KR20020009671A - Touch panel and the fabrication method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A touch panel and a fabricating method thereof are provided to prevent disconnection when upper and lower substrates are attached in a state in which the upper and lower substrates are abnormally arranged by covering a dielectric layer from the contour of a region in which the second transparent conductive film is formed to the edge of the lower substrate. CONSTITUTION: The first transparent conductive film is formed on one surface of an upper substrate. An upper electrode(22) is formed at a lower surface of the first transparent conductive film. A lower substrate(12) is installed to be opposite with the upper substrate, and the patterned second transparent is formed on an upper surface of the lower substrate(12). A lower electrode(14) is formed on the lower substrate(12), and is capable of turning on an electric current with the second transparent conductive film(22). A dielectric layer(21) is covered on a region from the contour of a region in which the second transparent conductive film(22) is formed to the edge of the lower substrate(12), and reclaims the lower electrode(14). A dot spacer(18) is inserted into the upper and lower substrates(12) for maintaining an interval between the upper and lower substrates(12). A cable(19) is electrically connected with the upper and lower substrates(12), and a certain power is supplied to the cable(19).

Description

Touch panel and manufacturing method thereof

The present invention relates to a touch panel, and more particularly, to a touch panel and a manufacturing method thereof, in which the structure of the lower substrate and the method thereof are improved to prevent short circuit of the panel.

Typically, input devices include a touch panel and a digitizer. Among these, the touch panel includes an analog resistive type, a digital resistive type, a saw type and an infrastructure type.

When the touch panel comes into contact with the upper substrate made of a flexible film by a predetermined input means such as a pen or a finger, the lower panel which maintains an appropriate interval with the dot spacers therebetween is energized. When energized, the voltage value changed by the resistance value of the position is read, and the control device converts the digital value according to the change of the potential difference to find the position coordinate.

In order to manufacture a conventional touch panel having such a structure, the following process is performed.

First, a substrate made of transparent glass used as the lower substrate is prepared, and a patterned transparent conductive film is formed on the substrate. Next, dot spacers having a height of approximately 4 to 5 micrometers are formed on the transparent conductive film, and silver paste used as the lower electrode is printed.

In addition, an upper substrate made of a film having flexibility corresponding to the lower substrate is prepared separately from the above process. The lower surface of the upper substrate is coated with a transparent conductive film. The silver paste used as the upper electrode is printed on the lower surface of the transparent conductive film.

Meanwhile, a taping process is added to mutually insulate the upper and lower electrodes while adhering the upper and lower substrates together. At this time, an adhesive tape made of a double-sided tape is provided, and the tape is formed with a plurality of conductive holes for electrical connection with the wiring formed on the lower substrate and the upper electrode.

Next, the double-sided tape is laminated to the upper substrate, and the adhesive is again adhered to the lower substrate, and a flexible printed cable to which a predetermined power is applied to the upper and lower electrodes is connected and then crimped. Subsequently, the touch panel is completed by performing property inspection and appearance inspection.

However, in the conventional touch panel, when the upper and lower substrates are attached with adhesive tape in a state in which the upper and lower substrates are not aligned, dust or dirt from the outside may be removed from the outside of the upper and lower substrates. , Moisture in the atmosphere will seep into it.

These foreign matters may be adsorbed on the upper substrate of the thin film to damage the adhesive tape, resulting in a short circuit between the upper and lower substrate. In addition, the lower electrode may be exposed, which may cause oxidation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a touch panel having improved structure and a method thereof and a method of manufacturing the same in order to prevent a short circuit between an upper substrate and a lower substrate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a touch panel and a method of manufacturing the same in which the structure and the method thereof are improved to prevent the electrodes from being oxidized.

1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a portion of FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner;

3 is a flow chart showing the manufacturing process of FIG.

