WO2010150668A1 - Capacitance type input device and production method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a capacitance type input device having higher transparency and achieving lower power consumption. The capacitance type input device is provided with an input unit and an output unit on the same surface of a transparent substrate, wherein the output unit comprises a connection terminal for outputting a signal, and a wiring pattern for electrically connecting the input unit and the connection terminal. The input unit comprises a plurality of first electrode patterns composed of a plurality of first transparent conductive films arranged to be adjacent in the first direction, and a conductive member for electrically connecting the first transparent conductive films; and a second electrode pattern composed of a plurality of second transparent conductive films arranged to be adjacent in the second direction which intersects the first direction, and a connection unit arranged at the position intersecting with the conductive member of the first electrode pattern. The conductive member, the connection terminal, and the wiring pattern are formed by the same conductive film, and the conductive film is composed of a single metal layer, or a plurality of layers including at least one metal layer, and the conductive member is formed in the shape of a line.

Description

Capacitance type input device and manufacturing method thereof

The present invention relates to a capacitance-type input device and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a capacitance-type input device that has high transparency and suppresses power consumption and a method for manufacturing the same.

In recent years, in the field of electronic devices such as portable terminals (PDA, Personal Digital Assistant) such as mobile phones and electronic notebooks, game machines, car navigation systems, personal computers, ticket vending machines, bank terminals, etc., tablets on the surface of liquid crystal devices etc. Input devices (touch panels) have been introduced, and the demand for these devices has increased dramatically. In such an input device, by referring to the instruction image displayed in the image display area of the liquid crystal device, by touching the position where the instruction image is displayed with a stylus pen or a finger, information corresponding to the instruction image Can be entered.

The touch panel type input device detects an input operation position in the operation area when an input operation is performed on the operation area with a stylus pen or a finger, and outputs an input signal indicating the input operation position to the external processing device. Depending on the operating principle at this time, there are mainly touch panel type input devices such as resistance film type, capacitance type, electromagnetic induction type, ultrasonic surface acoustic wave type, infrared scanning type, etc. Resistive film type input devices that are relatively inexpensive are the mainstream.

However, the resistance film type input device has a problem that the operating temperature range is narrow and it is vulnerable to changes with time because of the structure in which the film is pressed and short-circuited in a two-layer structure of film and glass. Further, it has a problem that it is vulnerable to impact and has a short life. In addition, there are problems such as a decrease in accuracy associated with an increase in the area of the input device and inferior transparency due to the need for two metal thin films.

On the other hand, the capacitance type input device forms an electrolysis on the entire surface of the input device, and detects the position by changing the surface charge of the portion in contact with or close to the user's finger, so it is resistant to dust and water. It is durable and has high resolution. In addition, since the response speed is high and it reacts only to a conductor such as a finger, there is an advantage that there is no malfunction when another object (such as clothes) contacts.

As such a capacitance-type input device, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, electrode patterns are extended in a direction intersecting each other on a single substrate to form a grid-like electrode pattern, and the user's finger There has been proposed a technique for detecting an input position by detecting that the capacitance between the electrodes changes when the electrode contacts or approaches.

JP 2008-310550 A Utility Model Registration No. 3134925

Generally, a touch panel type input device is disposed on an image display device, and is operated by an operator viewing an image displayed on the image display device and touching the touch panel type input device. Therefore, since it is necessary to visually check the image displayed on the image display device from the operation surface side of the touch panel type input device, the touch panel type input device is required to have high transparency. Therefore, a material having excellent transparency has been used as a material for a substrate and an electrode pattern of a touch panel type input device.

In patent document 1, since the crossing part of each electrode pattern is made small, and since it is the structure which laminated the translucent thin film (transparent conductive film) in the crossing part, the crossing part of an electrode pattern does not stand out, As a result, a highly transparent touch panel type input device is provided. Patent Document 2 also discloses an input device that is made of a transparent material (transparent conductive film).

On the other hand, since the capacitance-type input device needs to constantly flow current, the power consumption greatly depends on the resistance value of the entire device. Therefore, when the transparent conductive film is patterned in the touch panel type input device, the transparent conductive film has a larger resistance value than that of the metal, so that there is a problem that the voltage for operating the input unit is increased and the power consumption is increased. .

Also, the capacitance type input device increases the power consumption when the transparent conductive film is patterned as described above. In contrast, a metal thin film having a low resistance value has been used as a wiring pattern used for connection to an external device in order to reduce power consumption even slightly. Therefore, in the touch panel type input device that requires transparency, the electrode pattern and the conductive member of the intersection are made of a transparent conductive film, while the wiring pattern is made of a metal thin film, and the electrode pattern and the conductive part of the intersection are made. The member and the wiring pattern are made of different materials. Therefore, there is a problem that a wiring pattern film forming process and an electrode pattern film forming process are separately required, and the manufacturing process tends to be complicated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel type input device having high transparency and low power consumption in a capacitance type input device. Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive capacitive input device by making the capacitive input device with a simple configuration and a simplified manufacturing process. In the present specification, the visibility of human vision with respect to an image viewed through an input device is expressed as transparency. That is, even if the light is blocked by what is invisible because it is fine and the amount of light transmission is slightly reduced, it is expressed as transparent when there is no effect on the image visibility.

According to the capacitance-type input device of the present invention, the subject includes an input unit in which an input operation is performed, and an output unit for outputting a signal from the input unit, and the input unit and The output unit is a capacitance-type input device provided on the same surface of a transparent substrate, and the output unit electrically connects the connection terminal that outputs the signal, the input unit, and the connection terminal. A wiring pattern connected to the plurality of first transparent conductive films disposed adjacent to each other in the first direction on the transparent substrate, and the first transparent conductive film electrically connected to the first transparent conductive film. A plurality of first electrode patterns, a plurality of second transparent conductive films disposed adjacent to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the plurality of the plurality of first electrode patterns. The contact is formed continuously with the second transparent conductive film and disposed at a position intersecting with the conductive member. A plurality of second electrode patterns, and an insulating film disposed between the conductive member and the connection portion and maintaining insulation between the conductive member and the connection portion. The conductive member, the connection terminal, and the wiring pattern are formed of the same conductor film, and the conductor film is a single layer of a metal layer or a multilayer including at least one metal layer, The conductive member is solved by being formed in a linear shape.

Thus, in the first electrode pattern, the conductive member that electrically connects the first transparent conductive film is constituted by a conductor film including a metal layer (metal thin film) having a resistance value smaller than that of the transparent conductive film. As a result, the power consumption of the capacitive input device can be reduced. In the prior art, all electrode patterns are formed using a transparent conductive film in order to ensure transparency in the operation region of the capacitive input device. However, the resistance value of the transparent conductive film depends on the thickness. Even when the thickness is about several tens of nanometers or more, the transparent conductive film has a resistivity of about 1.5 × 10 ⁻⁴ Ωcm. It is extremely large compared to the resistivity of the metal thin film (for example, the resistivity of copper 1.67 × 10 ⁻⁶ Ωcm). Therefore, when a transparent conductive film is used, the power consumption of the capacitive input device increases. However, as in the present invention, the metal layer is conductive by one layer or a multilayer including at least one metal layer. By configuring the body membrane, power consumption can be reduced.

