TWI676121B - Method of manufacturing an electrode film - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electrode film includes providing a first conductive substrate; a first active region of the first conductive substrate includes a second active region and a second routing region; and forming a substrate having opposite inner and outer sides. A second electrostatic ring; and removing a portion of the first active area, the first routing area, and the first electrostatic ring located on the outer side, and electrically isolating the inner side from the second active area and the second routing area. The invention further discloses a method for manufacturing an electrode film in which an active area, a routing area and an electrostatic ring are integrally formed.

Description

Method for manufacturing electrode film

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrode film, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing electrode films of different sizes using an electrode film having an active region, a routing region, and an electrostatic ring as a substrate.

The touch panel of the touch sensor includes a signal transmitting electrode (Transmit electrode, Tx electrode), optical clear adhesive (OCA), and a signal receiving electrode (Rx electrode) which are sequentially stacked to form The materials of the Tx electrode and the Rx electrode are usually indium tin oxide (ITO) or metal mesh. Among them, the Tx electrode and the Rx electrode usually include a sensor channel and provide the active channel. Area A routing area where various conductive signal lines are connected.

In order to prevent damage to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) in the active area of the touch panel of the touch sensor, a guard ring trace is usually formed on the Tx electrode and the Rx electrode. When ESD occurs At this time, static electricity can be guided to the ground wire through the electrostatic ring, thereby reducing the impact of ESD on the sensor. In order to make the electrostatic ring have a good ESD prevention effect, the electrostatic ring will extend the active area and the routing area on the Tx electrode and the Rx electrode, surround the edge of the TX and RX electrodes and ground to the ground.

With the development of electronic devices that are light, thin, short, and small, in response to the touch needs of electronic products, the types of touch sensors are constantly changing, and a variety of different sizes of touch panels are emerging.

However, due to the design considerations of ESD, after the size of the general electrode film is determined, the size of the electrode film cannot be arbitrarily reduced, which limits the commonality of the downward sharing of the electrode film size.

In order to solve the problems of the conventional technology, the present invention discloses a method for manufacturing an electrode film. The method includes: providing a first conductive substrate. The first conductive substrate includes a first active region and is located in the first active region. A first routing area that surrounds the first active area. The first routing area contains various conductive signal lines required by the first active area, and is disposed along the first active area and the first routing area. A first electrostatic ring includes a second active region and a second routing region in the first active region; along the sides of the second active region and the second routing region, a first and second electrostatic loops having opposite inner and outer sides are formed. A second electrostatic ring, and the second electrostatic ring is electrically connected to a part of the first electrostatic ring, wherein there is a gap between the second electrostatic ring and the second active area and the second routing area, and the electricity is electrically Isolated, the inner side is a side adjacent to the second active area and the second routing area; and cutting the first conductive substrate to remove a portion of the first active area and the first routing area located on the outer side And first Ring, and the inner isolation region and the second active region and a second electrical trace.

The present invention also provides another method for manufacturing an electrode film. The method includes: providing a conductive mesh material; defining and separating a third electrostatic ring on the conductive mesh material to obtain a third electrostatic ring surrounded by the third electrostatic ring; A third conductive substrate; patterning the third conductive substrate to form a third active region and a third routing region, wherein the third electrostatic ring has a space between the third active region and the third routing region Gap, and is electrically isolated; and, cutting the conductive mesh material to remove a portion of the third active area and the third routing area located on the outer side.

It can be known from the above that in the method for manufacturing an electrode film of the present invention, a patterned metal grid or a way to increase the wiring is used to form a ground ring as an ESD protection, that is, a new electrode film with a larger size is formed. The grounding ring reduces the size of the electrode film, thereby reaching the concept of extending down to other sizes. The method of the present invention can produce an electrode film having a size that is not limited to a fixed size without changing the same manufacturing process of the lower electrode film, so that a larger size electrode film can have a wider downward extension commonality. .

The following describes the implementation of the present invention through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification.

It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. shown in the drawings in this specification are only used to match the content disclosed in the specification for the understanding and reading of those skilled in the art, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. The limited conditions are not technically significant. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship, or adjustment of the size should still fall within the scope of this invention without affecting the effects and goals that can be achieved by the present invention. The technical content disclosed by the invention can be covered. At the same time, the terms such as “一” and “上” used in this specification are for clarity only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Substantially changing the technical content shall be regarded as the scope in which the present invention can be implemented.

