JP5826655B2 - Touch panel and manufacturing method thereof, display device, and electronic device - Google Patents

Description

  The present technology relates to a touch panel capable of detecting a position where an object such as a finger, a hand, an arm, and a pen (hereinafter referred to as “finger”) touches a detection surface, and a method for manufacturing the touch panel. Moreover, this technique is related with the display apparatus and electronic device provided with said touch panel.

  Conventionally, a technique for inputting information by touching with a finger or the like is known. Among them, there is a display device that can receive information similar to that when a normal button is pressed with a finger or the like by touching various buttons displayed on the display with a finger or the like. Since this technology enables the common use of the display and buttons, it brings great benefits such as space saving and a reduction in the number of parts.

  There are various types of touch panels for detecting contact with a finger or the like, and a capacitive type is widely used as a device that requires multipoint detection, such as a smartphone ( For example, see Patent Document 1). The capacitive touch panel includes, for example, a matrix-like electrode pattern in a detection surface, and detects a change in capacitance at a position touched by a finger or the like.

JP 2011-198207 A

  By the way, there are two types of capacitive touch panels, one that is attached to the display surface and the other that is built into the display. The former includes a type in which a sensor glass with an electrode pattern and a cover glass that forms a detection surface are bonded together (a bonded touch panel), and a type in which the sensor glass also serves as a cover glass. (Combined type touch panel). In the bonded touch panel, the sensor glass and the cover glass are different in size, so there is a step at the end, and the step becomes a structural restriction when the touch panel is incorporated into an electronic device. There was a problem.

  In addition, a double-sided tape for attaching a touch panel to a housing or the like is usually provided at the stepped portion. However, when actually providing a double-sided tape, for example, a bonding error when the sensor glass is bonded to the cover glass or an adhesive that protrudes when the sensor glass is bonded to the cover glass is taken into consideration. There is a need. For this reason, the space for providing the double-sided tape is widened in consideration of them, and the narrowing of the frame is prevented. On the other hand, since the dual-purpose touch panel has no step at the end, there is no structural limitation as described above. In addition, when a double-sided tape is provided on the edge of the sensor glass, it is not necessary to consider a bonding error or an adhesive sticking out, so that it is easy to make a narrow frame. Moreover, there is an advantage that the sensor glass becomes thin as much as the cover glass serves as the cover glass.

  However, in the dual type touch panel, the sensor glass itself needs to be tempered glass because the sensor glass also serves as the cover glass. When the sensor glass itself is tempered glass, there are the following problems. That is, the tempered glass used for the touch panel is manufactured by a method called a chemical tempering method, for example, by immersing soda lime glass in a heated potassium nitrate molten salt. The tempered glass produced by the chemical tempering treatment has a very strong strength in an unprocessed state. However, if etching is performed after the chemical strengthening treatment, unstrengthened glass is exposed in the etched portion. Therefore, if stress is applied to that portion, cracks and cracks are likely to occur even in the case of tempered glass. The sensor glass used for the combined type touch panel is cut out by forming a large number of electrode patterns on the surface of the chemically strengthened large plate glass and then dicing the large plate glass for each electrode pattern. Therefore, since the end surface of the sensor glass is in an unstrengthened state, for example, there is a problem that the strength in a four-point bending state in which stress is applied to the edge portion of the sensor glass is lowered.

  The present technology has been made in view of such problems, and its purpose is to provide a touch panel capable of increasing strength while enjoying the advantages of a combined type such as a narrow frame and a thin shape, and a manufacturing method thereof, and Another object of the present invention is to provide a display device and an electronic device provided with a simple touch panel.

The touch panel of the present technology includes a cover substrate and a sensor substrate. The entire surface of the cover substrate is subjected to a chemical strengthening process, and has a recess on the lower surface. The sensor substrate has a sensor electrode on the upper surface or the lower surface of the support substrate and is accommodated in the recess. The support substrate is disposed with a gap between the inner surface of the recess. The lower surface of the cover substrate and the lower surface of the support substrate are arranged in the same or substantially the same plane.

