Transparent conductor thin film formation

• US 8,956,718 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Shih Chang, Huang, Lili, Zhong, John Z., Hong, Sueng Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Austin, Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): FERGUSON, LAWRENCE D
• Application Number:
  US12/488,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20100323166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 428/172, 428/203, 428/212, 428/209, 427/58, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 428/212
• 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 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/08 oxides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24868 Translucent outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree

Abstract

Substantially transparent conductor layers in touch sensing systems may be formed by forming a barrier layer between an organic layer and a substantially transparent conductive layer. For example, a barrier layer can be formed over the organic layer, and the transparent conductor layer can be formed over the barrier layer. The barrier layer can reduce or prevent outgassing of the organic layer, to help increase the quality of the transparent conductor layer. In another example, a combination layer of two different types of a transparent conductor may be formed over the organic layer by forming a barrier layer of the transparent conductor, and forming a second layer of the transparent conductor on the barrier layer. Outgassing that can occur when forming the barrier layer can cause the transparent conductor of the barrier layer to be of lower-quality, but can result in a higher-quality transparent conductor of the second layer.

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel stackup comprising:

a first conductive layer;

an organic layer over a first part of the first conductive layer; and

a combination layer over the organic layer, the combination layer including a conductive first sublayer and a conductive second sublayer, wherein the first sublayer is disposed closer to the organic layer than the second sublayer and a property of the first sublayer is different than a property of the second sublayer, the property including at least one of an optical property and an electrical property.

2. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the first sublayer contacts a second part of the first conductive layer.

3. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the organic layer contacts the first part of the first conductive layer.

4. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the first sublayer contacts the organic layer.

5. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor panel stackup is a component of a touch screen having a viewing area and a viewing area border, and wherein

the organic layer is positioned substantially behind the viewing area border, and

the second sublayer extends into the viewing area.

6. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 5, wherein the first and second sublayers are formed from a single type of conductive material, with the material in each layer having different properties.

7. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein a sheet resistance of the first sublayer is higher than a sheet resistance of the second sublayer.

8. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first sublayer is higher than a thickness of the second sublayer.

9. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 5, the touch sensor panel stackup incorporated within a computing system.

10. A mobile telephone including a touch sensor panel stackup comprising:

a first conductive layer;

an organic layer over a first part of the first conductive layer; and

a combination layer over the organic layer, the combination layer including a conductive first sublayer and a conductive second sublayer,

wherein the first sublayer is disposed closer to the organic layer than the second sublayer, and is formed of a lower quality crystalline material than the second sublayer.

11. A digital media player including a touch sensor panel stackup comprising:

a first conductive layer;

an organic layer over a first part of the first conductive layer; and

a combination layer over the organic layer, the combination layer including a conductive first sublayer and a conductive second sublayer, wherein the first sublayer is disposed closer to the organic layer than the second sublayer, and is formed of a lower quality crystalline material than the second sublayer.