Lowering the sheet resistance of a conductive layer

• US 9,532,450 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Farkhondeh, Ehsan, Wurzel, Joshua G., Teil, Romain A., Martisauskas, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOA CAO
• Application Number:
  US14/203,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20140262466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1343 Electrodes reflective electrodes G02F1/133553
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/11 Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/108 by semi-additive methods; masks therefor characterised by metallic etch mask H05K3/062; electroplating methods or apparatus H05K3/241
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/22 Secondary treatment of printed circuits H05K3/1283 takes precedence; embedding circuits in grooves by pressure H05K3/107

Abstract

An electronic device can include a substrate and a conductive layer. The conductive layer can be disposed over at least a portion of the substrate and a patterned conductive material can be disposed over at least a portion of the conductive layer. Alternatively, the patterned conductive layer can be disposed over at least a portion of a surface of the substrate and the conductive layer can be disposed over a portion of the surface of the substrate and in between the patterned conductive material. The conductive layer can be disposed over at least a portion of the patterned conductive material. The patterned conductive material can have a resistivity that is lower than a resistivity of the conductive layer.

Claims

1. A display stack comprising:

a substrate comprising a display layer;

a first conductive layer positioned below the display layer;

a first conductive contact positioned below the substrate and along an edge of the first conductive layer;

a second conductive contact positioned above the substrate; and

a conductive material encapsulating at least a portion of the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact and encapsulating at least a portion of an intervening edge of the substrate extending between the first and second conductive contacts.

2. The display stack of claim 1, wherein the conductive material electrically connects the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact.

3. The display stack of claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer is disposed over a portion of the first conductive contact.

4. The display stack of claim 1, further comprising a second conductive layer positioned above the display layer and adjacent the second conductive contact, the second conductive layer electrically connected to the second conductive contact.

5. The display stack of claim 4, further comprising an electrical connector electrically connecting the second conductive layer to the second conductive contact.

6. The display stack of claim 5, wherein the conductive material electrically connects the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer via the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact, respectively.

7. The display stack of claim 1, wherein the conductive material is disposed over a portion of the substrate.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a display stack comprising;

a substrate comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer;

a conductive layer positioned below the LCD layer;

a first conductive contact positioned below the substrate and along a side of the LCD layer;

a second conductive contact positioned above the substrate; and

a conductive material encapsulating at least a portion of the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact and encapsulating at least a portion of an edge of the LCD layer.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

a patterned conductive material disposed over one of;

at least a portion of the conductive layer, or

at least a portion of the substrate such that the conductive layer is disposed over the patterned conductive material.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising an electrical connector electrically connecting the conductive layer to the first conductive contact.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising an electrical connector electrically connecting the patterned conductive material disposed over at least a portion of the substrate to the first conductive contact.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the patterned conductive material includes a resistivity that is lower than a resistivity of the conductive layer.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the patterned conductive layer is disposed over at least a portion of a perimeter of the conductive layer.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a layer disposed over at least a portion of the conductive layer and at least a portion of the patterned conductive material disposed over the conductive layer.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a third conductive contact positioned below the substrate,

wherein the third conductive contact is electrically connected to the layer disposed over at least the portion of the conductive layer and at least the portion of the patterned conductive material disposed over the conductive layer.

16. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the patterned conductive material is fragmented.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the conductive layer is disposed around the fragmented patterned conductive material disposed over at least the portion of the substrate.