ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING ITO ELECTRODE PATTERN AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150346868A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KWON, Ohhyuck
• Granted Patent: US 9,996,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/2453 Coating containing SnO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/231 In2O3/SnO2
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/328 Partly or completely removing a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO

Abstract

An electronic device having an electrode pattern for a touch sensor is provided. The electronic device include a touch sensor; and a touch key that is formed at a position corresponding to the electrode pattern for the touch sensor and corresponds to a touch region. The electrode pattern is an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) pattern.

Claims

1. An electronic device having an electrode pattern for a touch sensor, the electronic device comprising:

a touch sensor; and

a touch key that is formed at a position corresponding to the electrode pattern for the touch sensor and corresponds to a touch region,

wherein the electrode pattern is an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) pattern.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a touch screen panel that comprises a display region for displaying an image and a black mark region formed around the display region.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising:

a window that protects the touch screen panel,

wherein the electrode pattern is formed on a rear surface of the window or between the rear surface of the window and a front surface of the black mark region of the touch screen panel, and the touch key is formed on a front surface of the window to correspond to the touch region.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the black mark region is a multilayer Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB) having a plurality of layers stacked one above another, and the display region is a transparent conductive layer.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electrode pattern is a loop pattern having a closed shape.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the electrode pattern is formed from a sputtered ITO pattern,

wherein the sputtered ITO pattern comprises a main electrode pattern formed to be electrically connected to a controller to transfer a touch signal to the controller, an outer pattern located along an outer periphery of the main electrode pattern, and an inner pattern located inside the main electrode pattern, and

wherein the electrode pattern is the main electrode pattern.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the sputtered ITO pattern is cut with a laser such that electrode patterns having a predetermined region are formed and is divided into the outer pattern, the main electrode pattern, and the inner pattern, and

wherein the outer pattern and the main electrode pattern are separated from each other and not electrically connected to each other, and the main electrode pattern and the inner pattern are separated from each other and not electrically connected to each other.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the outer pattern and the inner pattern are cut with the laser into a plurality of patterns.

9. A method of manufacturing an electronic device having an electrode pattern for a touch sensor, comprising:

forming an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) pattern through ITO sputtering; and

cutting the electrode pattern with a laser to divide the ITO pattern into a main electrode pattern that is the electrode pattern for the touch sensor, an outer pattern located along an outer periphery of the main electrode pattern, and an inner pattern located inside the main electrode pattern.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrode pattern is cut such that the main electrode pattern has a predetermined region and is not electrically connected to the inner pattern.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

cutting the outer pattern and the inner pattern with the laser after cutting the electrode pattern, such that the outer pattern and the inner pattern are divided into a plurality of patterns.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

removing the outer pattern and the inner pattern.