  The display device of the present technology includes a video generation device that generates video, a touch panel disposed on a surface of the video generation device, and a control device that controls the video generation device and the touch panel. The touch panel included in the display device of the present technology has the same components as the above touch panel.

  An electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes the display device described above.

The manufacturing method of the touch panel of this technique includes the following two processes.
The cover substrate having a concave portion (A) under surface, a first step (B) the supporting substrate to chemical strengthening treatment over the entire surface and arranged with a gap between the inner surface of the concave portion, the lower surface of the cover substrate When the lower surface of the support substrate are the same or to be substantially the same plane, a second step of accommodating the sensor substrate, the recess having an upper surface or lower surface to the sensor electrode of the support substrate

  In the touch panel, the manufacturing method thereof, the display device, and the electronic device of the present technology, the sensor substrate is accommodated in the concave portion of the cover substrate. Thereby, when providing, for example, a double-sided tape on the edge of the sensor glass, it is not necessary to consider a bonding error or an adhesive sticking out. In addition, since the sensor substrate is accommodated in the concave portion of the cover substrate, it can be made thinner than when the two substrates are simply overlapped. Furthermore, in the present technology, the cover substrate is subjected to a chemical strengthening process over the entire surface. Thereby, it is possible to maintain high strength while being thin.

  According to the touch panel of the present technology, the manufacturing method thereof, the display device, and the electronic device, the sensor substrate is accommodated in the concave portion of the cover substrate that has been subjected to the chemical strengthening treatment, and thus, the advantages of the combined use such as the narrow frame and the thin shape are enjoyed. However, the strength can be increased.

It is a figure for demonstrating the operation principle of the touch detection system used with the display apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this technique, and is a figure which shows the state at the time of non-contact. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement principle of the touch detection system used with the display apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this technique, and is a figure which shows an example of the drive signal of a touch sensor, and the waveform of a detection signal. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of operation of the touch detection system used with the display apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this technique, and is a figure which shows the state at the time of a finger contact. It is a figure which shows an example of the cross-sectional structure of the display apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this technique. It is a figure which shows an example of a cross-sectional structure when the display apparatus of FIG. 4 is a liquid crystal display device. It is a figure which shows the other example of a cross-sectional structure when the display apparatus of FIG. 4 is a liquid crystal display device. It is a figure which shows an example of the cross-sectional structure of the touch panel of FIG. It is a figure which shows the other example of a cross-sectional structure of the touch panel of FIG. It is a figure explaining an example of the manufacturing method of the touch panel of FIG. 7 or FIG. It is a figure explaining the process following FIG. It is a figure explaining the process following FIG. It is a figure explaining the process following FIG. It is a figure explaining the other example of the manufacturing method of the touch panel of FIG. 7 or FIG. It is a figure explaining the process following FIG. It is a figure explaining the process following FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of schematic structure of the electronic device which concerns on one application example.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The description will be given in the following order.

1. 1. Basic principle of touch detection method Embodiment 3. FIG. Modified example 4. Application examples

<1. Basic principle of touch detection method>
First, the basic principle of the touch detection method used in the display device of the following embodiment will be described. This touch detection method is embodied as a capacitive touch sensor. FIG. 1A schematically shows the touch sensor described above. FIG. 1B illustrates an equivalent circuit of the touch sensor in FIG. 1A and a peripheral circuit connected to the touch sensor. This touch sensor includes a dielectric 101 and a pair of electrodes 102 and 103 arranged to face each other with the dielectric 101 interposed therebetween. In an equivalent circuit, as shown in FIG. It is represented by element 104.

  One end (electrode 102) of the capacitive element 104 is connected to the AC signal source 105. The other end (electrode 103) of the capacitor 104 is connected to the voltage detection circuit 106 and further connected to the reference potential line 108 via the resistor 107. The AC signal source 105 outputs an AC rectangular wave Sg having a predetermined frequency (for example, about several kHz to several tens of kHz). The voltage detection circuit 106 detects the peak value of the input signal, and further determines whether or not the finger touches the touch sensor based on the detected voltage. For example, the reference potential line 108 is electrically connected to a member (for example, a ground layer of a printed circuit board or a conductive casing) that supplies a potential that is a reference of circuit operation in a device on which a touch sensor is mounted. When connected to the member, it has the same potential (reference potential) as that member. The reference potential is, for example, a ground potential.

