JP5928689B2 - Touch panel member, coordinate detection device, and touch panel member manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel member, a coordinate detection device, and a method for manufacturing a touch panel member.

  In recent years, coordinate detection devices called so-called touch panels have been increasingly used in various technical fields such as portable devices such as mobile phones and portable music players, screens of vending machines and personal computers.

  The coordinate detection device has an operation area and a non-operation area on a transparent substrate, and can detect a coordinate position by a contact operation on the operation area or an operation close to contact. There are various detection methods such as a capacitance method, a resistance film method, an optical method, and an ultrasonic surface elasticity method, and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose of use, the type of device to be mounted, and the like. In particular, a coordinate detection apparatus using a touch panel member including an electrode on a transparent substrate, such as a capacitance method and a resistance film method, has a wide range of uses.

  An electrode for a touch panel is generally formed of a transparent conductive material mainly because it is provided in an operation region. For example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), AZO (Aluminum Zinc). A transparent conductive film such as Oxide) is widely used. As an electrode pattern widely used as a touch panel electrode, for example, a laminated electrode pattern shown in the touch panel member 100 shown in FIG. 9 is well known. In the touch panel member 100 shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of first transparent pad portions 102 arranged in the y-axis direction are formed on a base material 101, and between the first transparent pad portions 102 adjacent in the arrangement direction. Is provided with a first conductive portion 103 for conducting both. The first transparent pad portion 102 and the first conductive portion 103 form one first electrode portion 106. In FIG. 9, five first electrode portions 106 are provided in the x-axis direction. A plurality of second transparent pad portions 104 arranged in the x-axis direction having an insulating film (not shown) in a predetermined region are formed, and between the second transparent pad portions 104 adjacent in the arrangement direction. Is provided with a second conductive portion 105 for conducting both. A series of second transparent pad portions 104 and second conductive portions 105 form one second electrode portion 107. In FIG. 9, five second electrode portions 107 are provided in the y-axis direction. In addition, extraction wirings 108 and 109 that are electrically connected are provided at one end of the first electrode portion 106 and the second electrode portion 107, respectively. The first transparent pad portion 102, the first conductive portion 103, the second transparent pad portion 104, and the second conductive portion 105 are all formed of a transparent conductive material.

  In the electrode pattern shown in FIG. 9, the first electrode portion 106 and the second electrode portion 107 to be stacked intersect at the first conductive portion 103 and the second conductive portion 105, and the intersection of the stacked electrode portions is the same. The area of the part is small. Although an insulating film is provided between the first electrode portion 106 and the second electrode portion 107, the insulation reliability can be further improved by reducing the area of the intersection. However, in such an aspect, when considering the cross-sectional area when cut in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conductive direction of the electrode part, the conductive part has a smaller cross-sectional area than the transparent pad part, so the resistance in the conductive part inevitably. The problem was that the value would be high.

  On the other hand, a technique for improving the resistance value by forming at least a part of the conductive portion with a silver alloy or the like has been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, in a capacitive input device, a plurality of first transparent conductive films arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction on a transparent substrate, and the first transparent conductive film are electrically connected. A plurality of first electrode patterns composed of conductive members to be connected; a plurality of second transparent conductive films disposed adjacent to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction; An electrode for a touch panel is disclosed that includes a plurality of second electrode patterns that are formed continuously with the second transparent conductive film and are disposed at positions intersecting with the conductive member. (Hereinafter, also referred to as “Prior Art 1”). Prior art 1 reduces the resistance value of either the first electrode pattern or the second electrode pattern by forming the conductive member with a metal material having a smaller resistance value than the transparent conductive film, thereby reducing power consumption. There are attempts to reduce it. Patent Document 1 describes that silver, a silver alloy, copper, a copper alloy, MAM, or the like may be used as a metal material constituting the conductive member. Further, when forming a conductive member using these metal materials, in order to reduce the reflectance of the conductive member and make it difficult for the operator to visually recognize, the line width of the conductive member is set to a specified dimension, Alternatively, it has been proposed to employ a configuration in which metal layers and metal oxide layers are alternately stacked.

WO2010 / 15068

However, silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, MAM (Mo or Mo alloy / Al or Al alloy / Mo or Mo alloy, three layers, which have been tried to be used as a metal material for forming a conductive portion in the past. Each of the structural compounds has a problem, and improvement has been demanded.
That is, a silver alloy represented by silver / palladium / copper alloy (APC) or silver has high reflectivity and is visible to the operator even if the line width of the conductive portion is reduced within a range showing a sufficient resistance value. There was a risk of being done.
In addition, copper and copper alloys are preferable from the viewpoint of reflectivity in terms of reflectance, and are preferable in terms of lower member costs compared to silver, silver alloys, or MAM, but are not desirable for adhesion to transparent substrates and ITO, and for touch panels. In some cases, peeling may be found during the manufacturing process of the member, resulting in a problem of lowering the manufacturing yield.
MAM has good reflectivity and adhesion to a transparent substrate or ITO, but a three-layer structure has to be formed, which increases the formation process and increases manufacturing costs.

  As described above, an electrode in a conventional touch panel member is an electrode for a touch panel that employs an electrode pattern including a plurality of transparent pad portions aligned in one direction and a conductive portion that conducts electricity by connecting adjacent transparent pad portions. In the member, provision of the member for touchscreens provided with the improved electroconductive part was calculated | required.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and more specifically, is a conductive portion made of a metal material, has low reflectivity, suppresses visualization, and has good adhesion to a transparent substrate or ITO. In addition, the present invention proposes a touch panel member including a touch panel electrode having a conductive portion that can be formed in a single layer, a coordinate detection device using the touch panel member, and a method for manufacturing the touch panel member.

The present invention
(1) An operation area and a non-operation area are provided on a transparent substrate,
A touch panel electrode having a plurality of electrode portions is provided in the operation region,
The electrode portion includes a plurality of independent first transparent pad portions arranged with the first direction as an arrangement direction, and a first conductive portion for conducting between the first transparent pad portions adjacent in the first arrangement direction. A plurality of independent second transparent pad portions that are arranged with the second direction as the arrangement direction, and a second transparent pad portion that is adjacent in the second arrangement direction is electrically conductive. A second electrode portion configured to have a second conductive portion for,
Said the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, intersect in the above-described first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, the insulating film between said one conductivity portion and said second electroconductive portion Is provided,
At least one of the first conductive part and the second conductive part is a metal conductive part,
The metal conductive part includes copper and an additive metal other than copper, a metal concentration gradient region in which the concentration of copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the metal conductive part toward the inside, and the concentration of the additive metal decreases. A copper concentration region that is continuous with the metal concentration gradient region, the concentration of the added metal is minimized, and the copper concentration is higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region ,
Touch panel member, wherein Rukoto and the metal concentration gradient region and the copper-enriched region is not continuous in the monolayer,
(2) An operation area and a non-operation area are provided on the transparent substrate,
A touch panel electrode having a plurality of electrode portions is provided in the operation region,
The electrode portion includes a plurality of independent transparent pad portions that are aligned with the first direction as the arrangement direction, and a metal conductive portion that conducts between adjacent transparent pad portions in the arrangement direction. Including
The metal conductive part includes copper and an additive metal other than copper, a metal concentration gradient region in which the concentration of copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the metal conductive part toward the inside, and the concentration of the additive metal decreases. A copper concentration region that is continuous with the metal concentration gradient region, the concentration of the added metal is minimized, and the copper concentration is higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region ,
Touch panel member, wherein Rukoto and the metal concentration gradient region and the copper-enriched region is not continuous in the monolayer,
(3) A lead-out wiring that is electrically connected to the electrode portion is provided in the non-operation area,
(1) or (1) above, wherein the lead-out wiring includes the same metal as copper and an additive metal other than copper contained in the metal conductive portion, and includes the metal concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region. (2) The member for touchscreens in any one of
(4) An operation area and a non-operation area are provided on the transparent substrate,
A touch panel electrode having a plurality of electrode portions is provided in the operation region,
The electrode portion includes a plurality of independent first transparent pad portions having a first direction as an arrangement direction and a first conductive portion for conducting between first transparent pad portions adjacent in the first arrangement direction. A plurality of independent second transparent pad portions having the second direction as an arrangement direction, and a second transparent pad portion adjacent in the second arrangement direction for conducting electricity A second electrode part configured to have a second conductive part,
Said the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, intersect in the above-described first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, the insulating film between said one conductivity portion and said second electroconductive portion Is provided,
At least one of the first conductive part and the second conductive part is a metal conductive part,
The metal conductive part includes copper and an additive metal other than copper, a metal concentration gradient region in which the concentration of copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the metal conductive part toward the inside, and the concentration of the additive metal decreases. A copper high concentration region continuous with the metal concentration gradient region, wherein the concentration of the added metal is minimal, and the copper concentration is higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region, the metal concentration gradient region and the copper a member for a touch panel that are contiguous in the high density region is a single-layer,
A detection circuit for detecting the electrical signal when the position information where the contact operation is performed in the operation region of the touch panel member is output as an electrical signal;
A coordinate calculation operation circuit for calculating coordinates of a position where the contact operation is performed from an electrical signal detected by the detection circuit;
(5) In a method for manufacturing a member for a touch panel, which includes an operation area and a non-operation area on a transparent substrate, and includes an electrode for a touch panel having a plurality of electrode portions in the operation area.
A transparent pad portion forming step for forming a plurality of transparent pad portions that are aligned with a specified direction as an array direction;
A metal conductive part forming step of forming a metal conductive part for conducting between adjacent transparent pad parts in the arrangement direction;
Are performed in any order, and include a step of forming an electrode portion including a transparent pad portion and a metal conductive portion, and the metal conductive portion forming step is performed using a copper alloy material containing copper and an additive metal other than copper. A metal conductive part pattern is formed with a pattern, and then the metal conductive part pattern is subjected to heat treatment for transferring at least a part of the additive metal contained in the metal conductive part pattern to the outer peripheral surface side of the metal conductive part. The concentration of the copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the portion toward the inner side, and the concentration of the added metal decreases, and the concentration of the added metal continues to the metal concentration gradient region, and the concentration of the added metal is minimized. A member manufacturing method for a touch panel, wherein a copper high concentration region is formed in which a copper concentration is higher than a copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region;
(6) In the non-operation region, a lead-out wiring pattern is formed in a predetermined pattern using the same material as the copper alloy material used in the metal conductive portion forming step, and then the additive metal contained in the lead-out wiring pattern The copper concentration increases from the outer peripheral surface of the extraction wiring toward the inner direction by performing a heat treatment for transferring at least a part of the extraction wiring portion pattern to the outer peripheral surface side of the extraction wiring portion pattern, and the concentration of the additive metal A metal concentration gradient region in which the metal concentration decreases, and a lead-out wiring that forms a copper high concentration region that is continuous with the metal concentration gradient region and in which the concentration of added metal is minimal and the copper concentration is higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region The touch pad according to (5), further comprising a forming step, wherein the extraction wiring step and the metal conductive portion forming step are performed simultaneously. Le member manufacturing method,
Is a summary.

