TWI615074B - Substrate with double layer circuit layer and method of manufacturing same - Google Patents

Description

Substrate with double layer circuit layer and method of manufacturing same

The present invention relates to a substrate, and more particularly to a substrate having a two-layer wiring layer and a method of fabricating the same.

At present, touch panel products require transparent electrodes. In addition to the transparent electrode, a metal electrode (edge line) at the edge is required as an electrical connection to the outside. In order to continuously reduce the thickness and weight of electronic products, the substrate for a touch panel has gradually adopted a plastic substrate as a substrate to form a transparent electrode thereon.

At present, in the method of manufacturing a transparent electrode and an edge line using a plastic substrate, the following production methods are generally employed: the electrode of the transparent electrode is first fabricated, and the edge line is fabricated. This method of production will cause problems in two parts: First, after the transparent electrode is fabricated, the deformation of the plastic substrate will occur due to the high temperature (above 150 degrees Celsius) of the subsequent edge line (adhesive is attached). The plastic substrate of the electrode and the plastic substrate portion without the transparent electrode have different heat shrinkage conditions due to high temperature, and further form a grid-like ghost. Second, the manufacturing process of the edge line uses a printing/laser engraving process, which causes the metal powder to be produced during the laser engraving process to contaminate the transparent electrode that has been fabricated.

Therefore, how to make the substrate of the two-layer electrode having the transparent electrode simple and cost-effective, and to improve the ghost problem caused by the deformation of the plastic substrate, and to avoid Free of pollution, it has become a technical direction developed by manufacturers using laser engraving processes.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate having a double-layer circuit layer and a method of manufacturing the same, which has a simple process, does not cause ghosting of a plastic substrate, has low equipment cost, and can avoid metal powder contamination caused by laser engraving. Special technical effects.

The invention provides a method for manufacturing a substrate having a double-layered circuit layer, comprising: providing a plastic substrate having a double-layer electrode layer, wherein a transparent electrode layer of the double-layer electrode layer is disposed above the plastic substrate, a metal electrode The layer is disposed above the transparent electrode layer; the double electrode layer is cut by a laser to form a first line region and a second line region; a protective layer is formed over the second line region; and the coating can be etched An etching material of the metal electrode layer is over the protective layer and the first line region to etch the metal electrode layer of the first line region to expose the transparent electrode layer of the first line region; and remove the The protective layer.

The present invention further provides a substrate having a two-layer circuit layer produced by the manufacturing method of claim 1, comprising: a plastic substrate; a first circuit region, wherein a transparent electrode layer is disposed on the plastic substrate; A second line region is formed by the transparent electrode layer and a metal electrode layer disposed thereon.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and understood.

2‧‧‧Local

3‧‧‧First line area

4‧‧‧Second line area

10‧‧‧Plastic substrate

20‧‧‧Transparent electrode layer

21, 22‧‧‧ Transparent electrode lines

23, 24, 25‧ ‧ gap

30‧‧‧Metal electrode layer

31, 32‧‧‧metal electrode lines

40‧‧‧Protective layer

50‧‧‧ etching materials

90‧‧‧Laser cutting head

91‧‧‧Laser beam

Step 101 ‧ ‧ provides a plastic substrate having a double electrode layer, wherein a transparent electrode layer of the double electrode layer is disposed above the plastic substrate, and a metal electrode layer is disposed above the transparent electrode layer

Step 102‧‧‧ cutting the two-layer electrode layer by laser to form a first line region and a second line region

Step 103‧‧‧ forming a protective layer over the second line region

Step 104‧ ‧ coating an etchant material etchable on the metal electrode layer over the protective layer and the first line region to etch the metal electrode layer of the first line region to make the first line region Transparent electrode layer exposed

Step 105‧‧‧Remove the protective layer

1A-1D is a cross-section and a front view of a substrate having a double-layer wiring layer of the present invention before and after fabrication view.

