METHOD OF PLASTIC TOUCH SENSOR PROCESS

• US 20140347574A1
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kang, Sunggu, Zhong, John Z., TUNG, Chun-Hao
• Application Number:
  US13/899,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347574A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads

Abstract

Methods of fabrication of a touch sensor panel using laser ablation are provided. The fabricated touch sensor panel can have touch sensors disposed on a surface of a substrate. A fabrication method can include depositing a first conductive layer onto a substrate in a touch sensor region and a border region, depositing a second conductive layer onto the first conductive layer in the border region, and ablating the second conductive layer at removal locations in the border region to define border traces for providing off-panel connections to touch sensors in the touch sensor region. This fabrication method can advantageously provide touch sensors in a fabrication process with high throughput using low cost material and equipment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

depositing a first conductive layer onto a substrate in a touch sensor region and a border region;

depositing a second conductive layer onto the first conductive layer in the border region; and

concurrently ablating the second conductive layer and the first conductive layer at removal locations in the border region to define border traces for providing off-panel connections to touch sensors in the touch sensor region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer is deposited on a first side of the substrate, the method further comprising:

depositing a third conductive layer on a second side of the substrate in the touch sensor region and the border region concurrently with the depositing of the first conductive layer;

depositing a fourth conductive layer onto the third conductive layer in the border region concurrently with the depositing of the second conductive layer; and

concurrently ablating the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer at removal locations in the border region to define border traces for providing off-panel connections to touch sensors in the touch sensor region, wherein the ablation of the third and fourth conductive layers is concurrent with the ablation of the first and second conductive layers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer is transparent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer is made of a first conductive material and the second conductive layer is made of a second conductive material, different from the first conductive material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein ablating the second conductive layer and first conductive layer includes removing portions of the layers to form gaps between the border traces.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing a first conductive layer includes forming touch sensors in the touch sensor region that are electrically connected in the border region, and ablating the second conductive layer and first conductive layer includes forming gaps such that the touch sensors are electrically isolated from each other.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch sensors are capable of sensing proximity to the touch sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a passivation layer on one or both of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer includes the touch sensors.

10. A touch sensor panel comprising:

a substrate;

multiple touch sensors formed on the substrate in a touch sensor region by depositing a first conductive layer onto the substrate in the touch sensor region and a border region and ablating the first conductive layer at removal locations in the border region; and

multiple border traces formed on the substrate in the border region by depositing a second conductive layer onto the first conductive layer in the border region and ablating the second conductive layer at the removal locations in the border region.

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein the border traces provide off-panel connections to the touch sensors in the touch sensor region.

12. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein the ablating of the first conductive layer is concurrent with the ablating of the second conductive layer.

13. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein the first conductive layer is deposited on a first side of the substrate;

wherein the touch sensors are further formed by depositing a third conductive layer on a second side of the substrate in the touch sensor region and the border region concurrently with the depositing of the first conductive layer, and by ablating the third conductive layer at removal locations in the border region concurrently with the ablating of the first conductive layer; and

wherein the border traces are further formed by depositing a fourth conductive layer on the third conductive layer in the border region concurrently with the depositing of the second conductive layer, and by ablating the fourth conductive layer at the removal locations in the border region concurrently with the ablating of the second conductive layer.

14. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein the first conductive layer is transparent.

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein the first conductive layer is made of a first conductive material and the second conductive layer is made of a second conductive material, different from the first conductive material.

16. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein ablating the second conductive layer and first conductive layer includes removing portions of the layers to form gaps between the border traces.

17. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein depositing a first conductive layer includes forming touch sensors in the touch sensor region that are electrically connected in the border region, and ablating the second conductive layer and first conductive layer includes forming gaps such that the touch sensors are electrically isolated from each other.

18. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein the touch sensors are capable of sensing proximity to the touch sensors.

19. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, further comprising a passivation layer deposited on one or both of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

20. The touch sensor panel of claim 10, wherein the first conductive layer includes the touch sensors.