The invention provides a method for manufacturing an electrode film, which is directly formed on an electrically conductive substrate having a large size with and / or without an original ground ring to form an electrode film with a relatively small size and a ground ring.

In a specific embodiment, the electrode film is a signal transmitting electrode or a signal receiving electrode, and a patterned signal transmitting electrode or a signal receiving electrode is used as a material for making the electrode film. Completer.

1A to 1C 'are schematic diagrams of the first embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrode film according to the present invention at different stages.

In this embodiment, the signal transmission electrode and the signal receiving electrode are taken as an example. Among them, FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are schematic diagrams using the electrode film manufactured by the present invention as a signal transmission electrode, and 1A ′, 1B ′ And FIG. 1C ′ are schematic diagrams using the electrode film manufactured by the present invention as a signal receiving electrode.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1A ′, a first conductive substrate 20 is provided, and a second active region 211 and a second routing region 212 are defined on the first conductive substrate 20.

In this embodiment, the first conductive substrate 20 includes a first active region 201 and a first routing region 202 surrounding the first active region 201 around the first active region 201. The line area 202 includes various conductive signal lines required by the first active area 201 and a first electrostatic ring 203 disposed along the first active area 201 and the first routing area 202. Specifically, the range defined by the 2A-2A cutting line is used as the range of the electrode film. The electrode film includes a second active region (which is composed of a part of the first active region) and a second routing region ( It consists of part of the first main routing area). In one embodiment of the present invention, the range of the electrode film, that is, the range defined by the 2A-2A cutting line, is defined by human or machine judgment based on the panel size to which the electrode film is to be applied.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the second routing area is disposed around the second active area to provide various conductive signal lines required for the operation of the second active area.

In the foregoing embodiment, the first active region includes a mesh metal wire, and the material of the mesh metal wire is selected from any combination of silver, copper, gold, aluminum, tungsten, brass, iron, tin, and platinum.

In one embodiment, the first conductive substrate 20 further includes a positioning member 204 disposed at a position other than the first active region 201, the first routing region 202, and the first electrostatic ring 203.

As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1B ', a second electrostatic ring 213 having an inner side 213a and an outer side 213b opposite to each other is formed. In this embodiment, the second electrostatic ring 213 is along the sides of the second active area 211 and the second routing area 212, and the second electrostatic ring 213 is electrically connected to part of the first electrostatic ring 203. Connected, wherein the second electrostatic ring 213 has gaps d1, d2 between the second active area 211 and the second routing area 211, and the second electrostatic ring 213 and the second active area 211 are electrically isolated from each other The inner side 213a is a side adjacent to the second active region 211 and the second routing region 212. More specifically, there is a gap d2 between the second electrostatic ring 213 and the second routing area 212, and the second electrostatic ring 213 is disposed along the second routing area 212 while maintaining a stable distance. At this time, The second routing area 212 is located between the second active area 211 and the second electrostatic ring 213. Furthermore, where the second routing area 212 is not provided, there is a gap d1 between the second electrostatic ring 213 and the second active area 211, and a stable distance is maintained along the second active area. 211 settings.

In this embodiment, whether it is a signal transmission electrode or a signal receiving electrode, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1B ′, there is a gap d1 between the second electrostatic ring 213 and the second active region 211, and the second wiring There is a gap d2 between the regions 212.

As shown in FIGS. 1C and 1C ′, the first conductive substrate 20 is cut to remove portions of the first active region 2011, the first routing region 2021, and the first electrostatic ring 2031 located on the outer side, and make the The second electrostatic ring 213 is electrically isolated from the second active region 211 and the second wiring region 212. In the foregoing embodiment, the second electrostatic ring 213 and the remaining, unremoved portion of the first electrostatic ring 2032 form an electrode film smaller in size than the first electrostatic ring 203 and suitable for reducing the size of the electrode film.

In this embodiment, a method of removing the part of the first active region 2011, the first routing region 2021, and the first electrostatic ring 2031 includes, but is not limited to, laser cutting, etching, or melting. In a preferred embodiment, the removal is performed by laser cutting.

In addition, the steps of removing part of the first active area, the first routing area, and the first electrostatic ring, and electrically isolating the second electrostatic ring from the second active area and the second routing area are at the same cut. Completed in the process.

