CN114461086A

CN114461086A - Touch panel, electronic device and manufacturing method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN114461086A
Application number: CN202011236778.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 徐维佑; 黄薇臻; 张良亦; 陈汉威; 吴和虔
Original assignee: TPK Advanced Solutions Inc
Current assignee: TPK Advanced Solutions Inc
Priority date: 2020-11-09
Filing date: 2020-11-09
Publication date: 2022-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2040-11-09
Also published as: CN114461086B

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a touch panel, a touch device and a manufacturing method thereof. The touch panel comprises a substrate, a wire structure layer and a shading structure. The substrate comprises a visible area and a peripheral area, and the peripheral area surrounds the visible area. The wire structure layer is arranged on the visible area. The light shielding structure comprises a first material layer and a second material layer, and the optical density value of the light shielding structure is less than 4, wherein the first material layer is arranged on the peripheral area, and the second material layer is arranged on the first material layer. Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a method for manufacturing a touch panel, so as to achieve the effects of saving cost and improving line offset.

Description

Touch panel, electronic device and manufacturing method thereof

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a touch panel and a method of manufacturing the same.

Background

In recent years, transparent circuits have been used in many display or touch related devices to allow light to pass through and provide appropriate electrical conductivity. Generally, the transparent wire may be various metal oxides, such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), Cadmium Tin Oxide (CTO), or Aluminum-doped Zinc Oxide (AZO). However, these metal oxide thin films do not satisfy the flexibility requirements of display devices. Therefore, many flexible transparent circuits, such as those made of materials such as nanowires, have been developed.

However, in the current touch panel, as a decorative layer (or called a blackened layer) for separating the peripheral region and the visible region, the material (such as ink) is expensive and costly. In addition, when the transparent wiring is manufactured, the wiring may be deviated. Therefore, how to reduce the cost of the decoration layer and improve the problem of the line offset is one of the important issues.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a touch panel including a substrate, a conductive line structure layer, and a light shielding structure. The substrate comprises a visible area and a peripheral area, and the peripheral area surrounds the visible area. The wire structure layer is arranged on the visible area. And the shading structure comprises a first material layer and a second material layer, the optical density value of the shading structure is less than 4, wherein the first material layer is arranged on the peripheral area, and the second material layer is arranged on the first material layer.

In some embodiments, the second material layer extends to cover the conductive line structure layer and to cover the region where the conductive line structure layer is not disposed in the visible region.

In some embodiments, the peripheral lead structure layer is disposed on the peripheral region and electrically connected to the conductive wire structure layer.

In some embodiments, portions of the first material layer are disposed on both sides of the peripheral lead structure layer and contact the peripheral lead structure layer.

In some embodiments, the second material layer is disposed on the peripheral lead structure layer.

In some embodiments, the material of the substrate comprises polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyimide, cyclic olefin polymer, or combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the semiconductor device further includes a catalytic layer disposed between the conductive line structure layer and the substrate, between the peripheral wiring structure layer and the substrate, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the material of the catalytic layer comprises metal nanoparticles.

In some embodiments, the conductive line structure layer and the peripheral lead structure layer include metal lines.

In some embodiments, the optical refractive index of the first material layer is different from the optical refractive index of the second material layer.

In some embodiments, the second material layer has a dielectric constant of less than 3 farads per meter.

In some embodiments, the second material layer has a water absorption of no greater than 0.2% or a water permeability of less than 1500 grams per square meter day.

In some embodiments, the cover plate is disposed on the second material layer.

In some embodiments, the cover plate comprises a glass cover plate, a polarizing plate, or a combination thereof.

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a touch panel, comprising: providing a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a visible area and a peripheral area; forming a first material layer on the visible area and the peripheral area, wherein the first material layer positioned in the visible area is divided into a plurality of first parts by a plurality of first grooves; forming a wire structure layer in the first grooves; removing the first material layer on the visible area; and disposing a second material layer on the wire structure layer, the visible region without the wire structure layer, and the first material layer in the peripheral region, wherein an optical density value of an overlapping region of the first material layer and the second material layer is less than 4.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first recesses expose a surface of the substrate.