<Brief description of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10 ... Touch panel 11 ... Top board

12 lower substrate 13 upper electrode

14 Lower electrode 15 Extension cable

16 ... wiring 17 ... adhesive tape

18 ... dot spacer 19 ... cable

21.Dielectric layer

Touch panel according to an aspect of the present invention to achieve the above object,

An upper substrate having a first transparent conductive film formed on one surface thereof;

An upper electrode of a strip shape formed on a lower surface of the first transparent conductive film;

A lower substrate provided to face the upper substrate and having a patterned second transparent conductive film formed thereon;

A lower electrode formed on the lower substrate and in the form of a strip capable of conducting electricity with the second transparent conductive film;

An insulator layer applied to an area from the outside of the region where the second transparent conductive film is formed to the edge of the lower substrate to fill the lower electrode;

A dot spacer interposed between the upper and lower substrates to maintain a gap therebetween; And

And a cable electrically connected to the upper and lower electrodes to which a predetermined power is applied.

In addition, the insulator layer is characterized in that the dielectric layer.

According to another aspect of the present invention,

Preparing a lower substrate made of a transparent material;

Forming a patterned transparent conductive film on the lower substrate;

Forming a plurality of dot spacers on the lower substrate;

Forming a conductive lower electrode capable of conducting electricity with the transparent conductive film;

Drying the formed lower electrode;

Embedding the lower electrode by printing a dielectric layer in an area from the outside of the region where the transparent conductive film is formed to the edge of the lower substrate;

Drying the dielectric layer; And

It provides a method of manufacturing a touch panel comprising a; cutting the lower substrate for each unit.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the touch panel of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 illustrates a touch panel 10 according to an example of the present invention, and FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged portion of the touch panel 10 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the panel 10 includes an upper substrate 11 and a lower substrate 12 installed to face the upper substrate 11.

The upper substrate 11 is made of a film such as PET so as to have flexibility, for example, and a first transparent conductive film such as an ITO film is coated on the bottom of the film. The lower surface of the upper substrate 11 is provided with a plurality of upper electrodes 13 in strip form along both edges of the substrate 11.

The lower substrate 12 is made of transparent glass. The patterned second transparent conductive film 22 is selectively coated on the upper surface of the lower substrate 12. On the upper surface of the second transparent conductive film 22, a plurality of lower electrodes 14 in the form of strips are disposed along both edges of the substrate 12 in a direction different from the position where the upper electrode 13 is installed. Extension lines 15 are drawn out from one end of the lower electrode 14, respectively. In addition, the lower substrate 12 is provided with a wiring 16 that is electrically energized with the upper electrode 11. The extension line 15 and the wiring 16 are collected at a central portion of one side of the lower substrate 12 to become a power application point.

In this case, the upper and lower electrodes 13 and 14, the extension line 15 and the wiring 16 is preferably formed using a silver paste.

Meanwhile, both edges between the upper substrate 11 and the upper substrate 12 may be bonded to bond the upper and lower substrates 11 and 12 to each other and to insulate the electrodes 13 and 14 from each other. The tape 17 is attached. The adhesive tape 17 is provided with a plurality of conduction holes (not shown) for mutual energization between the upper electrode 13 and the wiring 16.

In addition, a dot spacer 18 is provided on the lower substrate 12, which maintains a proper distance between the upper and lower substrates 11 and 12. The height of the dot spacer 18 is approximately 4 to 5 micrometers.

In addition, the lower substrate 12 is electrically connected to the extension line 15 and the wiring 16 which are gathered at the central portion of one side thereof with a flexible printed cable 19 having flexibility.

Here, an insulator layer is applied to an area from the edge of the region where the second transparent conductive film 22 is formed to the edge of the lower substrate 12. As the insulator layer, the dielectric layer 21 is preferable. The dielectric layer 21 is formed to fill the lower electrode 14, the extension line 15, and the wiring 16. Since the dielectric layer 21 is formed on the lower electrode 14, the dielectric layer 21 serves to prevent the electrode 14 from being exposed to the air and oxidized.

3 illustrates an embodiment of a manufacturing process for forming a functional layer on the lower substrate 12 of the touch panel 10.

1 to 3, the lower substrate 12 made of transparent glass is provided.

The second transparent conductive film 22 such as ITO is applied to the entire surface of the lower substrate 12 to form an image of the second transparent conductive film 22. In other words, the second transparent conductive film 22 is formed. After applying the entire surface, a photoresist layer is formed on the upper surface, and the photoresist layer is exposed, developed, and etched to form the patterned second transparent conductive film 22.

