Thin glass for touch panel sensors and methods therefor

• US 9,213,451 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Grespan, Silvio, Feinstein, Casey, Sung, Kuo-Hua, Zhong, John Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tuan T
• Application Number:
  US12/895,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20110300908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 361749-750, 361/803, 174250-258
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/091 using at least one focussed radiation beam, e.g. laser beam C03B33/0955 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/22 with other inorganic material C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/002 to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions C03C21/005 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

Improved techniques are disclosed for fabrication of touch panels using thin sheet glass, coupling external circuitry, and securely holding the touch panel within a portable electronic device. The thin sheet glass may be chemically strengthened and laser scribed.

Claims

1. An apparatus formed from a mother glass substrate, comprising:

a touch sensor panel comprising a chemically strengthened glass substrate having a thickness of substantially less than approximately one half millimeter, and a first patterned electrode thin film coupled to a first major surface of the glass substrate;

wherein the touch sensor panel is singulated from the mother glass substrate subsequent to both chemically strengthening and coupling of the first patterned electrode thin film to the first major surface of the glass substrate;

wherein the glass substrate of the touch sensor panel has a second major surface opposing the first major surface; and

wherein the touch sensor panel further comprises first and second surface coupling sites, wherein the first surface coupling site comprises a first set of substantially uniformly spaced apart conductors coupled with the first major surface of the glass substrate, and wherein the second surface coupling site comprises a second set of substantially uniformly spaced apart conductors disposed on the second major surface of the glass substrate.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the thickness of the glass substrate is less than about 0.4 millimeter.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the thickness of the glass substrate is approximately 0.33 millimeter.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the thickness of the glass substrate is approximately 0.3 millimeter.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate has sufficiently high compressive surface stress and depth of compressive layer, so as to provide for substantial strengthening of the glass substrate.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate has a compressive surface stress substantially greater than approximately three hundred and ninety MegaPascals.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate has a depth of compressive layer substantially greater than approximately 7.2 micrometers.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate has sufficiently low compressive surface stress and depth of compressive of compressive layer, so as to provide for substantial laser scribing of the glass substrate.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate has a compressive surface stress substantially less than approximately five hundred and fifty MegaPascals.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate has a depth of compressive layer substantially less than approximately 8.5 micrometers.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate has a compressive surface stress substantially within a range from approximately four hundred and fifty MegaPascals to approximately five hundred and fifty MegaPascals.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate has a depth of compressive layer substantially within a range from approximately 7.75 micrometers to approximately 8.5 micrometers.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the glass substrate of the touch sensor panel has a same end portion; and

and wherein the first and second surface coupling sites are both proximate to the same end portion of the glass substrate.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the first and second surface coupling sites are arranged opposing each other.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the first and second surface coupling sites are arranged substantially overlapping each other.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the first and second surface coupling sites are separated from each other by the thickness of substantially less than approximately one half millimeter of the glass substrate.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a thin touch sensor panel including at least (i) a chemically strengthened glass substrate having a thickness of substantially less than approximately one half millimeter, and (ii) a first patterned electrode thin film coupled to a first major surface of the glass substrate,

wherein the thin touch sensor panel is singulated from a mother glass substrate subsequent to both chemically strengthening of the glass substrate and coupling of the first patterned electrode thin film to the first major surface of the glass substrate,

wherein the glass substrate of the thin touch sensor panel has a second major surface opposing the first major surface, and

wherein the thin touch sensor panel further comprises first and second surface coupling sites, wherein the first surface coupling site comprises a first set of substantially uniformly spaced apart conductors coupled with the first major surface of the glass substrate, and wherein the second surface coupling site comprises a second set of substantially uniformly spaced apart conductors disposed on the second major surface of the glass substrate.

18. A portable electronic device as in claim 17 wherein the portable electronic device comprises a mobile telephone.

19. A portable electronic device as in claim 17 wherein the portable electronic device comprises a digital media player.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a thin mother glass sheet having a plurality of touch sensor panels arranged thereon, each of the plurality of sensor panels laser scribed on the thin mother glass sheet to not be sawed entirely through the thin mother glass sheet, each of the plurality of a touch sensor panels having opposing first and second major surfaces, and further having a same end portion; and

first and second surface coupling sites of the touch sensor panel, wherein the first surface coupling site comprises a first set of substantially uniformly spaced apart conductors disposed on the first major surface of the touch sensor panel, wherein the second surface coupling site comprises a second set of substantially uniformly spaced apart conductors disposed on the second major surface of the touch sensor panel, and wherein the first and second surface coupling sites are both proximate to the same end portion of the touch sensor panel, and wherein the touch sensor panel includes a chemically strengthened glass substrate and has a thickness of less than one half millimeter.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 20 further comprising a flex circuit having first, second and distal extremities, wherein the flex circuit is folded between the first and second extremities, wherein the first extremity of the flex circuit is electrically coupled with the first surface coupling site of the touch sensor panel, and wherein the second extremity of the flex circuit is electrically coupled with the second surface coupling site of the touch sensor panel.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 21 wherein the first extremity of the flex circuit is substantially T shaped.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 21 wherein the second extremity of the flex circuit is non-T shaped.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a thin mother glass sheet having chemically strengthened surfaces and a plurality of touch sensor panels arranged in the thin mother glass sheet, the touch sensor panels laser scribed on the thin mother glass sheet to not be sawed entirely through the thin mother glass sheet;

a patterned electrode thin film coupled to a first major surface of each of the plurality of touch sensor panels,

wherein each of the plurality of touch sensor panels are singulated from the thin mother glass sheet after the patterned electrode thin film is coupled to teach of the plurality of touch sensor panels, and

wherein each of the plurality of touch sensor panels have a thickness of less than one half millimeter,

wherein each of the touch sensor panels has a second major surface opposing the first major surface, and

wherein each of the touch sensor panels further comprises first and second surface coupling sites, wherein the first surface coupling site comprises a first set of substantially uniformly spaced apart conductors coupled with the first major surface, and wherein the second surface coupling site comprises a second set of substantially uniformly spaced apart conductors disposed on the second major surface.