2A-2G is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process of manufacturing a substrate having a double-layer wiring layer of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing a method of manufacturing a substrate having a two-layer wiring layer of the present invention.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention uses a laser engraving process to fabricate a plastic substrate having a two-layer electrode layer (substrate + transparent electrode layer + metal electrode layer) which has been prepared in advance by using a laser engraving process. Two circuit areas are used, and the metal electrode layer of the upper layer is etched away by the low-temperature metal etching process to retain the lower edge line region, thereby achieving a simple process, no ghosting of the plastic substrate, low equipment cost, and Avoid special technical effects such as metal powder contamination caused by laser engraving. Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of examples.

First, please refer to FIG. 1A-1B, which is a cross-sectional view and a top view of a substrate having a double-layer wiring layer according to the present invention; and FIG. 1C-1D shows the fabrication of a substrate having a double-layer wiring layer of the present invention. Top view and section view. It has been found that the plastic substrate 10 having the two-layer electrode layer used in the present invention has the pre-crystallized transparent electrode layer 20 prepared thereon, and the metal electrode layer 30 is formed in advance on the transparent electrode 20. Due to the pre-crystallization, the plastic substrate 10 has been subjected to high temperature treatment to cause deformation, and the subsequent manufacturing process will not easily cause deformation.

In the 1C, 1D diagram, the substrate having the double-layer wiring layer is formed, and only the first line region 3 and the second line region 4 are clearly left, wherein the line in the second line region 4 is covered by the transparent electrode. The line 22 and the metal electrode line 32 are formed as shown in Fig. 1D (which is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion 2 in Fig. 1C). The gaps 23, 24, and 25 between the lines are made by laser engraving. to make. The first line region 3 contains only the portion of the transparent electrode line 21, that is, the portion that serves as the touch electrode.

Next, please refer to FIG. 2A-2G, which is a flow chart of the section of the part 2 of FIG. 1C. Please refer to the description of FIG. 3 in synchronization. FIG. 3 is a specific embodiment of a substrate having a two-layer wiring layer and a method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention, comprising the following steps:

Step 101: Providing a plastic substrate 10 having a double-layer electrode layer, wherein a transparent electrode layer 20 of the double-layer electrode layer is disposed above the plastic substrate 10, and a metal electrode layer 30 is disposed above the transparent electrode layer 20. As shown in Figure 2A. The material of the plastic substrate 10 may be a flexible substrate material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PI (polyimide), or PEN (polyethylene naphthalate). The material of the metal electrode layer 30 is selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, silver, silver alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, and a mixed alloy of various metals. The transparent electrode layer may be selected from the group consisting of oxygen (nitrogen) transparent conductive materials: In ₂ O ₃ , SnO ₂ , ZnO, CdO, TiN; doped oxide transparent conductive material: In ₂ O ₃ :Sn(ITO), ZnO: In(IZO), ZnO:Ga(GZO), ZnO:Al(AZO), SnO ₂ :F, TiO ₂ :Ta; mixed oxide transparent conductive material: In ₂ O ₃ -ZnO, CdIn ₂ O ₄ , Cd ₂ SnO ₄ , Zn ₂ SnO ₄ .

In addition, before step 101, the plastic substrate 10 of the double-layer electrode layer may be pre-baked, the transparent electrode layer 20 may be pre-crystallized, and the plastic substrate 10 may be pre-shrinked.

Step 102: Cutting the two-layer electrode layer by laser to form a first line region 3 and a second line region 4, as shown in FIG. 2B, by adjusting the laser beam generated by the laser cutting head 90. 91 intensity to simultaneously cut the metal electrode layer 30 and the transparent electrode layer 20. After the fabrication is completed, as shown in FIG. 2C, the gaps 23, 24, 25 are cut by the laser beam 91 to form the metal electrode line 31, the transparent electrode line 21, and the second line region among the first line regions 3. Metal electrode line in 4 Path 32, transparent electrode line 22. Wherein, the line spacing (i.e., the gap 23) of the laser-cut second line region 4 is greater than 10 micrometers.