In some embodiments, the step of removing the first material layer on the visible region includes exposing a surface of the substrate.

In some embodiments, the step of disposing the first material layer on the visible area and the peripheral area includes dividing the first material layer on the peripheral area into a plurality of second portions by a plurality of second grooves; and forming a wire structure layer in the first grooves, including forming a peripheral lead structure layer in the second grooves and electrically connecting the wire structure layer.

In some embodiments, the step of disposing the second material layer on the conductive line structure layer, the visible region where the conductive line structure layer is not disposed, and the first material layer in the peripheral region includes disposing the second material layer on the peripheral lead structure layer.

In some embodiments, further comprising disposing a cover plate on the second material layer.

In some embodiments, the step of disposing a cover plate on the second material layer comprises: providing insulating glue; and adhering the cover plate on the second material layer by using insulating glue.

In some embodiments, after providing the substrate, further comprising: forming a catalytic layer on the visible area and the peripheral area, wherein the catalytic layer comprises metal nanoparticles; forming a first material layer on the catalytic layer in the visible region, wherein the first material layer is divided into a plurality of first parts by a plurality of first grooves, and the catalytic layer is exposed by the plurality of first grooves; and performing reduction reaction on the catalyst layer to form a wire structure layer in the first grooves.

In some embodiments, the step of forming the first material layer on the catalytic layer in the visible region comprises: simultaneously forming a first material layer on the catalytic layer in the peripheral area, wherein the first material layer in the peripheral area is divided into a plurality of second parts by a plurality of second grooves, and the catalytic layer is exposed by the plurality of second grooves; and performing a reduction reaction on the catalyst layer to form a wire structure layer in the first grooves, wherein a peripheral lead structure layer is formed in the second grooves on the peripheral region and connected with the wire structure layer.

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an electronic device, including a mobile device, a wearable device, or a vehicular device.

In some implementations, the mobile device includes a cell phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the wearable device includes a smart watch, smart glasses, smart clothing, smart shoes, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the vehicular device comprises an instrument panel, a vehicle recorder, a rearview mirror, a window, a door, or a combination thereof.

Drawings

The present disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1A to 1G exemplarily describe a process of manufacturing a touch panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 2A to 2E schematically illustrate a partial process for manufacturing a touch panel according to other embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 schematically illustrates a top view of a touch panel and a flexible circuit board assembled according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

fig. 4 schematically illustrates a top view of an assembled touch panel and a flexible circuit board according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[ notation ] to show

100 touch panel

110 base plate

120 catalyst layer

130 light shielding structure

131 first material layer

132 second material layer

140 electrode structure

141 structural layer of conductive wire

142 peripheral lead structure layer

150 insulating glue

160: cover plate

200 flexible circuit board

A is a first groove

VA visual zone

PA peripheral area

TE1 first touch sensing electrode

TE2 second touch sensing electrode

Detailed Description

It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the subject matter of the disclosure. The particular arrangements and examples shown are meant to simplify the present disclosure and not to limit the same. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature over a second feature described below may include direct contact between the two or the two with additional features intervening therebetween. Furthermore, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or symbols in the various embodiments. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

The terms used in this specification have their ordinary meaning in the art and in the context of their use. The embodiments used in this specification, including examples of any terms discussed herein, are illustrative only and do not limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplary terms. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to some of the implementations provided in this specification.

Furthermore, spatially relative terms, such as "lower," "upper," and the like, are used for convenience in describing the relative relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature in the figures. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

In this document, the terms "a" and "an" and "the" are intended to mean "one or more" unless the context specifically indicates the presence of the article. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including" and similar terms, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present embodiments.

As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The following embodiments are provided to describe the touch device in more detail, but they are only for illustration and not for limiting the invention, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Fig. 1A to 1G exemplarily describe a process of manufacturing a touch panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

First, referring to fig. 1A, a substrate 110 is provided, and a visible area VA and a peripheral area PA are defined on the substrate 110; next, the catalytic layer 120 is formed on the visible area VA and on a portion of the peripheral area PA.