  The touch panel member of the present invention has a low reflectance at the metal conductive portion, and visibility from the operator is suppressed. In addition, the metal conductive portion has good adhesion to a transparent substrate and a conductive film such as ITO, and can exhibit a resistance value close to the resistance value of copper alone.

  Therefore, the coordinate device of the present invention using the above-mentioned member for a touch panel can provide excellent visibility by suppressing visualization of the metal conductive portion from the operator side. Further, good adhesion and excellent resistance value in the metal conductive part can be preferably reflected in the coordinate detection apparatus.

  Moreover, the member manufacturing method for touch panels of this invention uses a copper alloy material, forms a metal electroconductive part pattern, and then heat-processes, By carrying out heat processing, at least one part of the said additional metal contained in a metal electroconductive part pattern is carried out. The metal conductive portion can be completed by shifting to the outer peripheral surface side of the metal conductive portion.

It is a partial top view which shows one embodiment of the member for touchscreens of this invention. (A) is AA sectional drawing of FIG. 1, (B) is BB sectional drawing of FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an internal state of a first conductive unit 10. FIG. It is a partial top view which shows one embodiment of the member for touchscreens of this invention. (A) is AA sectional drawing of FIG. 4, (B) is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating one embodiment of the flow of operation | movement of the coordinate detection apparatus of this invention. It is process drawing in one embodiment of the member manufacturing method for touchscreens of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating one embodiment of the display apparatus with a touchscreen which mounted the member for touchscreens of this invention in the liquid crystal display device. It is a top view which shows the laminated electrode in the conventional member for touchscreens.

  Below, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated using drawing in order of the member for touchscreens, the example of the usage condition of the member for touchscreens, a coordinate detection apparatus, and the manufacturing method of the member for touchscreens. In the following drawings, for ease of illustration and ease of understanding, for the sake of convenience, the scale, vertical and horizontal dimensional ratios, and the like may be changed from actual numerical values.

Touch panel materials:
[Embodiment 1]
The member 1 for touch panels shown in FIG. 1 is a partial top view which shows one embodiment of the member for touch panels of this invention. The touch panel member 1 includes an operation region 3 and a non-operation region 4 which are partitioned by a broken line on one surface of the transparent substrate 2. The operation area is an area in the touch panel member where the user can detect the position where the user has performed the contact or the operation close to the contact by the operation by the contact operation or the operation close to the contact. This is a region where the first electrode portion 7 and the second electrode portion 8 are provided. On the other hand, the non-operation area 4 is an area that is not detected by contact. Generally, the non-operation area 4 is designed to be located around the operation area 3 and is generally used as a frame area. It is not limited to. The non-operation area 4 is provided with an extraction wiring 6 which is an arbitrary configuration in the present invention. The present invention excludes a mode in which a part of the lead-out wiring 6 enters the operation region 3 or a mode in which a part of the first electrode portion 7 and the second electrode portion 8 enters the non-operation region 4. However, it may be appropriately designed in consideration of visibility, usability, and the like.

The transparent base material 2 may be appropriately selected from base materials that can be used as a base material for a touch panel member. As a specific example, a light transmissive glass base material or a light transmissive base material made of a resin including concepts such as a sheet, a film, a plate, and a film can be used. By selecting the glass substrate, the strength of the touch panel member can be increased, and the setting range of manufacturing conditions such as heating temperature can be widened. On the other hand, by selecting a base material made of resin, the weight of the touch panel member can be reduced, and flexibility can be added to the touch panel member.
In the present invention, the terms “transparent” and “transparency” refer to transparency that does not hinder the operator of the touch panel member from seeing from the operation surface unless otherwise specified. Therefore, it includes colorless and transparent and colored transparency that does not hinder visibility, and is not appropriately controlled with a strict transmittance, and the degree of transparency can be determined according to the use of the touch panel member.

The touch panel member 1 includes a touch panel electrode including a plurality of first electrode portions 7 aligned in the x-axis direction and a plurality of second electrode portions 8 aligned in the y-axis direction. The first electrode portion 7 is a first electrode for conducting electrical conduction between a plurality of independent first transparent pad portions 9 having an arrangement direction in the y-axis direction and adjacent first transparent pad portions 9 in the arrangement direction in the y-axis direction. It has a conductive part 10. On the other hand, the second electrode portion 8 is provided for conducting between a plurality of independent second transparent pad portions 11 having the x-axis direction as an arrangement direction and the second transparent pad portions 11 adjacent in the arrangement direction in the x-axis direction. The second conductive portion 12 is configured. The first electrode portion 7 and the second electrode portion 8 intersect each other in top view in the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion 12, and at least the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion 12 An insulating film 13 that can insulate the first electrode portion 7 and the second electrode portion 8 is provided therebetween.
The first conductive part 10 and the second conductive part 12 are both formed in a thin line shape between the pad parts, whereas the first transparent pad part 9 and the second transparent pad part 11 are Both are formed in a bulging shape exceeding the line width of the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion 12. Thus, by making the pad portion bulge with respect to the conductive portion, it is possible to secure a larger sensing surface of the detection electrode, and the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion 12 that intersect each other. By forming a thin line shape, the crossing area can be reduced and the mutual insulation can be ensured more reliably.

  2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion 12 are formed through an insulating film 13, whereby the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion are formed. Insulation between the first electrode portion 7 and the second electrode portion 8 intersecting with the first electrode portion 7 is achieved. When attention is paid to the intersecting portion, the second conductive portion 12, the insulating film 13, and the first conductive portion 10 are laminated in this order from the transparent substrate 2 side in the touch panel member 1. However, the insulating film 13 provided on the member 1 for the touch panel is a case in which the first transparent pad portion 9 and the second electrode portion 8 in the plurality of first electrode portions 7 are substantially covered and widely provided. As shown in FIG. 2B, a conductive hole 14 is provided at an appropriate position of the insulating film 13 so that the first transparent pad portion 9 and the first conductive portion 10 can be electrically connected. The first transparent pad portion 9 and the first conductive portion 10 may be connected through the conductive hole 14. In addition, although the example which the 1st electrode part 7 and the 2nd electrode part 8 cross | intersect substantially perpendicularly was shown in FIG. 1, the crossing angle of the 1st electrode part 7 and the 2nd electrode part 8 remove | deviates from perpendicular | vertical. You may cross at any angle.

  The insulating film 13 can be formed by appropriately selecting a material or a member that does not hinder the light transmittance required for the touch panel member 1 and exhibits insulation properties. More specifically, a light-transmitting acrylic resin, siloxane resin, particularly photosensitive siloxane resin is preferably selected as a constituent material of the insulating film 13, but is not limited thereto. The thickness of the insulating layer 6 is not particularly limited, but is generally formed with a thickness of 0.5 μm or more and less than 3.0 μm. The formation method of the insulating film 13 is not particularly limited, but a transparent ultraviolet curable resin, a transparent thermosetting resin, or the like is appropriately selected as a forming material, and using this, an arbitrary method such as a spin coating method is used. The forming material may be applied to the substrate surface by the coating method, and then patterned by a photolithography method, or formed by a printing method such as screen printing, but is not limited thereto. . It is also possible to process a film or sheet that exhibits insulating properties, appropriate light transmission properties, and optical isotropy into a desired shape, and can be laminated on a predetermined substrate surface as an insulating film. .

  In Embodiment 1, the first transparent pad portion 9 and the second transparent pad portion 11 can be formed of a transparent conductive material having transparency, for example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), By forming a transparent conductive film such as AZO (Aluminium Zinc Oxide) at a predetermined position, the first transparent pad portion 9 and the second transparent pad portion 11 can be formed. The forming method is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be formed following various methods known as forming methods of a transparent conductive film such as a photolithography method, a spray pyrolysis method, and a sputtering method. The thickness of the first transparent pad portion 9 and the second transparent pad portion 11 in the normal direction with respect to the substrate surface is not particularly limited, but generally, the thickness of the device in which the touch panel member is used is also taken into consideration, and is about 10 to 200 nm. May be prepared.

  The second conductive portion 12 is provided between the second transparent pad portions 11 so that they can conduct electricity, and within a range that is difficult to be visually recognized by the operator of the touch panel member, the forming material and the formation thereof The method is not particularly limited. In general, when the second transparent pad portion 11 is formed using the same material as that of the second transparent pad portion 11, the second conductive portion 12 may also be formed in the same process. In FIG. 1, the second transparent pad portion 11 and the second conductive portion 12 are illustrated as being partitioned by lines, but the same material is used in this way, and the second transparent pad portion 11 and the second conductive portion 12 are formed in the same process. When the portion 12 is formed, both are substantially shown as a single transparent conductive film.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first transparent pad portion 9, the second transparent pad portion 11, and the second conductive portion 12 are all provided on the same surface on the transparent substrate 12, and these are the same. In the aspect formed from the material, the first transparent pad portion 9, the second transparent pad portion 11 and the second conductive portion 12 can be simultaneously formed in one manufacturing process, thereby shortening the manufacturing process. It is advantageous.