At this time, it is preferable that the conductor film is a single layer of the metal layer, and the width of the conductive member in the second direction is 4 to 10 μm.
As described above, when the conductor film is formed of only the metal layer, if the width of the conductive member is 4 to 10 μm, the conductive member cannot be visually recognized by human vision. Therefore, the operator does not visually recognize the conductive member, and the transparency of the operation area of the capacitive input device can be ensured. When the conductive film is only a metal layer, if the width of the conductive member is larger than 10 μm, the conductive member is slightly visible to the operator, but if it is smaller than 4 μm, the patterning accuracy by etching or the like is improved. Since it falls, it is not preferable.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the conductor film is composed of a plurality of layers in which metal layers and metal oxide layers are alternately stacked, and the metal oxide layer is formed on the viewer side in the conductor film. It is suitable if it is made.
Thus, by forming a metal oxide layer on the operator's viewing side, it is possible to reduce the reflectance of the conductor film by utilizing light interference between the respective layers.
A fine shape such as a conductive member may be visible depending on the direction of reflected light even if it is not visually recognized by transmitted light, but this problem can be solved by reducing the reflectance.
Then, when a plurality of metal layers and metal oxide layers are stacked, the reflectance can be further reduced. As a result, it is possible to provide a capacitive input device in which the conductive member, the connection terminal, and the wiring pattern formed by the conductive film are less visible and the transparency is uniformly improved in the input unit and the output unit. .
In addition, the “viewing side” refers to the side that the operator visually recognizes in the capacitive input device. In more detail, when an operator visually recognizes from the side (surface) in which the input part and the output part were formed on the transparent substrate, it refers to the uppermost layer of the conductor film. On the other hand, when an operator visually recognizes from the side (back surface) where the input part and the output part are not formed, it indicates the lowest layer of the conductor film.

Further, at this time, as in claim 4, it is preferable that the width of the conductive member in the second direction is 7 to 40 μm.
In this way, when the conductive member is formed by forming a metal oxide layer on the operator's viewing side in the conductor film and improving the transparency, the width of the conductive member is preferably 7 to 40 μm. Unlike the case where the conductive member is composed only of the metal layer, when the metal oxide layer is formed on the viewing side, the transparency is further improved, so that even when the width of the conductive member is increased, the conductive member is hardly visually recognized. However, even if the metal oxide layer is formed on the viewing side, if the width of the conductive member is larger than 40 μm, the conductive member is slightly visible but is not preferable. On the other hand, if it is smaller than 7 μm, the patterning accuracy by etching or the like is lowered, which is not preferable.

Further, as described in claim 5, the material of the metal layer is selected from silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, MAM (Mo or Mo alloy / Al or Al alloy / Mo or Mo alloy three-layer structure compound). Any of the above metals is preferred.
Since these metal materials have small resistance values, static electricity with low power consumption can be obtained by making the conductive member, the connection terminal, and the wiring pattern into a single layer made of the above-mentioned metal thin film or a multiple layer containing the above-mentioned metal thin film. A capacitive input device can be obtained. Further, since the resistance value is small, the wiring pitch can be narrowed, and as a result, the frame area (output portion) where the wiring pattern is disposed can be narrowed. Furthermore, since the wiring pitch can be reduced, the wiring pattern can be increased with the same installation area, and the input signal can be detected with high positional accuracy.
Further, the metal material is suitable for manufacturing the capacitive input device of the present invention because it can be easily processed by etching.

In addition, as described in claim 6, the material of the metal layer is selected from silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, and MAM (Mo or Mo alloy / Al or Al alloy / Mo or Mo alloy three-layer structure compound). Preferably, the metal oxide layer contains an indium composite oxide.
Thus, by forming the metal layer with the above material and further using the metal oxide layer with the above material, the conductor film can be processed at once by etching. As a result, the manufacturing process is not complicated, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Furthermore, as in claim 7, when the conductive member, the insulating film, and the connection portion are stacked in this order on the transparent substrate at the intersection of the conductive member and the connection portion. Is preferred.
In such a configuration, that is, a configuration as shown in FIG. 6, the insulating film may be disposed only at the intersection between the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern. According to this configuration, since the conductive member is formed on the transparent substrate, the insulation between the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern can be maintained only by forming the insulating film only at the intersection thereafter. . Therefore, when each part (each member) is laminated and formed, it can be formed more easily.
On the other hand, when the first and second transparent conductive films and the connection portions in the second electrode pattern are first formed on the transparent substrate, that is, in the structure as shown in FIG. 4, the conductive member is formed last. Is done. At this time, since the conductive member must electrically connect only the first transparent conductive film, all portions other than the portion where the first transparent conductive film and the conductive member are connected must be covered with an insulating film. There is.
Therefore, according to this configuration, since the range in which the insulating film is provided is limited only to the intersection between the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern, protection is provided on the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern. Only the film is formed. As a result, since the entire film thickness becomes thin, it is possible to prevent a decrease in transparency due to an interference color which becomes a problem when the film thickness is large.
Further, according to the present configuration, unlike the configuration in which the transparent conductive film is first formed on the transparent substrate (configuration in FIG. 4), the configuration in FIG. There is no need to provide a contact hole, and there is no need to perform fine patterning such as passing a conductive member through the contact hole. Therefore, a relatively simple configuration can be obtained, and as a result, the yield is improved when forming the input portion of the capacitive input device.

In addition, according to the method for manufacturing a capacitance-type input device according to the present invention, the subject includes an input unit where an input operation is performed, and an output unit for outputting a signal from the input unit, A method of manufacturing a capacitive input device in which the input unit and the output unit are provided on the same surface of a transparent substrate, wherein a transparent conductive film is formed on the entire surface of the transparent substrate. A plurality of first transparent conductive films disposed adjacent to the transparent conductive film in a first direction on the transparent substrate, and a second direction intersecting the first direction with respect to the transparent conductive film; A transparent conductive film patterning step formed by etching a plurality of second transparent conductive films and a connection portion formed continuously with the plurality of second transparent conductive films; and on the entire surface of the transparent substrate. An insulating film forming step of forming an insulating film, and patterning the insulating film, A contact hole forming step of forming contact holes on both sides with a connection part formed continuously with the second transparent conductive film on one transparent conductive film; and a metal layer on the entire surface of the transparent substrate. A conductor film forming step of forming a conductor film comprising a single layer or a multilayer including at least one metal layer, and the output unit is provided for outputting the signal to the conductor film; A connection terminal, a wiring pattern connecting the connection terminal and the input unit, and a linear pattern electrically connecting the plurality of first transparent conductive films and disposed at a position intersecting the connection unit And a conductive film patterning step formed by etching the conductive member.

In the prior art, for the purpose of ensuring transparency, all connection portions of the electrode pattern were formed of a transparent conductive film, but the connection terminals and the wiring pattern were formed of a metal thin film having a low resistance value. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be simplified by forming the conductive member, the connection terminal, and the wiring pattern with a conductive film made of the same material as in the present invention. Furthermore, since the conductive member that electrically connects the plurality of first transparent conductive films is formed of a conductive film, the resistance value of the electrode pattern is reduced, so that a capacitive input device with low power consumption is provided. can do.

Furthermore, according to the method for manufacturing a capacitance-type input device according to the present invention, the subject includes an input unit where an input operation is performed, and an output unit for outputting a signal from the input unit, A method of manufacturing a capacitance-type input device in which the input unit and the output unit are provided on the same surface of a transparent substrate, wherein a single layer or at least one layer of a metal layer is formed on the entire surface of the transparent substrate. A conductor film forming step of forming a conductor film including a plurality of metal layers, a connection terminal provided for the output unit to output the signal to the conductor film, and the connection A wiring pattern for connecting the terminal and the input unit and a plurality of first transparent conductive films arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction on the transparent substrate are electrically connected and along the first direction. Conductive film formed by etching a linear conductive member to be formed A turning step, an insulating film forming step for forming an insulating film on the entire surface of the transparent substrate, and a plurality of first members disposed adjacent to each other in the second direction in the insulating film. An insulating film patterning step for removing a portion other than a position that insulates the connecting portion formed continuously with the two transparent conductive films and disposed at a position intersecting with the conductive member; and the entire surface on the transparent substrate A transparent conductive film forming step of forming a transparent conductive film, and etching the first transparent conductive film, the plurality of second transparent conductive films, and the connection portion with respect to the transparent conductive film. And the transparent conductive film patterning step to be formed.

