TW201413532A - Touch panel manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a method for manufacturing a touch panel, capable of improving durability by improving a masking method. The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: preparing tempered glass having a set cell region; forming a touch sensor on one side of the tempered glass; forming a first protective layer that covers at least the touch sensor using a first protective material; forming a second protective layer that covers at least the first protective layer using a second protective material; forming cellular tempered glass by cutting the tempered glass into the size of the set cell region; removing the second protective layer of the cellular tempered glass; and removing the first protective layer of the cellular tempered glass.

Description

Touch panel manufacturing method

The present application claims priority on the basis of the Korean Patent Application No. 2012-0082715, filed on July 27, 2012, and the Korean Patent Application No. 2013-0087417, filed on Jul. 24, 2013. All the contents of the aforementioned basic case are cited.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a touch panel.

The touch panel inputs information corresponding to the screen by pressurizing the screen displayed on the panel. Due to its ease of use, touch panels have recently gained wide application in all display devices.

Generally speaking, the touch panel adopts a capacitive type, a resistive type, a surface ultrasonic type, an infrared type, etc., and extracts coordinates of the pressed portion and inputs information. Among them, the capacitive type belongs to when the user touches the screen, the capacitance of the human body is used to identify the amount of current change to detect the position.

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a touch panel, which is improved in the method of manufacturing the touch panel, thereby improving durability.

A method for manufacturing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: preparing a tempered glass having a predetermined unit area; forming a touch sensor on one side of the tempered glass; forming a first covering at least the touch sensor through the first protective material a protective layer; forming a second protective layer covering at least the first protective layer through the second protective material; forming the tempered glass by a predetermined unit area to form a unit tempered glass; removing the second protective layer of the unit tempered glass; and removing the unit strengthening The first protective layer of glass.

The first protective material and the second protective material may be acid resistant materials, and the first protective material may be a photoresist. The first protective layer may have a thickness of 10 to 20 μm. The second protective material can be a film. The step of forming the unit tempered glass by cutting the tempered glass can be performed by a one-side etching method. The tempered glass may be composed of aluminosilicate glass.

The method for manufacturing the touch panel of the embodiment of the present invention may further include: a step of performing the first processing on the unit tempered glass after removing the second protective layer of the unit tempered glass; and strengthening the unit after the first processing The glass is subjected to the second processing step. The first processing may be a grinding process in which the contour of the glass surface is strengthened by a processing unit having a size of about 0.1 to 0.2 mm larger than a predetermined product specification, and the second processing may be performed by etching. The Healing process of the Micro Chip produced in the first process.

The thickness of the photoresist coating film is about 3 to 5 times thinner than that of the conventional material, thereby saving material costs and simplifying process conditions.

In addition, the outer contour of the tempered glass can be tempered using a process such as grinding and repair to obtain the desired shape and size.

In addition, defects caused by bulging can be reduced in the polishing process.

10‧‧‧Strengthened glass

10a, 10b‧‧‧ unit tempered glass

12‧‧‧Touch sensor

14‧‧‧First protective layer

16‧‧‧Second protective layer

20,20a‧‧‧cut surface

22‧‧‧Processing surface

S100, S102, S104, S106, S108, S110, S112, S114, S116‧‧ steps

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a method of manufacturing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a photograph showing the cut surface of the unit tempered glass after the removal of the film by a microscope.

Figure 3 shows a photograph of the processed surface of the unit tempered glass after the grinding process.

Figure 4 shows a photograph of the cut surface of the unit tempered glass cut after the one-sided spray process.

Figures 5a and 5b show a comparison of pre-etched and post-etched images in a state where only a photoresist is used as a single mask.

Figures 6a and 6b show a comparison of pre-etched and post-etched images in a state where only a film is used as a single mask.

When a portion is referred to as being "on" another portion, it indicates that the portion is directly disposed above the other portion, or other portions may exist between the two. In contrast, when a part is set "directly above" of other parts, it means that there is no other part between the two.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of illustration and description of the embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms " " " The meaning of "including" in the specification refers to specific characteristics, regions, integers, steps, actions, elements and/or components, but does not exclude The existence or addition of his specific characteristics, regions, integers, steps, actions, elements, components and/or groups.

