Touch panel and manufacturing method thereof

• US 9,606,582 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Kuo, Jin-Ting, Chen, Chih-Chiang
• Primary Examiner(s): HICKS, CHARLES V
• Application Number:
  US14/445,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 panel configured to provide a touch signal is provided. The touch panel includes a substrate, a first vision opaque layer, an electrode layer, and a metal material layer. The substrate has a display area and a first recess portion. A part of or all of the first vision opaque layer is filled in the first recess portion. A part of the electrode layer is disposed on the display area and the other part of the electrode layer is disposed on the first vision opaque layer. When an object touches or approaches the touch panel, the electrode layer generates a touch signal correspondingly. The metal material layer is disposed on the first vision opaque layer and is connected with the electrode layer electrically to transmit the touch signal to a driving element. Besides, a manufacturing method of the touch panel is also provided.

Claims

1. A touch panel, configured to provide a touch signal, the touch panel comprising:

a substrate, having a display area and a first recess portion outside the display area;

a first vision opaque layer, formed on the substrate, wherein a part of or all of the first vision opaque layer is filled in the first recess portion;

a second vision opaque layer, stacked on the first vision opaque layer;

an electrode layer, a first part of the electrode layer being formed on the display area and a second part of the electrode layer being formed on the first vision opaque layer, wherein when an object touches or approaches the touch panel, the electrode layer correspondingly generates the touch signal; and

a metal material layer, formed on the first vision opaque layer, and electrically connected to the electrode layer to transmit the touch signal to a driving element.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second part of the electrode layer and the metal material layer are clamped between the first vision opaque layer and the second vision opaque layer.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second vision opaque layer is clamped between the first vision opaque layer and the second part of the electrode layer, and is clamped between the first vision opaque layer and the metal material layer.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a total thickness of the first vision opaque layer and the second vision opaque layer is between 10 μ

m and 50 μ

m.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a material of the first and the second vision opaque layers is white ink.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises at least a second recess portion located in the display area, and the touch panel further comprises:

an anti-light reflecting layer, formed on the substrate, wherein the anti-light reflecting layer is filled in the second recess portion, and is located between the substrate and the electrode layer.

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

providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other;

forming a first recess portion on the first surface of the substrate, and defining a display area on the first surface, wherein the first recess portion is located outside the display area;

forming a first vision opaque layer on the first surface, wherein a part of or all of the first vision opaque layer is filled in the first recess portion;

forming a second vision opaque layer on the first surface, wherein the second vision opaque layer is stacked on the first vision opaque layer;

forming an electrode layer on the first surface, wherein a first part of the electrode layer is located on the display area, and a second part of the electrode layer is located on the first vision opaque layer, and when an object touches or approaches the touch panel, the electrode layer correspondingly generates a touch signal; and

forming a metal material layer on the first surface, wherein the metal material layer is located on the first vision opaque layer and is electrically connected to the electrode layer to transmit the touch signal.

8. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein a method of forming the first recess portion comprises:

covering an anti-etching film on the first surface, wherein the anti-etching film is patterned to expose a part of area of the first surface;

etching the first surface of the substrate that is covered with the anti-etching film, so as to form the first recess portion at the part of area of the first surface; and

removing the anti-etching film.

9. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein a method of forming the first recess portion comprises:

performing physical etching on a part of area of the first surface of the substrate to form the first recess portion.

10. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

forming at least one second recess portion on the display area of the substrate; and

filing an anti-light reflecting layer in the second recess portion.

11. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein a method of forming the second recess portion comprises:

performing physical etching on a part of the first surface located in the display area of the substrate to form the second recess portion.

12. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein a method of forming the second recess portion comprises:

covering a first anti-etching film on the first surface, wherein the first anti-etching film is patterned to expose the part of area of the display area of the substrate;

etching the first surface of the substrate that is covered with the first anti-etching film, so as to form the second recess portion at the part of area of the display area; and

removing the first anti-etching film.

13. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first anti-etching film is patterned to expose a part of area of a non-display area of the first surface, and the part of area of the non-display area is etched to form the first recess portion.

14. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

covering a second anti-etching film on the first surface having the first recess portion, wherein the second anti-etching film is patterned to expose the part of area of the non-display area of the first surface;

etching the first surface of the substrate that is covered with the second anti-etching film, so as to deepen a depth of the first recess portion; and

removing the second anti-etching film.

15. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of filling the anti-light reflecting layer in the second recess portion comprises:

filling the anti-light reflecting layer in the second recess portion through screen printing or film attaching.

16. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein a method of forming the first recess portion comprises:

covering a first anti-etching film on the first surface, wherein the first anti-etching film is patterned to expose a part of area of a non-display area of the first surface;

etching the first surface of the substrate that is covered with the first anti-etching film, so as to form the first recess portion at the part of area of the non-display area;

removing the first anti-etching film;

covering a second anti-etching film on the first surface, wherein the second anti-etching film is patterned to expose a part of area of the display area of the first surface;

etching the first surface of the substrate that is covered with the second anti-etching film, so as to form a second recess portion at the part of area of the display area;

removing the second anti-etching film; and

filling an anti-light reflecting layer in the second recess portion.

17. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of forming the second vision opaque layer is executed before the step of forming the electrode layer, such that the second vision opaque layer is clamped between the first vision opaque layer and the second part of the electrode layer, and is clamped between the first vision opaque layer and the metal material layer.

18. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of forming the second vision opaque layer is executed after the step of forming the metal material layer, such that the metal material layer is clamped between the first vision opaque layer and the second vision opaque layer.

19. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

grinding the first vision opaque layer before the step of forming the electrode layer.

20. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of forming the first vision opaque layer on the first surface comprises:

filling a part of or all of the first vision opaque layer in the first recess portion through screen printing or film attaching.