At this time, it is possible to provide the capacitance-type input device having the configuration of the invention of claim 7 described above, and therefore it is possible to provide a capacitance-type input device that reduces interference color and ensures transparency. It becomes.

At this time, as in claim 10, in the conductor film forming step, a single layer of the metal layer is formed, and in the conductor film patterning step, the width of the conductive member in the second direction is 4 It is preferable to form so as to be ˜10 μm.
In this way, when the conductive member that electrically connects the first transparent conductive film is formed of a conductor film made of only a metal layer, the conductive member becomes difficult to be visually recognized by setting the width to 4 to 10 μm. It is possible to provide a capacitive input device having transparency in the input unit.

In addition, the conductor film forming step includes a step of forming a metal oxide layer first or last in the conductor film forming step, the step of forming the metal layer, and the metal oxide layer. It is preferable to alternately include the step of forming a film.
Thus, by providing a metal oxide layer as the uppermost layer or the lowermost layer in the conductor film, a highly transparent conductor film can be obtained. At this time, it is necessary to provide a metal oxide layer at least on the viewing side.
Further, by alternately laminating metal layers and metal oxide layers in the conductor film, it is possible to obtain a conductor film having a lower reflectivity by utilizing interference of light between the layers. As a result, it is possible to provide a capacitance-type input device with high transparency of the input unit and the output unit.

Further, at this time, it is preferable that, in the conductor film patterning step, the width of the conductive member in the second direction is 7 to 40 μm.
In this way, by forming the metal oxide layer in the uppermost layer or the lowermost layer in the conductor film and making the width of the conductive member in the above range, the conductive member can be made difficult to visually recognize, so that more transparent A high capacitance type input device can be provided.

According to the capacitance-type input device of the present invention, by forming a conductive member that electrically connects the first transparent conductive film with a conductive film including at least one or more metal layers, the electrical conductivity of the conductive member is increased. As a result, it is possible to provide a capacitance-type input device with reduced resistance and, as a result, reduced power consumption. Further, by using the same material for the conductive member, the connection terminal, and the wiring pattern, the manufacturing process can be greatly simplified.
Further, when the conductive film is formed only of the metal layer, the visibility of the conductive member can be lowered by setting the width of the conductive member to 4 to 10 μm, and the capacitance type input device having high transparency. It can be.
Furthermore, by alternately laminating metal layers and metal oxide layers to form a conductor film, and further disposing the metal oxide layer on the operator's viewing side, the visibility of the conductor film is reduced. be able to. Then, by setting the width of the conductive member formed of the conductive film configured as described above to 7 to 40 μm, the transparency of the input section can be ensured.
Further, when the conductive member, the insulating film, and the transparent conductive film are formed in this order, the insulating film only needs to be formed at the intersection of the electrode patterns, and the entire film thickness can be reduced. As a result, since the influence of interference colors is reduced, a highly transparent capacitive input device can be provided.

1 is a schematic perspective view of an input device equipped with a capacitive input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a pattern diagram of the capacitive input device according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which expanded partially the pattern figure of the capacitive input device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to the line AA of FIG. 3 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which expanded partially the pattern figure of the electrostatic capacitance type input device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to line BB in FIG. 5 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a graph showing optical characteristics according to Example 1-1 to Example 1-4 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a graph showing optical characteristics according to Example 2-1 to Example 2-5 of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Capacitance type input device 1a Input part 1b Output part 2 Image display apparatus 3 Flexible flat cable 4 Transparent substrate 20 1st electrode pattern (input part)
21, 31 Pad part 21a, 21c First transparent conductive film 31a, 31d Second transparent conductive film 21b, 31b, 41a, 41b Insulating film 22 Contact hole 30 Second electrode pattern (input part)
31c, 31e Connection part 40 Intersection part 50, 60 Wiring pattern (output part)
50a, 60a Connection terminal (output part)
51a, 51b Conductive members 52a, 52b Contact portion 71 Protective film 100 Input device

A capacitance-type input device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The materials, arrangements, configurations, and the like described below do not limit the present invention and can be variously modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

1 and 2 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an input device equipped with a capacitive input device, and FIG. 2 is a pattern diagram of the capacitive input device. 3 and 4 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged explanatory view of the pattern diagram of the capacitive input device. FIG. 4 corresponds to the AA line in FIG. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 relate to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged explanatory view of the pattern diagram of the capacitance type input device, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a graph showing optical characteristics according to Examples 1-1 to 1-4, and FIG. 8 is an optical diagram according to Examples 2-1 to 2-5. It is a graph which shows a characteristic.

[Embodiment 1]
A capacitive input device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used as an input device 100 by being configured in combination with an image display device 2 as shown in FIG. The input device 100 includes at least a capacitive input device 1, an image display device 2, and a flexible flat cable 3. In the input device 100, the capacitive input device 1 is disposed so as to overlap the viewing side of the image display device 2, that is, the side operated by the user, and the operator inputs the surface of the capacitive input device 1. An input unit 1a for performing an input operation and an output unit 1b for outputting a signal from the input unit 1a to the outside are provided.

And the flexible flat cable 3 for outputting the input signal is connected to the output part 1b of the capacitive input device 1. The flexible flat cable 3 is connected to a detection drive circuit (detection unit) (not shown). Further, when the input device 100 is operated, the driving IC may be mounted with COG (Chip On Glass) as long as it does not affect the operation.

The image display device 2 mounted on the input device 100 can use a general liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, or the like, and displays a moving image or a still image.
The input device 100 employs a capacitance method that determines the position by measuring the ratio of the amount of current. The operation will be described below.

The input device 100 includes the capacitance type input device 1, and during the operation, the user visually recognizes an image displayed on the image display device 2 through the transparent capacitance type input device 1 and performs a corresponding input. Check the information. Information is input by touching a position corresponding to the instruction image displayed on the image display device 2 with a finger or the like on the capacitive input device 1. At this time, when a finger, which is a conductor, touches, the capacitance between the detection electrodes (the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30) disposed on the capacitive input device 1 is increased. To have. As a result, the capacitance at the position touched by the finger is lowered, and the position is calculated by a detection drive circuit (detection unit) (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, the capacitance type input device 1 includes a first electrode pattern 20 extending in the x-axis direction and a second electrode pattern 30 extending in the y-axis direction on the transparent substrate 4. Is formed, whereby the input portion 1a is formed. Furthermore, the output part 1b is formed by forming the wiring patterns 50 and 60 connected to the electrode patterns and the connection terminals 50a and 60a provided in the wiring patterns 50 and 60, respectively. FIG. 2 shows a part of the pattern of the capacitive input device 1.

The first transparent conductive film 21a (see FIG. 3) provided in the first electrode pattern 20 and the second transparent conductive film 31a provided in the second electrode pattern 30 are each formed in a substantially diamond shape. In the second electrode pattern 30, the second transparent conductive films 31a adjacent to each other are continuously formed by the connection portions 31c at the apexes of the approximately rhombus, and as a result, the second electrode pattern 30 continuous in the y-axis direction is formed. Form. The first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30 intersect each other at the intersection 40, and both are electrically insulated. The first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30 may have a vertical correspondence as shown in FIG. 2 or may be disposed on the transparent substrate 4 at a non-vertical corresponding angle.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wiring patterns 50 and 60 include the first electrode pattern 20 (more specifically, the first transparent conductive film 21a) and the second electrode pattern 30 (more specifically, the second transparent conductive film 31a). On the other hand, it is preferable to make the contact as long as possible because the resistance can be reduced. The wiring patterns 50 and 60 and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed of a conductor having a single metal layer or a multilayer including at least one metal layer on the transparent substrate 4 or the insulating film. The wiring patterns 50 and 60 electrically connect the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30 to the connection terminals 50a and 60a, respectively. The connection terminals 50a and 60a are connected to the flexible flat cable 3. Connected.