The terms "upper", "lower", etc., which indicate relative spatial relationships, can be used to more easily illustrate the relationship between a certain portion and other portions shown in the figure. These terms include, in addition to the meanings to be described in the figures, other meanings or actions of the device being used. For example, when the device in the figures is reversed, a portion of the "below" that is previously described as being "below" the other portion can be described as being "above" the other portions. Therefore, the term "below" will include both above and below. The device can be rotated 90 degrees or other angles, as explained above for terms that represent relative spatial relationships.

Although not defined differently, all terms including technical terms and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. The terms defined in the commonly used dictionary are supplementally interpreted as meanings consistent with the relevant technical literature and the presently disclosed content, and are not interpreted as ideal or very formal meanings unless otherwise defined.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can be easily implemented. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and the invention may be embodied in a variety of forms.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a process of manufacturing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 1, the manufacturing method of the touch panel is merely for illustrating the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention.

First, the first step (S100) is performed to prepare a tempered glass (10) having a predetermined unit area. The tempered glass (10) may be a soda lime glass or an aluminosilicate glass. when When using soda lime glass, the compression strengthening depth (DOL) is 10~15μm, the compressive stress is 400~500MPa, and it can pass through the wheel, sandblast, wet etching, water knife (Water). Jet) or laser (Laser) and other methods for cutting. When an aluminosilicate glass is used, the compression strengthening depth (DOL) is 20 to 40 μm, and the compressive stress is 600 MPa or more, so that it is difficult to cut by a conventional method. As described above, since the aluminosilicate glass has a high compressive stress, it is liable to cause cracking. For these reasons, in the embodiment of the present invention, since the process of applying both the film and the photoresist is used, and the one-side jet cutting process as the one-side etching method capable of reducing cracking is used, the aluminum silicate glass can be used. Used as tempered glass (10).

After the first step (S100) is completed, a second step (S102) of forming the touch sensor (12) on one side of the tempered glass (10) is performed. Layers for driving touch sensing are formed in the second step (S102). In the formation of the touch sensor (12), an X-axis and a Y-axis may be formed on the tempered glass (10) using an insulating film. In addition, the X-axis and the Y-axis can be formed simultaneously. In addition, it may also include a case where one of the X-axis and the Y-axis is formed first, and another axis is formed on the film (Film).

After the foregoing second step (S102) is completed, the third step (S104) is performed to form the first protective layer (14) covering at least the touch sensor (12). The first protective material may be an acid resistant material, and the first protective material may use a photoresist. In the third step (S104), photoresists are formed for the first processing (i.e., the polishing process) and the second processing (i.e., in the repair process). As the photoresist is formed, impurities and scratches generated in the polishing process can be minimized. In addition, when the photoresist is formed, the removal area in the repair process is considered, and a pattern larger than the design value by about 0.1 mm can be formed. (Pattern). When forming a photoresist, a film formation/exposure/development and heating process is included. When screen printing is used, it includes printing process and drying process. Further, a photoresist may be formed on both faces of the tempered glass (10), and the thickness is preferably about 10 to 20 μm. As the photoresist having a thickness of about 10 to 20 μm is formed, the thickness is thinner than that of the conventional material, thereby saving cost and simplifying process conditions, and reducing defects caused by bulging in the polishing process. In the prior art, the acid-resistant material uses a photoresist of about 100 μm or a screen printing paste to process the tempered glass. However, when the thickness of the photoresist is thin, there is a high possibility of peeling at the time of etching and etching, and therefore it is necessary to repeatedly perform the photoresist forming process, which causes an alignment problem which is difficult to solve and a problem that it is difficult to optimize the exposure amount. In the embodiment of the present invention, an acid-resistant material (ie, a photoresist) and an acid-resistant film are simultaneously formed for the subsequent processes of grinding and repair. The height of the acid resistant material can be about 10-20 μm, that is, a lower height is formed. Therefore, it is not necessary to repeatedly perform the photoresist forming process. If a thick photoresist is formed, as in the prior art, there is a possibility that a problem of photoresist bulging may occur in the polishing process. A photoresist can be formed in the third step (S104), and a screen printing paste can also be formed as needed.

