KR20140040375A

KR20140040375A - Method for manufacturing touch panel

Info

Publication number: KR20140040375A
Application number: KR1020120106893A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 주흥로; 김형문
Original assignee: 주식회사 엑스엘
Priority date: 2012-09-26
Filing date: 2012-09-26
Publication date: 2014-04-03

Abstract

The present invention provides a supply and demand imbalance and resource depletion due to limited indium resources, an increase in material cost due to its raw materials, and a relatively high sheet resistance in Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), a transparent electrode of a touch panel most commonly used in the related art. In order to solve the problem of the constraints of the formation of various types of fine patterns due to, it is to replace the ITO transparent electrode, and it has a low sheet resistance by using a metal thin film (Ag, Cu, Ni, etc.) which is more easily supplied than ITO. It relates to a touch panel using a fine transparent electrode having, and a method of manufacturing the same.

Description

Manufacturing Method of Touch Panel {METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TOUCH PANEL}

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a touch panel for printing a metal using a gravure offset printing method to form a fine metal pattern.

Conventionally, indium tin oxide (ITO) is used as a transparent electrode of a touch panel which is most used. However, the use of ITO has the following disadvantages.

First, ITO faces difficulties in supplying ITO material itself due to the rapid increase in demand worldwide due to limited indium resources, and it is anticipated that resource depletion will be expected soon and material cost will increase due to its raw materials.

Second, the sheet resistance of ITO (~ several hundred ohms / sq) is relatively high compared to the sheet resistance (less than 10 ohm / sq) of transparent electrodes using metal thin films such as silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni). High power consumption can be increased, and as the miniaturization of touch resolution is required in portable devices, electrode patterns become finer and resistance increases, thereby limiting its use.

Third, the main feature of ITO is the combination of electrical conductivity and optical transparency, so that thickening the thin film increases the conductivity of the metal but decreases the optical transparency, thus applying a thin thin film (<100 nm). An expensive laser etching apparatus was used as an etching method for one patterning.

Therefore, the technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to produce a fine transparent electrode having a low sheet resistance using silver (Ag), copper (Cu) or nickel (Ni), which is a metal thin film that is more easily supplied than ITO, and forms a pattern. The use of a trial etch solution enables low cost mass production at low cost.

The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to the present invention is a step of forming a fine metal pattern by printing a metal using a gravure offset printing method on a transparent substrate, wherein the printed metal is silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel ( Ni) or aluminum (Al).

And forming a fine metal electrode pattern (sensing line and driving line) capable of detecting a signal.

The method may further include forming an electrode for connecting the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) to the electrical power supply.

In this case, the electrode is formed of a paste (silver) or copper (Cu) metal in a thickness of 1 ~ 100um range by screen printing (screen printing) method.

In addition, the metal printed in the step is characterized in that for forming a thickness within the range of 0.1 ~ 50um.

And, the metal pattern to be printed in the step is characterized in that to form a width within the range of 5 ~ 100um.

The touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it is formed of a transparent substrate and a metal printed at a predetermined interval on the transparent substrate.

Here, the printed metal is implemented by any one of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), or aluminum (Al), and a predetermined interval of the metal is characterized in that a width is formed within a range of 5 to 100 μm. .

Here, the metal to be printed is characterized by forming a thickness within the range of 0.1 ~ 50um.

In addition, it characterized in that it further comprises an electrode for connecting a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) for the electrical power connection.

In addition, the electrode may be formed by a screen printing technique using silver (Ag) or copper (Cu) metal in the form of a paste.

Here, the electrode is characterized in that for forming a thickness in the range of 1 ~ 100um.

According to this feature, a fine transparent electrode having a low sheet resistance is fabricated using silver (Ag), copper (Cu), or nickel (Ni), which is a metal thin film which is more easily supplied than ITO, and a wet etching solution is formed during pattern formation. By using it, there is an effect that enables low-cost mass production of touch panels at low process costs.

In addition, since the first and second metal patterns are formed by the printing method of the gravure offset, there is an effect that can be produced at a lower production speed, manufacturing time and lower cost than the conventional manufacturing method using a semiconductor manufacturing method.

1A is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a fine transparent electrode of a touch panel using a gravure offset printing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1B is a fine mesh pattern printed by the method of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2A illustrates a shape of a sensing line of a transparent electrode pattern in which a line for a touch panel is manufactured using a mesh pattern manufactured through the manufacturing method of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2B is a diagram of an actual sensing line of a transparent electrode pattern in which a line for a touch panel is manufactured using a mesh pattern manufactured through the manufacturing method of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2C is an enlarged view of a sensing line of a transparent electrode pattern in which a line for a touch panel is manufactured using a mesh pattern manufactured through the manufacturing method of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2D illustrates a shape of a driving line of a transparent electrode pattern in which a line for a touch panel is manufactured using a mesh pattern manufactured through the manufacturing method of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2E is a diagram illustrating an actual driving line of a transparent electrode pattern in which a line for a touch panel is manufactured using a mesh pattern manufactured through the manufacturing method of FIG. 1A.
3A is a view illustrating a shape in which the sensing line of FIG. 2A and the driving line of FIG. 2D overlap.
FIG. 3B is a view showing a shape in which an actual sensing line of FIG. 2B and an actual driving line of FIG. 2E overlap each other, and the FPCB electrode is provided.