Subsequently, an image of the dot spacers 18 is formed on the lower substrate 12 on which the second transparent conductive film 22 is patterned. (S30) That is, a photoresist for forming the dot spacers 18 is formed, and this is formed. A plurality of dot spacers 18 having a height of 4 to 5 micrometers are formed by exposure, development and etching.

Next, silver, which is a conductive material, is placed on the lower substrate 12 so that the lower electrode 14 is formed on both edges of the substrate 12 on the lower substrate 12 so as to conduct electricity with the second transparent conductive film 22. Printing is done using paste. (S40)

When the silver paste is printed to form the lower electrode 14, the silver paste is dried at an appropriate temperature.

The dielectric layer 21 is printed on a portion corresponding to a region from the edge of the region where the second transparent conductive film 22 is formed to the edge of the substrate 12 in the lower substrate 12 where drying is completed (S60). The dielectric layer 21 completely fills the lower electrode 14.

When the dielectric layer 21 is printed, it is dried for a predetermined time at an appropriate temperature. (S70)

The completed lower substrate 12 is finally completed through a scribing process of cutting to a size corresponding to each unit panel.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing process of the adhesive substrate 17 interposed between the completed lower substrate 12 and the upper substrate 11 and the upper and lower substrates 11 and 12 will be briefly described as follows. .

In the case of the upper substrate 11, a film made of PET, which is polyester series, is prepared. The first transparent conductive film is coated on either side of this film. The silver paste, which is a raw material for forming the upper electrode 13 by placing a mask on the upper substrate 11, is printed, dried at a predetermined temperature, and cut into sizes corresponding to each unit panel.

In the case of the adhesive tape 17, a plurality of conductive holes are formed to mutually conduct electricity between the upper electrode 13 formed on the upper substrate 11 and the wiring 16 formed on the lower substrate 12, Half cutting, that is, the adhesive tape 17 is made of a double-sided tape so that only half is cut. The adhesive tape 17 is later attached to the upper substrate 11.

The upper substrate 11 and the lower substrate 12 to which the completed adhesive tape 17 is attached are attached to each other, and the extension line 15 and the wiring 16, which are power supply points formed on the lower substrate 12, are attached to each other. The flexible printed cable 19 is attached, crimped with an anisotropic adhesive, and a predetermined characteristic test and an external test are performed to complete the panel 10.

As such, when the completed touch panel 10 contacts the second transparent conductive film 22 on the lower substrate 12 with the first transparent conductive film formed on the upper substrate 11 and the dot spacer 18 therebetween, The upper and lower electrodes 13 and 14 are energized, and after receiving the voltage value changed by the resistance value at the position, the main controller changes the digital value according to the change of the potential difference to find the position coordinate.

As described above, the touch panel of the present invention and a method of manufacturing the same apply a dielectric layer from the outside of the region where the second transparent conductive film of the lower substrate is formed to the edge of the substrate, whereby the upper and lower substrates are not aligned properly. Short circuit can be prevented even when attached in the state. In addition, since the dielectric layer is buried in the lower electrode, the alignment may not be properly performed, and oxidation may be prevented even if the lower electrode is exposed to the outside.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (3)

An upper substrate having a first transparent conductive film formed on one surface thereof; An upper electrode of a strip shape formed on a lower surface of the first transparent conductive film; A lower substrate provided to face the upper substrate and having a patterned second transparent conductive film formed thereon; A lower electrode formed on the lower substrate and in the form of a strip capable of conducting electricity with the second transparent conductive film; An insulator layer applied to an area from the outside of the region where the second transparent conductive film is formed to the edge of the lower substrate to fill the lower electrode; A dot spacer interposed between the upper and lower substrates to maintain a gap therebetween; And And a cable electrically connected to the upper and lower electrodes to which a predetermined power is applied. The method of claim 1, And the insulator layer is a dielectric layer. Preparing a lower substrate made of a transparent material; Forming a patterned transparent conductive film on the lower substrate; Forming a plurality of dot spacers on the lower substrate; Forming a conductive lower electrode capable of conducting electricity with the transparent conductive film; Drying the formed lower electrode; Embedding the lower electrode by printing a dielectric layer in an area from the outside of the region where the transparent conductive film is formed to the edge of the lower substrate; Drying the dielectric layer; And And cutting the lower substrate by unit, respectively.