WO2013021661A1

WO2013021661A1 - Touch panel and method of manufacturing thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2013021661A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/050466
Authority: WO
Inventors: 岩瀬　雅之; 和行尾崎
Original assignee: 日本メクトロン株式会社
Priority date: 2011-08-10
Filing date: 2012-01-12
Publication date: 2013-02-14
Also published as: JP2013037629A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a touch panel equipped with fine-pattern draw-out wiring having high connection reliability, and a method of manufacturing the touch panel. [Solution] A touch panel (1) of an embodiment of the present invention is provided with: a transparent substrate (2) comprising a sensing area (2A) and a wiring area (2B); first to nth transparent conductive patterns (3, 4) formed parallel to each other; and first to nth draw-out wiring (6, 7) that are composed by hardening screen-printed conductive paste. The ith transparent conductive patterns (i = 1 to n) comprise main line sections (62, 72) extending along a direction that intersects at right angles with the direction in which the transparent conductive patterns (3, 4) extend, connecting sections (63, 73) that electrically connect one ends of the main line sections and the ith transparent conductive patterns, and external terminal sections (61, 71) that are electrically connected to the other ends of the main line sections. The touch panel (1) is also provided, at the wiring area (2B), with discharge stabilizing patterns (10, 11) for allowing, upon printing the draw-out wiring (6, 7) by screen-printing, conductive paste from a mesh opening section of a screen printing block to be discharged uniformly.

Description

Touch panel and manufacturing method thereof

The present invention relates to a touch panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and more specifically to a capacitive touch panel and a manufacturing method thereof.

In recent years, the demand for touch panels has been rapidly increasing as portable electronic devices such as smartphones have become popular. As a method for detecting touch position information, two methods, a resistive film method and a capacitance method, have become mainstream.

In the case of a capacitive touch panel, a so-called multi-touch function that freely slides, enlarges or reduces the display screen by the operation of two or more fingers can be realized. For this reason, it is expected that the demand for capacitive touch panels will increase further in the future.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a capacitive touch panel. This touch panel outputs signals from the Y sensor film 41 (X sensor film 42), the sensor electrode 32a (sensor electrode 32b) made of a transparent conductive material, and the sensor electrode 32a (sensor electrode 32b) to the outside. It consists of a conductor line 24 (extraction wiring) for extraction to the processing circuit.

JP 2011-048541 A

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for larger display screens equipped with touch panels. In order to enlarge the display screen without changing the overall size of the portable device, the width of the frame portion surrounding the display screen must be reduced. For this reason, further narrowing is required in the wiring region where the extraction wiring is provided. To illustrate specific numerical values, a fine pattern of L / S = 100/100 μm or less is required as the dimension (L / S) of the line width L of the extraction wiring and the space width S between the extraction wirings.

When such a fine pattern is formed by screen printing, it is common to use a high-viscosity type Ag paste in order to improve printing resolution.

However, when a high-viscosity type Ag paste is used, the discharge property of the conductive paste discharged from the mesh opening of the screen plate (printing plate) (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “paste discharge property”) is the density of the extraction wiring. It depends on the condition. In other words, the paste dischargeability is non-uniform between the area where the number of extraction wires is large and the area where the number is small. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5A, for example, in a region where three extraction wirings 103 are formed on the transparent substrate 102, the paste dischargeability is improved due to the characteristics of screen printing. A print state is obtained. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, in a region where only one lead-out wiring 103 is formed, the paste dischargeability is greatly lowered, and thus the Ag paste does not come off from the screen plate and a transfer failure occurs. As a result, there is a risk that the lead-out wiring may become thinner or chipped. In the worst case, disconnection of the extraction wiring occurs, and there is a possibility that an accurate position detection signal cannot be transmitted.

The problem of poor printing due to the non-uniformity of paste dischargeability as described above becomes more prominent as the L / S dimension of the extraction wiring becomes smaller.

Note that by optimizing the printing performance of the Ag paste material, the specifications of the screen plate, the printing conditions, the printing direction, etc., there is a possibility that the paste dischargeability in an area where the number of extraction wirings is small may be improved to some extent. Is not enough.

For example, regarding the printing performance of the Ag paste material, the printing state is improved in a region where the number of extracted wirings is small by diluting a small amount of high-viscosity Ag paste to enhance paste dischargeability. However, this time, in a region where the extraction wirings are densely packed, the paste dischargeability is excessively increased, and there is a possibility that the extraction wirings are short-circuited.