The 1st electroconductive part 10 is a metal electroconductive part formed including a metal. The first conductive portion 10 that is a metal conductive portion includes copper and an additive metal other than copper.
Copper is an inexpensive conductive metal having a low resistance value, and is preferably present as a main component of the constituent member of the first conductive portion 10. The first conductive portion 10 mainly composed of copper tends to have a low reflectance, and can exhibit a sufficiently low reflectance as compared with APC, which is a silver alloy that has been conventionally used as a conductive portion. Therefore, in the present invention in which the first conductive portion 10 made of an opaque metal member is formed in the operation region 3, it is excellent that the first conductive portion 10 is difficult to be visually recognized by the operator without providing an invisible layer or the like. Have a point. In Embodiment 1 that does not include an invisible layer, a step for laminating an additional layer is omitted, and the dimension in the thickness direction of the member can be kept small. However, the above is not intended to prohibit the provision of an invisible layer related to the first conductive portion 10 in Embodiment 1, but an invisible layer is provided in order to ensure thorough invisibility according to the specifications required for the touch panel member. May be. In any case, since the visibility of the first conductive portion 10 from the operator is suppressed, excellent visibility is provided.
On the other hand, the additive metal is other than copper and can be appropriately selected without departing from the spirit of the present invention, in particular, at least manganese, chromium, vanadium, titanium, molybdenum, indium, zinc and magnesium. By including any of them as an additive metal, a characteristic internal configuration of the first conductive portion 10 to be described later can be easily obtained, and as a result, excellent effects can be sufficiently exhibited, which is preferable. The content ratio of the copper and the additive metal other than copper in the first conductive portion 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably mainly copper as described above, and the total metal contained in the first conductive portion 10 is 100 at. %, The copper content is 90 at. % Or more 99.9 at. % And the added metal is 0.1 at. % Or more and 10 at. It is desirable to contain in the range below%. More preferably, 0.5 at. % Or more 4 at. It is desirable to contain in the range below%. The added metal was 0.1 at. % Or more, the metal concentration gradient layer 17 (see FIG. 3) is formed, and the excellent effects described later can be sufficiently exhibited. By suppressing the content of the additive metal to not more than%, a sufficient content of copper in the first conductive portion 10 can be secured, and an excellent resistance value is secured. In the metal conductive part according to the present invention including the first conductive part 10, the compounding ratio of copper and an additive metal other than copper was sampled from a touch panel member and collected by a general metal alloy analysis method. It can be measured by providing a metal conductive part. As a more specific example, there is a method of measuring a compounding ratio of copper and an additive metal other than copper contained in the metal conductive portion by performing a depth profile of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

  The first conductive portion 10 has a characteristic arrangement structure in which copper and an additive metal other than copper are not uniformly present in the inside thereof. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the internal state of a part of the first conductive portion 10 whose lower surface is in contact with the first transparent pad portion 9 and whose upper surface is exposed in order to explain the characteristic arrangement structure. As shown. In addition, the up-and-down here means the up-down direction determined by making the transparent base material 2 into the lower side in sectional drawing shown in FIG.

The first conductive portion 10 referred to in FIG. 3 includes a copper material 15 indicated by a white circle and an additive metal material 16 indicated by a black circle. The first conductive part 10 does not contain the copper material 15 and the additive metal material 16 evenly mixed, but the copper material 15 from the outer peripheral surface of the first conductive part 10 toward the inside. The metal concentration gradient region 17 in which the concentration of the additive metal material 16 decreases and the concentration of the additive metal material 16 are continuous, the concentration of the additive metal material 16 is minimized, and the concentration of the copper material 15 is the metal concentration. A copper high concentration region 18 having a higher concentration than the copper material 15 in the concentration gradient region 17 is provided. That is, the high copper concentration region 18 may be a region where the increasing tendency of the copper concentration from the outer peripheral surface to the inner direction shown in the metal concentration gradient region 17 is substantially finished and a high copper concentration is shown. The “minimum” concentration of the additive metal material 16 referred to herein is not limited to a limited numerical range, but indicates a concentration smaller than the concentration of the additive metal material 16 in the metal concentration gradient region 17. In the high copper concentration described above, 0 at. It shows that the addition metal material 16 is contained slightly exceeding%. From the viewpoint of improving the conductivity in the copper high concentration region 18, for example, the concentration of the additive metal material 16 in the copper high concentration region 18 is 1 at. % Or less, and further 0.1 at. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may vary depending on the total amount of the additive metal material 16 in the first conductive portion 10.
According to the above features, the first conductive portion 10 exhibits the following excellent effects. In other words, since the first conductive portion 10 has the copper high concentration region 18, at least the copper high concentration region 18 has a low resistance value and realizes good conduction. Since the copper high concentration region 18 is a region where the concentration of the additive metal material 16 is minimized in the first conductive portion 10, a resistance value close to that of the copper wiring can be shown.
Note that, as described above, the metal conductive portion in the touch panel member of the present invention includes a metal concentration gradient region and a copper high concentration region continuous to the metal concentration gradient region. The concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region are not composed of two layers having an interface, but are substantially recognized as a single layer, and a metal concentration gradient is observed inside the single layer. Means. Alternatively, the metal concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region are not two independent components adjacent to each other, but are substantially one component, and the metal concentration gradient is within the component. It means to be observed.

Although the conventional wiring made of a single copper has the advantages of low resistance and low cost, it has a problem that it is easily oxidized, that is, easily rusted. Also, wiring made of copper alone has insufficient adhesion to transparent substrates such as glass and films, and conductive films such as ITO, and when copper wiring is formed on transparent substrates and conductive films, Alternatively, the copper wiring may be peeled off after the formation, which has a problem of reducing the manufacturing yield. In addition, the wiring made of a copper alloy has a problem that it is easily oxidized like the wiring made of copper alone and has insufficient adhesion to the transparent base material and the conductive film, and also has a high resistance value. Therefore, it has been substantially disadvantageous or difficult to apply a wiring formed of copper alone or a copper alloy as a conductive portion in a touch panel member.
On the other hand, since the metal concentration gradient region 17 exists outside the copper high concentration region 18, the first conductive portion 10 can solve the problems of the above-described copper simple substance or wiring formed from a copper alloy. did.

That is, the closer the metal concentration gradient region 17 is to the outer peripheral surface of the first conductive portion 10, the higher the concentration of the additive metal material 16, thereby effectively oxidizing the copper material 15 concentrated in the copper high concentration region 18. It plays the role of preventing (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “antioxidation effect”). Here, the outer peripheral surface of the metal conductive portion in the present invention including the first conductive portion 10 means the entire side surface of the metal conductive portion or an arbitrary region on the side surface, and is in contact with another layer or configuration provided in the touch panel member. One or both of the exposed and exposed sides. Further, the presence of the metal concentration gradient region 17 between the first transparent pad portion 9 and the copper high concentration region 18 allows the first conductive portion 10 mainly composed of a copper material to adhere to the first transparent pad portion 9. (Hereinafter, also simply referred to as “adhesion improving effect”). The adhesion improving effect is similarly exhibited even when the first conductive portion 10 is formed on a transparent substrate. Therefore, in the manufacturing process after the first conductive portion 10 is formed, peeling from the first transparent pad portion 9 is unlikely to occur, and an improvement against a decrease in manufacturing yield is achieved.
The additive metal material 16 may be in the state of a simple metal or a metal oxide, or a simple metal and a metal oxide may be mixed, but most of the additive metal material 16 is a metal oxide. In particular, when the added metal material 16 is in the state of a metal oxide or substantially in the state of a metal oxide, the above antioxidant effect tends to be exhibited well.

  The first conductive portion 10 is advantageous in that it includes a metal concentration gradient region 17 and a copper high concentration region 18 in a single layer. That is, a wiring composed of a plurality of layers like a conventional MAM can exhibit excellent points such as low reflectance, but requires a plurality of forming steps for forming a plurality of layers, and the manufacturing cost is also low. There were problems such as a tendency to increase. In addition, although there is a technique that proposes to realize low reflection by laminating a metal oxide layer on a metal layer in a wiring structure, similarly, it requires a plurality of forming steps for forming a plurality of layers, and the manufacturing cost is also low. There were problems such as a tendency to increase. On the other hand, although the 1st electroconductive part 10 is provided with the metal concentration gradient area | region 17 and the copper high concentration area | region 18, since these exist in the inside of a single layer, the effort and cost which form multiple layers are unnecessary. . Therefore, the first conductive portion 10 according to the present invention has advantages in the manufacturing process as compared with a plurality of conductive portions such as MAM. Details of the formation method for forming the first conductive portion 10 as a single layer will be described later.

  Although the 1st electroconductive part 10 is not specifically limited about the thickness of a normal line direction with respect to a base-material surface, Generally, you may form in about 10 nm-500 nm. Further, the ratio of the thickness in the normal direction to the base material surface of the metal concentration gradient region 17 and the copper high concentration region 18 in the first conductive portion 10 is not particularly limited. However, in view of the fact that the first conductive portion 10 bears a part of the conductivity of the first electrode portion 7, the presence of the metal concentration gradient region 17 is within the range where the antioxidant effect and the adhesion improving effect can be obtained satisfactorily. The thickness of the copper high concentration region 18 is preferably large. For example, when the thickness of the metal concentration gradient region 17 on one side shown in FIG. 3 is 1, the thickness of the copper high concentration region 18 is 90 to 98. A ratio of about is desirable. When the concentration of the additive metal contained in the metal conductive portion is small, the thickness of the copper high concentration region can be increased. When the concentration of the additive metal contained in the metal conductive portion is 0.1 at% or less For example, the thickness of the metal concentration gradient region 17 may be 1, and the thickness of the copper high concentration region 18 may be a ratio exceeding 98. Also, the upper metal concentration gradient region 17 and the lower metal concentration gradient region 17 shown in FIG. 3 may have the same thickness or different thicknesses.

The lead-out wiring 6 is a wiring that enables electrical distribution between the first electrode portion 7 and the second electrode portion 8 constituting the touch panel electrode and an external circuit, and normally the current from the touch panel electrode is externally provided. It is provided as a wiring for taking out. Although not shown, an external circuit connection region having a size larger than the wiring width may be provided at the end of the extraction wiring 6 opposite to the operation region 3 side in order to connect to the external circuit.
Since the extraction wiring 6 is mainly formed in the non-operation area 4, the material for configuring the extraction wiring is a conductive material, and it does not matter whether or not it is light transmissive. Specifically, silver, gold, chromium, platinum, aluminum having high conductivity, or an alloy mainly composed of any of these can be exemplified. As the metal alloy, APC, that is, silver / palladium / copper alloy is generally used. Further, as the metal composite, MAM (Mo—Al—Mo, that is, a three-layer structure of molybdenum, aluminum, and molybdenum) can be used. In general, the method of forming the extraction wiring 6 can be a printing method such as screen printing or a photolithography method, but is not limited thereto. When the photolithography technique is adopted as a forming method, the lead-out wiring 6 can generally be formed to have a thickness of about 10 nm to 500 nm, and the width dimension can be generally set to about 5 μm to 200 μm. When formed by printing such as screen printing, the thickness can generally be about 5 μm to 20 μm, and the width dimension can be generally about 20 μm to 300 μm. However, the above description does not limit the wiring part in the present invention.