  In this touch sensor, when an AC rectangular wave Sg (FIG. 2B) is applied from the AC signal source 105 to the electrode 102, an output waveform (detection signal Vdet) as shown in FIG. ) Appears.

  In a state where an object such as a finger is not in contact with the touch sensor (FIG. 1A), as shown in FIG. 1B, the capacitance value of the capacitive element 104 is increased as the capacitive element 104 is charged / discharged. A corresponding current I0 flows. The potential waveform on the electrode 103 side of the capacitor 104 at this time is, for example, a waveform V 0 in FIG. 2A, which is detected by the voltage detection circuit 106.

  On the other hand, in a state where an object such as a finger is in contact with the touch sensor (FIG. 3A), the capacitor 109 formed by the object such as a finger is changed to the capacitor 104 as illustrated in FIG. Added in series. In this state, currents I1 and I2 flow in accordance with charging / discharging of the capacitive elements 104 and 109, respectively. At this time, the potential waveform at the electrode 103 becomes, for example, a waveform V1 in FIG. 2A, which is detected by the voltage detection circuit 106. The potential of the electrode 103 is a divided potential determined by the values of the currents I1 and I2 flowing through the capacitive elements 104 and 109. For this reason, the waveform V1 is smaller than the waveform V0 in the non-contact state. Thereafter, the voltage detection circuit 106 compares the detection voltage with a predetermined threshold voltage Vth. When the detection voltage is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vth, it is determined as a non-contact state. When the detection voltage is higher than the threshold voltage Vth, the contact state is determined. To be judged. In this way, touch detection is performed. In the display device of the following embodiment, a detection method different from the above may be used.

<2. Embodiment>
[Constitution]
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a cross-sectional configuration of the display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present technology. The display device 1 is a display device with a touch sensor, and includes a video generation device 10, a capacitive touch panel 20, and a control device 30. The touch panel 20 is formed separately from the video generation device 10 and is disposed on the surface of the video generation device 10. The control device 30 controls the video generation device 10 and the touch panel 20. Specifically, the control device 30 drives the video generation device 10 based on a video signal input from the outside, and further drives the touch panel 20 and outputs a signal corresponding to the detection signal of the touch panel 20 to the outside. It is like that.

  The video generation device 10 generates a video based on a signal input from the control device 30. The video generation device 10 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a cross-sectional configuration of the display device 1 when the video generation device 10 is a liquid crystal display device. FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of the cross-sectional configuration of the display device 1 of FIG. The display device 1 includes a video generation device 10 having a display panel 11 and a backlight 12, a touch panel 20 disposed on the upper surface of the display panel 11, and a housing 40 that supports and protects the video generation device 10 and the touch panel 20. It has. In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the description of the control device 30 is omitted.

(Video generation device 10)
The display panel 11 is a liquid crystal display panel that generates an image by transmitting and modulating incident light by changing the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules. The backlight 12 is a light source that illuminates the display panel 11 from behind. Note that the video generation device 10 does not always need to be a liquid crystal display device, and may be, for example, an organic EL display device that generates an image by causing an organic EL element to emit light.

(Touch panel 20)
The touch panel 20 is used to input information by touching the image display surface (detection surface of the touch panel 20) 1A of the display device 1 with a finger or the like. The touch panel 20 corresponds to, for example, a specific example of the capacitive touch sensor described above, and detects contact / non-contact with a detection surface such as a finger by an XY (matrix) matrix. . For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the touch panel 20 is bonded to the surface of a part of the housing 40 (a support portion 42 </ b> B described later) via a fixed layer 52. The fixed layer 52 is made of, for example, an adhesive layer or an adhesive layer. Note that the touch panel 20 may be bonded to the surface of the video generation device 10 via the fixed layer 53, for example, as illustrated in FIG. The fixed layer 53 is made of, for example, an adhesive layer or an adhesive layer.