At this time, the anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and the flexible flat cable 3 are superposed in this order on the connection terminals 50a and 60a, and heated to about 150 ° C. for thermocompression bonding. In addition, it may connect not only using ACF but also by other connection methods such as solder connection, and a metal conductor may be used instead of the flexible flat cable 3. When using a metal conductor instead of the flexible flat cable 3, the connection method can be wire bonding, solder, laser welding, or the like.

Next, the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30 in the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged explanatory view of the pattern diagram of the capacitive input device 1 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to the line AA in FIG.

In FIG. 3, on the transparent substrate 4 including the first transparent conductive film 21a and the second transparent conductive film 31a forming the pad portions 21 and 31 having a large area (in the present embodiment, diamond-shaped portions) and the intersecting portion 40. An insulating film (not shown) is formed on the entire surface. In the insulating film (not shown), the portion on the first transparent conductive film 21a is laminated on the insulating film 21b, the portion on the second transparent conductive film 31a is laminated on the insulating film 31b, and the connecting portion 31c of the intersection 40. This part is referred to as an insulating film 41a. In the insulating film 21b, a contact hole 22 having no insulating film is provided. Since the insulating film provided over the entire surface of the transparent substrate 4 is formed before the conductive member 51a and the like which will be described later, it is also provided below the wiring patterns 50 and 60. Therefore, in the first embodiment, when the insulating film is formed, the entire range on the transparent substrate 4 other than the contact hole 22 is covered with the insulating film.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, a conductive member 51a is formed through the contact hole 22 so that the first transparent conductive films 21a formed adjacent to each other are electrically connected to each other on the insulating film 41a. Thereby, the electrically connected first electrode pattern 20 is formed. That is, the first transparent conductive films 21a of the pad portions 21 that are separated and adjacent to each other are electrically connected by being disposed so that the conductive member 51a bridges the insulating film 41a. At this time, the conductive member 51a is in contact with the first transparent conductive film 21a at the contact portion 52a.
Further, in the capacitive input device 1, the entire surface of the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are stacked is covered with a protective film 71.

In the first embodiment, the capacitive input device 1 has a rhombus when the pad portions 21 and 31 including the first transparent conductive film 21a and the second transparent conductive film 31a are formed on the transparent substrate 4 as viewed from the operation surface side. Is formed. In addition, the shape of the pad parts 21 and 31 is not limited to a rhombus, and a shape such as a hexagon that can cover the transparent substrate 4 uniformly without a gap can be employed. Here, when a rhombus is employed, the length of one side is preferably 4 to 8 mm.

The first transparent conductive film 21a that forms the pad portion 21 is formed adjacent to and spaced from each other, while the second transparent conductive film 31a that forms the pad portion 31 passes through the connection portion 31c at the intersection 40. The adjacent second transparent conductive film 31a is continuously formed to form the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30, respectively. The connecting portion 31c preferably has a width (length in the x-axis direction in FIG. 3) of 50 to 200 μm. At this time, the first transparent conductive films 21a adjacent to each other may be continuous at the intersection 40, and the second transparent conductive film 31a may be interrupted and separated.

At this time, the transparent substrate 4 may be made of a transparent and insulating material such as glass or a resin substrate including a film. Glass and resin substrates are preferable because they do not require complicated operations because an insulating film does not need to be formed unlike conductive substrates such as metals. Moreover, the strength of the capacitive input device 1 can be increased due to its flexibility.

Further, in the pad portions 21 and 31 for forming the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30, the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a and the connection portion 31c provided on the transparent substrate 4 are A transparent conductive film is used. For example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), AZO (Aluminum Zinc Oxide), or the like can be used, and ITO is preferably used. In these electrode patterns, the thickness of the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c is preferably about 10 to 20 nm.

As a method for forming the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c, chemical film formation methods such as spray pyrolysis and CVD, and physical film formation such as vapor deposition and sputtering. It can be broadly divided into laws. Among these, the sputtering method is preferable because the resistance value and transmittance of the obtained film are less likely to change with the passage of time and the deposition conditions can be easily controlled. The first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c are patterned by etching.

It is preferable to use a transparent insulating material for the insulating films including the insulating films 21b and 31b (only the positions thereof are shown in FIG. 3) and 41a (see FIG. 4), SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , polyimide resin An acrylic resin or the like can be used, and the thickness is preferably about 300 to 3000 nm. In addition, as a method for forming the insulating film, an evaporation method, a sputtering method, a dipping method, or a printing method can be used. Among these, the sputtering method is preferable because the resistance value and transmittance of the obtained film are less likely to change with the passage of time and the deposition conditions can be easily controlled. Insulating films 21b, 31b and 41a are patterned by etching in the case of an inorganic film, or by removing uncured portions after curing necessary portions when using a resin.

The conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed of a single layer of a metal layer (metal thin film) or a conductor film having a multilayer including at least one metal layer. And as a material of a metal layer, metals, such as gold | metal | money, silver, copper, molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), aluminum (Al), can use the single substance or each alloy. Preferably, any one selected from silver, copper, a silver alloy, a copper alloy, and MAM (a three-layer structure of Mo or Mo alloy / Al or Al alloy / Mo or Mo alloy) that can be easily patterned by etching may be used. More specifically, it is preferable that the Mo alloy contains Nb and the Al alloy contains Nd. Use of a material containing Al is preferable because it can be manufactured at a relatively low cost and electrical conductivity can be secured.

The thickness of the conductive film is about 30 to 500 nm (the total is about 200 to 600 nm when the conductive film is a multilayer), and the width of the conductive member 51a (the length in the y-axis direction in FIG. 3) is 4 to 10 μm. It is preferable that the length (the length in the x-axis direction in FIG. 3) is about 100 to 300 μm.

The conductive member 51a is formed in a linear shape with a very small width, and more specifically, has a strip-like narrow shape having a very narrow width compared to the pad portion 21. If the width of the conductive member 51a (the length in the y-axis direction in FIG. 3) is smaller than 4 μm (7 μm when the conductive film is a multilayer), it becomes difficult to manufacture with good reproducibility by etching. When the conductor film is only a metal layer, it is a single layer, so the width of the conductive member 51a can be controlled to 4 μm. However, when the conductor film is formed of multiple layers, it is slightly etched. Since accuracy decreases, it is preferable that the thickness is 7 μm or more in order to ensure etching accuracy. On the other hand, if it is larger than 10 μm (40 μm in the case of multiple layers), the conductive member 51a is slightly visually recognized, and the transparency of the obtained capacitive input device 1 is lowered. Therefore, the visibility of the capacitive input device 1 is lowered, which is not preferable.

A conductor film was formed only from the silver alloy, and the conductive member 51a was formed in widths of 4 μm, 7 μm, 10 μm, and 20 μm, and visual confirmation was performed. As a result of visual confirmation by 10 people, when the thickness was 10 μm or less, a majority of 9 people could not visually recognize the conductive member 51a. In addition, when the width of the conductive member 51a was 20 μm, six people were visible.
Thereby, it was confirmed that the width of the conductive member 51a should be 10 μm or less when the conductor film is formed of only a metal layer. In addition, an attempt was made to form the conductive member 51a with a width of less than 4 μm, but the etching accuracy was low, and patterning could not be performed with a required tolerance.

Further, a metal layer made of a silver alloy and a metal oxide layer made of IGO were formed in combination, and the conductive member 51a was formed with a width of 4 μm, 7 μm, 10 μm, 20 μm, 40 μm, and 50 μm, and visual confirmation was performed. As a result of visual confirmation by 10 people, when the thickness was 40 μm or less, the majority of 10 people could not visually recognize the conductive member 51a. In addition, when the width of the conductive member 51a was 50 μm, six people were visible.
Thereby, it was confirmed that the width of the conductive member 51a should be 40 μm or less when the conductive film is formed of a laminate of a metal layer and a metal oxide layer. In addition, an attempt was made to form the conductive member 51a with a width of less than 7 μm, but the etching accuracy was low, and the patterning could not be performed with a required tolerance.

