0326 Inorganic, non-metallic conductor, e.g. indium-tin oxide [ITO]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09736 Varying thickness of a single conductor; Conductors in the same plane having different thicknesses
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1461 Applying or finishing the circuit pattern after another process, e.g. after filling of vias with conductive paste, after making printed resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1476 Same or similar kind of process performed in phases, e.g. coarse patterning followed by fine patterning
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/048 using a lift-off resist pattern or a release layer pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/16 by cathodic sputtering

Abstract

A circuit layout is provided on a touch panel having a transparent glass substrate and a transparent conducting layer coated on a transparent conducting layer coating zone of the glass substrate. A peripheral wiring zone is defined on an area on the glass substrate that is not coated by the transparent conducting layer. The circuit layout includes a first and second circuit. The first circuit is formed of a first plated metal layer through metal sputtering on the transparent conducting layer at positions proximate to the peripheral wiring zone and is electrically connected to the transparent conducting layer to thereby develop a voltage gradient on the transparent conducting layer. The second circuit is formed of a second plated metal layer through metal sputtering or screen printing on the peripheral wiring zone and is electrically connected to the first circuit so as to apply a working voltage across the first circuit.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a substantially transparent glass substrate having a transparent conducting layer coating zone;

a transparent conducting layer coated on the transparent conducting layer coating zone;

a peripheral wiring zone defined on an area of the glass substrate that is not coated by the transparent conducting layer;

a first circuit formed with a first metal layer on the transparent conducting layer at positions proximate to the peripheral wiring zone, the first metal layer being electrically coupled to the transparent conducting layer and configured to develop a voltage gradient on the transparent conducting layer; and

a second circuit formed with a second metal layer on the peripheral wiring zone, the second metal layer being electrically coupled to the first circuit and configured to apply a working voltage across the first circuit.

2. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first metal layer and the second metal layer are each plated layers formed from sputtered metal.

3. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first and the second metal layers have a similar structural width and the first metal layer has a structural thickness smaller than a thickness of the second metal layer.

4. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first metal layer has a structural thickness and a structural width both smaller than a structural thickness and a structural width of the second metal layer.

5. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first metal layer has a structural thickness smaller than a thickness of the second metal layer and a structural width larger than a thickness of the second metal layer.

6. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first metal layer is produced in a first metal sputtering to form the first circuit and the second metal layer is produced in a second metal sputtering to form the second circuit to electrically couple to the first metal layer.

7. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first metal layer and the second metal layer are formed simultaneously in a single metal sputtering operation.

8. A touch panel comprising:

a substantially transparent glass substrate having a transparent conducting layer coating zone;

a transparent conducting layer coated on the transparent conducting layer coating zone;

a peripheral wiring zone defined on an area on the glass substrate that is not coated by the transparent conducting layer;

a first circuit formed on the transparent conducting layer at positions proximate to the peripheral wiring zone with a metal layer electrically coupled to the transparent conducting layer and configured to develop a voltage gradient on the transparent conducting layer; and

a second circuit formed on the peripheral wiring zone with a conducting film after formation of the metal layer on the transparent conducting layer, the second film being electrically coupled to the first circuit and configured to apply a working voltage across the first circuit.

9. The touch panel of claim 8 wherein the metal layer is a plated metal formed from metal sputtering.

10. The touch panel of claim 8 wherein the conducting film is formed by screen printing.

11. The touch panel of claim 8 wherein the metal layer has a structural width similar to that of the conducting film and a structural thickness less than that of the conducting film.

12. The touch panel of claim 8 wherein the metal layer has a structural thickness and a structural width both less than a structural thickness and a structural width of the conducting film.

13. The touch panel of claim 8 wherein the metal layer has a structural thickness smaller than that of the conducting film and a structural width larger than that of the conducting film.

14. A method of forming a touch panel, the method comprising:

forming a transparent conducting layer over a first portion of a substantially transparent glass substrate;

defining a peripheral wiring zone on an area of the glass substrate over a second portion of the glass substrate, the second portion being substantially segregated from the first portion;

forming a first circuit with a metal layer on the transparent conducting layer at a position proximate to the peripheral wiring zone;

providing electrical coupling between the metal layer and the transparent conducting layer;

forming a second circuit on the peripheral wiring zone with a conductive layer; and

providing electrical coupling between the first circuit and the second circuit.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the metal layer and the conductive layer are each formed by metal sputtering.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the metal layer is formed by metal sputtering.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the conductive layer is formed from a conductive film.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the conductive film is formed by screen printing.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

forming the metal layer and the conductive layer to have similar structural widths; and

forming the metal layer to have a structural thickness less than a thickness of the conductive layer.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming the metal layer to have a structural thickness and a structural width both smaller than a structural thickness and a structural width of the conductive layer.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming the metal layer to have a structural thickness smaller than a thickness of the conductive layer and a structural width larger than a width of the conductive layer.