  As one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lead-out wiring 6 may be formed of the same material as that of the above-described first conductive portion 10 and the same layer configuration. In other words, the lead-out wiring 6 includes the same metal as copper and an additive metal other than copper contained in the first conductive portion 10 that is a metal conductive portion, and is configured to include a metal concentration gradient region 17 and a copper high concentration region 18. It may be. According to this, the excellent resistance value, the antioxidant effect, the adhesion improvement effect, the desirable cost performance, etc. exhibited in the first conductive portion 10 are also exhibited in the lead-out wiring 6, which is preferable. The lead-out wiring 6 and the first conductive part 10 can be formed by patterning in a single process using the same material, which can further contribute to shortening the manufacturing process and reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the detail of the manufacturing method which forms the extraction wiring 6 and the 1st electroconductive part 10 simultaneously is mentioned later.

[Embodiment 1 ']
The embodiment 1 ′ of the present invention is not specifically shown, but the second conductive portion is formed of a metal conductive portion in the same manner as the first conductive portion 10 instead of the second conductive portion 12 in the above-described first embodiment. It is the aspect of the member for touchscreens implemented similarly to the member 1 for touchscreens demonstrated using FIGS. 1-3 except providing the electroconductive part 12 '. That is, the second conductive portion 12 ′ in the embodiment 1 ′ of the present invention includes the same metal as copper and an additive metal other than copper contained in the first conductive portion 10, and the metal concentration gradient region 17 and the copper high concentration region 18. May be provided. According to this, since the outstanding resistance value, the antioxidant effect, the adhesive improvement effect, desirable cost performance, etc. which are exhibited in the first conductive part 10 are also exhibited in the second conductive part 12 ′, it is preferable. Although the reflectance is slightly higher than that of the second conductive portion 12 formed of the transparent conductive material, the reflectance can be sufficiently invisible to the operator as in the first conductive portion 10. By making both the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion 12 ′ a metal conductive portion, the resistance value in these conductive portions having a thin line shape can be sufficiently reduced. The reduction in power consumption is promoted. The insulating film 13 needs to be provided between the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion 12 ′ as in the first embodiment. Accordingly, the first conductive portion 10 and the second conductive portion 12 ′ cannot be formed at the same time in one step even though they are formed of the same material. Thus, for example, on the transparent substrate 2, first, the first transparent pad portion 9 and the second transparent pad portion 11 are simultaneously formed in one step, and then the second conductive portion 12 ′ is formed as a metal conductive portion, Next, the embodiment 1 ′ can be manufactured in the order of steps in which the insulating film 13 is provided and then the first conductive portion 10 is formed as a metal conductive portion. In Embodiment 1 ′, the lead-out wiring 6 may optionally be formed simultaneously with the same material as the conductive portion when forming either the first conductive portion 10 or the second conductive portion 12 ′.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 4 is a partial top view of the touch panel member 21 showing one embodiment of the touch panel member of the present invention. The touch panel member 21 is the same as the touch panel member 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that the operation region 3 and the non-operation region 4 are provided on one surface of the transparent substrate 2. Moreover, since the same thing as what was demonstrated in the member 1 for touchscreens can be used for the transparent base material 2, description is omitted here.

The touch panel member 21 includes a touch panel electrode including a plurality of first electrode portions 7 ′ aligned in the x-axis direction and a plurality of second electrode portions 8 ′ aligned in the y-axis direction. The first electrode portion 7 ′ is a first electrode for conducting electrical conduction between a plurality of independent first transparent pad portions 9 having the arrangement direction in the y-axis direction and the adjacent first transparent pad portions 9 in the arrangement direction in the y-axis direction. One conductive portion 10 ′ is included. On the other hand, the second electrode portion 8 ′ conducts electrical conduction between a plurality of independent second transparent pad portions 11 having the arrangement direction in the x-axis direction and the second transparent pad portions 11 adjacent in the arrangement direction in the x-axis direction. The second conductive portion 12 'is configured. The first electrode portion 7 ′ and the second electrode portion 8 ′ intersect each other in the top view in the first conductive portion 10 ′ and the second conductive portion 12 ′, and the first conductive portion 10 ′ and the second conductive portion 10 ′ An insulating film 22 that can insulate the first electrode portion 7 ′ from the second electrode portion 8 ′ is provided between the portion 12 ′.
The first conductive portion 10 ′ and the second conductive portion 12 ′ are formed in a thin line shape, and the first transparent pad portion 9 and the second transparent pad portion 11 have a line width of the line shape. Beyond that, the point formed by the bulging shape and the effect thereof are the same as those of the touch panel member 1.

  5A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5 (A), the first conductive portion 10 ′ and the second conductive portion 12 ′ are formed via the insulating film 22, whereby the first conductive portion 10 ′ and the second conductive portion 12 ′ are formed. Insulation between the first electrode portion 7 ′ and the second electrode portion 8 ′ intersecting with the two conductive portions 12 ′ is achieved. When attention is paid to the intersecting portion, the first conductive portion 10 ′, the insulating film 22, and the second conductive portion 12 ′ are laminated in this order from the transparent substrate 2 side in the touch panel member 21. The insulating film 22 is selectively patterned at intersections of the plurality of first electrode portions 7 ′ and second electrode portions 8 ′. In the case of such an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the first transparent pad portion 9 and the first conductive portion 10 ′ are connected so as to be electrically conductive on the outer edge of the insulating film 22. It's okay. Regarding the touch panel member 21, the description regarding the touch panel member 1 is referred to as appropriate for the members used, the forming method, the film thickness, and the like, except that the order of lamination of some constituent members and the formation pattern of the insulating film are different. be able to.

  1st electroconductive part 10 'in the member 21 for touch panels shows the lamination | stacking aspect different from the member 1 for touch panels by the point provided on the transparent base material 2 prior to formation of transparent conductive films, such as a transparent pad part. . In the touch panel member of the present invention, the first conductive portion 10 ′ is provided directly or indirectly on the transparent substrate 2 as described above, and then the second conductive portion 12 ′, the first transparent pad portion 9, the second The aspect in which the transparent pad part 11 is provided is included. In the case of such an embodiment, for example, the first conductive portion 10 ′ and the extraction wiring 6 are first formed by patterning simultaneously using the same copper alloy material on the transparent substrate 2, and then the insulating film 22 is formed. After the formation, the second conductive portion 12, the first transparent pad portion 9, and the second transparent pad portion 11 may be formed using the same transparent conductive material.

The first conductive portion 10 ′ is a metal conductive portion containing copper and an additive metal other than copper, similar to the first conductive portion 10 described above, and the metal concentration gradient region 17 and the copper high concentration region shown in FIG. 3. 18 is provided as well.
In the top view of the member 21 for the touch panel, at least a part of the first conductive portion 10 ′ is covered with the second conductive portion 12 ′ and the insulating film 22, but the second conductive portion 12 ′ and the insulating film 22 are covered. Are generally made of a transparent material, they do not contribute to the invisibility of the first conductive portion 10 '. However, since 1st electroconductive part 10 'is a metal electroconductive part similar to the 1st electroconductive part 10 mentioned above, a low reflectance is shown and invisibility is achieved from the operator. Moreover, also in 1st electroconductive part 10 ', the said antioxidant effect and the said adhesive improvement effect are exhibited. In particular, when a conductive part composed of a simple substance of copper or a copper alloy or a wiring is directly formed on a transparent substrate such as glass, the tendency of peeling due to poor adhesion was a strong problem. 'Indicates that the metal high gradient region 17 surface is in contact with the transparent substrate, and exhibits excellent adhesion as compared with a conductive part or wiring composed of copper alone or a copper alloy. Further, the adhesion between the first conductive portion 10 ′ and the first transparent pad portion 9 electrically connected thereto is also good.

  The lead-out wiring 6 in the touch panel member 21 may be formed in the same process using the same copper alloy material as that of the first conductive portion 10 ′. As a result, the manufacturing process of the touch panel member 21 can be shortened. The formed lead-out wiring 6 is preferable because it exhibits a good resistance value, an antioxidant effect, and an adhesion improving effect on the transparent substrate 2. However, whether or not the extraction wiring 6 and the first conductive portion 10 ′ are simultaneously formed using the same copper alloy material is arbitrary in the touch panel member of the present invention, and the second embodiment is the first conductive portion 10 ′. And a lead wire 6 formed of a different copper alloy material.

[Embodiment 3]
As another embodiment of the touch panel member of the present invention, for example, in the laminated pattern of touch panel electrodes in the conventional touch panel member shown in FIG. 9, at least one of the first conductive portion 103 and the second conductive portion 107 is Similarly to the first conductive portion 10 described above, an electrode portion including copper and an additive metal other than copper, the metal conductive portion including a metal concentration gradient region and a copper high concentration region described with reference to FIG. Embodiments to include. In the said aspect, the outstanding resistance value is shown in at least one of the 1st electroconductive part 103 changed into the metal electroconductive part, and the 2nd electroconductive part 107, and also invisibility from an operator is achieved.

Embodiments 1 to 3 of the touch panel member of the present invention described above are examples of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention is applicable to a touch panel member including a touch panel electrode configured in various forms or patterns. The matters described in Embodiments 1 to 3 are mainly described for the main configuration of the touch panel member of the present invention, and further different configurations and layers are included in the touch panel without departing from the gist of the present invention. It may be added to the member. For example, an underlayer for improving the adhesion between the transparent substrate 2 and another layer may be provided on the transparent substrate 2 in advance. Moreover, since the opposite side to the transparent base material 2 of the members 1 and 21 for touch panels becomes an operation surface, you may provide a protective layer, a cover glass, etc.
The present invention provides at least a plurality of independent transparent pad portions aligned in the first direction as an arrangement direction as an electrode portion constituting a touch panel electrode, and conductive between adjacent transparent pad portions in the arrangement direction. Regarding a member for a touch panel including a member having a conductive portion, the conductive portion is a metal conductive portion including copper and an additive metal other than copper, and the copper is directed from the outer peripheral surface of the metal conductive portion toward the inside. The concentration of the added metal increases and the concentration of the added metal decreases, and the concentration of the added metal is continuous with the metal concentration gradient region, and the concentration of copper in the metal concentration gradient region decreases. By comprising so that a copper high concentration area | region higher than a density | concentration is provided, it can aim at the low reflection of the said metal conductive part, a low resistance value, oxidation prevention, and adhesive improvement.