Please also refer to FIG. 2, which is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrode film of the present invention. In a first embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrode film of the present invention, step S10 is to provide a first conductive substrate, and the first active region of the first conductive substrate includes a second active region and a second routing region; Step S11 is to form a second electrostatic ring having opposite inner and outer sides; and step S12 is to remove a portion of the first active area, a first routing area, and a first electrostatic ring located on the outer side, and make the inner side and the The second active area is electrically isolated from the second routing area.

In this embodiment, the conductive substrate includes a first active region and a first routing region surrounding the first active region and surrounding the first active region. The first routing region includes the first active region. Various conductive signal lines required, and a first electrostatic ring disposed along the first active area and the first routing area.

In this embodiment, the second electrostatic ring system is formed along the sides of the second active region and the second routing region, and the second electrostatic ring system is electrically connected to a part of the first electrostatic ring. The second electrostatic ring has a gap between the second active area and the second routing area, and is electrically isolated. The inner side is a side adjacent to the second active area and the second routing area.

In another specific embodiment, the electrode film is a signal transmission electrode or a signal receiving electrode, and is completed by using an unpatterned conductive mesh material as a material for making the electrode film.

In this embodiment, the step of forming the second electrostatic ring includes: forming a second static electricity on the first conductive substrate along the sides of the second active region and the second routing region with a conductive paste. Ring; and cutting the mesh-shaped fine metal wire on the first conductive substrate to form a disconnection between the second electrostatic ring and the second active region and the second routing region, and removing the second electrostatic ring The outer part of the first active area, the first routing area, and the first electrostatic ring. In the foregoing embodiment, the material of the conductive paste is selected from any combination of silver, copper, gold, aluminum, tungsten, brass, iron, tin, and platinum.

In the method for manufacturing an electrode film of the present invention, in the embodiment having the positioning member 204, in step S12, "remove a portion of the first active region, a first wiring region, and a first electrostatic ring located on the outer side to obtain an electrode film. "Before, the two-electrode film bonding step can be performed. Taking the signal transmitting electrode and the signal receiving electrode in Figs. 1C and 1C 'as an example, the signal transmitting electrode (such as the electrode film shown in Fig. 1C), the optical glue, and the signal receiving electrode (such as in the 1C' diagram according to the positioning member 204 The electrode film shown in the figure is attached, and then step S12 is performed to remove the first active region, the first routing region, and the first electrostatic ring on the outer side to obtain an electrode film to obtain a reduced-size touch panel. .

FIG. 3 is a simple schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrode film according to the present invention. Specifically, it is an embodiment completed by using an unpatterned conductive mesh material as a material for making the electrode film. In this embodiment, the signal receiving electrode is taken as an example.

As shown in FIG. 3, a conductive mesh material 40 is provided, and the conductive mesh material 40 includes a third electrostatic ring 403 separated from each other, and a third active region 402 surrounded by the third electrostatic ring.

In this embodiment, the size of the third electrostatic ring 403 is defined according to the required panel size, the third electrostatic ring 403 and the third conductive substrate surrounded by the third electrostatic ring 403 are separated, and The third electrostatic ring and the third conductive substrate are electrically isolated, and the conductive mesh material 40 is cut to remove a portion of the third active area 402 and the third routing area (the removed portion is Diagonally shaded area). Specifically, the electrode film includes a third active region 402 (which is formed by a portion of the conductive mesh material 40) and a third routing region (which is formed by a portion of the conductive mesh material 40). In one embodiment of the present invention, the range of the electrode film is defined by human or machine judgment based on the panel size to which the electrode film is to be applied.

In the foregoing embodiment, the means for separating the third electrostatic ring and the third active region includes, but is not limited to, laser cutting, etching, or melting. In a preferred embodiment, the third electrostatic ring and the third conductive substrate are separated by laser cutting to disconnect the electrical connection, so that they are electrically isolated.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the conductive mesh material 40 is patterned to form a third active region 402 and a third electrostatic ring 403, and there is a gap between the third electrostatic ring 403 and the third active region 402. Clearance and electrical isolation.

In an implementation manner of this embodiment, the third electrostatic ring and the third active region are formed by a laser cutting method.

In a specific embodiment, the third electrostatic ring is a part of the third active region.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrode film of the present invention. In a second embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrode film according to the present invention, step S30 is to provide a conductive mesh material. The conductive mesh material defines and separates a third electrostatic ring to obtain the third electrostatic ring. A third conductive substrate; step S31 patterning the third conductive substrate to form a third active region and a third routing region, wherein the third electrostatic ring and the third active region and the third routing region There is a gap between them and they are electrically isolated; and step S32 cuts the conductive mesh material to remove a portion of the third active area and the third routing area located on the outer side.