  7A and 7B illustrate an example of a cross-sectional configuration of the touch panel 20. 8A and 8B illustrate another example of the cross-sectional configuration of the touch panel 20. 7A and 7B, the attachment positions of the fixing layer 54 that fixes the touch panel 20 to the housing 40 or the video generation device 10 are different from each other. Similarly, in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the attachment positions of the fixing layer 54 that fixes the touch panel 20 to the housing 40 or the video generation device 10 are different from each other. The fixed layer 54 corresponds to an example of the fixed layer 52 or the fixed layer 53 described above. Note that the touch panel 20 shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B is not always used as the touch panel 20 shown in FIGS. It may be used as a touch sensor in the device.

  The touch panel 20 includes a sensor substrate 21, a cover substrate 22, and a fixing layer 23 that fixes them together. The cover substrate 22 has a recess 22A on the lower surface. The lower surface of the cover substrate 22 refers to the surface opposite to the image display surface 1A when the image display surface 1A side is the upper surface. The in-plane width of the recess 22 </ b> A is large enough to accommodate the sensor substrate 21. The depth of the recess 22A is such that when the sensor substrate 21 is accommodated in the recess 22A, the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 and the lower surface of the support substrate 21A (described later) of the sensor substrate 21 are in the same or substantially the same plane. It is deep. The depth of the recess 22A is such that the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 and the lower surface of a support substrate 21A (described later) of the sensor substrate 21 are in the same or substantially the same plane in consideration of the thickness of the fixed layer 23. It is preferable that the depth is deep.

  The cover substrate 22 is made of tempered glass whose entire surface is chemically strengthened. That is, not only the upper surface and the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 but also the inner surface of the recess 22 </ b> A and the side surface of the cover substrate 22 are chemically strengthened. Here, the chemical strengthening treatment refers to, for example, a chemical surface treatment in which soda lime glass is immersed in a heated potassium nitrate molten salt.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B, the sensor substrate 21 has a sensor electrode 21B on the upper surface or the lower surface of the support substrate 21A. The sensor electrode 21B is for detecting contact / non-contact with a detection surface (image display surface 1A) such as a finger, and is composed of a plurality of electrodes. The sensor electrode 21B is made of a light-transmitting conductive material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide). The support substrate 21A is made of an insulating and light transmissive member, and is made of, for example, a glass substrate or an insulating and light transmissive resin film. From the viewpoint of reinforcing the strength of the entire touch panel 20, the support substrate 21 </ b> A is preferably made of a glass substrate, and may be made of tempered glass in which at least a part of the surface is chemically strengthened.

  The sensor substrate 21 is accommodated in the recess 22A of the cover substrate 22, and is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess 22A by, for example, a fixing layer 23 provided on the bottom surface of the recess 22A. The lower surface of the support substrate 21A and the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 are preferably disposed in the same or substantially the same plane. In that case, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 8A, the fixing layer 54 is not only on the periphery of the recess 22A in the lower surface of the cover substrate 22, but also on the outer edge of the lower surface of the cover substrate 22. Can be pasted together. When the fixing layer 54 is bonded to the outer edge of the lower surface of the cover substrate 22, the width around the recess 22 </ b> A on the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 can be reduced. Even if the lower surface of the support substrate 21A and the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 are arranged in the same or substantially the same plane, the fixing layer 54 is formed around the recess 22A in the lower surface of the cover substrate 22. You may stick together.

(Case 40)
The housing 40 includes, for example, a pedestal part 41 and a frame part 42. The pedestal portion 41 and the frame portion 42 are fixed to each other by screws or the like. The pedestal portion 41 is a container that houses the backlight 12. The pedestal portion 41 includes, for example, a bottom plate disposed at a position facing the lower surface of the backlight 12, and a wall plate facing the side surface of the backlight 12 and standing on the edge of the bottom plate. Yes. The wall plate of the pedestal portion 41 is disposed between the side surface of the backlight 12 and the frame portion 42, and is in contact with the side surface of the frame portion 42. Further, the upper end of the wall plate of the pedestal portion 41 is in contact with the frame portion 42. That is, the pedestal portion 41 supports the frame portion 42 at the upper end of the wall plate of the pedestal portion 41.