The wiring patterns 50 and 60 and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed using the same material as that of the conductive member 51a. Thereby, since the formation of the wiring patterns 50 and 60 and the connection terminals 50a and 60a and the formation of the conductive member 51a can be performed simultaneously, the manufacturing process can be shortened. The conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are also patterned by etching after forming a conductor film over the entire region by sputtering.

The conductor film preferably has a structure in which metal layers made of the above materials and metal oxide layers are alternately stacked. At this time, in the conductor film, the wiring pattern 50, 60, the connection terminals 50a, 60a, and the conductive layer are formed by forming a layer (that is, the uppermost layer) formed farthest from the transparent substrate 4 with a metal oxide layer. Reflection in the member 51a is suppressed, and it is preferable because it is less visible when viewed from the front side of the transparent substrate 4 (that is, the surface on which the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30 are formed). .

Furthermore, in the conductor film, a layer (that is, the lowermost layer) formed at a position closest to the transparent substrate 4 is formed of a metal oxide layer, whereby the wiring patterns 50 and 60, the connection terminals 50a and 60a, and the conductive member are formed. The reflection at 51a is suppressed, and when viewed from the back side of the transparent substrate 4 (that is, the surface on which the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30 are not formed), it is preferable because the reflection is less visible.

As a material constituting the metal oxide layer, indium such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), ITO added with Nb, V, Ta, Mo, Ga, Ge, IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), IGO (Indium Germanium Oxide), etc. A composite oxide is mentioned.

Thus, in the present invention, a transparent conductive film having a high resistance value is not used as a material for the wiring patterns 50 and 60, the connection terminals 50a and 60a, and the conductive member 51a, but a single layer or at least one layer of a metal layer (metal thin film). These members are formed of a conductor film having a multilayer including the above metal layers. Therefore, power consumption is suppressed.

Further, when the conductor film is formed of a single metal layer, the width of the conductive member 51a is reduced to 4 to 10 μm, so that it is difficult to see, so that the capacitive input device 1 having high transparency as a whole can be obtained. It can be provided.

Further, the conductor film is formed of a multilayer including at least one or more metal layers, and at least the layer on the side visually recognized by the operator (that is, the side on which the image display device 2 in FIG. 1 is not disposed) is made of metal. By forming the oxide layer, the conductive member 51a can be made difficult to be visually recognized. At this time, the width of the conductive member 51a is preferably 7 to 40 μm.

The protective film 71 enhances the environmental resistance of each member disposed on the transparent substrate 4 and has the effect of preventing the occurrence of cracks that are a concern when the capacitive input device 1 is deformed by an external force. As the protective film 71, an insulating film formed of SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ or the like by vapor deposition, sputtering, dipping, or the like, a polyimide film by screen printing, or the like can be used. It is also possible to use a photosensitive resin that is cured by ultraviolet rays or the like.

Next, a manufacturing method of the capacitive input device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described.
First, the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c thereof are simultaneously formed on the transparent substrate 4. A method of forming the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c will be described below.

(1. Transparent conductive film formation process)
On the transparent substrate 4 of the capacitive input device 1, a transparent conductive film is formed over the entire region using a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, or the like. Thereafter, a photoresist is applied by spin coater or spraying, and the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c to be formed are disposed at appropriate positions on the transparent substrate 4. Then, exposure is performed using a mask. At this time, when viewed from the operation surface side, each side of the first transparent conductive film 21a and the second transparent conductive film 31a formed in a rhombus is 4 to 8 mm, and the first transparent conductive film 21a and the second transparent conductive film 31a. Is designed to be 50 to 200 μm.

After the exposure, the transparent substrate 4 on which the transparent conductive film is laminated is immersed in a developer so that unnecessary portions (that is, portions that do not correspond to the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c thereof). Remove the photoresist. After removing the photoresist, the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are laminated is immersed in an etching solution to corrode and remove the portion of the transparent conductive film not covered with the photoresist. Thereafter, the photoresist is completely removed using a solvent, thereby forming the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c.

When forming the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c, ITO is preferably used as the transparent conductive film material, and the sputtering conditions are preferably as follows.
[Sputtering conditions]
DC power: 2 KW, sputtering gas: Ar + O ₂ , gas pressure: 3 mTorr, O ₂ / Ar: 1 to 2%, substrate temperature: 250 ° C.

Further, as a light source used for exposure, an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp, X-ray, KrF excimer laser, ArF excimer laser, or the like can be used. However, in order to perform finer patterning, a short wavelength one is desirable. In the present embodiment, a jet printer manufactured by Oak Manufacturing Co., Ltd .: a light source CHM-2000 (super high pressure mercury lamp) was used.

Furthermore, a positive resist is used as the photoresist. In this embodiment, AZRFP-230K2 manufactured by AZ Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. was used. OFPR-800LB manufactured by Tokyo Ohka may be used.
As the developer, an organic base solution or an inorganic base solution can be used. However, when an inorganic base solution is used, it is preferable to use an organic base solution because metal ions may be mixed. Specifically, TMAH (Tetra Methyl Ammonium Hydroxide) aqueous solution and the like can be mentioned. In the present embodiment, PMER manufactured by Tokyo Ohka Co., Ltd. was used. Further, at this time, an etching solution such as cyan, aqua regia, iodine or oxalic acid can be used as the etching solution. In this embodiment, nitric acid, hydrobromic acid, and a ferric chloride solution are used. Further, an alkaline solution is used as a solvent for cleaning the photoresist, and TMAH is preferably used. TMAH was also used in this embodiment.

The above-mentioned photoresist, developer, etching solution, and solvent are not limited to this, and can be appropriately selected depending on the material forming the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c. .
In the present embodiment, a wet etching method capable of mass production that is relatively inexpensive is shown. However, the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c thereof are patterned by dry etching. May be.

(2. Insulating film formation process)
After the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c are formed, an insulating film (not shown) including the insulating films 21b, 31b, and 41a is formed as a transparent film of the capacitive input device 1. A film is formed over the entire region on the substrate 4.

First, an insulating film (not shown) is formed over the entire region of the transparent substrate 4 of the capacitive input device 1 using a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, or the like. Thereafter, a photoresist is applied by a spin coater or spraying, and exposure is performed using a mask so that the contact holes 22 to be formed are disposed at appropriate positions on the transparent substrate 4. After the exposure, the transparent substrate 4 on which each film is laminated is immersed in a developing solution, thereby removing unnecessary portions of the photoresist (that is, portions corresponding to the contact holes 22). After removing the photoresist, the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are laminated is immersed in an etching solution, thereby removing the portion of the insulating film not covered with the photoresist. Thereafter, the photoresist is completely removed using a solvent, whereby an insulating film (all regions including the insulating films 21b, 31b, and 41a) is formed in a portion other than the contact hole 22.
A photosensitive resin can also be used as the insulating film. After application of the resin by printing or dipping, necessary portions are cured by exposure through a mask, and then unnecessary uncured portions are removed. The manufacturing process is further simplified.

When SiO ₂ is used as the insulating film material when forming an insulating film (not shown) (all regions including the insulating films 21b, 31b and 41a), the sputtering conditions are preferably set as follows. The size of the contact hole 22 is preferably 50 to 200 μm on one side.
[Sputtering conditions]
DC power: 5 KW, sputtering gas: Ar + O ₂ , gas pressure: 3-5 mTorr, O ₂ / Ar: 20-40%, substrate temperature: 200 ° C.

The above-described photoresist, developer, etching solution, and solvent are not limited to this, and can be appropriately selected depending on a material for forming an insulating film (not shown) (all regions including the insulating films 21b, 31b, and 41a). .
In the present embodiment, a wet etching method that is relatively inexpensive and capable of mass production is shown. However, the entire region including the insulating films 21b, 31b, and 41a may be patterned by dry etching.