As for the printing direction point, for example, when printing is performed by moving the squeegee from the region where the number of extraction wires is small to the region where the number of extraction wires is large, the paste dischargeability tends to be improved in the region where the number of extraction wires is small. is there. However, in actual touch panel manufacturing, in order to improve production efficiency, a so-called multi-face layout is often performed in which a plurality of touch panels are arranged in a sheet area serving as a processing unit of each manufacturing process. In this case, depending on the shape and configuration of the touch panel, all the touch panels may not be arranged in the same direction. For this reason, even if the printing state of the extraction wiring of the touch panel arranged so as to face in a certain direction is good, the printing state of the extraction wiring of the touch panel arranged so as to face in another direction is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made on the basis of the above technical recognition, and an object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel including a fine pattern extraction wiring with high connection reliability and a method for manufacturing the touch panel.

The touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is:
A transparent substrate having a sensing region and a wiring region located around the sensing region;
First to n-th transparent conductive patterns (n: an integer of 2 or more) provided in parallel to each other in the sensing region;
First to nth extraction wirings provided in the wiring region and formed by curing a screen-printed conductive paste;
A touch panel comprising:
The i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N) lead-out wiring is provided for taking out the signal of the i-th transparent conductive pattern, and the first to n-th transparent conductive patterns are provided. Electrically connected to a main line portion extending along a direction perpendicular to the extending direction, a connection portion for electrically connecting one end of the main line portion and the i-th transparent conductive pattern, and the other end of the main line portion. An external terminal portion,
A discharge stabilization pattern that is provided in the wiring region and that makes the discharge property of the conductive paste from the mesh openings of the screen plate uniform when printing the first to nth extraction wirings by screen printing. It is characterized by providing.

A manufacturing method of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:
Preparing a transparent substrate having a sensing area and a wiring area;
Forming first to n-th transparent conductive patterns in the sensing region so as to be parallel to each other;
The first to nth extraction wirings are formed by printing and curing a conductive paste on the wiring area by screen printing, and the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N) extraction wirings are A main line portion provided for taking out a signal of the i-th transparent conductive pattern, extending along a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the first to n-th transparent conductive patterns extend; one end of the main line portion; a step of electrically connecting the transparent conductive pattern of i, and an external terminal portion electrically connected to the other end of the main line portion;
With
In the step of forming the first to nth extraction wirings, a discharge stabilization pattern is formed in the wiring region to make the dischargeability of the conductive paste from the mesh opening of the screen plate uniform.

According to the present invention, since the paste dischargeability is made uniform by the discharge stabilization pattern, a good printing state can be obtained even in the case of a fine pattern having a small L / S dimension of the extraction wiring. As a result, it is possible to obtain a touch panel including a fine pattern extraction wiring with high connection reliability.

1 is a perspective view of a capacitive touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) And (B) is a top view of the extraction wiring of the touchscreen and discharge stabilization pattern which concern on one Embodiment. (A) is a partial enlarged view of the extraction wiring and ejection stabilization pattern of the touch panel according to one embodiment, and (B) is one of the extraction wiring and ejection stabilization pattern of the touch panel according to the first modification. FIG. (A) And (B) is a top view of the extraction wiring of the touchscreen and discharge stabilization pattern which concern on a 2nd modification. (A) is a top view which shows the printing state of the extraction wiring in the area | region in which three extraction wirings were formed, (B) is the printing state of the extraction wiring in the area in which one extraction wiring was formed. FIG.

Hereinafter, touch panels according to embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the component which overlaps in each figure, and detailed description of the component of the same code | symbol is not repeated. Moreover, the scale ratio of the component in each figure is changed for convenience of explanation.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a capacitive touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, in FIG. 1, a discharge stabilization pattern which will be described in detail later is not shown.

The touch panel 1 takes out a transparent substrate 2, a transparent conductive pattern 3 for detecting the Y coordinate of the touch position, a transparent conductive pattern 4 for detecting the X coordinate of the touch position, and a signal of the transparent conductive pattern 3. A wiring 6, an extraction wiring 7 for taking out a signal of the transparent conductive pattern 4, a Y detection terminal 8, an X detection terminal 9, and

ejection stabilization patterns

10 and 11 are included.