In this embodiment, the third electrostatic ring, the third active area, and the third routing area are integrally formed. In the foregoing embodiment, the third electrostatic ring, the third active region, and the third routing region are thin metal wires.

In this embodiment, the material of the conductive mesh material is selected from any combination of silver, copper, gold, aluminum, tungsten, brass, iron, tin, and platinum.

In summary, the method for manufacturing an electrode film of the present invention is to directly form an electrode film with a relatively small size and a grounding ring on a conductive substrate having a larger size with and / or without an original grounding ring. Moreover, the electrode film using the patterned metal inch has a wider commonality of downward extension. The grid may be used to form a grounding ring as an ESD protection by adding lines, that is, a new grounding ring is formed on an electrode film with a larger size to reduce the size of the electrode film, thereby reaching a common extension of other sizes. concept. Without changing the shape of the same process for making the lower electrode film, an electrode film having a size that is not limited to a fixed size is produced.

Under the design of the above two embodiments, only a set of public-size electrode film production equipment needs to be opened, which can be extended downwards to meet the production needs of electrode films of various sizes, which can save the development cost of photomasks and shorten the preliminary sample development time.

The above embodiments are used to exemplify the principle of the present invention and its effects, but not to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can modify the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the rights of the present invention should be listed in the scope of patent application described later.

20‧‧‧ the first conductive substrate

201‧‧‧ the first active area

2011‧‧‧The first active area

202‧‧‧First routing area

2021‧‧‧First routing area

203‧‧‧The first electrostatic ring

2031‧‧‧The first electrostatic ring

2032‧‧‧The first electrostatic ring

204‧‧‧ Positioning piece

211‧‧‧Second Active Area

212‧‧‧Second routing area

213‧‧‧Second electrostatic ring

213a‧‧‧ inside

213b‧‧‧outside

40‧‧‧ conductive mesh material

403‧‧‧The third electrostatic ring

402‧‧‧Third Active Area

d1, d1 ’, d2, d2’‧‧‧ clearance

S10, S11, S12, S30, S31, S32‧‧‧step

2A-2A‧‧‧cut line

1A to 1C ′ are schematic diagrams of the first embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrode film according to the present invention at different stages; FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrode film according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a simple schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the method of manufacturing an electrode film according to the present invention; and FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the method of manufacturing an electrode film according to the present invention.

Claims (6)

A method for manufacturing an electrode film, the method comprises: providing a first conductive substrate, the first conductive substrate includes a first active region, and a first trace located around the first active region and surrounding the first active region; Area, the first routing area includes various conductive signal lines required by the first active area, and a first electrostatic ring disposed along the first active area and the first routing area, in the first active area Includes a second active area and a second routing area; along the sides of the second active area and the second routing area, a second electrostatic ring having opposite inner and outer sides is formed, and the second electrostatic ring system It is electrically connected to part of the first electrostatic ring, wherein the second electrostatic ring has a gap between the second active area and the second routing area and is electrically isolated. The inner side is connected to the second active area and Adjacent sides of the second routing area; and cutting the first conductive substrate to remove portions of the first active area, the first routing area, and the first electrostatic ring located on the outer side, so that the inner side and the Second active area and Two regions electrically isolated traces. The method for manufacturing an electrode film according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the electrode film is a signal transmitting electrode or a signal receiving electrode. The method for manufacturing an electrode film according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the step of forming the second electrostatic ring includes: on the first conductive substrate, a conductive paste along the second active region and Forming a second electrostatic ring on the side of the second routing area; and cutting the first conductive substrate to form a disconnection between the second electrostatic ring and the second active area and the second routing area, and removing the The outer part of the second electrostatic ring is the first active area, the first routing area, and the first electrostatic ring. The method for manufacturing an electrode film according to item 3 of the scope of patent application, wherein the method of removing the outer part of the second electrostatic ring from the first active area, the first routing area, and the first electrostatic ring includes a laser Cut, etch or burn. The method for manufacturing an electrode film according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the first active region comprises a mesh-shaped metal thin wire. The method for manufacturing an electrode film according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the first conductive substrate further includes a positioning member, which is disposed outside the first active region, the first wiring region, and the first electrostatic ring. Location.