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

1A is a view illustrating a method of manufacturing a fine transparent electrode of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention using a gravure offset printing method, and FIG. 1B is a fine mesh pattern printed by a gravure offset printing method.

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a shape of a sensing line of a transparent electrode pattern in which a line for a touch panel is manufactured on a first transparent substrate (not shown) using the mesh pattern manufactured by the printing method of FIG. 1A. The inside of the sensing line panel 104 is formed of a lattice, and FIG. 2B is a view of the actual sensing line of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C is an enlarged view of the grid of the pattern part of FIG. 2B.

FIG. 2D illustrates a shape of a driving line of a transparent electrode pattern in which a line for a touch panel is manufactured on a second transparent substrate (not shown) using a mesh pattern manufactured by the printing method of FIG. 1A. The interior of the drive line panel 105 is formed of a lattice. 2E is a view of the actual drive line of FIG. 2D.

3A is a view showing a shape in which the sensing line of FIG. 2A overlaps with the driving line of FIG. 2D, and FIG. 3B is a view illustrating a shape in which the actual sensing line of FIG. 2B overlaps with the actual driving line of FIG. 2E.

1A to 3B, a method of manufacturing a touch panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention first includes a first roller 100 having a metal material engraved with a groove in the form of a pattern to be printed on the transparent substrate 300. While the conductive paste 103 is injected into the conductive paste container 102 in which the conductive paste is contained, the first roller 100 and the second roller 200 made of an elastic material are brought into close contact with each other and rotated. The conductive paste 103 on the surface is scraped off.

Through this process, the conductive paste 103 in the groove of the first roller 100 is transferred to the surface of the second roller 200 by the close rotation of the first roller 100 and the second roller 200. Next, when the second roller 200 is brought into close contact with the transparent substrate 300 and rotated, the conductive paste 103 pattern on the second roller 200 is printed on the transparent substrate 300 and transferred in a desired pattern form. .

Here, the conductive paste 103 may use silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), or aluminum (Al) paste, and in order to obtain better electrical conductivity and printing properties, silver nano paste (Ag nano) may be used. paste) is preferred.

In addition, the method may further include forming an electrode for connecting the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) to the electrical power supply.

In this case, the electrode is formed of a paste (silver) or copper (Cu) metal in a thickness of 1 ~ 100um range by a screen printing technique (screen printing), preferably formed in a thickness of 20um.

In addition, the metal to be printed through the process of Figure 1a forms a thickness within the range of 0.1 ~ 50um, preferably 3um thickness.

Then, the metal to be printed through the process of Figure 1a forms a width within the range of 5 ~ 100um, preferably 20um width.

The touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is manufactured by the above method for manufacturing a touch panel, and the touch panel is preferably made of a transparent substrate and a metal printed at regular intervals on the transparent substrate.

Here, the metal to be printed is embodied by any one of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) or aluminum (Al), and a predetermined interval of the metal is preferably formed in a width within a range of 5 to 100 μm.

Here, the printed metal forms a thickness within the range of 0.1 ~ 50um.

In addition, it is possible to further include an electrode for connecting a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) for the electrical power connection to the printed metal.

In addition, the electrode is formed by a screen printing technique using silver or copper metal in the form of a paste.

At this time, the electrode forms a thickness within the range of 1 ~ 100um.

As described above, the touch panel and the method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention fabricate a fine transparent electrode having a low sheet resistance using silver, copper or nickel, which is a metal thin film which is more smoothly supplied than ITO, and wet etching solution during pattern formation. By using this, it is effective to enable low-cost mass production of the touch panel at low process cost.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, Of course, this is possible.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the equivalents as well as the claims that follow.

100: first roller 101: blade
102 conductive paste container 103 conductive paste
104: sensing line panel 105: drive line panel
200: second roller 300: transparent substrate

Claims

Printing a first metal on the first transparent substrate using a gravure offset printing method to form a first metal pattern;
Etching a portion of the first metal pattern to form a sensing line;
Printing a second metal on the second transparent substrate using a gravure offset printing method to form a second metal pattern, and
Etching a portion of the second metal pattern to form a driving line
Lt; / RTI >
The first and second metals forming the first and second metal patterns are made of one of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and aluminium (Al).

The method of claim 1,
And forming an electrode for connection with a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) on the first and second transparent substrates, respectively.

4. The method of claim 3,
And the electrode is formed by screen printing using a paste containing silver (Ag) or copper (Cu).

In claim 3 or 4,
The electrode is a method of manufacturing a touch panel having a thickness of 1㎛ 100㎛.

The method of claim 1,
Each of the first and second metal patterns has a thickness of 0.1 μm to 50 μm.

The method of claim 1,
Each of the first and second metal patterns has a width of 5 μm to 100 μm.