(3. Conductor film formation process)
After an insulating film (not shown) (all regions including the insulating films 21b, 31b, and 41a) is formed and patterned, the conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed. The conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed through an etching process as follows.

First, a conductor film is formed over the entire area of the transparent substrate 4 of the capacitive input device 1 using a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, or the like. At this time, only a single metal layer may be formed as the conductor film, or a multilayer including the metal layer may be formed. In the case of forming a multilayer, the constituent materials of each layer are appropriately selected by switching the raw materials in the thin film forming apparatus. Then, the metal oxide layer is formed on the operator's viewing side, and the material is switched in the thin film forming apparatus so that the metal layer and the metal oxide layer are alternately stacked.

Thereafter, a photoresist is applied by spin coater or spraying, and the width of the conductive member 51a to be formed (length in the y-axis direction in FIG. 3) is 4 to 10 μm (in the case where the conductive film is a multilayer). 7 to 40 μm), the length (the length in the x-axis direction in FIG. 3) is about 100 to 300 μm, and the wiring patterns 50 and 60 and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are at appropriate positions on the transparent substrate 4. It exposes using a mask so that it may be arrange | positioned.

After the exposure, the transparent substrate 4 on which each film is laminated is immersed in a developing solution to remove unnecessary portions of the photoresist (that is, portions not corresponding to the conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a). Remove. After removing the photoresist, the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are laminated is immersed in an etching solution to corrode and remove the portion of the conductor film not covered with the photoresist. Then, the conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed by completely removing the photoresist using a solvent.

When the conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed, for example, when a silver alloy is used as the conductive film material, the sputtering conditions are preferably as follows. However, the conductor film material and the film formation conditions are not limited to this, and the metal layer material is a metal such as gold, silver, copper, molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), aluminum (Al), etc. Can be used alone, or each alloy can be used, and the film forming conditions are set appropriately.
[Sputtering conditions]
DC power: 7 kW, sputtering gas: Ar, gas pressure: 2-4 mTorr, substrate temperature: 100 ° C.

Also, when the conductor film is composed of a plurality of layers, a metal such as gold, silver, copper, molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), and aluminum (Al) is used alone or an alloy thereof. Can do. In addition, a conductive film using ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), ITO added with Nb, V, Ta, Mo, Ga, Ge, IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), IGO (Indium Germanium Oxide), etc. as a metal oxide layer. May be formed. The configuration of the conductor film will be described in detail later.

In addition, the etching liquid can use the liquid mixture of the acid chosen from any two or more of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid. Photoresist, developer, and the like are the same as in the above-described transparent conductive film forming step.

The above-mentioned photoresist, developer, etching solution, and solvent are not limited to this, and can be appropriately selected depending on the material for forming the conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a.
In the present embodiment, the wet etching method that is relatively inexpensive and can be mass-produced is shown. However, the conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a may be formed by dry etching. Good.

(4. Protection film deposition process)
After forming the conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a as described above, the protective film 71 is formed on the entire surface of the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are stacked, thereby A capacitive input device 1 is obtained. At this time, as the protective film 71, an insulating film formed of SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ or the like by a vapor deposition method, a sputtering method, a dipping method or the like, a polyimide film by a screen printing method, or the like is used. It is preferable to use a polyimide film having high heat resistance and chemical resistance and high adhesion.

[Comparative example]
A conductive member 51a according to the first embodiment adopting a transparent conductive film (ITO film) as in the conventional case is used as a comparative example, and the resistance value is compared with the first embodiment. In the comparative example, except for the conductive member 51a being a transparent conductive film (ITO film), the other configurations are the same member arrangement and materials as in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the conductive member 51a is an APC (silver, palladium, copper alloy) thin film made of Furuya Metal.

In general, the following equation (1) is established between the resistivity ρ (Ωcm) and the resistance value R (Ω).
R = (ρ × L) / S (1)
Here, L represents the length (cm) of the conductor, and S represents the cross-sectional area (cm ² ) of the conductor.

When the above formula 1 is applied to the conductive member 51a of the first embodiment of the present invention, the resistance value R is about 3.5Ω. At this time, the metal used is APC, resistivity ρ: 3.5 × 10 ⁻⁶ Ωcm, conductor length L: 200 μm, conductor cross-sectional area S: 2.0 × 10 ⁻⁸ cm ² (conductive member 51a The width is 10 μm, and the thickness is 200 nm.

On the other hand, in the comparative example in which the conductive member 51a is a conventional transparent conductive film (ITO), when the above equation 1 is applied, the resistance value R is about 400Ω. At this time, resistivity ρ: 1.5 × 10 ⁻⁴ Ωcm, conductor length L: 200 μm, conductor cross-sectional area S: 7.5 × 10 ⁻⁹ cm ² (width of conductive member 51a 50 μm, thickness : Cross-sectional area at 15 nm).

As described above, as a conductor connecting the first transparent conductive film 21a, a comparative example in which a transparent conductive film (ITO film) is used, and a first embodiment of the present invention in which a metal thin film is used, The resistance values are 400Ω and 3.5Ω, respectively, and the resistance value in the first embodiment is greatly reduced. Therefore, the power consumption of the capacitive input device 1 can be greatly reduced.

[Embodiment 2]
The capacitance-type input device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as the first embodiment (FIG. 1) except that the stacking order (configuration) and shape of each film in the first embodiment are changed. 3 and FIG. 4), and each film is formed by the same film forming method. Hereinafter, differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged explanatory view of the pattern diagram of the capacitive input device 1 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view corresponding to the line BB in FIG.

In FIG. 5, the first transparent conductive films 21c forming the pad portions 21 are formed apart from each other, while the adjacent first transparent conductive films 21c are electrically connected by the conductive member 51b. Further, the second transparent conductive film 31d forming the pad portion 31 is formed continuously with the second transparent conductive film 31d formed adjacent to each other through the connection portion 31e. Thereby, the continuous 1st electrode pattern 20 and 2nd electrode pattern 30 are formed, respectively.

The conductive member 51b provided in the first electrode pattern 20 and the connection part 31e provided in the second electrode pattern 30 intersect with each other at the intersection 40. At this time, the first transparent conductive film 21c may be connected at the intersection 40, and the second transparent conductive film 31d may be disconnected and separated.

In the second embodiment, in the capacitive input device 1, a conductive member 51b, wiring patterns 50 and 60, and connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed on a transparent substrate 4. The conductive member 51b, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed by a conductor film including a single metal layer (metal thin film) or a multilayer including at least one metal layer. The thickness of the conductive member 51b, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a is preferably about 30 to 500 nm in the case of a single layer (the total is about 200 to 600 nm in the case of multiple layers). The width (the length in the y-axis direction in FIG. 5) and the length (the length in the x-axis direction in FIG. 5) are the same as those of the conductive member 51a of the first embodiment.

The first transparent conductive film 21c is formed on both ends of the conductive member 51b so that a part thereof overlaps. That is, a part of the first transparent conductive film 21c is laminated on the contact part 52b which is a part on the conductive member 51b, thereby being electrically connected to each other. The shape and size of the first transparent conductive film 21c and the second transparent conductive film 31d and the distance between the first transparent conductive film 21c and the second transparent conductive film 31d are the same as those in the first embodiment.

On the conductive member 51b, a portion where the first transparent conductive film 21c is not laminated (that is, a portion other than the contact portion 52b) is covered with the insulating film 41b. The insulating film 41 b is disposed at the intersection 40 to electrically insulate the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30. Therefore, the insulating film 41b does not need to cover all portions of the conductive member 51b where the first transparent conductive film 21c is not laminated, and at least the connection portion 31e in the second electrode pattern 30 and the conductive member 51b are insulated. What is necessary is just to be arrange | positioned.

Further, the size of the insulating film 41b is preferably about 50 to 200 μm in the x-axis direction and about 50 to 200 μm in the y-axis direction in FIG. As described above, the size of the insulating film 41b is within a range in which the connection portion 31e and the conductive member 51b are not electrically connected, and can be appropriately designed within the range.

