Double-sided touch sensitive panel and flex circuit bonding

• US 8,026,905 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steve Porter, Hamblin, Mark Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang; Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US12/985,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20110094098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1806, 349/150, 349/151, 349/158, 349/493
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2001/5816 Connections to flexible or curved printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/04 using electrically conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/205 with a panel or printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0278 Flat pressure, e.g. for connecting terminals with anisotropic conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1121 Cooling, e.g. specific areas of a PCB being cooled during reflow soldering details related to cooling of mounted components H05K1/0203
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1572 Processing both sides of a PCB by the same process; Providing a similar arrangement of components on both sides; Making interlayer connections from two sides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/323 by applying an anisotropic conductive adhesive layer over an array of pads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

A multi-touch sensor panel can be created using a substrate with column and row traces formed on either side. Metal traces running along the border of the substrate can be used to bring the row traces to the same edge as the column traces. A single flex circuit can be fabricated to connect to the rows and columns on directly opposing sides. Flex printed circuits can be bonded to directly opposing attachment areas of a substrate by cooling one side of the substrate while bonding the other. In addition, “coverlay” material extending over right-angled traces on the flex circuit ensure that those traces do not get shorted should conductive bonding material get squeezed out during bonding. Furthermore, a spacer is placed at the distal end of the flex circuit to apply even bonding pressure over the entire flex circuit attachment area during bonding.

Claims

1. A method for bonding flex circuits to attachment areas on directly opposing sides of a substrate, comprising:

applying a bonding head to a first side of the substrate to create a first bond between a first flex circuit portion and conductors on a first attachment area of the first side, the bonding head applying heat and pressure directly to the first flex circuit portion; and

applying a cooling head to a second side of the substrate to maintain a previously formed second bond between a second flex circuit portion and conductors on a second attachment area of the second side;

wherein the first attachment area is directly opposing at least a portion of the second attachment area on opposite sides of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying of the bonding head and the cooling head occur at about the same time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the previously formed second bond by drawing heat generated by the bonding head away from the second bond.

4. A method for bonding flex circuits to attachment areas on directly opposing sides of a substrate, comprising:

forming a first attachment area on a first side of the substrate;

forming a second attachment area on a second side of the substrate, the first attachment area directly opposing at least a portion of the second attachment area;

applying a bonding head to the first attachment area of the first side to create a first bond between a first flex circuit portion and the first attachment area of the first side, the bonding head applying heat and pressure directly to the first flex circuit portion; and

applying a cooling head to the second attachment area of the second side to maintain a previously formed second bond between a second flex circuit portion and the second attachment area of the second side.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the applying of the bonding head and the cooling head occur at about the same time.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising maintaining the previously formed second bond by drawing heat generated by the bonding head away from the second bond.

7. A method for bonding flex circuits to attachment areas on directly opposing sides of a substrate, comprising:

applying a first bonding head to a first side of the substrate to create a first bond between a first flex circuit portion and conductors in a first area of a first attachment area of the first side, the first bonding head shaped for applying heat and pressure to the first area; and

applying a second bonding head to a second side of the substrate to create a second bond between a second flex circuit portion and conductors in a second area of a second attachment area of the second side, the second bonding head shaped for applying heat and pressure to the second area;

wherein the first attachment area is directly opposing at least a portion of the second attachment area and the first and second areas are on non-opposing areas.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the applying of the first bonding head and the second bonding head occur at about the same time.

9. A method for bonding flex circuits to attachment areas on directly opposing sides of a substrate, comprising:

forming a first attachment area on a first side of the substrate having conductors in a first area and forming a first flex circuit portion corresponding to the conductors on the first attachment area;

forming a second attachment area on a second side of the substrate having conductors in a second area and forming a second flex circuit portion corresponding to the conductors on the second attachment area, the first attachment area directly opposing at least a portion of the second attachment area with the first and second areas on non-opposing areas;

shaping a first bonding head to apply heat and pressure to the first area;

shaping a second bonding head to apply heat and pressure to the second area;

applying the first bonding head to the first side of the substrate to create a first bond between the first flex circuit portion and the conductors in the first area on the first attachment area of the first side; and

applying the second bonding head to the second side of the substrate to create a second bond between the second flex circuit portion and the conductors in the second area on the second attachment area of the second side.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the applying of the first bonding head and the second bonding head occur at about the same time.

11. A method for providing connectivity to a substrate, comprising:

protecting first trace portions on a ribbon area of a flex circuit and second trace portions on a first attachment area of the flex circuit by applying a coverlay over the first and second trace portions; and

forcing the first attachment area to make contact with a second attachment area on the substrate when a bonding head is applied to the first attachment area by forming a spacer at a distal end of the first attachment area, the spacer and coverlay on non-opposing areas on opposite sides of the flex circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising bonding a portion of the coverlay extending over the second trace portions on the first attachment area to the substrate.

