TOUCH MODULE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150346853A1
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Chen-Yu, Lee, Lu-Hsing, Chang, Cheng-Chieh, Ku, Huai-San
• Granted Patent: US 9,542,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Abstract

A touch module and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The touch module includes a substrate, at least two first touch electrodes, at least two second touch electrodes, at least one conductive residual material, at least one electrode channel, and at least one bridge. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other. The conductive residual material is formed on the second surface of the substrate. All of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel are embedded in the substrate. The electrode channel is configured to electrically connect the second touch electrodes to each other. The bridge is disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the first touch electrodes to each other. The first touch electrodes are isolated from the second touch electrodes.

Claims

1. A touch module comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other;

at least two first touch electrodes embedded in the substrate;

at least two second touch electrodes embedded in the substrate;

at least one conductive residual material formed on the second surface of the substrate;

at least one electrode channel embedded in the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the second touch electrodes to each other; and

at least one bridge disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the first touch electrodes to each other;

wherein the first touch electrodes are electrically isolated from the second touch electrodes.

2. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are different from heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate.

3. The touch module as claimed in claim 2, wherein a difference between the heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate and the heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of substrate is substantially greater than 50 nanometers.

4. The touch module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first touch electrodes are exposed on the first surface of the substrate.

5. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are the same as heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate.

6. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein an orthogonal projection of the conductive residual material onto the first surface of the substrate is located among orthogonal projections of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel onto the first surface of the substrate.

7. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein orthogonal projections of the conductive residual material, the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel onto the first surface of substrate are substantially not overlapped with each other.

8. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a height of the conductive residual material relative to the first surface of the substrate is different from heights of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel relative to the first surface of the substrate to cause the conductive residual material to be isolated from the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel.

9. The touch module as claimed in claim 8, wherein a difference between the height of the conductive residual material relative to the first surface of the substrate and the heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate is substantially greater than 50 nanometers, and a difference between the height of the conductive residual material relative to the first surface of the substrate and the heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate is substantially greater than 50 nanometers.

10. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a height of the electrode channel relative to the first surface of the substrate is the same as heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate.

11. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises:

at least two first contact holes disposed between the first touch electrodes and the first surface of the substrate, wherein the bridge is electrically contacted to the first touch electrodes via the first contact holes.

12. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein embedding depths of the first touch electrodes or the second touch electrodes relative to the second surface of the substrate are substantially between 10 to 500 nanometers.

13. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first touch electrodes are disposed along a first direction, the second touch electrodes are disposed along a second direction, and the first direction is different from the second direction.

14. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the second touch electrodes has a diamond shape.

15. The touch module as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one trace disposed on the first surface of the substrate and electrically contacted to at least one of the first touch electrodes.

16. The touch module as claimed in claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises:

at least one second contact hole disposed between at least one of the first touch electrodes and the first surface of the substrate, wherein the trace is electrically contacted to the at least one of the first touch electrodes via the second contact hole.

17. A manufacturing method of a touch module, the manufacturing method comprising:

providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a first surface and a second surface, and the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other;

embedding at least two first touch electrodes, at least two second touch electrodes, and at least one electrode channel into the substrate, and forming at least one conductive residual material on the second surface of the substrate, wherein the electrode channel is configured to electrically connect the second touch electrodes to each other; and

providing at least one bridge on the first surface of the substrate, so as to electrically connect the first touch electrodes to each other;

wherein the first touch electrodes are electrically isolated from the second touch electrodes.

18. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the step of embedding the at least two first touch electrodes, the at least two second touch electrodes, and the at least one electrode channel into the substrate, and forming the conductive residual material on the second surface of the substrate comprises:

providing a first conductive material layer on the second surface of the substrate; and

embedding a first embedding portion of the first conductive material layer into the substrate to separately form the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel, and retaining the first embedding portion of the first conductive material layer on the second surface of the substrate to form the conductive residual material.

19. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of embedding the first embedding portion of the first conductive material layer into the substrate comprises:

providing an embedding ink on the first embedding portion of the first conductive material layer, so as to cause the first embedding portion of the first conductive material layer to be embedded into the substrate from the second surface of the substrate.

20. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the step of embedding the at least two first touch electrodes, the at least two second touch electrodes, and the at least one electrode channel into the substrate, and forming the conductive residual material on the second surface of the substrate comprises:

providing a first conductive material layer on the second surface of the substrate;

embedding a first embedding portion of the first conductive material layer into the substrate to a first height relative to the first surface of the substrate, so as to form a second conductive material layer, and retaining a first retention portion of the first conductive material layer on the second surface of the substrate, so as to form the conductive residual material; and

embedding a second embedding portion of the second conductive material layer into the substrate to a second height relative to the first surface of the substrate, so as to form the first touch electrodes, and retaining a second retention portion of the second conductive material layer in the substrate at the first height relative to the first surface of the substrate, so as to form the second touch electrodes and the electrode channel.

21. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the step of embedding the second embedding portion of the second conductive material layer into the substrate to the second height relative to the first surface of the substrate comprises:

embedding the second embedding portion of the second conductive material layer into the substrate until the second embedding portion of the second conductive material layer is exposed on the first surface of the substrate.

22. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the step of embedding the second embedding portion of the second conductive material layer into the substrate to the second height relative to the first surface of the substrate comprises:

providing an embedding ink on the second surface of the substrate at a position corresponding to the second embedding portion of the second conductive material layer, so as to cause the second embedding portion of the second conductive material layer to be further embedded into the substrate to the second height relative to the first surface of the substrate.

23. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

forming at least two first contact holes between the first touch electrodes and the first surface of the substrate before the bridge is provided, such that the bridge can be electrically contacted to the first touch electrodes via the first contact holes.

24. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the step of forming the first contact holes comprises:

providing a mask on the first surface of the substrate and exposing at least two first opening portions of the substrate; and

removing the at least two first opening portions of the substrate to form first contact holes.

25. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

providing at least one trace on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the trace is electrically contacted to the at least one of the first touch electrodes.

26. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 25 further comprising:

forming at least one second contact hole between the at least one of the first touch electrodes and the first surface of the substrate before the trace is provided, so as to electrically contact the trace to the at least one of the first touch electrodes via the second contact holes.

27. The manufacturing method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the step of forming the second contact holes comprises:

providing a mask on the first surface of the substrate and exposing at least one second opening portion of the substrate; and

removing the at least one second opening portion of the substrate to form the second contact holes.