On the insulating film 41b, a connection part 31e for electrically connecting the second transparent conductive films 31d forming the pad part 31 is laminated. The connecting portion 31e is also formed of a transparent conductive film. At this time, the width of the connecting portion 31e (the length in the x-axis direction in FIG. 5) is preferably 50 to 200 μm.

Further, also in the capacitive input device 1 of the second embodiment, the entire surface of the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are laminated is covered with the protective film 71 as in the first embodiment.

Next, a manufacturing method for the capacitance-type input device 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be specifically described.

(1. Conductor film formation process)
First, the conductive member 51b, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed on the transparent substrate 4 as follows.
The conductive member 51b, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed through an etching process as follows. First, a conductor film is formed over the entire area of the transparent substrate 4 of the capacitive input device 1 using a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, or the like. At this time, as the conductor film, only the metal layer may be formed as in the first embodiment, or the metal layer and the metal oxide layer may be alternately stacked.

Thereafter, a photoresist is applied by spin coater or spraying, and the width of the conductive member 51b to be formed (the length in the y-axis direction in FIG. 5) is 4 to 10 μm (when the conductive film is a multilayer) 7 to 40 μm), the length (the length in the x-axis direction in FIG. 5) is about 100 to 300 μm, and the wiring patterns 50 and 60 and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are placed at appropriate positions on the transparent substrate 4. It exposes using a mask so that it may be arrange | positioned. After the exposure, the transparent substrate 4 on which each film is laminated is immersed in a developing solution so that unnecessary portions (that is, portions not corresponding to the conductive member 51b, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a) are removed. Remove. After removing the photoresist, the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are laminated is immersed in an etching solution to corrode and remove the portion of the conductor film not covered with the photoresist. Then, the conductive member 51b, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed by completely removing the photoresist using a solvent.

At this time, the film forming conditions and the etching conditions are the same as those in forming the conductive member 51a, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a.

(2. Insulating film formation process)
After the conductive member 51b, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are formed, the insulating film 41b is formed. The insulating film 41b is formed through an etching process as follows. First, an insulating film (not shown) is formed over the entire region on the transparent substrate 4 of the capacitive input device 1 by using a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, or the like. Thereafter, a photoresist is applied by a spin coater or spraying, and exposure is performed using a mask so that the insulating film 41b is formed in a range where the connection portion 31e and the conductive member 51b are not electrically connected. After the exposure, the transparent substrate 4 on which each film is laminated is immersed in a developing solution, thereby removing unnecessary portions of the photoresist (that is, portions not corresponding to the insulating film 41b). After removing the photoresist, the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are laminated is immersed in an etching solution to corrode and remove the portion of the insulating film not covered with the photoresist. Thereafter, the photoresist is completely removed using a solvent, thereby forming the insulating film 41b.
A photosensitive resin can also be used as the insulating film. After application of the resin by printing or dipping, necessary portions are cured by exposure through a mask, and then unnecessary uncured portions are removed. The manufacturing process is further simplified.

At this time, the film formation conditions and the patterning conditions are the same as those in the above-described film formation of the insulating film (all regions including the insulating films 21b, 31b, and 41a).

(3. Transparent conductive film deposition process)
After forming the insulating film 41b, the first transparent conductive film 21c, the second transparent conductive film 31d, and the connection portion 31e thereof are formed. The 1st transparent conductive film 21c, the 2nd transparent conductive film 31d, and its connection part 31e are formed through an etching process as follows. First, a transparent conductive film is formed over the entire region of the transparent substrate 4 of the capacitive input device 1 using a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, or the like.

After forming the insulating film 41b, a transparent conductive film is formed over the entire region of the transparent substrate 4 of the capacitive input device 1 using a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, or the like. Thereafter, a photoresist is applied by spin coater or spraying, and the first transparent conductive film 21c, the second transparent conductive film 31d, and the connection portion 31e to be formed are disposed at appropriate positions on the transparent substrate 4. Then, exposure is performed using a mask.

After the exposure, the transparent substrate 4 on which the transparent conductive film is laminated is immersed in a developing solution, so that unnecessary portions (that is, portions that do not correspond to the first transparent conductive film 21c, the second transparent conductive film 31d, and the connection portion 31e thereof). Remove the photoresist. After removing the photoresist, the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are laminated is immersed in an etching solution to corrode and remove the portion of the transparent conductive film not covered with the photoresist. Thereafter, the photoresist is completely removed using a solvent, thereby forming the first transparent conductive film 21c, the second transparent conductive film 31d, and the connection portion 31e thereof.

At this time, the film formation conditions and the etching conditions are the same as those at the time of forming the first transparent conductive film 21a, the second transparent conductive film 31a, and the connection portion 31c.

(4. Protection film deposition process)
After forming the first transparent conductive film 21c, the second transparent conductive film 31d, and the connecting portion 31e as described above, the protective film 71 is formed on the entire surface of the transparent substrate 4 on which the respective films are laminated. The electrostatic capacitance type input device 1 is obtained. At this time, the film formation conditions are the same as those for forming the protective film 71 in the first embodiment.

Next, the configuration of the conductive film constituting the wiring patterns 50 and 60, the connection terminals 50a and 60a, and the conductive member 51a will be described in detail. In the present invention, the conductor film is composed of a single metal layer or a multilayer including at least one metal layer. In Example 1-1 to Example 1-4 and Example 2-1 to Example 2-5, the reflectance of the conductive films having various configurations was simulated. The structure of the conductor film on the transparent substrate 4 in each example is shown in Table 1, and the optical characteristics regarding the conductor film in each example are shown in FIGS.

Table 1 shows the configuration (stacking order) of the conductor films in each example formed on the glass substrate as the transparent substrate 4. In the table, the arrow in the column of “observation side (viewing side)” indicates the side on which the reflectance is measured, and the reflectance of the surface on which the arrow is described in the glass substrate on which each layer is laminated is illustrated. 7 and FIG. (For example, in Example 1-3, the silver alloy, IGO, silver alloy, and IGO are laminated in this order on the glass substrate, and the reflectance observed from the side on which the IGO is formed is shown in FIG. In Example 1-4, IGO, silver alloy, IGO, and silver alloy are laminated in this order on the glass substrate, and the reflectance observed from the glass substrate side is shown in FIG.

Also, the numbers in parentheses for each layer in the table indicate the thickness of each layer. In addition, regarding the silver alloy and MAM, when thickness is not shown, the thickness of these layers should just be the range which can obtain an appropriate resistance value, and can be designed suitably. A silver alloy is preferably about 50 to 500 nm, and a MAM is preferably about 100 to 600 nm.

FIG. 7 shows the reflectance of light of each wavelength in Examples 1-1 to 1-4. In Examples 1-1 to 1-4, the material of the metal layer is a silver alloy, and the material of the metal oxide layer is IGO.

Examples 1-1 and 1-2 are cases in which a silver alloy is formed on a glass substrate. The light reflectance is 80 to 98 in a wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm, regardless of which side is viewed. % Is shown. Therefore, when the conductor film is a single metal layer, the reflectivity is high and it is easy to visually recognize. Therefore, when forming the conductive members 51a and 51b, the width is set to 4 to 10 μm, which is very thin. It can be difficult to visually recognize by forming.

In Examples 1-3 and 1-4, metal layers and metal oxide layers are alternately stacked, and a metal oxide layer is formed on the viewing side. It is shown that the reflectance is about 15 to 64%, which is lower than those in Example 1-1 and Example 1-2 in the wavelength region of 400 to 700 nm. Therefore, it is difficult to visually recognize the conductor film by forming a metal oxide layer on the viewing side.

