Touch module and manufacturing method thereof

• US 9,542,054 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Chen-Yu, Lee, Lu-Hsing, Chang, Cheng-Chieh, Ku, Huai-San
• Primary Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/720,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• 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 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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 module and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The touch module includes a substrate, at least two first touch electrodes, at least two second touch electrodes, at least one conductive residual material, at least one electrode channel, and at least one bridge. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other. The conductive residual material is formed on the second surface of the substrate. All of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel are embedded in the substrate. The electrode channel is configured to electrically connect the second touch electrodes to each other. The bridge is disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the first touch electrodes to each other. The first touch electrodes are isolated from the second touch electrodes.

Claims

1. A touch module comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other;

at least two first touch electrodes embedded inside the substrate;

at least two second touch electrodes embedded inside the substrate;

at least one conductive residual material formed on the second surface of the substrate;

at least one electrode channel embedded inside the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the second touch electrodes to each other; and

at least one bridge disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the first touch electrodes to each other;

wherein the first touch electrodes are electrically isolated from the second touch electrodes, wherein heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are different from heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate.

2. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are different from a thickness of the substrate.

3. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a difference between the heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate and the heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of substrate is substantially greater than 50 nanometers.

4. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first touch electrodes are exposed on the first surface of the substrate.

5. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are different from a thickness of the substrate.

6. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein an orthogonal projection of the conductive residual material onto the first surface of the substrate is located among orthogonal projections of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel onto the first surface of the substrate.

7. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein orthogonal projections of the conductive residual material, the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel onto the first surface of substrate are substantially not overlapped with each other.

8. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a height of the conductive residual material relative to the first surface of the substrate is different from the heights of the first touch electrodes, the heights of the second touch electrodes, and a height of the electrode channel relative to the first surface of the substrate.

9. The touch module as claimed in claim 8, wherein a difference between the height of the conductive residual material relative to the first surface of the substrate and the heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate is substantially greater than 50 nanometers, and a difference between the height of the conductive residual material relative to the first surface of the substrate and the heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate is substantially greater than 50 nanometers.

10. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a height of the electrode channel relative to the first surface of the substrate is the same as the heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate.

11. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises:

at least two first contact holes disposed between the first touch electrodes and the first surface of the substrate, wherein the bridge is electrically contacted to the first touch electrodes via the first contact holes.

12. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein embedding depths of the first touch electrodes or the second touch electrodes relative to the second surface of the substrate are substantially between 10 to 500 nanometers.

13. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first touch electrodes are disposed along a first direction, the second touch electrodes are disposed along a second direction, and the first direction is different from the second direction.

14. The touch module as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the second touch electrodes has a diamond shape.

15. The touch module as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

at least one trace disposed on the first surface of the substrate and electrically contacted to at least one of the first touch electrodes.

16. The touch module as claimed in claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises:

at least one second contact hole disposed between at least one of the first touch electrodes and the first surface of the substrate, wherein the trace is electrically contacted to at least one of the first touch electrodes via the second contact hole.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other;

at least two first touch electrodes embedded inside the substrate;

at least two second touch electrodes embedded inside the substrate;

at least one conductive residual material formed on the second surface of the substrate;

at least one electrode channel embedded inside the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the second touch electrodes to each other; and

at least one bridge disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the first touch electrodes to each other;

wherein the first touch electrodes are electrically isolated from the second touch electrodes, wherein heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are different from a height of the electrode channel relative to the first surface of the substrate.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are different from a thickness of the substrate.

19. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein a difference between the heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate and heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of substrate is substantially greater than 50 nanometers.

20. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first touch electrodes are exposed on the first surface of the substrate.

21. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are different from a thickness of the substrate.

22. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the substrate comprises:

at least two first contact holes disposed between the first touch electrodes and the first surface of the substrate, wherein the bridge is electrically contacted to the first touch electrodes via the first contact holes.

23. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein embedding depths of the first touch electrodes or the second touch electrodes relative to the second surface of the substrate are substantially between 10 to 500 nanometers.

24. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first touch electrodes are disposed along a first direction, the second touch electrodes are disposed along a second direction, and the first direction is different from the second direction.

25. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein each of the second touch electrodes has a diamond shape.

26. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

at least one trace disposed on the first surface of the substrate and electrically contacted to at least one of the first touch electrodes.

27. An electronic device comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other;

at least two first touch electrodes embedded inside the substrate;

at least two second touch electrodes embedded inside the substrate;

at least one conductive residual material formed on the second surface of the substrate;

at least one electrode channel embedded inside the substrate, and configured to electrically connect the second touch electrodes to each other; and

at least one trace disposed on the first surface of the substrate and electrically contacted to at least one of the first touch electrodes;

wherein the first touch electrodes are electrically isolated from the second touch electrodes, wherein heights of the first touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate are different from heights of the second touch electrodes relative to the first surface of the substrate.