After the foregoing third step (S104) is completed, a fourth step (S106) is performed to form a second protective layer (16) covering at least the first protective layer (14). The second protective material may be an acid resistant material, and the second protective material may be a film. A film used in the chemical cutting process is formed in the fourth step (S106). When forming a film, in order to ensure dimensional accuracy, it is preferable to form a pattern which is about 1 mm larger than the design value. The film can be formed on both sides or on one side of the tempered glass (10).

After the fourth step (S106) is completed, the fifth step (S108) is performed to cut the tempered glass (10) according to a predetermined unit area size to form a unit tempered glass. (10a). In the fifth step (S108), a cutting process can be performed by a chemical etching method. The etching method may be a method such as single-side spray (Spray), double-sided spray or vertical flow (Down Flow). The concentration of the hydrofluoric acid solution is preferably 30 to 45%, and it is important to control the size according to the concentration of the hydrofluoric acid solution. Since the cut surface (20) of the unit tempered glass (10a) belongs to an unreinforced area, the resistance to external impact is weak. Therefore, the paste containing hydrofluoric acid can be applied to the side which has not been reinforced, and then washed, and it can be compensated as an unreinforced process.

After the termination of the aforementioned fifth step (S108), the sixth step of removing the second protective layer (16) of the unit tempered glass (10a) is performed. The sixth step (S110) is a process of stripping the film in order to perform the first processing. If the film is not peeled off, it is less likely to be polished by etching.

After the foregoing sixth step (S110) is completed, the seventh step of performing the first processing of the unit tempered glass (10a) is performed. The seventh step (S112) is for processing the outer contour shape of the cut surface (20) of the unit tempered glass (10a) to form a grinding process of the processed surface (22). In the first processing, the polishing process is performed in a manner of about 0.1 to 0.2 mm larger than the predetermined product specification.

After the termination of the seventh step (S112) described above, an eighth step (S114) of performing the second processing on the unit tempered glass (10a) subjected to the first processing is performed. The second processing may be a Healing process for removing microchips generated during polishing by etching. The second process is a process that etches approximately 0.1 to 0.2 mm to match the required product specifications. In the second processing, etching is performed to a black matrix (BM) region to prevent light leakage, and etching using a Dipping method is preferable. It should be noted that hydrogen fluoride The acid solution concentration and the process time are inversely related.

After the end of the foregoing eighth step (S114), the ninth step (S116) of removing the first protective layer (14) of the second processed unit tempered glass (10a) is performed.

Compared with the case where the panel is formed by the unit tempered glass (10a) which is cut in advance, since the panel is formed by the tempered glass (10) and then cut into a plurality of unit tempered glass (10a), it is possible to simultaneously Since a plurality of unit tempered glass (10a) are subjected to the same process, there is an advantage that the production time can be shortened and the process can be effectively managed. In addition, for the post-grinding process of grinding and repair, an acid-resistant material (photoresist) is used to form the first protective layer (14), and an acid-resistant film is used to form a second protective layer (16) covering the first protective layer (14). . Therefore, the height of the photoresist can be formed to be about 10 to 20 μm, that is, a lower height can be formed, and the problem that the photoresist formation process needs to be repeatedly performed due to the high possibility of peeling at the time of etching and cutting can be solved. After the process of forming the panel from the tempered glass (10) is completed, in order to cut it into a plurality of unit tempered glass (10a), a reticle is used for fluorine etching, thereby cutting the tempered glass (10) into a unit tempered glass (10a). . Then, the second protective layer (16) is removed, and after the cutting surface (20) of the unit tempered glass (10a) is polished and repaired, the first protective layer (14) is removed, thereby completing the manufacture of the touch panel.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of experimental examples. However, these experimental examples are merely provided for exemplifying the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

First experimental example

1) First step (S100)

A tempered glass (10) having a size of 370 mm × 470 mm and a thickness of 0.7 mm was prepared. The tempered glass (10) is an aluminum crucible having a depth of 40 μm and a compressive stress of 645 MPa. The acid salt is tempered glass.