The transparent substrate 2 has a sensing area 2A and a wiring area 2B located around the sensing area 2A. The transparent substrate 2 is made of a translucent material (for example, a PET film).

As shown in FIG. 1, the transparent conductive pattern 4 is formed on the surface of the transparent substrate 2, and the transparent conductive pattern 3 is formed on the back surface of the transparent substrate 2. Thus, the transparent conductive pattern 3 and the transparent conductive pattern 4 are provided on the transparent substrate 2 so as to be electrically insulated from each other. The transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 are made of a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or polyethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT).

A plurality of transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 are provided in the sensing region 2A of the transparent substrate 2 in parallel with each other. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the transparent conductive pattern 3 is provided in seven rows (first to seventh transparent conductive patterns 3) along the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the transparent substrate 2. The transparent conductive patterns 4 are provided in 10 rows (first to tenth transparent conductive patterns 4) along the short direction (X direction) of the transparent substrate 2.

The configuration of the individual transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 will be described. The transparent conductive pattern 3 has a plurality of rhombus-shaped electrode portions 31 arranged in the Y direction, and a thin line-shaped connecting portion 32 that electrically connects the adjacent electrode portions 31 to each other. Similarly, the transparent conductive pattern 4 includes a plurality of rhombus-shaped electrode portions 41 arranged along the X direction, and a thin line-shaped connecting portion 42 that electrically connects the adjacent electrode portions 41 to each other. In addition, the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 are not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1, A desired shape can be employ | adopted.

The Y detection terminal 8 and the X detection terminal 9 are respectively provided at the end of the transparent conductive pattern 3 and the end of the transparent conductive pattern 4 in order to contact the detection probe for conduction confirmation of the touch panel 1. . By confirming conduction between the Y detection terminal 8 and the external terminal portion 61 (described later) of the lead-out wiring 6, it is possible to confirm whether or not the transparent conductive pattern 3 is healthy. Similarly, whether or not the transparent conductive pattern 4 is healthy can be confirmed by conducting conduction between the X voltage detection terminal 9 and the external terminal portion 71 of the extraction wiring 7. By providing the Y detection terminal 8 and the X detection terminal 9, it is not necessary to directly contact the detection probe with the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 from being damaged when the conduction is confirmed. Further, depending on the material of the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4, the contact resistance between the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 and the voltage detection probe in contact with the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 may increase. Therefore, it is desirable to provide the Y voltage detection terminal 8 and the X voltage detection terminal 9 from the viewpoint of reducing the contact resistance.

Next, the

extraction wirings

6 and 7 and the

discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2A shows a schematic configuration of the extraction wiring 7 and the ejection stabilization pattern 11. FIG. 2B shows a schematic configuration of the extraction wiring 6 and the ejection stabilization pattern 10.

A plurality of

extraction wirings

6 and 7 and discharge

stabilization patterns

10 and 11 are provided in the wiring region 2B of the transparent substrate 2. The

extraction wirings

6 and 7 and the

discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11 are formed by curing a screen-printed Ag paste. Note that the

extraction wirings

6 and 7 and the

discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11 may be formed by printing a metal such as gold (Au) or copper (Cu), or a conductive paste containing nanocarbon.

Each of the

extraction wirings

6 and 7 provided in the wiring region 2B is provided so as to extract a signal of the corresponding transparent

conductive pattern

3 and 4. The

extraction wirings

6 and 7 and the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 have a one-to-one correspondence, and the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N) extraction wiring corresponds to the i-th transparent conductive pattern. It is provided to retrieve the signal. Here, n = 7 for the extraction wiring 6 and n = 10 for the extraction wiring 7. As the transparent conductive pattern 3 and the transparent conductive pattern 4 are provided 7 and 10, respectively, 10 extraction wirings 7 are provided (see FIG. 2A), and 7 extraction wirings 6 are provided. (See FIG. 2B).

Next, the configuration of the

extraction wirings

6 and 7 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2A, the i-th lead-out wiring 7 includes a linear main line 72 extending along a direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the direction (X direction) in which the transparent conductive pattern 4 extends, and the main line. It has a connection part 73 that electrically connects one end of the part 72 and the i-th transparent conductive pattern 7, and an external terminal part 71 that is electrically connected to the other end of the main line part 72.

