Touch Screen Panel and Method of Manufacturing the Same

• US 20100182274A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Jung-Mok, Kang, Sung-Ku
• Granted Patent: US 8,568,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 225/12 With preliminary weakening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24926 including ceramic, glass, porcelain or quartz layer

Abstract

A method of manufacturing touch screen panels includes forming a photoresist film on a first surface of a substrate having high transmittance, removing the photoresist film in regions between unit cells by utilizing exposing and developing processes, etching the substrate in the regions where the photoresist film has been removed, removing the photoresist film from the substrate after the etching, performing a tempering process on the substrate including the etched regions, forming touch screen panels at the unit cells defined by the etched regions on the first surface of the substrate, and cutting the substrate at the etched regions to separate the touch screen panels.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing touch screen panels, comprising:

forming a photoresist film on a first surface of a substrate having high transmittance;

removing the photoresist film in regions between unit cells by utilizing exposing and developing processes;

etching the substrate in the regions where the photoresist film has been removed;

removing the photoresist film from the substrate after the etching;

performing a tempering process on the substrate including the etched regions;

forming touch screen panels at the unit cells defined by the etched regions on the first surface of the substrate; and

cutting the substrate at the etched regions to separate the touch screen panels.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the forming the touch screen panels at the unit cells comprises sequentially forming first sensing patterns, second sensing patterns, an insulating layer, an adhesive layer, a buffer film, and a ground electrode layer at each of the unit cells.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first sensing patterns are coupled to each other in a first direction, and wherein the second sensing patterns are coupled to each other in a second direction that crosses the first direction.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing the tempering process comprises steeping the substrate in a KNO₃ solution to heat the substrate at a temperature between 400°

C. and 450°

C. for approximately 15 to 18 hours.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the substrate comprises glass, and wherein the tempering process replaces a sodium (Na) component on surfaces of the substrate with a potassium (K) component.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising etching a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface at the regions between the unit cells after forming the touch screen panels and prior to cutting the substrate, such that a tempered surface at the regions between the unit cells on the second surface of the substrate is removed.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the etching comprises dry etching.

8. A touch screen panel, comprising:

a substrate having high transmittance;

sensing patterns on a first surface of the substrate; and

an insulating layer on the sensing patterns,

wherein the first surface of the substrate and a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface, excluding an edge region of the second surface of the substrate, is tempered.

9. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

an adhesive layer on the insulating layer; and

a ground electrode layer on the adhesive layer.

10. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a buffer film between the adhesive layer and the ground electrode layer.

11. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the buffer film comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

12. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensing patterns comprise first sensing patterns and second sensing patterns on different layers.

13. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 12,

wherein the first sensing patterns are coupled to each other in a first direction, and

wherein the second sensing patterns are coupled to each other in a second direction that crosses the first direction.

14. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first direction is substantially a column direction, and wherein the second direction is substantially a row direction.

15. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first sensing patterns comprise X sensing patterns coupled to adjacent X sensing patterns in a column direction, and wherein the second sensing patterns comprise Y sensing patterns coupled to adjacent Y sensing patterns in a row direction.

16. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the substrate comprises glass, and

wherein a sodium (Na) component on the tempered surface has been replaced by a potassium (K) component.

17. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second surface of the substrate is adapted to be contacted by a contact object.

18. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch screen panel is configured to generate an electric signal including information of a contact position corresponding to a change in electrostatic capacitance at the contact position when a contact object contacts the second surface of the substrate at the contact position.

19. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch screen panel does not include an additional surface adapted to be contacted by a contact object.