Usage mode of member for touch panel of the present invention:
Next, the usage example which mounted the member for touchscreens of this invention in the display apparatus is demonstrated.
FIG. 8 is an example of a usage mode of the present invention, and is for explaining a liquid crystal display device 30 with a touch panel in which the touch panel member 1 of the present invention is mounted on a liquid crystal display device as a capacitive touch panel member. It is explanatory drawing. In this description, an example of the use of the touch panel member of the present invention will be described using a liquid crystal display device as an example. However, the touch panel member of the present invention is appropriately mounted on other display devices such as an organic EL display device. Can be implemented as an input device.
The member 1 for touch panels is mounted on the display surface side of the liquid crystal display substrate 31 constituting the liquid crystal display panel, and thereby a liquid crystal display substrate 32 with a touch panel is configured. A liquid crystal display counter substrate 33 is positioned behind the liquid crystal display substrate 32 with a touch panel in FIG. 8, and both substrates are fixed to face each other to form a liquid crystal display panel.

The display surface (operation surface) 34 of the liquid crystal display substrate 32 with a touch panel includes an active region 35 and an inactive region 36, and the active region 35 substantially coincides with the operation region of the touch panel member 1, and the inactive region 36. Is substantially the same as the non-operation area of the touch panel member 1.
A circuit 37 such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) is attached to the non-operation area of the touch panel member 1, whereby an end portion of the extraction wiring in the touch panel member 1, generally an end portion of the extraction wiring. The external circuit connection region provided in the circuit 37 and the wiring of the circuit 37 are connected. The FPC can be generally attached by thermocompression bonding of the FPC and the non-operation area of the touch panel member 1 with an anisotropic conductive film or the like sandwiched therebetween, but is not limited thereto. Moreover, it can connect even if it uses a metal copper wire, without using wiring members, such as FPC. The circuit 37 is directly or indirectly connected to the input information processing unit 40. The input information processing unit 40 includes a touch panel printed circuit board 42 including a touch panel drive circuit 41, and detects an operation position when an operation is performed in a contact state or close to contact in the active region 35 by a conductor such as a finger. It is configured to be able to.

  On the other hand, in order to drive the liquid crystal display device, a circuit 43 such as an FPC is connected to an appropriate position between the liquid crystal display substrate 32 with a touch panel and the liquid crystal display counter substrate 33. The circuit 43 is connected to the video information processing unit 44 directly or indirectly. The video information processing unit 44 includes a liquid crystal display printed circuit board 46 including a liquid crystal driving circuit 45 for controlling liquid crystal display (pixel display) based on video information, and displays a video based on the video information in the active area 35. Drive like so.

  The video information processing unit 44 and the input information processing unit 40 can be understood as control units that control driving of the liquid crystal display device 30 with a touch panel. The input information processing unit 40 and the video information processing unit 44 are connected, the input information obtained in the input information processing unit 40 is transmitted to the video information processing unit 44, and video information based on the input information is created. A video based on the video information can also be displayed in the display area.

Coordinate detection device:
Next, the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention will be described. The coordinate detection device of the present invention detects the electrical signal when the touch panel member of the present invention described above and the positional information on which the contact operation is performed in the operation area of the touch panel member are output as an electrical signal. The basic configuration includes a detection circuit and a coordinate calculation calculation circuit that calculates the coordinates of the position where the contact operation is performed from the electrical signal detected by the detection circuit. In addition, regarding the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention, the “contact operation” means either an operation performed by an operating body such as a finger directly in contact with the contact area or an operation performed close to the contact area. Including.

  The coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention includes the touch panel member of the present invention. As above-mentioned, the member for touchscreens of this invention is equipped with the electrode part which has a conductive part which conducts between a transparent pad part and a transparent pad part, and the said conductive part contains what is a specific metal conductor. Since the metal conductor contains a metal, particularly copper, low resistance is realized, and the reflectance is low, so that the metal conductor itself is made invisible. Therefore, the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention provided with this touch panel member reflects the excellent effect of the touch panel member, and is expected to reduce power consumption due to the low resistance of the metal conductive portion, and it is measured to be invisible. Also, the visibility on the operation surface of the metal conductive part is excellent.

The detection circuit in the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention is a circuit for detecting an electrical signal output from the touch panel member, and the coordinate position is calculated in the coordinate calculation calculation circuit based on the detected information.
Below, the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention using a touch panel member conforming to the capacitance type will be described as an example. When the contact operation is performed in the operation region of the touch panel member, the coordinate detection device detects a bias of an alternating current due to a change in capacitance at the position where the contact operation is performed, and the detection A coordinate calculation calculation circuit that calculates a position where the contact operation is performed as coordinates based on a change amount of the capacitance output from the circuit based on a predetermined calculation formula; The touch panel member and the detection circuit need only be connected so that the contact operation on the touch panel member can be detected as an electric signal. Generally, the extraction wiring and the detection circuit are wiring members such as a flexible printed circuit. Etc. are electrically connected.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an embodiment of the operation flow of the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention. The touch panel member shown on the left side of the drawing includes a plurality of first electrode portions (first electrode portions X1, X2, X3...) And a plurality of second electrode portions (second electrode portions Y1, Y2, Y3,...). -It shows about the electrode for touchscreens provided with. Current is supplied to the first electrode portions X1, X2, X3... And the second electrode portions Y1, Y2, Y3. At this time, the current is continuously turned on by the switching unit that switches the connection to each electrode in response to the switching instruction in the high-speed switch unit based on the specified time indicated by the reference clock. Off is done.

  When a contact operation is performed in the operation area of the touch panel member, the constant current source supplies the first electrode portions X1, X2, X3... And the second electrode portions Y1, Y2, Y3. The ratio of the accumulated electric charge stored in the integrating capacitor changes, that is, the voltage changes. Furthermore, it passes through a low-pass filter for removing impulse noise, and the comparator recognizes the time until the integrating capacitor reaches the reference voltage by comparing the reference voltage and the voltage amplified by the integrating capacitor. . A signal based on the change in the capacitance of the electrode detected by the detection circuit is sent to the touch detection calculation circuit, and the coordinates where the contact operation is performed are calculated by a predetermined calculation formula. In addition, the above is one embodiment of the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention. The configuration for executing the detection operation of the coordinate detection apparatus of the present invention and As a flow of the operation, a circuit capable of detecting a contact operation in a known touch panel member may be appropriately selected and implemented.

Method for producing touch panel member of the present invention:
[Embodiment 4]
Next, the touch panel member manufacturing method of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as “the manufacturing method of the present invention”) will be described by taking the touch panel member 1 shown in FIG. 1 as an example. The outline of the process sequence of the manufacturing method which is Embodiment 4 is shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view of the manufacturing process of the portion where the first electrode portion 7 and the second electrode portion 8 intersect, shown in the BB cross section of the touch panel member 1 (see FIG. 2B). It is.
The manufacturing method of this invention implements a transparent pad part formation process and the metal conductive part formation process for electrically conducting between transparent pad parts in arbitrary orders, and, thereby, an electrode provided with a transparent pad part and a metal conductive part Forming a portion.
Embodiment 4 shown below implements the transparent conductive film formation process including formation of the transparent pad part 9, then performs the insulating film 13 formation process, and then the first conductive part 10 formation process which is a metal conductive part It is the method of manufacturing the member 1 for touch panels in the order which implements.

(Transparent conductive film forming step)
First, after preparing the transparent base material 2 and cleaning the surface of the transparent base material 2 as necessary, a transparent conductive material having translucency and conductivity is provided on one side of the transparent base material 2. Using this, a transparent conductive film is formed. Examples of the transparent conductive material include ITO, IZO, and AZO. Examples of the film forming method include an arbitrary coating method such as a spin coating method, sputtering, and a vacuum evaporation method. However, the material of the transparent conductive film and the film forming method are not limited thereto, and a transparent conductive film forming method capable of constituting the touch panel electrode may be selected as appropriate.
Thereafter, a photosensitive film is formed on the transparent conductive film, and the first transparent pad portion 9, the second transparent pad portion 11, and the second conductive portion 12 are patterned at appropriate positions on the transparent substrate 2. The obtained photomask is aligned and fixed to the transparent conductive film side of the transparent substrate 2. Then, exposure light corresponding to the photosensitive characteristics of the photosensitive film, such as ultraviolet rays, is irradiated through a photomask. Subsequently, a developing solution corresponding to the photosensitive film is prepared, and the exposed photosensitive film is developed with an appropriate developing solution, and other than the first transparent pad portion 9, the second transparent pad portion 11, and the second conductive portion 12. Part of the photosensitive film is removed. Then, using the photosensitive film patterned so as to correspond to the first transparent pad portion 9, the second transparent pad portion 11, and the second conductive portion 12 as a mask, an etching solution such as an aqueous ferric chloride solution is used to form the transparent conductive film. After the etching, the photosensitive film remaining on the transparent substrate 2 is removed using a removing liquid, for example, a calcium hydroxide solution, and the first transparent pad portion 9 and the second transparent pad 2 are formed on the transparent substrate 2. The transparent pad portion 11 and the second conductive portion 12 are formed (FIG. 7A). In the production method of the present invention, the transparent conductive film forming step including the transparent pad portion forming step may be appropriately selected from those known as patterning methods for the transparent conductive film of the touch panel member. As for the developing solution, the etching solution, and the residual photosensitive film removing solution used when adopting the photolithography technique, a suitable one for the transparent conductive film and the photosensitive film to be formed may be appropriately selected. Further, the etching method is not limited to the wet etching method, and a dry etching method may be performed.

(Insulating film 13 forming step)
Next, an insulating film forming film is formed on substantially the entire surface of the transparent substrate 2 on which the first transparent pad portion 9, the second transparent pad portion 11, and the second conductive portion 12 are formed. The material for forming the insulating film forming film is preferably a light-transmitting acrylic resin or a photosensitive siloxane resin, but is not limited thereto, and a material capable of forming a transparent insulating film is appropriately selected. Good. Then, as in the transparent conductive film forming step, a photosensitive film is formed on almost the entire surface of the insulating film forming film, and a corresponding photomask is formed on the substrate surface so that the conductive holes 14 and the like are patterned at appropriate positions. The insulating film 13 can be formed by aligning, fixing, exposing, developing, etching, and finally removing the remaining photosensitive film (FIG. 7B).
Alternatively, when a photosensitive material is selected as the insulating film forming material, such as a photosensitive siloxane resin, the insulating film forming film is exposed and the resin is adjusted in accordance with the insulating film formation pattern. After curing, the insulating film 13 can also be formed by removing unnecessary portions of the insulating film forming film. Therefore, the process for forming the photosensitive film on the insulating film forming film and the process for removing the photosensitive film remaining after the etching are unnecessary, and the manufacturing process is simplified.
In the manufacturing method of the present invention, the insulating film 13 forming step may be carried out in accordance with a conventionally known method for forming an insulating film for a touch panel member, and a patterning method and a developer and an etching solution used for patterning. The residual photosensitive film removing solution may be defined and selected in consideration of the insulating film forming material and the photosensitive film forming material to be used.