Step 103: Form a protective layer 40 over the second line region 4, as shown in FIG. 2D. The protective layer 40 is formed directly on the entire surface of the second line region 4, completely covering the metal electrode line 32 of the second line region 4 and its gap 23. Alternatively, the protective layer 40 is formed to be wider than the width of the metal electrode line 32 of the second wiring region 4, and the surface tension of the etching material 50 is applied so as not to penetrate into the gap 23, and the metal electrode wiring 32 is prevented from being etched. Drop it. The protective layer 40 is a photoresist layer or an ink layer. The photoresist layer can be used for the lithography process, and the ink layer can be used for the printing process.

Step 104: coating an etch material 50 etchable on the metal electrode layer 30 over the protective layer 40 and the first line region 3 to etch the metal electrode layer (metal electrode line 31) of the first line region 3. The transparent electrode layer (transparent electrode line 21) of the first line region 3 is exposed. Referring to FIGS. 2E and 2F, since the protective layer 40 covers the metal electrode line 32 of the second line region 4, the metal electrode line 32 is isolated from the etching material 50 (such as an etching paste for etching metal), and therefore, only contacts The metal electrode line 31 to the etching material 50 is etched away as shown in Fig. 2F. In practice, the portion of the outermost portion of the second line region 4 that may be in contact with the etch material 50 may be widened to prevent lateral etching.

Step 105: Remove the protective layer 50, that is, complete the entire production process, as shown in FIG. 2G. The 2G diagram is the finished diagram of the 1D diagram.

Throughout the process, although the laser process is applied, the metal powder produced by the laser process will be etched away by the subsequent etching material 50, so that there is no problem of contamination of the metal powder. In addition, throughout the process, there is no problem that the plastic substrate 10 is deformed due to the high temperature process.

Although the technical content of the present invention has been disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any modifications and refinements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention are encompassed by the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is therefore defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (11)

A method for manufacturing a substrate having a two-layer circuit layer, comprising: providing a plastic substrate having a double-layer electrode layer, wherein a transparent electrode layer of the double-layer electrode layer is disposed above the plastic substrate, and a metal electrode layer is disposed on the metal substrate layer Above the transparent electrode layer; cutting the double electrode layer by a laser to form a first line region and a second line region; forming a protective layer over the second line region; coating can etch the metal electrode An etch material of the layer is over the protective layer and the first line region to etch the metal electrode layer of the first line region to expose the transparent electrode layer of the first line region; and remove the protective layer. The method for manufacturing a substrate having a two-layer wiring layer according to claim 1, wherein the material of the metal electrode layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, silver, silver alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, Titanium alloy, alloy of various metals. The method for manufacturing a substrate having a two-layer wiring layer according to claim 1, wherein the metal electrode layer is a multilayer metal electrode layer, and the material of each layer of the metal electrode layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, silver, silver alloy, aluminum. , aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, alloy of various metals. The method for manufacturing a substrate having a double-layer wiring layer according to claim 1, further comprising pre-bake the plastic substrate with a double-layer electrode layer to pre-crystallize the transparent electrode layer. The method of manufacturing a substrate having a two-layer wiring layer according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer of the second wiring region covers the second wiring region in a full-face manner. The method for manufacturing a substrate having a two-layer wiring layer according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer is a photoresist layer or an ink layer. The method of manufacturing a substrate having a two-layer wiring layer according to claim 1, wherein the second wiring region is formed on an edge of the plastic substrate. A substrate having a two-layer circuit layer produced by the manufacturing method of claim 1, comprising: a plastic substrate; a first circuit region, wherein a transparent electrode layer is disposed on the plastic substrate; and a second circuit The region is composed of the transparent electrode layer and a metal electrode layer disposed thereon. The substrate having a double layer circuit layer according to claim 8, wherein the material of the metal electrode layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, silver, silver alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, An alloy of various metals. The substrate having a double-layer circuit layer according to claim 8, wherein the metal electrode layer is a multi-layer metal electrode layer, and the material of each layer of the metal electrode layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, silver, silver alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy. , nickel, nickel alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, alloys of various metals. The substrate having a double layer circuit layer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second line region is formed on an edge of the plastic substrate.