  The frame portion 42 is a side housing and is called a so-called bezel. The frame part 42 is arrange | positioned in the position facing the side surface of the base part 41, the side surface of the display panel 11, and the side surface of the touch panel 20, for example. The frame part 42 has a support part 42 </ b> A at a position facing the edge of the lower surface of the display panel 11. The upper surface of the support portion 42 </ b> A is in contact with the lower surface of the display panel 11 through the fixed layer 51. The frame part 42 further has a support part 42 </ b> B at a position facing the edge of the lower surface of the touch panel 20. The upper surface of the support portion 42 </ b> B is in contact with the lower surface of the touch panel 20 through the fixed layer 52. Note that the housing 40 may have a configuration different from the above as long as it can support the display panel 11 and the touch panel 20.

[Production method]
Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the touch panel 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a large glass plate 220 having a large area for cutting out the cover substrate 22 is prepared (see FIG. 9A). Next, a mask 300 having an opening 300A corresponding to the region where the recess 22A is to be formed and a covering portion 300B covering the other region is formed on the surface of the large glass plate 220 (FIG. 9). (A)). Subsequently, by wet etching (chemical etching), a portion of the large plate glass 220 exposed in the opening 300A is selectively removed to form a plurality of recesses 22A on the surface of the large plate glass 220 (FIG. 9 ( B)). Thereafter, the mask 300 is removed.

  Next, a mask 310 having a plurality of covering portions 310B having a size corresponding to the size of the cover substrate 22 and having openings 310A extending in a matrix shape in the other regions is formed in the concave portion of the large plate glass 220. It is formed on the surface where 22A is formed (FIG. 10A). Further, the mask 320 having the covering portion 320B in the region facing the covering portion 310B and having the opening 320A in the region facing the opening 310A is opposite to the surface of the large glass glass 220 where the recess 22A is formed. It forms on the surface of the side (FIG. 10 (A)). Subsequently, by wet etching (chemical etching), a portion of the large plate glass 220 exposed in the openings 310A and 320A (a portion of the large plate glass 220 where the recess 22A is not formed) is selectively removed, A matrix-like groove 22B is formed in the large plate glass 220 (FIG. 10B), and further, the large plate glass 220 is separated into a large number of glass pieces 221 by further etching (FIG. 11). Then, after removing the masks 310 and 320, the above-described chemical strengthening treatment is performed on the glass piece 221 over the entire surface. In this way, the cover substrate 22 is completed.

  Next, the sensor substrate 21 is prepared. Next, the sensor substrate 21 is accommodated in the recess 22A via a fixing layer 23D that can fix the cover substrate 22 and the sensor substrate 21 subjected to the chemical strengthening process to each other (FIG. 12). At this time, the sensor substrate 21 is preferably accommodated in the recess 22A so that the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 and the lower surface of the sensor substrate 21 (the lower surface of the support substrate 21A) are in the same or substantially the same plane. Subsequently, the sensor substrate 21 is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess 22A by solidifying the fixing layer 23D. In this way, the touch panel 20 is completed.

[Operation]
Next, an example of the operation in the display device 1 of the present embodiment will be described. First, for example, when the display device 1 is turned on, the control device 30 starts the operation of the touch panel 20. First, the control device 30 selects one or a plurality of electrodes included in the sensor electrode 21B, and applies an AC signal to the selected electrodes. At this time, assuming that a finger or the like is in contact with the detection surface, the control device 30 detects a change in capacitance generated in the sensor electrode 21B due to the contact with the detection surface such as a finger as a change in output voltage. The control device 30 derives contact coordinates such as a finger based on information on the detected output voltage (or change in output voltage). The control device 30 outputs the derived information about the contact coordinates such as a finger to the outside.