(First conductive portion 10 forming step)
The first conductive portion 10 forming step is a metal conductive portion forming step in the touch panel member manufacturing method of the present invention. First, using a copper alloy material containing copper and an additive metal other than copper, a metal film 23 is formed on substantially the entire surface of the transparent substrate 2 on which the insulating film 13 and the like are formed (FIG. 7C). At this time, care should be taken that the conductive hole 14 provided by patterning the insulating film 13 is also filled with the copper alloy material. The copper alloy material is a material containing copper and an additive metal other than copper, preferably copper 90 at. % Or more 99.9 at. % And the added metal is 0.1 at. % Or more and 10 at. It is desirable to contain in the range below%. More preferably, 0.5 at. % Or more 4 at. It is desirable to contain in the range below%. More specifically, the metal film 23 can be formed by sputtering using a raw material containing copper and an additive metal other than copper within the range of the blending ratio shown above.

  Subsequently, a photosensitive film 24 is formed on the upper surface of the formed metal film 23 (FIG. 7D). Then, it aligns and fixes with respect to the transparent base material 2 using the corresponding photomask (illustration omitted) so that the 1st electrically conductive film 10 may be patterned to an appropriate position. Then, exposure light corresponding to the photosensitive characteristics of the photosensitive film 24, such as ultraviolet rays, is irradiated through a photomask. Subsequently, a developer corresponding to the photosensitive film 24 is prepared, the exposed photosensitive film 24 is developed with an appropriate developer, and portions of the photosensitive film other than the first conductive film 10 are removed using a remover. To do. Then, using the photosensitive film patterned on the first conductive film 10 forming portion as a mask, etching is performed using an etching solution suitable for the metal film 23, and the remaining photosensitive film 24 is further removed to obtain the first transparent pad portion. The first conductive part pattern 25 is formed between the nine (FIG. 7E). As an etchant used for etching the metal film 23, a mixed acid system containing phosphoric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid, or a system in which an oxidizing agent typified by hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid is used is used. It is not limited.

The first conductive part pattern 25 does not include the metal concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region specified by the present invention. Therefore, a heat treatment is performed in which at least a part of the additive metal contained in the first conductive part pattern 25 is transferred to the outer peripheral surface side of the first conductive part pattern 25. At this time, “the outer peripheral surface side of the first conductive part pattern 25” means an exposed surface that is not in contact with other layers among the surfaces surrounding the first conductive part pattern 25, and the first transparent pad part 9. And a contact surface with the insulating film 13.
In the heat treatment, the copper concentration increases from the outer peripheral surface of the first conductive portion pattern 25 toward the inside, and the concentration of the added metal decreases, and the metal concentration gradient region continues. The concentration of the added metal is minimized, and any treatment that can form a copper high concentration region in which the copper concentration is higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region may be used. For example, heat processing are performed by heating the transparent base material 2 provided with the 1st electroconductive part pattern 25 at the temperature of about 100-300 degreeC. Examples of the heating method include atmospheric pressure and reduced pressure, but are not limited thereto, and a method capable of heating the first conductive part pattern 25 at a desired temperature may be appropriately selected. When the heating temperature in the heat treatment is 100 ° C. or more, the additive metal contained in the first conductive part pattern 25 can be transferred to the outer peripheral surface side. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the first conductive part pattern 25 A metal concentration gradient region is formed on the side, while a copper high concentration region having a high copper concentration is formed continuously on the inner side. The copper high-concentration region is almost pure copper, and there is only a small amount of added metal. At least a part of the additive metal transferred to the outer peripheral surface side may be oxidized to form a metal oxide. In other words, the heating temperature may be adjusted so that the inside of the first conductive part pattern 25 is in such a state. Further, by setting the heating temperature to 300 ° C. or lower, it is possible to prevent the oxidation of copper in the first conductive portion pattern 25, particularly copper in the copper high concentration region, and to reduce the resistance value in the copper high concentration region. be able to.

  In the manufacturing method of the present invention, as described above, (i) a metal conductive part pattern is formed in a predetermined pattern using a copper alloy material containing copper and an additive metal other than copper, and (ii) the metal conductive part pattern is then formed. A step of performing a heat treatment for transferring at least a part of the additive metal contained therein to the outer peripheral surface side of the metal conductive portion. As a result, in the metal conductive portion, the metal concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region are not constituted by two layers having an interface, but are substantially recognized as one layer, and the metal concentration within the one layer is increased. It can be formed as a continuous region where a gradient is observed. Alternatively, in the metal conductive portion, the metal concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region are not two independent component portions adjacent to each other, but are substantially one component portion, and inside the one component portion. It can be formed as a continuous region where a gradient of metal concentration is observed.

  In the above heat treatment, the heating atmosphere when the additive metal is moved to the outer peripheral surface side in the first conductive part pattern 25 and the metal concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region are appropriately formed is not particularly limited. The first conductive portion 10 can be formed from the first conductive portion pattern 25 by performing the heat treatment in an air atmosphere under atmospheric pressure (FIG. 7E).

  As described above, the touch panel member 1 can be manufactured by sequentially performing the first conductive portion 10 forming step, the insulating film 13 forming step, and the transparent conductive film forming step. In the embodiment 4 described above, the formation of the first conductive portion 10 requires fewer manufacturing steps than the case where a conductive portion composed of a plurality of layers such as MAM is formed. In addition, as described in the first embodiment, the formed first conductive portion 10 has a suppressed reflectance, is excellent in adhesion to a transparent substrate or a conductive film such as ITO, and has a resistance value of a single copper. It is possible to show an excellent resistance value close to.

By the way, the lead wire 6 is provided in the member 1 for touch panels. The extraction wiring 6 formation step may be performed before or after any one of the transparent conductive film formation step, the insulating film 13 formation step, and the first conductive portion 10 formation step. For example, conventionally used APC or the like is used. It can be formed by a photolithography technique or a printing technique such as screen printing.
Alternatively, the extraction wiring 6 may be simultaneously formed of the same material as the first conductive portion 10 in the first conductive portion 10 forming step. In this case, a transparent conductive film such as ITO may be formed in advance on both the formation surface of the first conductive portion 10 and the formation surface of the extraction wiring 6, but in the present invention, at least the touch panel member A transparent conductive film for forming the electrode portion may be formed in the transparent conductive film forming step, and the formation of the transparent conductive film on the surface where the extraction wiring 6 is formed can be omitted. Conventionally, since the adhesion between the extraction wiring and the transparent substrate was not desirable, a transparent conductive film having better adhesion to the extraction wiring than the transparent substrate is provided between the extraction wiring and the transparent substrate. Was common. On the other hand, since the extraction wiring in the present invention has good adhesion to the transparent substrate, the extraction wiring may be formed directly on the transparent substrate. Then, the photomask used in the above-described first conductive portion 10 forming step may be changed to a corresponding photomask so that the extraction wiring 6 is patterned in addition to the first conductive portion 10 at a predetermined position. Subsequent exposure, etching, and removal of the photosensitive film can be performed in the same manner as in the first conductive portion 10 forming step. By thus forming the extraction wiring 6 and the first conductive portion 10 simultaneously, the manufacturing process of the touch panel member 1 can be simplified, and the extraction wiring 6 is also less expensive than APC or the like. Since it can form using a copper alloy material, it is preferable. Further, as described above, the extraction wiring 6 formed in the same manner as the first conductive portion 10 includes the metal concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region similarly to the first conductive portion 10, so that the antioxidant effect, the adhesion improvement effect, and the like The excellent effect is exhibited.

[Embodiment 5]
Next, a different embodiment of the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described as an embodiment 5 by taking the manufacture of the touch panel member 21 as an example. In the fifth embodiment, the first conductive part 10 ′ forming process which is a metal conductive part is performed, then the insulating film 22 forming process is performed, and then the transparent conductive film forming process including the formation of the transparent pad part 9 is performed. The touch panel member 21 is manufactured in the order of execution.

(First conductive portion 10 ′ forming step)
The first conductive portion 10 ′ forming step in the embodiment 5 is a metal conductive portion forming step in the touch panel member manufacturing method of the present invention. In the fifth conductive portion 10 ′ forming step in the fifth embodiment, an additive metal other than copper is formed on substantially the entire surface of the transparent substrate 2 before the transparent conductive film such as the first transparent pad portion 9 and the insulating film 22 are formed. In the point which forms a metal film using the copper alloy material containing this, it differs from the 1st electroconductive part 10 formation process in Embodiment 4. FIG. Otherwise, the first conductive portion 10 ′ forming step in the fifth embodiment can be performed in the same manner as the first conductive portion 10 forming step described in the fourth embodiment to form the first conductive portion pattern. The heat treatment performed after forming the first conductive part pattern can also be performed in the same manner as the method shown in the fourth embodiment. However, when performing the heat treatment, in Embodiment 4, the transparent conductive film such as the first transparent pad portion 9 already formed on the transparent substrate 2 and the insulating film 12 are also exposed to the heat treatment. The fifth embodiment is different in that the transparent conductive film such as the first transparent pad portion 9 and the insulating film 22 are not formed and thus are not exposed to heat treatment.

(Insulating film 22 forming step)
Next, an insulating film forming film is formed on substantially the entire surface of the transparent substrate 2 on which the first conductive portion 10 ′ or the extraction wiring 6 is formed. Next, a photosensitive film is formed, exposed, developed, and etched in the same manner as in the insulating film 13 forming step in Embodiment 4, thereby forming the insulating film 22. The insulating film 22 is selectively patterned at a portion where the first conductive portion 10 ′ and the second conductive portion 12 ′ intersect, and no conductive hole is provided. Accordingly, an appropriate exposed surface is left on the first conductive portion 10 'so that the first transparent pad portion 9 formed in a subsequent process can be covered with the first conductive portion 10' formed earlier. It is necessary to pattern the insulating film 22. The other basic matters of the insulating film forming method are the same as those of the insulating film 13 forming step described in the fourth embodiment, so that the description thereof is omitted here.

