Opaque thin film passivation

• US 9,259,904 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hong, Seung Jae, Kang, Sunggu, Grunthaner, Martin Paul, Zhong, John Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US13/278,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20130100039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 427/58, 156/60, 204/192.1, 204/192.15, 445/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/1253 curable adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/246 Vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/41 Opaque
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/208 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1207 Heat-activated adhesive B32B37/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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: H05K 3/282 for inhibiting the corrosion of the circuit, e.g. for preserving the solderability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer is disclosed. The opaque passivation layer can be made from an organic or inorganic material, such as acrylic. The opaque passivation layer can be positioned in the touch sensitive device between the cover material of the device and conductive traces located on the touch sensor to hide the conductive traces from the user'"'"'s view and protect the conductive traces from corrosion. Processes for making the touch sensitive devices that include a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a cover material;

a black mask including an inner edge located closer to a viewable area of the device than an outer edge;

a touch sensor comprising;

a substrate;

transparent touch sensor lines capable of measuring a touch signal;

non-transparent conductive routing traces configured to transmit the touch signal and coupled to the touch sensor lines, the conductive routing traces including an inner edge located closer to the viewable area of the device than an outer edge, wherein a distance from an outer edge of the device to an inner edge of the conductive routing traces is greater than a distance from the outer edge of the device to the inner edge of the black mask; and

an opaque passivation layer at least partially disposed between the conductive routing traces and the cover material; and

an optically clear adhesive laminating the cover material to the touch sensor.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cover material comprises the black mask disposed on a surface of the cover material adjacent to the touch sensor.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein a space between the conductive routing traces and the cover material is separated by at least a portion of the opaque passivation layer or at least a portion of the black mask.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device includes a display.

5. A touch sensitive device comprising:

a substrate;

a black mask including an inner edge located closer to a viewable area of the device than an outer edge;

a first set of transparent touch sensor lines capable of measuring a touch signal and disposed on a first surface of the substrate;

non-transparent conductive routing traces configured to transmit the touch signal and coupled to the first set of touch sensor lines, the conductive routing traces including an inner edge located closer to the viewable area of the device than an outer edge, and disposed on a first surface of the substrate, wherein a distance from an outer edge of the touch sensor panel to an inner edge of the conductive routing traces is greater than a distance from the outer edge of the touch sensor panel to the inner edge of the black mask; and

a first opaque passivation layer disposed on at least a portion of the conductive traces.

6. The touch sensitive device of claim 5, wherein the touch sensor further comprises a second set of touch sensor lines disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface of the substrate.

7. The touch sensitive device of claim 6, wherein the first set of touch sensor lines are configured to be driven by a stimulation signal, and wherein the second set of touch sensor lines are capacitively coupled to the first set of touch sensor lines.

8. The touch sensitive device of claim 6, wherein the second set of touch sensor lines are configured to be driven by a stimulation signal, and wherein the first set of touch sensor lines are capacitively coupled to the second set of touch sensor lines.

9. A method for manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

depositing a black mask including an inner edge located closer to a viewable area of the device than an outer edge;

depositing a set of transparent touch sensor lines capable of measuring a touch signal;

depositing non-transparent conductive routing traces configured to transmit the touch signal and coupled to the set of touch sensor lines, the conductive routing traces including an inner edge located closer to the viewable area of the device than an outer edge, wherein a distance from an outer edge of the device to an inner edge of the conducting routing traces is greater than a distance from the outer edge of the device to the inner edge of the black mask;

depositing an opaque passivation layer on a touch sensor; and

laminating a cover material to the touch sensor using an optically clear adhesive such that at least a portion of the opaque passivation layer is disposed between the cover material and the conductive routing traces.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the opaque passivation layer is deposited using a chemical vapor deposition process, physical vapor deposition process, or sputtering process.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein depositing the opaque passivation layer on the touch sensor comprises depositing the opaque passivation layer on at least a portion of the set of conductive routing traces.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising depositing, before laminating, the conductive routing traces on at least a portion of a surface of the opaque passivation layer opposite the cover material.