That is, higher transparency can be obtained when the metal layer is formed as a multilayer having a metal oxide layer formed on the viewing side than when the metal layer is formed as a single layer. Therefore, when the metal oxide layer is formed on the viewing side, good transparency can be obtained even if the width of the conductive members 51a and 51b is wide. Therefore, the width of the conductive members 51a and 51b is set to 7 to 40 μm. Is done.

FIG. 8 shows the reflectance of light of each wavelength in Examples 2-1 to 2-5. In Examples 2-1 to 2-5, the material of the metal layer is MAM or Mo—Nb alloy, and the material of the metal oxide layer is IGO.

Examples 2-1 and 2-2 are cases in which MAM is formed on a glass substrate. The light reflectance is 40 to 53% in the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm regardless of which side is viewed. It is shown to be a degree. Therefore, the reflectivity is lower than when the conductor film is a single layer of silver alloy, and at the wavelength near 400 nm and near 650 nm, the reflectivity comparable to that obtained when the silver alloy and IGO are laminated can be obtained. it can.

Further, when a metal oxide film is combined with MAM (Example 2-3 to Example 2-5), it exhibits a very low reflectance in the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm. In particular, Example 2-4 and Example 2-5 have a reflectance of 10% or less (about 3 to 8%) over the entire wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm, so the visibility is very low. It has been shown to have high transparency.

Therefore, according to Examples 1-1 to 1-4 and Examples 2-1 to 2-5, when the metal oxide layer is formed on the viewing side in the conductor film, the light reflectance on the viewing side is determined. As a result, it was shown that a conductive film having high transparency can be obtained.

As described above, the capacitive input device 1 of the present invention is electrically insulated at the intersection 40 of the first electrode pattern 20 and the second electrode pattern 30. In the first electrode pattern 20, the conductive members 51a and 51b that connect the first transparent conductive films 21a and 21c formed separately from each other, the wiring patterns 50 and 60, and the connection terminals 50a and 60a are conductor films. It consists of Therefore, since the conductive members 51a and 51b can be formed simultaneously with the wiring patterns 50 and 60 and the connection terminals 50a and 60a, the manufacturing process can be simplified. In addition, the conductive members 51a and 51b have a smaller resistance value than the case where the conductive members 51a and 51b are formed using a transparent conductive film, and can reduce the power consumption of the capacitive input device 1.

The capacitance-type input device 1 of the present invention is used in the field of electronic equipment such as mobile terminals (PDA, Personal Digital Assistant) such as mobile phones and electronic notebooks, game machines, car navigation systems, personal computers, ticket vending machines, and bank terminals. Expected to be useful.

Claims (12)

1. An electrostatic capacity including an input unit for performing an input operation and an output unit for outputting a signal from the input unit, wherein the input unit and the output unit are provided on the same surface of the transparent substrate. A mold input device,
   The output unit includes a connection terminal that outputs the signal, and a wiring pattern that electrically connects the input unit and the connection terminal.
   The input unit includes a plurality of first transparent conductive films disposed adjacent to each other in the first direction on the transparent substrate, and a conductive member that electrically connects the first transparent conductive films. A plurality of first electrode patterns;
   A plurality of second transparent conductive films disposed adjacent to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
   A plurality of second electrode patterns comprising a connection portion formed continuously with the plurality of second transparent conductive films and disposed at a position intersecting with the conductive member;
   An insulating film disposed between the conductive member and the connection portion and maintaining insulation between the conductive member and the connection portion;
   The conductive member, the connection terminal and the wiring pattern are formed by the same conductor film,
   The conductor film is composed of a single metal layer or a multilayer including at least one metal layer,
   The capacitive input device, wherein the conductive member is formed in a linear shape.
2. 2. The capacitance-type input device according to claim 1, wherein the conductor film is made of a single layer of the metal layer, and the width of the conductive member in the second direction is 4 to 10 μm.
3. The conductor film is composed of multiple layers in which metal layers and metal oxide layers are alternately stacked,
   The capacitance-type input device according to claim 1, wherein the metal oxide layer is formed on the viewer side in the conductor film.
4. 4. The capacitance-type input device according to claim 3, wherein a width of the conductive member in the second direction is 7 to 40 μm.
5. The material of the metal layer is any metal selected from silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, and MAM (Mo or Mo alloy / Al or Al alloy / Mo or Mo alloy three-layer structure compound). The capacitance-type input device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The material of the metal layer is any metal selected from silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, MAM (Mo or Mo alloy / Al or Al alloy / Mo or Mo alloy three-layer structure compound),
   5. The capacitive input device according to claim 3, wherein the metal oxide layer contains an indium composite oxide.
7. At the intersection of the conductive member and the connection part,
   The capacitance type according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the conductive member, the insulating film, and the connection portion are laminated in this order on the transparent substrate. Input device.
8. An electrostatic capacity including an input unit for performing an input operation and an output unit for outputting a signal from the input unit, wherein the input unit and the output unit are provided on the same surface of the transparent substrate. A method of manufacturing a mold input device,
   A transparent conductive film forming step of forming a transparent conductive film on the entire surface of the transparent substrate;
   A plurality of first transparent conductive films disposed adjacent to the transparent conductive film in a first direction on the transparent substrate, and a plurality of first transparent films disposed in a second direction intersecting the first direction. A transparent conductive film patterning step formed by etching two transparent conductive films and a connection portion formed continuously with the plurality of second transparent conductive films;
   An insulating film forming step of forming an insulating film on the entire surface of the transparent substrate;
   A contact hole forming step of patterning the insulating film and forming contact holes on both sides of the first transparent conductive film with a connection portion formed continuously with the second transparent conductive film;
   A conductor film forming step of forming a conductor film composed of a single metal layer or a multilayer including at least one metal layer on the entire surface of the transparent substrate;
   Electrically connecting a connection terminal provided for the output unit to output the signal to the conductor film, a wiring pattern connecting the connection terminal and the input unit, and the plurality of first transparent conductive films. A conductive film patterning step that is formed by etching a linear conductive member that is connected to the connecting portion and disposed at a position intersecting with the connecting portion;
   A method for manufacturing a capacitance-type input device.
9. An electrostatic capacity including an input unit for performing an input operation and an output unit for outputting a signal from the input unit, wherein the input unit and the output unit are provided on the same surface of the transparent substrate. A method of manufacturing a mold input device,
   A conductor film forming step of forming a conductor film composed of a single metal layer or a multilayer including at least one metal layer on the entire surface of the transparent substrate;
   Adjacent to the conductor film in the first direction on the transparent substrate, a connection terminal provided for the output unit to output the signal, a wiring pattern for connecting the connection terminal and the input unit, A conductive film patterning step for electrically connecting a plurality of first transparent conductive films disposed in a line and etching a linear conductive member formed along the first direction;
   An insulating film forming step of forming an insulating film on the entire surface of the transparent substrate;
   In the insulating film, the conductive member and a plurality of second transparent conductive films disposed adjacent to each other in the second direction are formed continuously and are disposed at positions intersecting with the conductive member. An insulating film patterning step for removing a portion other than the position for insulating the portion;
   A transparent conductive film forming step of forming a transparent conductive film on the entire surface of the transparent substrate;
   A transparent conductive film patterning step of etching the first transparent conductive film, the plurality of second transparent conductive films, and the connection portion with respect to the transparent conductive film;
   A method for manufacturing a capacitance-type input device.
10. In the conductor film forming step, forming a single layer of the metal layer,
    10. The method of manufacturing a capacitive input device according to claim 8, wherein, in the conductor film patterning step, the conductive member is formed to have a width in the second direction of 4 to 10 μm. .
11. In the conductor film forming step, including a step of forming a metal oxide layer first or last,
    10. The method of manufacturing a capacitive input device according to claim 8, comprising alternately forming the metal layer and forming the metal oxide layer. 11.
12. 12. The method of manufacturing a capacitive input device according to claim 11, wherein, in the conductor film patterning step, the conductive member is formed to have a width in the second direction of 7 to 40 μm.

Images