The extraction wiring 6 is the same as the extraction wiring 7. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, the i-th lead-out wiring 6 includes a linear main line portion 62 extending along a direction (X direction) orthogonal to the direction (Y direction) in which the transparent conductive pattern 3 extends. And a connection part 63 that electrically connects one end of the main line part 62 and the i-th transparent conductive pattern 6, and an external terminal part 61 that is electrically connected to the other end of the main line part 62.

The L / S dimension of the main line portions 62 (72) arranged in parallel with each other is, for example, 100 μm or less / 100 μm or less.

Note that the external terminal portions 71 of the first to tenth extraction wirings 7 are collectively arranged in a predetermined region (terminal region) as shown in FIG. Similarly, the external terminal portions 61 of the first to seventh extraction wirings 6 are collectively arranged in a predetermined region (terminal region) as shown in FIG. The

connection parts

63 and 73 have

connection pads

63 a and 73 a formed on the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the main line portions 72 of the first to tenth extraction wirings 7 constitute a main line group 72G composed of ten main line portions 72 at the end on the external terminal side. The number of main line portions 72 constituting the main line group 72G (hereinafter simply referred to as “the number of main line groups”) is determined when the main line group 72G crosses each side of the first to tenth transparent conductive patterns 4. Decrease by one. That is, if the first to tenth transparent conductive patterns 4 are provided in the order close to the terminal region (from the front in FIG. 1), the number of main line groups 72G is equal to the number of the first transparent conductive patterns 4. 9 (= 10-1) over the side, 8 (= 10-2) over the side of the second transparent conductive pattern 4, and so on. If it exceeds, it becomes one.

The extraction wiring 6 is the same as the extraction wiring 7. As shown in FIG. 2B, there are five main line portions 62 of the first to fifth extraction wirings 6 except for the left two in FIG. 2B among the first to seventh extraction wirings 6. A main line group 62G composed of the main line portions 62 is configured. Assuming that the first to fifth transparent conductive patterns 3 are provided from the left side to the right side in FIG. 2B, the number of main line groups 62G exceeds the side of the first transparent conductive pattern 3 by 4 ( = 5-1), and if it goes beyond the side of the second transparent conductive pattern 3, it becomes 3 (= 5-2). Similarly, if it goes beyond the side of the fourth transparent conductive pattern, it becomes 1 Become.

When a finger or the like approaches or comes into contact with the sensing area 2A of the touch panel 1, a change in capacitance between the finger and the

electrode portions

31, 41 or a change in capacitance between the

electrode portions

31, 41 occurs. Arise. By taking out the change in capacitance and taking it out to the external arithmetic processing circuit connected to the terminal area via the

wirings

6 and 7, the position of the finger or the like can be detected.

Next, the

discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11 of the touch panel according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

The touch panel according to the present embodiment is provided in the wiring region 2B, and discharges the conductive paste from the mesh opening of the screen plate when the first to

nth extraction wirings

6 and 7 are printed by screen printing.

Discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11 are provided to make the properties uniform. “Uniformity” here means to reduce or eliminate the difference in paste dischargeability between a portion where the number of main line groups is large and a portion where the number of main line groups is small.

The

ejection stabilization patterns

10 and 11 are provided in parallel with the

main line portions

62 and 72 of the

extraction wirings

6 and 7.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, the ejection stabilization pattern 11 is electrically isolated from the extraction wiring 7. Similarly, the discharge stabilization pattern 10 is electrically isolated from the extraction wiring 6. Therefore, the

ejection stabilization patterns

10 and 11 do not affect the electrical characteristics such as the resistance of the

extraction wirings

6 and 7, and a signal equivalent to the case where the ejection stabilization pattern is not provided can be extracted from the extraction wiring.

As described above, when the lead-out

wirings

6 and 7 are formed, the discharge property of the conductive paste is most deteriorated at the portion where the number of the

main line groups

62G and 72G is one. Therefore, one or more

ejection stabilization patterns

10 and 11 are formed at least at a site where the number of

main line groups

62G and 72G is one. As a result, the paste dischargeability at the site where the number of

main line groups

62G and 72G is one is improved, and the paste dischargeability is made uniform. As a result, regardless of the number of main line groups, a good printing state can be obtained over the entire extraction wiring. Note that the line width of the

ejection stabilization patterns

10 and 11 is preferably equal to the line width of the

main line portions

62 and 72.