In some embodiments, the substrate 110 may be a flexible transparent substrate, and the material may be selected from transparent materials such as polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), Polycarbonate (PC), Polystyrene (PS), Polyimide (PI), Cyclic Olefin Polymers (COP), and the like, so as to achieve the bending and flexing effect.

The catalyst layer 120 is mainly used for catalyzing the deposition of the metal wire structure layer 141 (see fig. 1D). The catalytic layer 120 may be an insulating layer filled with catalytic particles, for example, the catalytic layer 120 may be acryl resin or epoxy resin, which may be filled with nano conductive particles or catalytic nano metal particles dispersed in the resin, such that the catalytic layer 120 is an insulator. In one embodiment, the nanoparticles are silver particles, palladium particles, copper particles, silver/palladium particles, or copper/palladium particles, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the catalytic layer 120 has a thickness of less than about 1 micron, for example, about 10 nm to 1 micron, and specifically may include 10 nm, 50nm, 100nm, 200 nm, 300 nm, 400 nm, 500nm, 600 nm, 700 nm, 800 nm, 900 nm, 1 micron, or any range of values described above. In an embodiment, the catalytic layer 120 may be formed by printing, and is printed on a region of the substrate 110 where the conductive line structure layer 141 is to be formed, but not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the peripheral area PA surrounds the visible area VA, for example, the peripheral area PA is disposed in a frame-shaped area around the visible area VA (i.e. covering the right side, the left side, the upper side and the lower side). In other embodiments, the peripheral regions PA are disposed in L-shaped regions on the left and lower sides of the visible region VA.

Next, referring to fig. 1B, a first material layer 131 is formed on the catalytic layer 120, wherein the first material layer 131 is located on the visible area VA and the peripheral area PA, and in the visible area VA, the first material layer 131 is divided into a plurality of first portions by the first grooves a, exposing the catalytic layer 120. It is worth emphasizing that in this step, the first groove a formed by the empty region where the first material layer 131 is not disposed on the catalytic layer 120 positions the circuit structure to be formed in advance, so as to avoid the circuit skew and offset. The position of the first groove A can be adjusted in an elastic and corresponding manner according to the setting requirements of the wire structure. In some embodiments, the position of the first groove a may be reserved at the step of forming the first material layer 131; alternatively, the first recess a may be formed by first forming a flat first material layer 131 without a recess and then removing a portion of the first material layer 131. In some embodiments, in the step of forming the first material layer 131 on the visible area VA and the peripheral area PA, the first material layer 131 in the peripheral area PA may also be divided into a plurality of second portions by the second grooves (not shown). In some embodiments, the first material layer 131 is an insulating substance. In some embodiments, the first material layer 131 may be transparent, such as a peelable glue.

Next, referring to fig. 1C, a conductive line structure layer 141 is formed in the first groove a (fig. 1B) on the visible area VA. That is, portions of the first material layer 131 are located at both sides of the wire structure layer 141 in the viewing area VA, and contact the wire structure layer 141. In some embodiments, the peripheral lead structure layer 142 (as shown in fig. 3) may be formed in the second groove (not shown) at the same time as the conductive wire structure layer 141 is formed, and electrically connected to the conductive wire structure layer 141 of the viewing area VA. So that portions of the first material layer 131 are located at both sides of the peripheral lead structure layer 142 of the peripheral region PA and contact the peripheral lead structure layer 142. Therefore, in some embodiments, a portion of the catalytic layer 120 on the visible area VA is located between the wire structure layer 141 and the substrate 110; the catalytic layer 120 in the upper portion of the peripheral region PA is located between the peripheral lead structure layer 142 and the substrate 110.

