Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110006998 | PATTERNING OF THIN FILM CONDUCTIVE AND PASSIVATION LAYERS - Simplified patterning of conductive layers and passivation layers of a thin film is disclosed. In some embodiments, the patterning can include depositing a conductive layer onto a thin film substrate, depositing a passivation layer onto the conductive layer, applying a removable mask including a desired pattern to the passivation layer, patterning the passivation layer to have the desired pattern, using the patterned passivation layer as a mask for the conductive layer, and patterning the conductive layer to have the desired pattern. In other embodiments, the patterning can include depositing a conductive layer onto a thin film substrate, depositing a passivation layer onto the conductive layer, depositing a protective layer onto the passivation layer, applying a removable mask including a desired pattern to the protective layer, patterning the protective layer to have the desired pattern, using the patterned protective layer as a mask for the passivation and conductive layers, and patterning the passivation and conductive layers to have the desired pattern. An exemplary device utilizing the thin film so patterned can include a touch sensor panel. | 01-13-2011 |
20110043383 | PATTERNING OF THIN FILM LAYERS - Simplified patterning of layers of a thin film is disclosed. In some embodiments, the patterning can include patterning a first conductive layer using a patterned dielectric layer as a mask and patterning a second conductive layer using a patterned passivation layer as another mask. In other embodiments, the patterning can include patterning a first conductive layer using a removable photosensitive layer as a mask, patterning a black mask layer using a removable photo mask, and patterning a second conductive layer using a patterned passivation layer as another mask. In still other embodiments, the patterning can include patterning a first conductive layer using a patterned black mask layer as a mask and patterning a second conductive layer using a patterned passivation layer as another mask. An exemplary device utilizing the thin film so patterned can include a touch sensor panel. | 02-24-2011 |
20130068505 | PERFORATED MOTHER SHEET FOR PARTIAL EDGE CHEMICAL STRENGTHENING - Methods for chemically strengthening the edges of glass sheets are provided. Voids can be formed in a mother sheet. The edges of these voids may correspond to a portion of the new edges that would normally be created during separation and free shaping of the mother sheet. The mother sheet can then be immersed in a chemical strengthener. The edges of the voids can be chemically strengthened in addition to the front and back sides of the mother sheet. After thin film processing and separation, each of the resulting individual sheets has been chemically strengthened on both sides and on a portion of its edges. | 03-21-2013 |
20130100039 | OPAQUE THIN FILM PASSIVATION - A touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer is disclosed. The opaque passivation layer can be made from an organic or inorganic material, such as acrylic. The opaque passivation layer can be positioned in the touch sensitive device between the cover material of the device and conductive traces located on the touch sensor to hide the conductive traces from the user's view and protect the conductive traces from corrosion. Processes for making the touch sensitive devices that include a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer are also disclosed. | 04-25-2013 |
20130120283 | TOUCH SENSOR PANEL HAVING AN INDEX MATCHING PASSIVATION LAYER - 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. | 05-16-2013 |
20130194759 | TOUCH SENSOR WITH INTEGRATED SIGNAL BUS EXTENSIONS - A touch sensor may be formed from a flexible substrate such as a sheet of polymer. The flexible substrate may have a main rectangular portion and a protruding portion. Capacitive touch sensor electrodes may be formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the flexible substrate. Signal lines may be coupled to the touch sensor electrodes. The ends of the signal lines may extend onto the protruding portion. Signal lines may be formed on upper and lower surfaces of the flexible substrate. The signal lines may be coupled to circuitry on a printed circuit using a connector that receives the end of the protruding portion. Ground structures on the protruding portion may be configured to overlap the signal lines or may be laterally interposed between upper surface signal lines and lower surface signal lines. | 08-01-2013 |
20130228442 | PARTIAL LASER ABLATION SENSOR PROCESS - Processes for fabricating compact touch sensors for touch sensitive devices are disclosed. A process can include providing a touch sensor structure having a substrate, a first layer disposed on the substrate, and a second layer disposed on the first layer. The second layer can have an ablation fluence value that is lower than an ablation fluence value of the first layer. The process can include patterning the second layer with a laser emitting energy having a fluence value greater than or equal to the ablation fluence value of the second layer and less than the ablation fluence value of the first layer. The process can further include etching at least a portion of the first layer that was exposed during the patterning of the second layer. At least a portion of the second layer can then be removed by etching or laser ablation. | 09-05-2013 |
20140049500 | Display With Bent Inactive Edge Regions - An electronic device may be provided with a display having substrate layers such as a glass color filter layer substrate and a glass thin-film-transistor layer substrate. Display layers such as first and second layers of polymer, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the layers of polymer, color filter elements, and thin-film-transistor circuitry may be formed between the color filter layer substrate and the thin-film-transistor layer substrate. Flexible inactive portions of the display layers may protrude outward from between the color filter layer substrate and the thin-film-transistor substrate. Touch sensor circuitry may be formed from a flexible polymer substrate. The touch sensor circuitry may include conductive touch sensor lines and capacitive electrodes. Each conductive line may be coupled to only a single end of a respective one of the capacitive electrodes. | 02-20-2014 |
20140065321 | PULL-BACK DESIGN TO MITIGATE PLASTIC SENSOR CRACKS - The described embodiments relate generally to the singulation of circuits and more particularly to a method of cutting of a polymer substrate that is overlaid with a conductive element and a passivation layer. In one embodiment, the passivation layer is applied selectively to the polymer substrate in an area covering the conductive element and extending at least a first distance past an outer edge of the conductive element. Then, a cutting operation is performed along a cutting path located a second distance from an outer edge of the passivation layer. The second distance is a minimum distance between the edge of the passivation layer and the cutting path that prevents a load applied at the second distance from causing a stress crack in the passivation layer. | 03-06-2014 |