(Transparent conductive film forming step)
Subsequently, the first transparent pad portion 9, the second transparent pad portion 11, the second conductive layer are formed on the first conductive portion 10 ′ of the transparent base material 2, or further on the surface provided with the extraction wiring 6 and the insulating film 22. Part 12 is formed. In the transparent conductive film forming step in the fifth embodiment, the transparent conductive film is provided on substantially the entire surface of the transparent substrate 2 on which the first conductive portion 10 ′ or the extraction wiring 6 and the insulating film 22 are provided. And the transparent conductive film forming step in Embodiment 4 except that a photomask having a pattern suitable for the first transparent pad portion 9, the second transparent pad portion 11, and the second conductive portion 12 in the touch panel member 21 is used. Can be implemented. Therefore, the specific description of the transparent conductive film forming step is omitted here.
As described above, the touch panel member 21 can be manufactured by sequentially performing the first conductive portion 10 ′ forming step, the insulating film 22 forming step, and the transparent conductive film forming step.

[Embodiment 6]
In any of the manufacturing methods of the present invention described above, the transparent conductive film forming step including the transparent pad portion forming step and the metal conductive portion forming step for conducting between the transparent pad portions, that is, the first conductive portion 10 are performed. It is an example which manufactures the member for touchscreens by implementing a formation process or 1st electroconductive part 10 'formation process once at a time. However, the manufacturing method of the present invention is not limited to this, and if necessary, one or both of the transparent pad portion forming step and the metal conductive portion forming step are performed twice or more to manufacture a member for touch panel. Includes methods.

  As embodiment 6 which is a manufacturing method of the present invention, an example of manufacturing embodiment 3 which is a member for a touch panel of the present invention described above will be described. Specifically, in the conventional touch panel member shown in FIG. 9 described above, the first conductive portion 103 and the second conductive portion 105 are made of copper and other than copper as in the first conductive portion 10 or 10 ′ described above. A method for manufacturing a member for a touch panel, which is an electrode portion including the above-described additive metal and which is a metal conductive portion provided with a metal concentration gradient region and a copper high concentration region, which will be described with reference to FIG.

First, a transparent conductive film is formed on the substantially entire surface of the transparent substrate 101 using a transparent conductive material. Thereafter, a photosensitive film is formed on the transparent conductive film, and a photomask corresponding to the first transparent pad portion 102 being patterned at an appropriate position on the transparent base material 101 is used as the transparent conductive film of the transparent base material 101. Align and fix to the side. Then, exposure light (for example, ultraviolet rays) corresponding to the photosensitive characteristics of the photosensitive film is irradiated through a photomask. Subsequently, following the transparent conductive film forming step of Embodiment 4, development, etching, and removal of the remaining photosensitive film are performed to form the first transparent pad portion 102 on the transparent substrate 101.
Next, using a copper alloy material containing copper and an additive metal other than copper, a metal film is formed on substantially the entire surface of the transparent substrate 101 so as to cover the first transparent pad portion 102 formed as described above. Then, a photomask corresponding to the first conductive portion 103 is patterned at an appropriate position on the transparent base material 101 is fixed in alignment with the metal film side of the transparent base material 101, and the photosensitive characteristics of the photosensitive film. Irradiation light corresponding to the above, such as ultraviolet rays, is irradiated through a photomask. Subsequently, following the first conductive portion 10 forming step of Embodiment 4, development, etching, and removal of the remaining photosensitive film are performed, and the first conductive portion 103 is formed on the transparent substrate 101.
Thereafter, an insulating film is formed in an appropriate region on the transparent substrate 101 so as to cover the first transparent pad portion 102 and the first conductive portion 103. The insulating film includes a first electrode portion 106 including a first transparent pad portion 102 and a first conductive portion 103, and a second transparent pad portion 104 and a second conductive portion 105, which are created in a subsequent process. The electrode portion 107 is formed in a region sufficient to be insulated.
Further, the second transparent pad portion 104 is formed following the formation of the first transparent pad portion 102, and then the second conductive portion 105 is formed following the formation of the first conductive portion 103. A member for a touch panel can be formed. Note that the order of forming the first transparent pad portion 102 and the first conductive portion 103 and the order of forming the second transparent pad portion 104 and the second conductive portion 105 may be appropriately changed.

  As described above, a touch panel member including various patterns of touch panel electrodes can be manufactured by repeating either one or both of the transparent pad portion forming step and the metal conductive portion forming step as necessary. By producing a conductive part conducting between the transparent pad parts as a metal conductive part, the metal conductive part having a small resistance value and excellent conductivity compared to a thin line-shaped conductive part formed of a transparent conductive material The member for touchscreens provided with can be provided.

[Example 1]
(Production of touch panel members)
As a base material, a transparent glass base material (blue plate tempered glass manufactured by Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.) having a thickness of 370 mm × 470 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm was prepared and subjected to pretreatment such as high-pressure steam cleaning and UV cleaning. In this example, the glass substrate was used and designed so that eight capacitive touch panel members could be taken. In addition, the following formation pattern of the first electrode part and the second electrode part, and the pattern of the extraction wiring associated therewith were designed following the touch panel member shown in FIG.

(Formation of first conductive part and lead-out wiring)
Using a copper alloy material containing copper (96 at.%) And manganese (4 at.%) As a target on the entire surface of one side of the glass substrate prepared as described above, a metal film having a thickness of 280 nm is formed by sputtering. Formed. Sputtering was performed with Ar gas, pressure 0.5 Pa, output 1.0 kW, and sputtering time 400 s. Subsequently, a positive photosensitive material (made by Rohm and Haas) is used to form a photosensitive film, and it is aligned and fixed appropriately using a photomask suitable for the formation pattern of the first conductive part and extraction wiring. Then, exposure was performed from above the photomask with an illuminance of 12.0 mW · cm ² and an exposure amount of 35 mJ. Subsequently, the exposed portion of the photosensitive film was removed by development, and a phosphoric acid / nitric acid / acetic acid mixed acid was used as an etching solution to remove unnecessary portions of the metal film, thereby patterning the first conductive portion and the extraction wiring. Thereafter, the photosensitive film remaining on the substrate was peeled off with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution to form a first conductive part pattern and a lead-out wiring pattern.
Subsequently, a glass substrate provided with the first conductive part pattern and the lead-out wiring pattern is placed in an oven, and heat treatment is performed in an air atmosphere at 230 ° C. for 30 minutes under atmospheric pressure. Formed.

(Formation of insulating film)
Using a spin coating method, a transparent curable resin-containing coating material (catalog number A-13, manufactured by KOLON Co., Ltd.) is applied to substantially the entire surface of the glass substrate including the first conductive portion and the extraction wiring formed as described above. Subsequently, the insulating film covering the first conductive portion was patterned by a photolithography technique, leaving exposed surfaces at both ends in the extending direction.

(Formation of first transparent pad part, second transparent pad part, second conductive part)
Next, an ITO film having a thickness of 30 nm was formed by sputtering on substantially the entire surface of the glass substrate provided with the insulating film. Then, a photosensitive film is formed using a positive photosensitive material (made by Rohm and Haas), and a photomask suitable for the formation pattern of the first transparent pad portion, the second transparent pad portion, and the second conductive portion is formed. The alignment was appropriately performed and fixed, and exposure was performed from above the photomask with ultraviolet rays (illuminance 12.0 mW · cm ² , exposure amount 35 mJ). Subsequently, the exposed portion of the photosensitive film is removed by development, oxalic acid is used as an etching solution, and unnecessary portions of the ITO film are removed to pattern the first transparent pad portion, the second transparent pad portion, and the second conductive portion. Was done. Thereafter, the photosensitive film remaining on the substrate was peeled off with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution. A plurality of first conductive parts that are the first transparent pad part and the metal conductive part are patterned by patterning so that the end part of the first transparent pad part is joined to the exposed surface of the first conductive part previously formed. A first electrode part was formed. Moreover, since the 2nd transparent pad part and the 2nd electroconductive part were simultaneously formed using ITO, the several 2nd electrode part which consists of a continuous ITO substantially was formed. An insulating film for insulating the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion was provided between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion. Finally, the multi-chamfered glass substrate was cut at an appropriate position, and a plurality of touch panel members were completed.

[Examples 2 to 7]
(Example 2) The content of copper and manganese in the copper alloy material to be used was changed to copper (98 at.%) And manganese (2 at.%), And sputtering conditions for forming a metal film using this were changed. A touch panel member was formed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the sputtering time was changed to 330 s and the thickness of the formed metal film was changed to 250 nm.
(Example 3) The content of copper and manganese in the copper alloy material to be used was changed to copper (99 at.%) And manganese (1 at.%), And sputtering conditions for forming a metal film using this were changed. A touch panel member was formed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the sputtering time was changed to 260 s and the thickness of the formed metal film was changed to 200 nm.
(Example 4) The content of copper and manganese in the copper alloy material to be used was changed to copper (99.5 at.%) And manganese (0.5 at.%), And a metal film was formed using this. A touch panel member was formed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the sputtering condition was changed to a sputtering time of 100 s and the thickness of the formed metal film was changed to 85 nm.
(Example 5) The content of copper and manganese in the copper alloy material to be used was changed to copper (99.9 at.%) And manganese (0.1 at.%), And this was used to form a metal film. A touch panel member was formed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the sputtering condition was changed to a sputtering time of 90 s and the thickness of the formed metal film was changed to 75 nm.
(Example 6) The copper and manganese contents in the copper alloy material to be used were changed to copper (94 at.%) And manganese (6 at.%), And sputtering conditions for forming a metal film using this were changed. A touch panel member was formed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the sputtering time was changed to 600 s and the thickness of the formed metal film was changed to 450 nm.
(Example 7) The content of copper and manganese in the copper alloy material to be used was changed to copper (90 at.%) And manganese (10 at.%), And sputtering conditions for forming a metal film using this were changed. A touch panel member was formed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the sputtering time was changed to 1080 s and the thickness of the formed metal film was changed to 800 nm.

[Comparative Example 1]
An IZO layer having a thickness of 30 nm as an anchor layer was formed on almost the entire surface of the transparent glass substrate by sputtering. And the member for touchscreens was formed similarly to Example 1 except having changed the formation of the 1st electroconductive part and the extraction wiring as follows, and this was made into Comparative Example 1.
That is, a silver palladium copper alloy (Ag: 98 atm.%, Pd: 1 atm.%, Cu: 1 atm.%) Is used on the entire surface of one side of the glass substrate prepared as described above, and the thickness is 200 nm by sputtering. An APC film was formed. Sputtering was performed with Ar gas, pressure 0.7 Pa, output 1 kW, and sputtering time 130 s. Subsequently, a positive photosensitive material (made by Rohm and Haas) is used to form a photosensitive film, and it is aligned and fixed appropriately using a photomask suitable for the formation pattern of the first conductive part and extraction wiring. Then, exposure was performed from above the photomask with ultraviolet rays (illuminance 12.0 mW · cm ² , exposure amount 35 mJ). Subsequently, the exposed portion of the photosensitive film was removed by development, and a mixed acid containing phosphoric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid was used as an etching solution to remove unnecessary portions of the APC film, and the first conductive portion and the extraction wiring were patterned. Thereafter, the photosensitive film remaining on the substrate was peeled off with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution to form a first conductive portion and a lead-out wiring.