In some embodiments, the conductive line structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 formed of metal lines (i.e., conductive lines of metal material) may be formed by electroless plating through catalysis of the catalytic layer 120. Specifically, under the condition of no external current, a plating solution is applied on the catalyst layer 120 by a suitable reducing agent, so that metal ions in the plating solution are reduced into metal and plated (or deposited) on the surface of the metal ions through a reduction reaction under the catalysis of the metal catalyst of the catalyst layer 120, which is also called electroless plating (or autocatalytic plating). For example, if the conductive line structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 are to be formed by copper, the main component of the plating solution can be copper sulfate solution, which includes but is not limited to: copper sulfate (copper sulfate) at a concentration of 5g/L, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) at a concentration of 12g/L, formaldehyde (formaldehyde) at a concentration of 5g/L, the pH of the electroless copper plating solution is adjusted to about 11 to 13 with sodium hydroxide (sodium hydroxide), the bath temperature is about 30 ℃ to 50 ℃, and the reaction time for immersion is 5 to 15 minutes. During the reaction, copper in the plating solution can nucleate on the catalytic layer 120 having catalytic/activating capability, and then grow into a copper film by self-catalysis of copper. One skilled in the art can select and match a proper plating solution and a proper material of the catalyst layer 120 according to the desired materials of the wire structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142. In some embodiments, the conductive line structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 are made of a metal with better conductivity, such as a single-layer metal structure, e.g., a silver layer, a copper layer, etc.; or a conductive structure in the form of a multilayer alloy, such as molybdenum/aluminum/molybdenum, copper/nickel, titanium/aluminum/titanium, molybdenum/chromium, and the like.

In another embodiment, in order to increase the thickness of the wire structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142, a thickening step, such as an electroplating process, may be added, wherein the electroplating solution composition may include but is not limited to: copper sulfate (copper sulfate) at a concentration of 200g/L, sulfuric acid (sulfuric acid) at a concentration of 80g/L, chloride (chloride ion) at a concentration of 50mg/L, pH adjusted to about 3 to 5, and current density of about 1 to 10A/dm²The plating bath temperature is about 25 to 45 ℃. The sequence of the electroless plating process and the electroplating process can be adjusted according to the actual requirement, and is not limited herein, for example, the electroplating process is performed first, then the electroless plating process is performed, or the electroless plating process is performed first, then the electroplating process is performed, or only the electroplating process or the electroless plating process can be used. In other embodiments, the thickening step may be another electroless plating process, such as an electroless copper plating process using a plating solution with a different composition from the plating solution, so as to increase the thickness of the wire structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142.

Next, referring to fig. 1D, the first material layer 131 on the visible area VA is removed. That is, in the visible region VA, the catalytic layer 120 is exposed in the space between the wires of the wire structure layer 141. This step is to avoid that, in the subsequent process, if the first material layer 131 is remained in the visible area VA, once the second material layer 132 is covered on the first material layer 131 in the visible area VA, the light shielding effect formed when the first material layer 131 is overlapped with the second material layer 132 affects the visual appearance of the visible area VA.

With reference to fig. 1E, the second material layer 132 is disposed on the wire structure layer 141, on the visible area VA without the wire structure layer 141 (i.e., on the layers covering the visible area VA), and on the first material layer 131 of the peripheral area PA. In some embodiments, the second material layer 132 further extends to cover the peripheral lead structure layer 142 of the peripheral area PA.

It is emphasized that, in the present disclosure, when the first material layer 131 and the second material layer 132 are overlapped, the optical density value is less than 4, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, or a value in any of the foregoing ranges. The optical density is calculated as OD ═ log (incident light/transmitted light) or OD ═ log (1/transmittance), and is a logarithm of the ratio of the incident light to the transmitted light. That is, the smaller the optical density, the higher the proportion of light absorbed. The light shielding structure 130 formed by overlapping the first material layer 131 and the second material layer 132 has an optical density sum less than 4, and can be used as a decoration layer of the visible area VA and the peripheral area PA. In some embodiments, the second material layer 132 is transparent to avoid interfering with the visual effect of the visible area VA when covering the visible area VA and the conductive line structure layer 141. In some embodiments, the optical refractive index of the first material layer 131 is different from the optical refractive index of the second material layer 132, so that the two layers overlap to block the transmission of light, thereby achieving a light shielding effect with an optical density sum less than 4. In some embodiments, even if the first material layer 131 and the second material layer 132 are transparent, the light shielding structure 130 may be formed for the decoration layer between the visible area VA and the peripheral area PA.

