Curved touch screen panel and method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,218,092 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jeon, Byeong-Kyu, Kang, Sung-Ku
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Carolyn R
• Application Number:
  US12/929,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20110273383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 361/807, 65 301- 3014
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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 screen panel and a method of manufacturing the same, the touch screen panel including a curved substrate; sensing patterns on at least one surface of the curved substrate; and an insulating layer covering the sensing patterns.

Claims

1. A touch screen panel, comprising:

a curved glass substrate;

sensing patterns on at least one of a bottom surface and a top surface of the curved glass substrate;

an insulating layer covering the sensing patterns;

a first chemical enhancing layer on the bottom surface of the curved glass substrate; and

a second chemical enhancing layer on the top surface of the curved glass substrate, wherein;

a thickness of the first chemical enhancing layer is different from a thickness of the second chemical enhancing layer, and

the first and second chemical enhancing layers are curved along with the curved glass substrate and face each other.

2. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the thickness of the first chemical enhancing layer is greater than the thickness of the second chemical enhancing layer, and

the curved glass substrate is curved in a first direction toward the first chemical enhancing layer.

3. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensing patterns are on the bottom surface of the curved glass substrate.

4. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the curved glass substrate constitutes a window for a display device, and

the bottom surface of the curved glass substrate faces a display panel of the display device.

5. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second chemical enhancing layers are realized by a Na component existing on the bottom and top surfaces of the curved glass substrate being replaced by a K component.

6. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an adhesive layer on one surface of the insulating layer, and

a ground electrode layer facing the insulating layer.

11. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curved glass substrate has a predetermined curvature, which is caused by force generated by thickness difference between the first and second chemical enhancing layers.

12. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curved glass substrate is a thin plate, which is curved in a vertical direction of the thin plate.

13. The touch screen panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second chemical enhancing layer is to be contacted by an object for sensing.

7. A method of manufacturing a touch screen panel, the method comprising:

providing a glass substrate having a first bottom surface and a top surface;

performing a chemical enhancing process to form a first chemical enhancing layer on the bottom surface of the glass substrate and a second chemical enhancing layer on the top surface of the glass substrate such that the glass substrate is curved in a direction of the at least one of the first chemical enhancing layer and the second chemical enhancing layer to form a curved glass substrate;

forming sensing patterns on one of the bottom and top surfaces of the curved glass substrate; and

forming an insulating layer to cover the sensing patterns, wherein;

thicknesses of the first and second chemical enhancing layers are different from each other, and

the first and second chemical enhancing layers are curved along with the curved glass substrate and face each other.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein performing the chemical enhancing process is carried out such that:

the thickness of the first chemical enhancing layer is larger than the thickness of the second chemical enhancing layer, and

the curved glass substrate is curved in the direction of the bottom surface having the first chemical enhancing layer thereon.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising sequentially forming an adhesive layer and a ground electrode layer on one surface of the insulating layer.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein performing the chemical enhancing process includes:

exposing one surface of the glass substrate to a KNO₃ solution, and

heating the glass substrate at a temperature of about 400°

C. to about 450°

C. for about 15 to about 18 hours.