[effect]
Next, effects of the display device 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to a comparative example.

  In a bonded touch panel, the sensor glass and the cover glass usually have different sizes. Therefore, there is a step at the end of the touch panel, and the step can be a structural limitation when the touch panel is incorporated into an electronic device. In addition, a double-sided tape for attaching a touch panel to a housing or the like is usually provided at the stepped portion. However, when actually providing a double-sided tape, for example, a bonding error when the sensor glass is bonded to the cover glass or an adhesive that protrudes when the sensor glass is bonded to the cover glass is taken into consideration. There is a need. For this reason, the space for providing the double-sided tape is widened by taking the above into consideration, and the narrowing of the frame is prevented. On the other hand, since the dual-purpose touch panel has no step at the end of the touch panel, there is no structural limitation as described above. In addition, when a double-sided tape is provided on the edge of the sensor glass, it is not necessary to consider a bonding error or an adhesive sticking out, so that it is easy to make a narrow frame. Moreover, there is an advantage that the sensor glass becomes thin as much as the cover glass serves as the cover glass.

  However, in the dual type touch panel, the sensor glass itself needs to be tempered glass because the sensor glass also serves as the cover glass. However, a sensor glass used for a combined type touch panel is usually cut out by dicing the large plate glass into electrode patterns after forming a large number of electrode patterns on the surface of the chemically strengthened large plate glass. Therefore, since the end surface of the sensor glass is in an unstrengthened state, for example, the strength in a four-point bending state in which stress is applied to the edge portion of the sensor glass decreases.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the sensor substrate 21 is accommodated in the recess 22 </ b> A of the cover substrate 22. Thereby, when the fixing layer 54 is provided at the end of the touch panel 20, it is not necessary to consider a bonding error or an adhesive protrusion, and thus it is easy to make a narrow frame. In addition, since the sensor substrate 21 is accommodated in the recess 22A of the cover substrate 22, the thickness can be made thinner than when the two substrates are simply overlapped. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the cover substrate 22 is chemically strengthened over the entire surface. Thereby, it is possible to maintain high strength while being thin. From the above, in this embodiment, it is possible to increase the strength while enjoying the advantages of the combined type such as a narrow frame and a thin shape.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the lower surface of the support substrate 21A and the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 are arranged in the same or substantially the same plane, as in the dual-purpose touch panel, one flat plate Since it becomes a board, there is no structural restriction when the touch panel 20 is incorporated into an electronic device. In this case, the fixing layer 54 can be bonded not only to the periphery of the recess 22A in the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 but also to the outer edge of the lower surface of the cover substrate 22, so The peripheral width can be narrowed. As a result, the touch panel 20 can be narrowed.

<3. Modification>
While the present technology has been described with reference to the embodiment, the present technology is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

  For example, the touch panel 20 can be manufactured by a method different from the manufacturing method shown in the above embodiment. Below, the manufacturing method is demonstrated, referring FIG.13, FIG.14 and FIG.15.

  First, a large glass plate 220 having a large area for cutting out the cover substrate 22 is prepared (see FIG. 13A). Next, a mask 310 having a plurality of covering portions 310B having a size corresponding to the size of the cover substrate 22 and having openings 310A extending in a matrix shape in other regions is provided on one side of the large plate glass 220. A surface is formed (FIG. 13A). Further, a mask 320 having a covering portion 320B in a region facing the covering portion 310B and having an opening portion 320A in a region facing the opening portion 310A is formed on the other surface of the large glass plate 220 (FIG. 13A). ). Subsequently, by wet etching (chemical etching), portions of the large plate glass 220 exposed in the openings 310A and 320A are selectively removed to form matrix-like grooves 22B in the large plate glass 220 (FIG. 13 ( B)) Further, the large glass 220 is separated into a large number of glass pieces 222 of a predetermined size by further etching (FIG. 14). Thereafter, the masks 310 and 320 are removed.