In addition, it should be noted that, since the first material layer 131 and the second material layer 132 in some embodiments of the disclosure use the principle of different optical refractive indexes, a material with a lower cost can be selected to replace the expensive ink used for the known decoration layer, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In some embodiments, the dielectric constant of the second material layer 132 is less than 3 farads per meter, and can be 0 to 2.9 farads per meter (e.g., 0 farads per meter, 0.5 farads per meter, 1 farads per meter, 1.5 farads per meter, 2 farads per meter, 2.5 farads per meter, 2.6 farads per meter, 2.7 farads per meter, 2.8 farads per meter, 2.9 farads per meter, or values between any of the foregoing). In some embodiments, the water absorption of the second material layer 132 is not higher than 0.2%, and may be 0, 0.1, 0.2, or a value between any of the foregoing intervals. In some embodiments, the second material layer 132 has a water permeability of less than 1500 grams per square meter per day, and may be 0 to 1499 (e.g., 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1499, or a value between any of the foregoing). It should be emphasized that, by utilizing the characteristics of the second material layer 132, such as low water absorption, low water permeability, and low dielectric constant, when the second material layer 132 is disposed on the wire structure layer 141 or the peripheral lead structure layer 142, it can be used as a protective layer to reduce the chance of the wire contacting with moisture, thereby reducing the problems of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and electromigration caused by excessive moisture in the wire structure layer 141 or the peripheral lead structure layer 142.

In some embodiments, the second material layer 132 may be a transparent photoresist or a transparent ink, and the first is the parameter values of two examples (transparent ink) of the second material layer 132.

Table I, second material layer performance parameter table

	Example one	Example two
			Thickness (micron)	150	200
Water absorption (%)	0.1	0.2
			Dielectric constant (Farad/m)	2.56	2.85
Permeability (gram/square meter. sky)	50	1350

Next, referring to fig. 1F, the cover plate 160 is adhered to the second material layer 132 by using the insulating adhesive 150 to cover the visible area VA and the peripheral area PA, so as to form the touch panel 100. In some embodiments, the insulating paste 150 may be an optical paste, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the cover plate 160 may be a glass cover plate, a polarizer plate, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, a light shielding material may be coated on a portion of the surface of the cover plate 160 corresponding to the peripheral area PA to shield the peripheral area PA.

In other simplified embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to the touch panel 100' of fig. 1G, the second material layer 132 may only cover the first material layer 131 on the peripheral area PA adjacent to the visible area VA to form the light shielding structure 130, which serves as a decorative layer, and does not extend to cover the wire structure layer 141 of the visible area VA and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 of the peripheral area PA (see fig. 3 for the peripheral lead structure layer 142).

Please refer to fig. 2A to 2E. Fig. 2A to 2E provide other embodiments of the present disclosure, and compared to the method of using the catalyst layer 120 to catalyze the formation of the wire structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 in fig. 1A to 1G, the wire structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 in fig. 2A to 2E can be formed without catalysis by the catalyst layer 120, thereby further simplifying the manufacturing process.

Specifically, referring to fig. 2A, the main steps of forming the first material layer 131 on the substrate 110 are similar to those in fig. 1B, but in fig. 2A, the first material layer 131 is on the substrate 110, and the catalytic layer 120 is not required to be disposed between the first material layer 131 and the substrate 110.