13. A method for providing connectivity to a substrate, comprising:

sealing angled traces on a first attachment area of a flex circuit using a coverlay; and

using a spacer at a distal end of the first attachment area to force the distal end down to a second attachment area on the substrate when a bonding head is applied to the first attachment area, the spacer and coverlay on non-opposing areas on opposite sides of the flex circuit.

14. A system for bonding flex circuits to attachment areas on directly opposing sides of a substrate, comprising:

a bonding head for creating a first bond between a first flex circuit portion and conductors on a first attachment area of a first side of the substrate, the bonding head configured for applying heat and pressure directly to the first flex circuit portion; and

a cooling head configured in a directly opposing orientation as compared to the bonding head for maintaining a previously formed second bond between a second flex circuit portion and conductors on a second attachment area of a second side of the substrate;

wherein the first attachment area is directly opposing at least a portion of the second attachment area on opposite sides of the substrate.

15. The system of claim 14, the bonding head and the cooling head configured for applying pressure to the substrate at about the same time.

16. The system of claim 14, the cooling head configured for maintaining the previously formed second bond by drawing heat generated by the bonding head away from the second bond.

17. A system for bonding flex circuits to attachment areas on directly opposing sides of a substrate, comprising:

a substrate having a first attachment area on a first side and a second attachment area on a second side, the first attachment area directly opposing at least a portion of the second attachment area;

a bonding head for creating a first bond between a first flex circuit portion and the first attachment area of the first side, the bonding head applying heat and pressure directly to the first flex circuit portion; and

a cooling head for maintaining a previously formed second bond between a second flex circuit portion and the second attachment area of the second side.

18. The system of claim 17, the bonding head and the cooling head configured for applying pressure to the substrate at about the same time.

19. The system of claim 17, the cooling head configured for maintaining the previously formed second bond by drawing heat generated by the bonding head away from the second bond.

20. A system for bonding flex circuits to attachment areas on directly opposing sides of a substrate, comprising:

a first bonding head for creating a first bond between a first flex circuit portion and conductors in a first area of a first attachment area of a first side of the substrate, the first bonding head shaped for applying heat and pressure to the first area; and

a second bonding head for creating a second bond between a second flex circuit portion and conductors in a second area of a second attachment area of a second side of the substrate, the second bonding head shaped for applying heat and pressure to the second area;

wherein the first attachment area is directly opposing at least a portion of the second attachment area and the first and second areas are on non-opposing areas.

21. The system of claim 20, the first bonding head and the second bonding head configured for applying pressure to the substrate at about the same time.

22. A system for bonding flex circuits to attachment areas on directly opposing sides of a substrate, comprising:

a substrate having a first attachment area on a first side and a second attachment area on a second side, the first attachment area having conductors in a first area and the second attachment area having conductors in a second area, the first attachment area directly opposing at least a portion of the second attachment area with the first and second areas on non-opposing areas of the substrate;

a first flex circuit portion configured to correspond with the conductors on the first attachment area;

a second flex circuit portion configured to correspond with the conductors on the second attachment area;

a first bonding head shaped to apply heat and pressure to the first area to create a first bond between the first flex circuit portion and the conductors in the first area on the first attachment area of the first side; and

a second bonding head shaped to apply heat and pressure to the second area to create a second bond between the second flex circuit portion and the conductors in the second area on the second attachment area of the second side.

23. The system of claim 22, the first bonding head and the second bonding head configured for applying pressure to the substrate at about the same time.

24. A flex circuit for bonding to a substrate, comprising:

a ribbon area;

an attachment area connected to the ribbon area;

coverlay applied over first trace portions on the ribbon area and second trace portions on the attachment area;

a spacer formed at a distal end of the attachment area, the spacer and coverlay on non-opposing areas on opposite sides of the flex circuit, the spacer configured for enabling a bonding head to apply heat and pressure to the attachment area to bond the attachment area to the substrate.

25. The flex circuit of claim 24, a portion of the coverlay extending over the second trace portions on the attachment area configured for bonding to the substrate.

26. The flex circuit of claim 24, further comprising a sensor panel bonded to the flex circuit, the sensor panel including the substrate.

27. The flex circuit of claim 26, further comprising a computing system that incorporates the sensor panel.

28. The flex circuit of claim 27, further comprising a mobile telephone that incorporates the computing system.

29. The flex circuit of claim 27, further comprising a digital audio player that incorporates the computing system.

30. A flex circuit for bonding to a substrate, comprising:

an attachment area at a distal end of the flex circuit including trace portions;

coverlay applied over the trace portions on the attachment area;

a spacer formed at a distal end of the attachment area to force the distal end of the attachment area down to the substrate by compensating for a thickness of the coverlay, the spacer and coverlay on non-opposing areas on opposite sides of the flex circuit.

31. The flex circuit of claim 30, further comprising a sensor panel bonded to the flex circuit, the sensor panel including the substrate.

32. The flex circuit of claim 31, further comprising a computing system that incorporates the sensor panel.

33. The flex circuit of claim 32, further comprising a mobile telephone that incorporates the computing system.

34. The flex circuit of claim 32, further comprising a digital audio player that incorporates the computing system.