  Next, a mask 330 having an opening 330A corresponding to the region where the recess 22A is to be formed and having a covering portion 330B covering the other region is formed on the surface of the glass piece 222 (FIG. 15). (A)). Subsequently, a portion of the glass piece 222 exposed in the opening 330A is selectively removed by wet etching (chemical etching) to form a recess 22A in the glass piece 222 (FIG. 15B).

  Thereafter, the mask 330 is removed and the glass piece 222 is subjected to the above-described chemical strengthening process. In this way, the cover substrate 22 is completed.

  Next, the sensor substrate 21 is prepared. Next, the sensor substrate 21 is accommodated in the recess 22A via a fixing layer 23D that can fix the cover substrate 22 and the sensor substrate 21 subjected to the chemical strengthening process to each other (FIG. 12). At this time, the sensor substrate 21 is preferably accommodated in the recess 22A so that the lower surface of the cover substrate 22 and the lower surface of the sensor substrate 21 (the lower surface of the support substrate 21A) are in the same or substantially the same plane. Subsequently, the sensor substrate 21 is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess 22A by solidifying the fixing layer 23D. In this way, the touch panel 20 is completed.

<4. Application example>
Next, an application example of the display device 1 according to the above-described embodiment and its modification will be described. FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the electronic device 100 according to the application example. The electronic device 100 is a mobile phone, and includes, for example, a main body 111 and a display body 112 that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body 111, as shown in FIG. The main body 111 has operation buttons 115 and a transmitter 116. The display body unit 112 includes a display device 113 and a receiver unit 117. The display device 113 displays various displays related to telephone communication on the display screen 114 of the display device 113. Electronic device 100 includes a control unit (not shown) for controlling the operation of display device 113. This control unit is provided inside the main body 111 or the display body 112 as a part of the control unit that controls the entire electronic device 100 or separately from the control unit.

  The display device 113 has the same configuration as the display device 1 according to the above-described embodiment and its modification. Thereby, since the frame of the display device 1 can be narrowed, the video display surface can be widened or the electronic device 100 can be downsized by the amount that the frame of the display device 1 is narrowed.

  Note that electronic devices to which the display device 1 according to the above-described embodiment and its modifications can be applied include personal computers, liquid crystal televisions, viewfinder types, or monitor direct-view types in addition to the cellular phones described above. Examples include a video tape recorder, a car navigation device, a pager, an electronic notebook, a calculator, a word processor, a workstation, a video phone, and a POS terminal.

For example, this technique can take the following composition.
(1)
A cover substrate having a recess on the lower surface and the entire surface being chemically strengthened;
A touch panel having a sensor electrode on an upper surface or a lower surface of a support substrate and a sensor substrate housed in the recess.
(2)
The touch panel according to (1), wherein the lower surface of the cover substrate and the lower surface of the support substrate are disposed in the same or substantially the same plane.
(3)
A video generation device for generating video;
A touch panel disposed on a surface of the video generation device;
A control device for controlling the video generation device and the touch panel;
The touch panel
A cover substrate having a recess on the lower surface;
A display device having a sensor electrode on an upper surface or a lower surface of a support substrate and a sensor substrate housed in the recess.
(4)
A display device,
The display device
A video generation device for generating video;
A touch panel disposed on a surface of the video generation device;
A control device for controlling the video generation device and the touch panel;
The touch panel
A cover substrate having a recess on the lower surface;
An electronic apparatus having a sensor electrode on an upper surface or a lower surface of a support substrate and a sensor substrate housed in the recess.
(5)
A first step of chemically strengthening the cover substrate having a recess on the surface over the entire surface;
A second step of accommodating a sensor substrate having a sensor electrode on an upper surface or a lower surface of a support substrate in the recess through a fixing layer that fixes the cover substrate and the sensor substrate that have been chemically strengthened to each other. Manufacturing method.
(6)
In the second step, the sensor substrate is accommodated in the recess so that the lower surface of the cover substrate and the lower surface of the support substrate are in the same or substantially the same plane. Production method.
(7)
In the first step, after forming a plurality of recesses on the surface of the large plate glass, the cover substrate is formed by separating an unformed portion of the recess in the large plate glass, and then the cover substrate is formed on the surface. The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to (5) or (6), wherein chemical strengthening treatment is performed throughout.
(8)
In the first step, after separating the large glass pieces into glass pieces of a predetermined size, the cover substrate is formed by forming a recess on the surface, and then the cover substrate is chemically strengthened over the entire surface. The touch panel manufacturing method according to (5) or (6).