Next, referring to fig. 2B, a conductive line structure layer 141 is formed in the first groove a. In some embodiments, the peripheral lead structure layer 142 (as shown in fig. 3) may be formed in the second groove (not shown) at the same time as the conductive wire structure layer 141 is formed, and electrically connected to the conductive wire structure layer 141 of the viewing area VA. In some embodiments, a metal nanowire (metal nanowire) layer including metal nanowires may be used as the wire structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142. In some embodiments, the metal nanowire (metal nanowire) layer may comprise, for example, a silver nanowire (silver nanowire) layer, a gold nanowire (gold nanowire) layer, or a copper nanowire (copper nanowire). The following describes a specific method for forming a metal nanowire layer, including: the dispersion or slurry (ink) with the metal nanowires is formed on the substrate 110 by a coating method in a vacant area where the first material layer 131 is not disposed (i.e., the first groove a, the second groove (not shown) or both are coated at the same time, which can be selectively adjusted according to the requirement of the circuit design), and is dried to cover the metal nanowires on the surface of the substrate 110, so as to form the metal nanowire layer disposed on the substrate 110. Then, after the solvent and other substances in the dispersion liquid or the slurry (ink) are volatilized, the metal nanowires are distributed and fixed on the surface of the substrate 110 in a random manner to form a metal nanowire layer, and the metal nanowires are in contact with each other to provide a continuous current path, thereby forming a conductive network (conductive network). In some embodiments, the dispersion may be water, an alcohol, a ketone, an ether, a hydrocarbon, or an aromatic solvent (benzene, toluene, xylene, etc.). In one embodiment, the dispersion may also contain additives, surfactants or binders, such as, but not limited to, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), 2-Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), sulfonates, sulfates, disulfonates, sulfosuccinates, phosphates, or fluorosurfactants. It is understood that the dispersion or slurry containing the metal nanowires can be formed on the surface of the substrate 110 in any manner, such as but not limited to: screen printing, nozzle coating, roller coating and other processes. In one embodiment, the dispersion or slurry containing the metal nanowires can be coated on the surface of the continuously supplied substrate 110 by a roll-to-roll (RTR) process.

It should be noted that "metal nanowires" (as used herein) is a collective term referring to a collection of metal wires comprising a plurality of elemental metals, metal alloys or metal compounds, including metal oxides, wherein the number of metal nanowires contained does not affect the scope of protection claimed by the present disclosure. And at least one cross-sectional dimension (i.e., cross-sectional diameter) of the single metal nanowire is less than about 500nm, preferably less than about 100nm, and more preferably less than about 50 nm. In some embodiments, the metal nanostructures of the "wires" have a predominantly high aspect ratio, for example, between about 10 and 100,000. In detail, the aspect ratio (length: diameter of cross section) of the metal nanowire may be greater than about 10, for example, greater than about 50, or greater than about 100, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the metal nanowires can be any metal, including (but not limited to) silver, gold, copper, nickel, and gold-plated silver. Other terms such as silk (silk), fiber (fiber), tube (tube), etc. having the same dimensions and high aspect ratios are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

The subsequent processes of fig. 2C to fig. 2D are similar to those of fig. 1D and fig. 1E, and are not repeated herein.

Fig. 2E illustrates an embodiment of forming the wire structure layer 141 in the visible area VA, wherein the first material layer 131 is disposed on the peripheral area PA, the second material layer 132 is disposed on the first material layer 131, the light shielding structure 130 is formed, and the second material layer 132 covers the wire structure layer 141 and the visible area VA.

Then, as in the steps similar to fig. 1F or fig. 1G, the cover plate 160 is adhered to the second material layer 132 to form the touch panel.

Please refer to FIG. 3. Fig. 3 is an assembly structure of the flexible circuit board 200 and the touch panel 100 after bit alignment, in which the lead structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 together form the electrode structure 140. In addition, the electrode pads (not shown) of the flexible printed circuit 200 can be electrically connected to the peripheral lead structure layer 142 on the peripheral region PA of the substrate 110 through a conductive adhesive (not shown), such as an anisotropic conductive adhesive. In some embodiments, the touch electrodes formed by the conductive line structure layer 141 on the visible area VA are disposed in a non-staggered arrangement. For example, the conductive line structure layer 141 is a long strip-shaped electrode extending along the first direction D1, and they are not interlaced with each other. In other embodiments, the wire structure layer 141 may have other shapes or extend along other directions, and the scope of the disclosure should not be limited thereby. In one embodiment, the electrode structure 140 is configured as a single layer, and the touch position is obtained by detecting a capacitance change of the touch electrode formed by each of the conductive line structure layers 141.