2) Second step (S102)

In the formation of the touch sensor (12), a first electrode layer (ITO layer) is formed first, and the first electrode layer has a bridge shape and has a characteristic value of a thickness of 200 Å and a surface resistance of 45 Ω/□. After the formation of the first electrode layer, an insulator (Insulator) having a thickness of 1.5 μm was formed. The second electrode layer was an X and Y layer, and showed a characteristic value of a thickness of 200 Å and a surface resistance of 45 Ω/□. The trace portion is formed of molybdenum/aluminum/molybdenum (Mo/Al/Mo) and has a thickness of 2,400 Å (Mo: 300 Å, Al: 1,600 Å, Mo: 500 Å). At this time, the surface resistance was 0.4 Ω/□. An overcoat having a thickness of 1.5 μm was formed in the next process to protect the electrode layer (ITO) and the trace layer. The size of the touch sensor (12) is 120 mm × 60 mm, and is arranged at intervals of 3 mm to form a total of 15 pieces.

3) Third step (S104)

A photoresist is used as an acid-resistant material to form a first protective layer. The acid-resistant material was made of an acrylic resin (Acryl) resin, and the coating method used to form the film was a bar coating method, and the coating thickness was 20 μm. The exposure was carried out using a metal halide lamp with an irradiation amount of 100 mJ/cm ² . In the development and post-exposure processes, the developer was Na ₂ CO ₃ , the concentration was 0.4%, and the progress time was 150 seconds. The post-exposure process was carried out at an irradiation dose of 1,000 mJ/cm ² . After the first protective layer is formed on one side, the first protective layer is formed on the other side by the same method. After the post-exposure process, the result of the inspection size was 120.15 x 60.13 mm.

4) Fourth step (S106)

The film is laminated with a PVC film and then patterned using a laser, and then the etched portion is removed. The other side is also formed in the same way. The size is 122.1 x 62.1 mm.

5) Fifth step (S108)

Regarding the etching process, a nozzle having a jetting pressure of 1.0 to 1.5 kgf/cm ² at 30 ° C is horizontally sprayed with a 30% hydrofluoric acid solution on one side surface of the tempered glass 10 that has been shielded, and the etching time is performed. 10 minutes. In addition, other surfaces were horizontally sprayed for etching in the same manner. Through the etching process, 15 cells without any damage are obtained. 2 shows a photograph of a cut surface (20) of a unit tempered glass (10a) in a state in which a film is removed in order to perform inspection using a microscope, and as a result of detecting a size, the average size is 120.33 × 60.32 mm.

6) Sixth step (S110)

The film is peeled off for the grinding process. The film can be peeled off by hand.

7) Seventh step (S112)

When the polishing process was carried out, the cutter size was 800 mesh, the rotation speed was 6000 rpm, and a sample having a wafer size of 50 μm or less was produced. Fig. 3 shows a photograph of the processed surface (22) of the unit tempered glass (10a) processed by the polishing process. The size detection result is 20.15×60.15 mm.

8) Eighth step (S114)

The repair process was performed by dipping (Dipping) method, and the evaluation solution was a 15% hydrofluoric acid solution for 15 minutes. It was found that the shape of the machined surface (22) was not significantly different from that during the grinding, and the chip was removed. The size is 120.03×60.02mm, which is in accordance with the design value standard ±50μm.