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Display apparatus, 1A ... Video display surface, 10 ... Video production | generation apparatus, 11 ... Display panel, 12 ... Backlight, 20 ... Touch panel, 21 ... Sensor substrate, 21A ... Support substrate, 21B ... Sensor electrode, 22 ... Cover substrate , 22A ... recess, 22B ... groove, 23, 23D, 51, 52, 53, 54 ... fixed layer, 30 ... control device, 40 ... housing, 41 ... pedestal part, 42 ... frame part, 42A, 42B ... support part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Electronic device 101 ... Dielectric material 102, 103 ... Electrode 104, 109 ... Capacitor element 105 ... AC signal source 106 ... Voltage detection circuit 107 ... Resistance 108 ... Reference potential line 111 ... Main part , 112 ... Display body part, 113 ... Display device, 114 ... Display screen, 115 ... Operation button, 116 ... Transmission part, 117 ... Reception part, 220 ... Large plate glass, 221 and 222 ... Glass piece 300, 310, 320, 330 ... Mask, 300A, 310A, 320A, 330A ... Opening, 300B, 310B, 320B, 330B ... Cover, I0, I1, I2 ... Current, Sg ... AC rectangular wave, Vdet ... Detection signal , V0, V1 ... waveform, Vth ... threshold voltage.

Claims (7)

A cover substrate having a recess on the lower surface and the entire surface being chemically strengthened;
A sensor substrate having a sensor electrode on the upper surface or the lower surface of the support substrate and housed in the recess ,
The support substrate is arranged with a gap between the inner surface of the recess,
A touch panel in which a lower surface of the cover substrate and a lower surface of the support substrate are arranged in the same or substantially the same plane .   The lower surface of the support substrate and the lower surface of the cover substrate are fixed by a fixing layer.
  The touch panel according to claim 1. A video generation device for generating video;
A touch panel disposed on a surface of the video generation device;
A control device for controlling the video generation device and the touch panel;
The touch panel
A cover substrate having a recess on the lower surface;
It has a top surface or bottom surface to the sensor electrode of the support substrate, and possess a sensor substrate accommodated in the recess,
The support substrate is arranged with a gap between the inner surface of the recess,
The display device in which the lower surface of the cover substrate and the lower surface of the support substrate are arranged in the same or substantially the same plane . A display device,
The display device
A video generation device for generating video;
A touch panel disposed on a surface of the video generation device;
A control device for controlling the video generation device and the touch panel;
The touch panel
A cover substrate having a recess on the lower surface;
It has a top surface or bottom surface to the sensor electrode of the support substrate, and possess a sensor substrate accommodated in the recess,
The support substrate is arranged with a gap between the inner surface of the recess,
An electronic apparatus in which a lower surface of the cover substrate and a lower surface of the support substrate are disposed in the same or substantially the same plane . The cover substrate having a recess on the lower surface, a first step of chemical strengthening treatment over the entire surface,
The support substrate is disposed with a gap between the inner surface of the recess and the lower surface of the cover substrate and the lower surface of the support substrate are in the same or substantially the same plane. method for producing a touch panel including a sensor substrate having a sensor electrode on the upper surface or the lower surface, and a second step of accommodating before Symbol recess. In the first step, after forming a plurality of the recesses in the surface of a large glass sheet, said cover substrate is formed by separating the unformed portion of the recess of the large plate glass, thereafter, the cover substrate, The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the entire surface is chemically strengthened. In the first step, after separating a large glass sheet into a predetermined size glass piece, the cover substrate is formed by forming the recesses in the surface, then the cover substrate, over the entire surface chemistry The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein the strengthening process is performed.

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