Referring to fig. 3, in the visible area VA, the second material layer 132 surrounds the periphery of the conductive line structure layer 141 and covers the conductive line structure layer 141 (see fig. 1E and fig. 2D); in the peripheral area PA, the second material layer 132 covers the first material layer 131 on the peripheral area PA adjacent to the visible area VA to form the light shielding structure 130 (as shown in fig. 1E and fig. 2D, the second material layer 132 covers the first material layer 131), which serves as a decoration layer. In some embodiments, the second material layer 132 covers the wire structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 (as shown in fig. 1E and 2 d. in other embodiments, the wire structure layer 141, the peripheral lead structure layer 142, or both may directly cover the insulating paste 150 (as shown in fig. 1G).

Continuing to fig. 4, fig. 4 is similar to the embodiment of fig. 3, and the main difference between the two figures is: in fig. 4, the electrode structure 140 formed by the wire structure layer 141 and the peripheral lead structure layer 142 is configured in a double layer.

For convenience of illustration, fig. 4 is illustrated with the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2 formed by the conductive line structure layer 141. Referring to fig. 4, the first touch sensing electrode TE1 is formed on one surface (lower surface) of the substrate 110, and the second touch sensing electrode TE2 is formed on the other surface (upper surface) of the substrate 110, so that the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2 are electrically insulated from each other. The peripheral lead structure layer 142 connected to the first touch sensing electrode TE1 is formed on the lower surface of the substrate 110 corresponding to the first touch sensing electrode TE 1. Similarly, the peripheral lead structure layer 142 connected to the second touch sensing electrode TE2 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate 110 corresponding to the second touch sensing electrode TE 2. In fig. 4, the first touch sensing electrodes TE1 are a plurality of strip electrodes arranged along the first direction D1, and the second touch sensing electrodes TE2 are a plurality of strip electrodes arranged along the second direction D2. The extending directions of the strip-shaped first touch sensing electrodes TE1 and the strip-shaped second touch sensing electrodes TE2 are different and are staggered. In other embodiments, the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2 can be flexibly changed according to the requirement, and are not limited to the strip shape.

The first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2 can be used for transmitting a control signal and receiving a touch sensing signal, respectively. From this, the touch position can be obtained by detecting a signal change (for example, a capacitance change) between the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE 2. With this arrangement, a user can perform touch sensing at each point on the substrate 110.

In some embodiments, the touch panel 100 may further include a film layer covering the entire touch panel 100. That is, the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 110 are provided with films covering the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 110.

The touch panel 100 provided in the present disclosure may be assembled with other electronic components to form an electronic device, for example, the substrate 110 may be attached to a display component (e.g., a liquid crystal display component or an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display component) by using an insulating adhesive 150, so as to prepare a display with a touch function. In some embodiments, the touch panel 100 in some embodiments of the present disclosure can be further applied to electronic devices, including, but not limited to, mobile devices (cell phones, tablet computers, notebook computers, but not limited thereto), wearable devices (smart watches, smart glasses, smart clothes, and smart shoes, but not limited thereto), and vehicular devices (instrument panels, event recorders, rearview mirrors, windows, doors, or combinations thereof, but not limited thereto).

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a touch panel including a novel light shielding structure and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, where the light shielding structure includes a first material layer and a second material layer, and the light refractive index between the first material layer and the second material layer is different, so as to achieve a light shielding effect. In addition, by using the improvement in the manufacturing process, the positions of the circuits to be formed (such as the lead structure layer and the peripheral lead structure layer) can be preset when the first material layer is formed, so as to improve the problem of circuit skew.

In addition, it is worth emphasizing that in some embodiments, the second material layer has characteristics of low dielectric constant, low water absorption rate, low water permeability, and the like, and can be covered on the circuit to improve the problems of electrostatic discharge, electron migration, and the like, which are often caused by the high moisture content, and improve the safety.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with respect to certain embodiments, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising:

a substrate including a visible region and a peripheral region surrounding the visible region;

a wire structure layer arranged on the visual area; and

and a light shielding structure including a first material layer and a second material layer, wherein the optical density of the light shielding structure is less than 4, the first material layer is disposed on the peripheral region, and the second material layer is disposed on the first material layer.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the second material layer extends over the conductive line structure layer and covers a region of the visible area where the conductive line structure layer is not disposed.