9) The ninth step (S116)

The stripping process for the photoresist was carried out in a 12% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution at a process temperature of 60 ° C for two minutes to remove residual photoresist. In addition, in order to ensure the bending strength characteristics brought about by the repair process, the bending strength evaluation is performed. The equipment used in the evaluation was a three-axis bending machine with a span of 80 mm, an upper portion of 40 mm and a speed of 10 mm/min. The test results show that the minimum rigidity value is 11.04kgf and the maximum rigidity value is 12.33kgf. After the repair process, the minimum rigidity value is 28.7kgf, and the maximum rigidity value is 40.36kgf. It is obvious that the repair process can be about the rigidity value. Increase by more than twice. The unit tempered glass (10a) product has a minimum stiffness value of 29.40 kgf and a maximum stiffness value of 34.17 kgf.

Second experimental example

Most of the processes in the second experimental example were the same as those in the first experimental example, and the tempered glass was cut by a single-sided spray process in the cutting process. Detailed descriptions overlapping with the method of manufacturing the touch panel of the first experimental example are omitted below. Figure 4 shows a photograph of the cut surface (20a) of the unit tempered glass (10b) cut by the one-sided spray process. The cutting process of the second embodiment took a time of 20 minutes. When single-sided etching is performed by the one-side spray process as described above, the touch sensor (12) is disposed in the lower region of the unit tempered glass (10b), and single-sided etching is performed on the upper portion of the unit tempered glass (10b). When the single-sided etching is performed on the upper portion of the unit tempered glass (10b), the touch sensor (12) located in the lower portion can be effectively protected.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the glass (10b) is reinforced by the double masking process cutting unit using both the film and the photoresist, but the following problem occurs in the single masking process using only one of the film and the photoresist. .

Figures 5a and 5b are graphs comparing the images before and after etching in a single masked state in which only one photoresist is applied.

As shown in FIG. 5a, the image before etching shows a state in which the photoresist is not peeled off. As shown in FIG. 5b, the etched image shows a state in which the photoresist has been peeled off. As shown in FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b, when only an acid-resistant material (ie, a photoresist) is used without a film, the photoresist is peeled off during the etching process, thereby affecting the touch sensor, and cannot be followed. Process. In addition, when the photoresist is applied twice, the black matrix damage of about 100 to 150 μm is generated after the etching.

Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b are diagrams for comparing images before and after etching in a state where only a film is used as a single mask.

As shown in FIG. 6a, the image before etching shows a state in which the black matrix region is not damaged. As shown in FIG. 6b, the etched image shows a state in which the black matrix region is damaged. As can be seen from Figures 6a and 6b, when only a thin film is used without an acid-resistant material (i.e., a photoresist), the black matrix region is damaged during the etching. In addition, when only a film is used as a single mask, the film peels off during the polishing process, which may damage the touch sensor in subsequent processes.

The invention has been described above, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

10‧‧‧Strengthened glass

10a‧‧‧Unit tempered glass

12‧‧‧Touch sensor

14‧‧‧First protective layer

16‧‧‧Second protective layer

S100, S102, S104, S106, S108, S110, S112, S114, S116‧‧ steps

Claims (10)

A method for manufacturing a touch panel includes the steps of: preparing a tempered glass having a predetermined unit area; forming a touch sensor on one side of the tempered glass; and forming at least a touch through the first protective material a first protective layer of the inductor; forming a second protective layer covering at least the first protective layer through a second protective material; cutting the tempered glass according to the size of the predetermined unit area to form a unit tempered glass; The unit strengthens the second protective layer of glass; and removes the first protective layer of the unit tempered glass. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first protective material and the second protective material are acid-resistant materials. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the first protective material is a photoresist. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first protective layer has a thickness of 10 to 20 μm. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the second protective material is a thin film. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the step of forming the unit tempered glass by cutting the tempered glass is performed by a single-sided etching method. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 6, wherein the tempered glass is an aluminosilicate glass. The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: after removing the second protective layer of the unit tempered glass, performing a first processing on the unit tempered glass; The unit tempered glass processed for the first time is subjected to a second processing. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the first processing is processing the surface of the unit tempered glass by a size of about 0.1 to 0.2 mm larger than a predetermined product specification. Grinding process of contour shape. The method of manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 8, wherein the second processing is a Healing process for removing microchips generated in the first processing by a transparent etching method. .