[Comparative Example 2]
A copper alloy material was used in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the first conductive part pattern and the lead-out wiring pattern were formed, and then this was used as the first conductive part and lead-out wiring without performing heat treatment. A touch panel member was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, and this was designated as Comparative Example 2.

[Comparative Example 3]
Similar to Example 1, except that instead of the copper alloy material used in Example 1, a copper 100 at.% Target was used and the sputtering condition was changed to a sputtering time of 60 s to form a 50 nm metal film. A touch panel member was formed, and this was designated as Comparative Example 3.

(Evaluation 1: Visibility evaluation of the first conductive part)
Visibility was evaluated by measuring the reflectance of the first conductive portion as follows. The lower the reflectance, the higher the visibility. The reflectance of the first conductive part is measured by using a self-recording spectrophotometer UV-3100 (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) with the sample-free state set to 100% and incident light at an incident angle of 45 degrees with respect to the set value. However, the ratio of reflection on the sample surface was measured.

(Evaluation 2: Measurement of specific resistance)
The specific resistance value (μΩ · cm) of the first conductive part was measured as follows.
Using a Loresta made by Mitsubishi Chemical Analyc, place four needle-shaped electrodes (probes) on a metal film, pass a constant current between the two outer probes, and measure the potential difference generated between the two inner probes. Resistance was sought. Calculation was performed by multiplying the obtained resistance by the thickness of the metal film and a correction coefficient.

(Evaluation 3: Measurement of sheet resistance)
The resistance value (Ω / square) of the sheet was measured as follows.
It calculated by dividing the result calculated | required by the specific resistance measurement by the film thickness of a metal film.

(Evaluation 4: Adhesion evaluation)
The adhesion between the first conductive part and the transparent substrate was measured in the following test according to the JIS K 5600 crosscut test.
With respect to the metal films formed under the conditions of Examples 1 to 7 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, 11 cuts were made in a grid shape at intervals of 1 mm in the vertical and horizontal directions, 10 × 10 grids were provided, and the width was 25 mm A 75 mm long adhesive tape (adhesive force 10 ± 1 N per 25 mm width) was applied and rubbed with a finger. Thereafter, the end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is picked up, and peeled off for 0.5 to 1 second at an angle where the non-adhesive surface and the surface protective layer surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape are about 60 °, and then the adhesive tape application surface The transfer rate of the metal film was measured. When the metal film was not transferred from the glass substrate to the tape at all, it was set to 100/100, and when the metal film was completely transferred to the tape, it was set to 0/100.

(Evaluation 5: Reliability test) Installed in a high-temperature and high-humidity tank with a temperature of 60 ° C. and a humidity of 95%, and taken out after 250 hours. The state of the first conductive layer and the drawn-out wiring was confirmed with the naked eye and evaluated as follows. .
No corrosion was observed ... ○
It was confirmed that the surface was slightly rusted ... △
It was found that rust was generated on the surface ... ×

  In each of Examples 1 to 7, evaluations that can withstand the implementation were shown. In particular, Examples 1 to 4 showed excellent evaluation in any of reflectance, electrical resistance, adhesion to a glass substrate, and reliability. Similarly, Examples 6 and 7 also showed excellent evaluation. However, since the metal film is formed thick, the sputtering process is performed in Examples 1 to 4 in the process of forming the conductive portion and the extraction wiring. It was longer than that, and the amount of members used was also large. About Example 5, evaluation inferior to other examples in terms of adhesion and reliability is shown, and in the case of suppressing the amount of Mn addition as in Example 5, the selection of a transparent substrate, It was suggested that it is desirable to consider the usage environment of the touch panel member.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 21 Touch panel member 2 Transparent substrate 3 Operation area 4 Non-operation area 6 Extraction wiring 7, 7 'First electrode part 8, 8' Second electrode part 9 First transparent pad part 10, 10 'First conductive part 11 Second transparent pad portion 12, 12 ′ Second conductive portion 13, 22 Insulating film 14 Conductive hole 15 Copper material 16 Addition metal material 17 Metal concentration gradient region 18 Copper high concentration region 23 Metal film 24 Photosensitive film 25 First Conductive part pattern 30 Liquid crystal display device 31 with touch panel Liquid crystal display substrate
32 Liquid crystal display substrate with touch panel 33 Liquid crystal display counter substrate 34 Display surface (operation surface)
35 Active Area 36 Inactive Area 37, 43 Circuit 40 Input Information Processing Unit 41 Touch Panel Drive Circuit 42 Touch Panel Printed Circuit Board 44 Video Information Processing Unit 45 Liquid Crystal Drive Circuit 46 Liquid Crystal Display Printed Circuit Board 100 Touch Panel Member 101 Transparent Base Material 102 First transparent pad portion 103 First conductive portion 104 Second transparent pad portion 105 Second conductive portion 106 First electrode portion 107 Second electrode portions 108 and 109

Claims (6)

An operation area and a non-operation area are provided on the transparent substrate.
A touch panel electrode having a plurality of electrode portions is provided in the operation region,
The electrode portion includes a plurality of independent first transparent pad portions arranged with the first direction as an arrangement direction, and a first conductive portion for conducting between the first transparent pad portions adjacent in the first arrangement direction. A plurality of independent second transparent pad portions that are arranged with the second direction as the arrangement direction, and a second transparent pad portion that is adjacent in the second arrangement direction is electrically conductive. A second electrode portion configured to have a second conductive portion for,
Said the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, intersect in the above-described first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, the insulating film between said one conductivity portion and said second electroconductive portion Is provided,
At least one of the first conductive part and the second conductive part is a metal conductive part,
The metal conductive part includes copper and an additive metal other than copper, a metal concentration gradient region in which the concentration of copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the metal conductive part toward the inside, and the concentration of the additive metal decreases. A copper concentration region that is continuous with the metal concentration gradient region, the concentration of the added metal is minimized, and the copper concentration is higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region ,
Touch panel member and the metal concentration gradient region and the copper-enriched region is characterized that you have contiguous within a single layer. An operation area and a non-operation area are provided on the transparent substrate.
A touch panel electrode having a plurality of electrode portions is provided in the operation region,
The electrode portion includes a plurality of independent transparent pad portions that are aligned with the first direction as the arrangement direction, and a metal conductive portion that conducts between adjacent transparent pad portions in the arrangement direction. Including
The metal conductive part includes copper and an additive metal other than copper, a metal concentration gradient region in which the concentration of copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the metal conductive part toward the inside, and the concentration of the additive metal decreases. A copper concentration region that is continuous with the metal concentration gradient region, the concentration of the added metal is minimized, and the copper concentration is higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region ,
Touch panel member and the metal concentration gradient region and the copper-enriched region is characterized that you have contiguous within a single layer. In the non-operation area, a lead-out wiring electrically connected to the electrode part is provided,
3. The lead-out wiring includes the same metal as copper and an additive metal other than copper contained in the metal conductive portion, and includes the metal concentration gradient region and the copper high concentration region. The member for touchscreens in any one of. An operation area and a non-operation area are provided on the transparent substrate.
A touch panel electrode having a plurality of electrode portions is provided in the operation region,
The electrode portion includes a plurality of independent first transparent pad portions having a first direction as an arrangement direction and a first conductive portion for conducting between first transparent pad portions adjacent in the first arrangement direction. A plurality of independent second transparent pad portions having the second direction as an arrangement direction, and a second transparent pad portion adjacent in the second arrangement direction for conducting electricity A second electrode part configured to have a second conductive part,
Said the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, intersect in the above-described first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, the insulating film between said one conductivity portion and said second electroconductive portion Is provided,
At least one of the first conductive part and the second conductive part is a metal conductive part,
The metal conductive part includes copper and an additive metal other than copper, a metal concentration gradient region in which the concentration of copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the metal conductive part toward the inside, and the concentration of the additive metal decreases. A copper concentration region that is continuous with the metal concentration gradient region, the concentration of the added metal is minimized, and the copper concentration is higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region ,
A member for a touch panel that are continuous at the above metal concentration gradient region and the copper-enriched region is a single-layer,
A detection circuit for detecting the electrical signal when the position information where the contact operation is performed in the operation region of the touch panel member is output as an electrical signal;
A coordinate detection apparatus comprising: a coordinate calculation calculation circuit that calculates coordinates of a position where the contact operation is performed from an electrical signal detected by the detection circuit. In a method for manufacturing a member for a touch panel, which includes an operation area and a non-operation area on a transparent substrate, and includes an electrode for a touch panel having a plurality of electrode portions in the operation area.
A transparent pad portion forming step for forming a plurality of transparent pad portions that are aligned with a specified direction as an array direction;
A metal conductive part forming step of forming a metal conductive part for conducting between adjacent transparent pad parts in the arrangement direction;
Are performed in any order, and include a step of forming an electrode portion including a transparent pad portion and a metal conductive portion, and the metal conductive portion forming step is performed using a copper alloy material containing copper and an additive metal other than copper. A metal conductive part pattern is formed with a pattern, and then the metal conductive part pattern is subjected to heat treatment for transferring at least a part of the additive metal contained in the metal conductive part pattern to the outer peripheral surface side of the metal conductive part. The concentration of the copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the portion toward the inner side, and the concentration of the added metal decreases, and the concentration of the added metal continues to the metal concentration gradient region, and the concentration of the added metal is minimized. A method for manufacturing a member for a touch panel, comprising forming a copper high concentration region in which a copper concentration is higher than a copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region. In the non-operation region, a lead-out wiring pattern is formed in a predetermined pattern using the same material as the copper alloy material used in the metal conductive portion forming step, and then, at least one of the additional metals contained in the lead-out wiring pattern. By performing the heat treatment for transferring the portion to the outer peripheral surface side of the extraction wiring portion pattern, the concentration of the copper increases from the outer peripheral surface of the extraction wiring toward the inner direction, and the concentration of the additive metal decreases. A metal concentration gradient region, and a lead-out wiring forming step that forms a copper high concentration region that is continuous with the metal concentration gradient region and has a minimum concentration of added metal and a copper concentration higher than the copper concentration in the metal concentration gradient region. Have
The touch panel member manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein the extraction wiring step and the metal conductive portion forming step are performed simultaneously.

Images