The

discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11 may be provided to compensate for the decrease in the number of

main line groups

62G and 72G. That is, the number of main line groups and the number of ejection stabilization patterns between the connection portion of the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N−1) extraction wiring and the connection portion of the i + 1-th extraction wiring. The ejection stabilization pattern may be provided so that the sum of the number of the discharges becomes n.

More specifically, as can be seen from the enlarged view of region B in FIG. 2A, the number of main line groups 72G between the second extraction wiring 7 and the third extraction wiring 7 is eight. . Therefore, two discharge stabilization patterns 11 are provided to compensate for the decrease in the main line portion 72. Further, as can be seen from the enlarged view of the area A in FIG. 2A, the number of main line groups 72G between the ninth extraction wiring 7 and the tenth extraction wiring 7 is one, and therefore nine The discharge stabilization pattern 11 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the ejection stabilization pattern 10 is provided for the extraction wiring 6 so as to compensate for the decrease in the number of main line groups 62G as in the case of the extraction wiring 7.

Next, the L / S dimension of the discharge stabilization pattern when a plurality of discharge stabilization patterns are provided will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3A shows a plan view in which a region where the number of main line groups 72G is one in FIG. 2A is enlarged. As shown in FIG. 3A, the line width (L1) of the discharge stabilization pattern 11 is the same as the line width (L2) of the main line portion 72 of the extraction wiring 7, and the discharge stabilization patterns 11 The space width (S1) which is the gap dimension is the same as the space width (S2) between the main line portions 72 of the lead-out wiring 7.

When the line width of the discharge stabilization pattern 11 is smaller than the line width of the main line portion 72, the discharge stabilization pattern 11 is required to have higher printing resolution than the main line portion 72. As a result, the printing conditions and the like become complicated, and there arises a problem that the degree of printing difficulty increases.

On the other hand, when the line width of the discharge stabilization pattern 11 is larger than the line width of the main line portion 72, the discharge amount of the conductive paste in the region where the discharge stabilization pattern 11 is formed increases. The discharge amount of the conductive paste in the portion where 72 is formed is also affected. As a result, there arises a problem that the main line portion 72 is formed thicker than the design.

Therefore, it is desirable that the L / S dimension of the ejection stabilization pattern 11 is the same as the L / S dimension of the main line portion 72 of the extraction wiring as shown in FIG. For example, when the L / S dimension of the main line portion 72 of the extraction wiring 7 is 100/100 μm, the line width (L1) of the ejection stabilization pattern 11 is 100 μm, and the space width (S1 ) Is preferably 100 μm.

Similarly, the L / S dimension in the discharge stabilization pattern 10 is desirably the same as the L / S dimension of the main line portion 62 of the extraction wiring 6.

Next, the length of the ejection stabilization pattern will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

It is desirable to form the ejection stabilization pattern as long as possible in parallel with the extraction wiring. As a result, the distance at which the number of main line groups becomes one is shortened, so that the effect of stabilizing the paste dischargeability by the discharge stabilization pattern can be increased. From such a viewpoint, it is desirable that the length of the ejection stabilization pattern satisfies the formula (1).

(1/2) D ≦ L ≦ D-2d (1)

Here, L is the length of the ejection stabilization pattern, D is the distance between the connection portions, and d is the smaller value of the line width of the connection portion and the line width of the main line portion.

In the formula (1), when L> D-2d なる, there is a high possibility that the end portion of the ejection stabilization pattern and the connection portion are short-circuited due to the smearing of the conductive paste during printing. Further, when L <１／２ (1/2) D, the distance at which the number of main line groups becomes one becomes long, and there is a possibility that improvement in paste dischargeability by the discharge stabilization pattern is not sufficient.

Therefore, by making the length L of the ejection stabilization pattern satisfy the formula (1), it is possible to sufficiently improve the paste ejection property while preventing a short circuit between the printing patterns.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, it is desirable that the ejection stabilization pattern 11 is arranged such that the midpoint in the length direction coincides with the midpoint between the adjacent connecting portions 73. The same applies to the ejection stabilization pattern 10. Thereby, even when the touch panel has a multi-sided layout and all the touch panel products are not arranged in the same direction, the pattern formation state of the

extraction wirings

6 and 7 can be made uniform.

