Touch sensor panel having an index matching passivation layer

• US 9,079,384 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dorjgotov, EnkhAmgalan, Kuwabara, Masato, Kang, Sunggu, Chen, Cheng, Zhong, John Z., Tung, Chun-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Horner, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Douglas M
• Application Number:
  US13/371,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/208 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/111 using layers comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree

Abstract

Touch sensor panels typically include a plurality of layers that can be stacked on top of each other. When the touch sensor panel is used in a bright environment, incident light can hit the interfaces between those layers of the stackup having mismatched refractive indices and can reflect off those interfaces. The light reflected from those interfaces can give rise to the appearance of fringes on the touch sensor panel, which can be visually distracting. In order to reduce the appearance of these fringes, embodiments of the disclosure are directed to the addition of an index matching passivation layer between a conductive layer of traces and an adhesive layer in the touch sensor panel stackup.

Claims

1. A touch sensor panel stackup, comprising:

a plurality of conductive material layers having a first refractive index;

a plurality of adhesive layers having a second refractive index, each adhesive layer paired with a conductive material layer for adhering the conductive material layer to additional material;

a first index matching passivation layer disposed between a first conductive material layer and a first adhesive layer, and a second index matching passivation layer disposed between a second conductive material layer and a second adhesive layer, wherein;

the first and second index matching passivation layers, the first and second conductive material layers, and the first and second adhesive layers are separate layers,

the first and second index matching passivation layers have a third refractive index that is between the first and second refractive indices and are disposed on a first side of each of the first and second conductive material layers, respectively; and

first and second index matching layers are disposed on each of a second side of the first and second conductive material layers, respectively.

2. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the third refractive index of the first and second index matching passivation layers is selected to reduce light reflected from an interface between the first conductive material layer and first adhesive layer, and also between the second conductive material layer and the second adhesive layer.

3. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein plurality of conductive material layers are configured as a drive line layer and a sense line layer formed on opposite sides of a substrate.

4. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor panel stackup is incorporated with a display device to form a touch screen.

5. The touch sensor panel stackup of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is incorporated into a computing device.

6. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

a first conductive layer of traces;

a first adhesive;

a first set of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from and disposed between the first adhesive and a first side of the first conductive layer of traces;

a second conductive layer of traces;

a second adhesive;

a second set of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from and disposed between the second adhesive and a first side of the second conductive layer of traces,

wherein the index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets are selected to reduce the interference of light reflected from a first interface between the first adhesive and the first conductive layer of traces and from a second interface between the second adhesive and the second conductive layer of traces; and

a set of one or more index matching layers disposed on a second side of the first and second conductive layer of traces.

7. The touch sensor panel of claim 6, wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first set have a refractive index that is between the refractive indices of the first adhesive and the first conductive layer of traces, and

wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the second set have a refractive index that is between the refractive indices of the second adhesive and the second conductive layer of traces.

8. The touch sensor panel of claim 7, wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets have a refractive index from 1.6 to 1.75.

9. The touch sensor panel of claim 6, wherein the one or more index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets are made from acrylic and an additive, the additive selected from a group consisting of rutile, anatase, ZnO, and ZrO₂.

10. The touch sensor panel of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second sets of one or more index matching passivation layers has a combined thickness of 2-15 μ

m.

11. The touch sensor panel of claim 6, wherein the first and second conductive layer of traces are made from Indium Tin Oxide.

12. The touch sensor panel of claim 6, wherein the first and second adhesives are a pressure sensitive adhesive.

13. The touch sensor panel of claim 6, wherein the touch sensor panel is incorporated with a computing system.

14. A touch sensor panel, comprising:

a first conductive layer of traces;

a first adhesive;

a first set of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from and disposed between the first adhesive and a first side of the first conductive layer of traces;

a second conductive layer of traces;

a second adhesive;

a second set of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from and disposed between the second adhesive and a first side of the second conductive layer of traces,

wherein the index matching passivation layers in the first set reduces a percentage of light reflectance at a first interface between the index matching passivation layers in the first set and the first adhesive and at a second interface between the index matching passivation layers in the first set and the first conductive layer of traces, and

wherein the index matching passivation layers in the second set reduces a percentage of light reflectance at a third interface between the index matching passivation layers in the second set and the second adhesive and at a fourth interface between the index matching passivation layers in the second set and the second conductive layer of traces; and

a set of one or more index matching layers disposed on a second side of the first and second conductive layer of traces.

15. The touch sensor panel of claim 14, wherein the percentage of light reflectance at the first interface is approximately equal to the percentage of light reflectance at the second interface, and

wherein the percentage of light reflectance at the third interface is approximately equal to the percentage of light reflectance at the fourth interface.

16. The touch sensor panel of claim 14, wherein the percentage of light reflectance at each of the first, second, third, and fourth interfaces is less than 1%.

17. A method of reducing the appearance of fringes on a touch sensor panel having a first and second conductive layer of traces, a first and second adhesive, and a first and second index matching layer, the method comprising:

forming a first and second set of one or more index matching passivation layers, the first and second sets of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from the first and second conductive layers of traces, the first and second adhesive, and the first and second index matching layer;

disposing the first set of index matching passivation layers between the first conductive layer of traces and the first adhesive;

disposing the second set of index matching passivation layers between the second conductive layer of traces and the second adhesive; and

using the first and second sets of index matching passivation layers to reduce the interference of light reflected from a first interface between the first adhesive and the first conductive layer of traces and from a second interface between the second adhesive and the second conductive layer of traces.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting a refractive index for the index matching passivation layers in the first set that is between the refractive indices of the first adhesive and the first conductive layer of traces; and

selecting a refractive index for the index matching passivation layers in the second set that is between the refractive indices of the second adhesive and the second conductive layer of traces.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets have a refractive index from 1.6 to 1.75.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming the index matching passivation layers in the first and second sets from acrylic and an additive, the additive selected from a group consisting of rutile, anatase, ZnO, and ZrO₂.

21. A method of reducing the appearance of fringes on a touch sensor panel having a first and second conductive layer of traces, a first and second adhesive, and a first and second index matching layer, the method comprising:

forming a first and second set of one or more index matching passivation layers, the first and second sets of one or more index matching passivation layers separate from the first and second conductive layers of traces, the first and second adhesive, and the first and second index matching layer;

disposing the first set of index matching passivation layers between the first conductive layer of traces and the first adhesive;

disposing the second set of index matching passivation layers between the second conductive layer of traces and the second adhesive;

using the index matching passivation layers in the first set to reduce a percentage of light reflectance at a first interface between the index matching passivation layers in the first set and the first adhesive and at a second interface between the index matching passivation layers in the first set and the first conductive layer of traces; and

using the index matching passivation layers in the second set to reduce a percentage of light reflectance at a third interface between the index matching passivation layers in the second set and the second adhesive and at a fourth interface between the index matching passivation layers in the second set and the second conductive layer of traces.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the percentage of light reflectance at the first interface is approximately equal to the percentage of light reflectance at the second interface, and

wherein the percentage of light reflectance at the third interface is approximately equal to the percentage of light reflectance at the fourth interface.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the percentage of light reflectance at each of the first, second, third, and fourth interfaces is less than 1%.