TOUCH PANEL MANUFACTURING METHOD AND FILM FORMATION APPARATUS

• US 20110089026A1
• Filed: 07/03/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ulvac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ulvac Incorporated
• Inventors: Ishibashi, Satoru, Takahashi, Hirohisa
• Application Number:
  US13/000,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20110089026A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/192.29
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0036 Reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch panel manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing a touch panel including a transparent substrate having a main surface on which a transparent-electroconductive film is formed. The transparent-electroconductive film is formed on the main surface of the transparent substrate by carrying out sputtering using a target made of a zinc oxide-based material in a reactive gas atmosphere containing two or three gases selected from a group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor.

Claims

1. A touch panel manufacturing method, the touch panel including a transparent substrate having a main surface on which a transparent-electroconductive film is formed, the method comprising:

disposing the transparent substrate;

forming the transparent-electroconductive film on the transparent substrate by carrying out sputtering using a target made of a zinc oxide-based material in a reactive gas atmosphere containing two or three gases selected from a group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor, on the main surface of the transparent substrate.

2. The touch panel manufacturing method, according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel includes:

a first transparent substrate on which the transparent-electroconductive film is formed; and

a second transparent substrate on which the transparent-electroconductive film is formed, and wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate are arranged to face each other at a predetermined gap so that the transparent-electroconductive film of the first transparent substrate and the transparent-electroconductive film of the second transparent substrate are arranged to face each other and separated from each other by a predetermined gap.

3. The touch panel manufacturing method, according to claim 2, further comprising:

forming an optical film on one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate by carrying out sputtering using a target made of a zinc oxide-based material in a reactive gas atmosphere containing two or three gases selected from a group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor; and

subsequently forming the transparent-electroconductive film on the optical film.

4. The touch panel manufacturing method, according to claim 3, wherein

the optical film is formed by sputtering using a target made of a first zinc oxide-based material in a reactive gas atmosphere containing two or three gases selected from a group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor;

and

the transparent-electroconductive film is subsequently formed on the optical film by sputtering using a target made of a second zinc oxide-based material in a reactive gas atmosphere containing two or three gases selected from a group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor.

5. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a ratio R(P_H2/P_O2) of a partial pressure (P_H2) of the hydrogen gas to a partial pressure (P_O2) of the oxygen gas satisfies

R=P_H2/P_O2≧

5.

6. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a sputtering voltage when the sputtering is carried out is less than or equal to 340 V.

7. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a sputtering voltage when the sputtering is carried out is a voltage in which a high-frequency voltage is superimposed on a direct-current voltage.

8. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a maximum value of an intensity of a horizontal magnetic field on a surface of the target is greater than or equal to 600 gauss.

9. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the zinc oxide-based material is aluminum-added zinc oxide or gallium-added zinc oxide.

10. A film formation apparatus manufacturing a touch panel, comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

a target holding section holding a target in the vacuum chamber; and

a power source applying a sputtering voltage to the target, wherein the vacuum chamber has two or more of a hydrogen gas introduction section, an oxygen gas introduction section, and a water vapor introduction section.

11. The film formation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the power source uses both a direct-current power source and a high-frequency power source.

12. The film formation apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a magnetic field generation section provided in the target holding section, generating a horizontal magnetic field having a maximum intensity value greater than or equal to 600 gauss on a surface of the target.