Moreover, it is preferable that both ends in the longitudinal direction of the

discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11 have arcuate (semicircular) outlines. As a result, when squeezing in screen printing, the discharge of the conductive paste is appropriately suppressed by the emulsion of the screen plate, so there is no printing blurring and the like, and a good printing state of the discharge stabilization pattern is achieved. Obtainable. The same effect can be obtained even when the tip of both ends of the discharge stabilization pattern is formed to have an acute angle.

As described above, by providing the

discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11, the discharge property of the conductive paste from the mesh plate openings of the screen plate is made uniform, and the printed state of the extraction wiring is independent of the number of main line groups. Can be made uniform. As a result, a good printing state can be obtained in all the areas where the lead-out wiring is formed. Even in the region where the number of main line groups where the paste dischargeability is most reduced is one, it is possible to obtain a good printing state in which there is no omission or transfer failure of the conductive paste.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain a touch panel including a fine pattern extraction wiring with high connection reliability. In other words, it is possible to obtain a highly reliable touch panel that can reliably transmit the position detection signal extracted from the transparent conductive pattern by the extraction wiring to an external arithmetic processing circuit connected to the touch panel. Become.

Furthermore, since the ejection stabilization pattern is provided in the vacant area of the wiring area, it is not necessary to increase the size of the wiring area in order to provide the ejection stabilization pattern. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a reliable touch panel by providing an ejection stabilization pattern without increasing the width of the frame of the display screen on which the touch panel is mounted, and thus without affecting the design and visibility of the touch panel. Can do.

Next, two modified examples according to the above embodiment will be described. According to any of the modifications, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

(First modification)
A first modification will be described with reference to FIG. This modification is a case where the extraction wiring 7 is routed so as to be closer to the inner side of the wiring area 2B (on the sensing area 2A side).

FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a part of the extraction wiring 7 and the discharge stabilization pattern 11, and the display area corresponds to FIG. 3A. As shown in FIG. 3B, the ejection stabilization pattern 11 is provided outside the extraction wiring 7. That is, in this modification, the ejection stabilization pattern 11 is provided on the opposite side of the transparent conductive pattern 4 with respect to the main line portion 72 of the extraction wiring.

Similarly, the discharge stabilization pattern 10 may be provided on the side opposite to the transparent conductive pattern 3 with respect to the main line portion 62 of the extraction wiring.

According to the first modification, even when the extraction wiring is routed so as to be closer to the inside of the wiring region, the ejection stabilization pattern can be provided without increasing the size of the wiring region.

(Second modification)
Next, a second modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

As shown in FIG. 4A, two ejection stabilization patterns 11 are provided in a portion where the number of main line groups 72G is two or less, and one is provided in a portion where the number of main line groups 72G is three or more. Provided. The same applies to the ejection stabilization pattern 10, and as shown in FIG. 4B, two ejection stabilization patterns 10 are provided in a region where the number of main line groups 62G is two or less. One is provided at a site where the number is three or more.

More generally speaking, the

discharge stabilization patterns

10 and 11 are connected to the

connection parts

63 and 73 of the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N−1) extraction wiring and the i + 1-th extraction wiring. At least two

main line groups

62G and 72G between the

parts

63 and 73 are provided in one part, and at least one is provided in the two parts. Preferably, at least two ejection stabilization patterns are provided in one or two parts, and at least one is provided in three or more parts.

According to the second modification, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained by using a smaller number of ejection stabilization patterns than the embodiment described with reference to FIG.

(Touch panel manufacturing method)
Next, a method for manufacturing a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described using the components described above.

(1) A transparent substrate 2 having a sensing area 2A and a wiring area 2B is prepared.
As this transparent substrate 2, for example, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film that is excellent in translucency and low in material cost can be suitably used. Other applicable materials include transparent films such as polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC) and transparent polyimide (transparent PI), and transparent glass plates.
(2) Next, the first to nth transparent conductive patterns 3 (4) are formed in the sensing region 2A so as to be parallel to each other.

More specifically, the transparent conductive pattern 3 (4) is formed by first applying a transparent conductive material on the surface of the transparent substrate 2 to form a transparent conductive film, and then etching the transparent conductive film by etching. It is formed by processing to the shape of.

