Method for Fabricating Multilayer Panels

• US 20110005662A1
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: SUNG, Kuo-Hua
• Application Number:
  US12/501,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20110005662A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/153
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2315/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/208 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing

Abstract

A method for fabricating a plurality of touch sensor panels is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a plurality of touch substrate units having a plurality of drive lines and sense lines on at least one of first and second surfaces of a touch substrate mother sheet; forming an adhesive layer on the first surface of the touch substrate mother sheet covering at least part of each of the plurality of touch substrate units; affixing a cover glass mother sheet having a plurality of cover glass units to the adhesive layer of the touch substrate mother sheet to form a laminate; and separating the laminate into a plurality of panels, each panel including a touch substrate unit laminated to a cover glass unit.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a plurality of touch sensor panels, comprising:

forming a plurality of touch substrate units having a plurality of drive lines and sense lines on at least one of first and second surfaces of a touch substrate mother sheet;

forming an adhesive layer on the first surface of the touch substrate mother sheet covering at least part of each of the plurality of touch substrate units;

affixing a cover glass mother sheet having a plurality of cover glass units to the adhesive layer of the touch substrate mother sheet to form a laminate; and

separating the laminate into a plurality of panels, each panel including a touch substrate unit laminated to a cover glass unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the adhesive layer further comprises:

depositing borders to divide the first surface into a plurality of regions; and

depositing adhesive in each of the plurality of regions,

wherein the adhesive is liquid adhesive.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the borders are solid adhesive.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adhesive in the adhesive layer is one of PSA, thermoplastic film, thermoset film, thermal cure liquid, UV cure liquid, UV/thermal combination cure liquid, OCA, optical clear gel, and room temperature cure adhesive.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the cover glass mother sheet to the touch substrate mother sheet to form a laminate is performed by applying pressure.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

laminating a shield film mother sheet including a plurality of shield film units to one of the first and second surfaces of the touch substrate mother sheet before separating the laminate.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprises autoclaving the laminate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein separating the laminate is performed using one of a wheel scriber, a laser scriber, and a liquid jet scriber.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising grinding and polishing each of the plurality of panels.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising bonding at least one FPC onto at least one of the cover glass unit and the touch substrate unit of each of the plurality of panels.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating one of the touch sensor panels with a display device to form a touch screen.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating one of the touch sensor panels into a mobile telephone.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating one of the touch sensor panels into a media player.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising incorporating one of the touch sensor panels into a media player.

15. A method for fabricating a plurality of touch sensor panels, comprising:

providing a touch substrate mother sheet having a first surface and a second surface, the touch substrate mother sheet including a plurality of touch substrate units;

providing a cover glass mother sheet having a third surface and a fourth surface, the cover glass mother sheet including a plurality of cover glass units;

performing thin film processing on at least one surface of the touch substrate mother sheet to form a plurality of drive lines and sense lines;

depositing an adhesive layer on the first surface of the touch substrate mother sheet, the adhesive layer covering at least a part of each of the plurality of touch substrate units;

affixing the cover glass mother sheet to the touch substrate mother sheet to form a laminate, wherein the third surface of the cover glass mother sheet is in contact with the first surface of the touch substrate and the adhesive layer is between the third surface and the first surface; and

separating the laminate into a plurality of panels, each panel including a touch substrate unit laminated to a cover glass unit.

16. A method for fabricating a plurality of piece parts, comprising:

performing thin film processing on at least one of first and second surfaces of a substrate mother sheet to form a plurality of substrate units;

forming an adhesive layer on the first surface of the substrate mother sheet, the adhesive layer covering at least a part of each of the plurality of substrate units;

affixing a cover glass mother sheet having a plurality of cover glass units to the adhesive layer of the substrate mother sheet to form a laminate; and

separating the laminate into a plurality of piece parts, each piece part including a substrate unit laminated to a cover glass unit.