3. The touch panel of claim 1, further comprising:

a peripheral lead structure layer disposed on the peripheral region and electrically connected to the lead structure layer.

4. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein a portion of the first material layer is disposed on two sides of the peripheral lead structure layer and contacts the peripheral lead structure layer.

5. The touch panel of claim 3, wherein the second material layer is disposed on the peripheral lead structure layer.

6. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyimide, cyclic olefin polymer, or a combination thereof.

7. The touch panel of claim 3, further comprising a catalyst layer disposed between the conductive line structure layer and the substrate, between the peripheral lead structure layer and the substrate, or a combination thereof.

8. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein the material of the catalytic layer comprises metal nanoparticles.

9. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein the conductive line structure layer and the peripheral lead structure layer comprise metal lines.

10. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the optical refractive index of the first material layer is different from the optical refractive index of the second material layer.

11. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the second material layer has a dielectric constant of less than 3 farads/meter.

12. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the second material layer has a water absorption of not higher than 0.2% or a water permeability of less than 1500 g/m-day.

13. The touch panel of claim 1, further comprising a cover plate disposed on the second material layer.

14. The touch panel of claim 13, wherein the cover plate comprises a glass cover plate, a polarizer, or a combination thereof.

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

providing a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a visible area and a peripheral area;

forming a first material layer on the visible area and the peripheral area, wherein the first material layer in the visible area is divided into a plurality of first parts by a plurality of first grooves;

forming a wire structure layer in the first grooves;

removing the first material layer on the visible area; and

and disposing a second material layer on the wire structure layer, the visible region without the wire structure layer, and the first material layer in the peripheral region, wherein an optical density value of an overlapping region of the first material layer and the second material layer is less than 4.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of first recesses expose a surface of the substrate.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein removing the first material layer over the viewing area comprises exposing a surface of the substrate.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

forming the first material layer on the visible area and the peripheral area, wherein the first material layer in the peripheral area is divided into a plurality of second parts by a plurality of second grooves; and forming the wire structure layer in the first grooves, including simultaneously forming a peripheral lead structure layer in the second grooves and electrically connecting the wire structure layer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of disposing the second material layer on the conductive line structure layer, the visible region not disposed with the conductive line structure layer, and the first material layer of the peripheral region comprises disposing the second material layer on the peripheral lead structure layer.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising disposing a cover plate over the second material layer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of disposing the cover plate on the second material layer comprises:

providing an insulating glue; and

and adhering the cover plate on the second material layer by using the insulating glue.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising, after providing the substrate:

forming a catalytic layer on the visible area and the peripheral area, wherein the catalytic layer comprises metal nanoparticles;

forming the first material layer on the catalytic layer in the visible area, wherein the first material layer is divided into a plurality of first parts by a plurality of first grooves, and the catalytic layer is exposed by the plurality of first grooves; and

and performing a reduction reaction on the catalyst layer to form the wire structure layer in the first grooves.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the step of forming the first material layer on the catalytic layer of the visible area comprises:

simultaneously forming the first material layer on the catalytic layer in the peripheral area, wherein the first material layer in the peripheral area is divided into a plurality of second parts by a plurality of second grooves, and the catalytic layer is exposed by the plurality of second grooves; and

performing the reduction reaction on the catalyst layer to form the wire structure layer in the first grooves, comprising:

and forming a peripheral lead structure layer in the plurality of second grooves on the peripheral area, wherein the peripheral lead structure layer is connected with the lead structure layer.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the step of disposing the second material layer on the conductive line structure layer, on the visible region where the conductive line structure layer is not disposed, and on the first material layer in the peripheral region includes disposing the second material layer on the peripheral lead structure layer.

25. An electronic device comprising the touch panel of claim 1.