The transparent conductive pattern 3 is formed on one surface of the transparent substrate 2, and then the transparent conductive pattern 4 is formed on the other surface of the transparent substrate 2. In addition, after preparing two transparent substrates, that is, a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate, and forming the transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 on the first and second transparent substrates, respectively. Of the surfaces of the first and second transparent substrates, the surfaces on which the transparent conductive pattern is not formed may be bonded together.

Further, the transparent conductive pattern 3 and the transparent conductive pattern 4 may be formed on the same surface of the transparent substrate 2. In this case, one of the transparent conductive pattern 3 and the transparent conductive pattern 4 is formed so as to have an electrode part and a connecting part as shown in FIG. 1, and only the electrode part is formed for the other pattern. And the connection part of the other pattern is formed on the small piece of the insulator provided on the transparent substrate 2 so as to straddle the connection part of the one pattern, and the electrode parts of the other pattern are connected (jumper connection). )

Applicable transparent conductive materials include inorganic transparent conductive materials typified by ITO, and organic transparent conductive materials typified by polyethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT), polyaniline, polypyrrole, and the like. The transparent

conductive patterns

3 and 4 can also be formed by a printing method using an ink that imparts printing suitability to an organic transparent conductive material.

(3) Next, Ag paste is printed on the wiring region 2B by screen printing, and the printed Ag paste is heated and cured to form the first to nth extraction wirings 6 (7). As the Ag paste used here, it is desirable to use a relatively high viscosity type (for example, 20 Pa · s or more). In screen printing, not only the Ag paste but also a conductive paste containing metal such as gold (Au) or copper (Cu), or nanocarbon may be used.

More specifically, the first to n-th extraction wirings 6 (7) are arranged so that the main line 62 (72) of the first to n-th extraction wirings 6 (7) is n at the end on the external terminal side. A main line group 62G (72G) composed of main lines is formed, and the number of main line groups decreases by one as the main line group crosses each side of the first to n-th transparent conductive patterns. To form.

In this step, the ejection stabilization pattern 10 (11) is also formed in the wiring region 2B together with the extraction wiring 6 (7). More specifically, the ejection stabilization pattern 10 (11) is arranged in parallel with the main line portion 62 (72) and at the first to n-th extractions at a portion where the number of main line groups 62G (72G) is one. The wiring 6 (7) is formed so as to be electrically insulated.

The discharge stabilization pattern formed in this step is the form described in the above-described embodiment, the first modification, and the second modification with respect to the number, arrangement position, L / S dimension, length, and the like. Can be formed according to.

Note that the above-described Y detection terminal 8 (X detection terminal 9) is also printed and formed by screen printing in this process.

Through the above steps, a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is obtained. According to the above manufacturing method, the ejection stabilization pattern can be printed and formed together in the process of printing the extraction wiring. In other words, the ejection stabilization pattern and the extraction wiring can be simultaneously formed by one printing process using one type of screen plate. For this reason, a touch panel can be manufactured without complicating the manufacturing process.

Based on the above description, those skilled in the art may be able to conceive additional effects and various modifications of the present invention, but the aspects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications. Absent. Various additions, modifications, and partial deletions can be made without departing from the concept and spirit of the present invention derived from the contents defined in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Touch panel 2 Transparent substrate 2A Sensing area | region 2B Wiring area |