20140069244 | ALLEVIATING EFFECTS OF PLASTIC FILM DISTORTION IN TOUCH SENSORS - Systems and processes for die-cutting stretched base films are disclosed. In some examples, the systems can include fixed or adjustable die-cut heads that are offset from one another based on an amount of distortion of the base film. Systems and processes for reducing the amount of distortion or shrinking of base films are also disclosed. In some examples, the processes can include pre-shrinking the base film by exposing the film to elevated temperatures sufficient to shrink the film. The pre-shrinking can be performed on the base film material alone, or can be applied during subsequent annealing stages. The pre-shrinking can be used alone or in combination with the offset die-cutters. | 03-13-2014 |
20140069568 | REDUCED CONTACT ROLL-TO-ROLL PROCESSING - Processes for reducing physical contact to sheets of base film in roll-to-roll processing of touch sensors are disclosed. In one example, the process includes the use of rollers having rings circumferentially extending away from the roller and operable to contact the sheets of base film. The rings can be configured to contact portions of the sheet of base film away from touch sensor areas of the base film. The rings can further be configured to prevent the sheets of base film from contacting a shaft of the rollers. In another example, a reduced strength vacuum seal can be formed between a photo mask and the sheet of base film to reduce the amount of force applied to a passivation layer of the sheet of base film. | 03-13-2014 |
20140069785 | CORROSION MITIGATION FOR METAL TRACES - Processes for manufacturing touch sensors with one or more guard traces to reduce the effect of moisture damage are provided. One example process can include forming one or more guard traces between an edge of the touch sensor and the metal traces that route the drive and sense lines to bond pads. The one or more guard traces can be uncoupled from the drive lines and sense lines to protect the inner metal traces from moisture damage. In some examples, ends of the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by copper. In other examples, ends of the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by indium tin oxide or the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by a strip of indium tin oxide. In yet other examples, the guard trace can be floating (e.g., not coupled to ground). | 03-13-2014 |
20140070824 | SHORTING STRUCTURE IN PLASTIC ROLL-TO-ROLL PROCESS - Roll-to-roll processes for manufacturing touch sensors on a plastic base film are provided. The touch sensors can be deposited on the base film using various patterning techniques. One or more shorting bars can also be patterned onto the base film to couple together traces, such as drive lines, sense lines, conductive traces, and the like, of the touch sensor to prevent a potential difference from forming between traces due to static buildup during the manufacturing process. After the touch sensor is fully formed on the base film, the touch sensor can be removed from the base film using lithography or a physical cutting process. The removal process can separate the touch sensor from the one or more shorting bars, thereby uncoupling the traces of the touch sensor. | 03-13-2014 |
20140175049 | PRE-PATTERNED FILM-BASED RESIST - Roll-to-roll processes for manufacturing touch sensors using a sheet of patterned photoresist film are disclosed. The photoresist film can include a sheet of photoresist material, such as DFR, that has been patterned by removing portions of the photoresist film using a die or laser cutting technique. In some examples, the photoresist film can be patterned such that the patterned photoresist film can be laminated to a base film and used as an etching mask or a photoresist layer in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process. In this way, the patterned photoresist film can be used in place of conventional photoresist films in roll-to-roll processes, thereby obviating the need for subsequent exposure and development operations that would otherwise be performed when using conventional photoresist films. As a result, the chance that a defect is introduced into the touch sensors is reduced by reducing the number of operations performed in the roll-to-roll process. | 06-26-2014 |
20140347574 | METHOD OF PLASTIC TOUCH SENSOR PROCESS - Methods of fabrication of a touch sensor panel using laser ablation are provided. The fabricated touch sensor panel can have touch sensors disposed on a surface of a substrate. A fabrication method can include depositing a first conductive layer onto a substrate in a touch sensor region and a border region, depositing a second conductive layer onto the first conductive layer in the border region, and ablating the second conductive layer at removal locations in the border region to define border traces for providing off-panel connections to touch sensors in the touch sensor region. This fabrication method can advantageously provide touch sensors in a fabrication process with high throughput using low cost material and equipment. | 11-27-2014 |
20150077383 | MULTIPLE BRIDGES SINGLE SIDED TOUCH SENSOR - A touch sensor panel can include a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array. The plurality of drives lines and the plurality of sense lines can be formed by interconnecting sections of at least one conductive material with a plurality of bridges. The geometry and size of one or more of the plurality of bridges and the arrangement of the sections can be altered to reduce the overall resistance of a section, improve optical uniformity, and/or increase conductance. Additionally, the sensitivity to and differentiation between touch, hover, or proximity can be enhanced based on the number of bridges and the number of hot spots. | 03-19-2015 |
20150077646 | Touch Sensitive Display With Graded Index Layer - An electronic device may have a touch screen display or other input-output device that includes transparent conductive electrodes. The transparent conductive electrodes may be formed from a material that has a relatively high index of refraction such as indium tin oxide. Surrounding layers of the touch screen display such as a touch sensor substrate and an underlying display layer may have lower index of refraction values. To prevent abrupt index-of-refraction discontinuities that lead to unwanted reflections and visible artifacts on the display, the transparent conductive electrodes may be embedded within a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer may have a graded index of refraction. The graded index of refraction may be varied continuously or in a stepwise fashion by adjusting the composition of materials that are incorporated into the dielectric layer as a function of position within the layer. | 03-19-2015 |