regions

3, 4 Transparent

conductive patterns

6, 7 Extraction wiring 8 Y detection terminal 9

X detection terminal

10, 11

Discharge stabilization pattern

31, 41

Electrode part

32, 42

Connection part

61 , 71

External terminal portions

62, 72

Main line portions

62G, 72G

Main line groups

63, 73

Connection portions

63a, 73a Connection pads 102 Transparent substrate 103 Extraction wiring

Claims

A transparent substrate having a sensing region and a wiring region located around the sensing region;
First to n-th transparent conductive patterns (n: an integer of 2 or more) provided in parallel to each other in the sensing region;
First to nth extraction wirings provided in the wiring region and formed by curing a screen-printed conductive paste;
A touch panel comprising:
The i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N) lead-out wiring is provided for taking out the signal of the i-th transparent conductive pattern, and the first to n-th transparent conductive patterns are provided. Electrically connected to a main line portion extending along a direction orthogonal to the extending direction, a connection portion for electrically connecting one end of the main line portion and the i-th transparent conductive pattern, and the other end of the main line portion. An external terminal portion,
A discharge stabilization pattern that is provided in the wiring region and that makes the discharge property of the conductive paste from the mesh openings of the screen plate uniform when printing the first to nth extraction wirings by screen printing. Prepare
A touch panel characterized by that.
The main line portions of the first to n-th extraction wirings constitute a main line group including n main line portions at the other end of the main line portion, and the number of the main line groups is equal to that of the main line group. Decrease by 1 for each side of the 1st to nth transparent conductive patterns,
The ejection stabilization pattern is provided so as to be electrically insulated from the first to nth extraction wirings in parallel with the main line portion at a portion where the number of main line groups is one. The touch panel according to claim 1.
The number of the main line groups and the discharge stability between the connection portion of the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N−1) extraction wiring and the connection portion of the i + 1-th extraction wiring. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the ejection stabilization pattern is provided so that the sum of the number of the control patterns is n.
A plurality of the discharge stabilization patterns are provided in parallel to each other,
The line width L1 of the ejection stabilization pattern and the space width S1 between the ejection stabilization patterns are the line width L2 of the main line portion of the first to nth extraction wirings and the first to nth extraction, respectively. The touch panel according to claim 3, wherein the touch panel is equal to a space width S 2 between the main line portions of the wiring.
3. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the ejection stabilization pattern is provided on the opposite side to the first to n-th transparent conductive patterns with respect to the main line portion.
A plurality of the discharge stabilization patterns are provided in parallel to each other,
The line width L1 of the ejection stabilization pattern and the space width S1 between the ejection stabilization patterns are the line width L2 of the main line portion of the first to nth extraction wirings and the first to nth extraction, respectively. The touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the touch panel is equal to a space width S 2 between the main line portions of the wiring.
The discharge stabilization pattern includes the main line group between the connection portion of the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N−1) extraction wiring and the connection portion of the i + 1-th extraction wiring. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein at least two are provided at one or two parts, and at least one is provided at three or more parts.
A plurality of the discharge stabilization patterns are provided in parallel to each other,
The line width L1 of the ejection stabilization pattern and the space width S1 between the ejection stabilization patterns are the line width L2 of the main line portion of the first to nth extraction wirings and the first to nth extraction, respectively. The touch panel according to claim 7, wherein the touch panel is equal to a space width S 2 between the main line portions of the wiring.
A plurality of the discharge stabilization patterns are provided in parallel to each other,
The line width L1 of the ejection stabilization pattern and the space width S1 between the ejection stabilization patterns are the line width L2 of the main line portion of the first to nth extraction wirings and the first to nth extraction, respectively. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the touch panel is equal to a space width S 2 between the main line portions of the wiring.
The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the length L of the ejection stabilization pattern satisfies Formula (1).
(1/2) D ≦ L ≦ D-2d (1)
Here, L is the length of the ejection stabilization pattern, D is the distance between the connecting portions, d is the smaller one of the line width of the connecting portion and the line width of the main line portion.
The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein a midpoint in the length direction of the ejection stabilization pattern is coincident with a midpoint between the adjacent connection portions.
The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the shape of the end of the discharge stabilization pattern is an arc shape or an acute angle shape.
Preparing a transparent substrate having a sensing area and a wiring area;
Forming first to n-th transparent conductive patterns in the sensing region so as to be parallel to each other;
The first to nth extraction wirings are formed by printing and curing a conductive paste on the wiring area by screen printing, and the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N) extraction wirings are A main line portion provided for taking out a signal of the i-th transparent conductive pattern, extending along a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the first to n-th transparent conductive patterns extend; one end of the main line portion; a step of electrically connecting the transparent conductive pattern of i, and an external terminal portion electrically connected to the other end of the main line portion;
With
In the step of forming the first to n-th extraction wirings, a discharge stabilization pattern is formed in the wiring region to uniform discharge property of the conductive paste from the mesh opening of the screen plate.
A manufacturing method of a touch panel characterized by the above.
The main line portion of the first to n-th extraction wirings constitutes a main line group including n main line portions at the other end of the main line portion, and the number of the main line groups is the same as that of the main line group. Forming the first to n-th extraction wirings so as to decrease by one each time the first to n-th transparent conductive patterns cross each side;
Forming the ejection stabilization pattern so that the main line group is electrically insulated from the first to nth extraction wirings in parallel with the main line portion at a portion where the number of the main line groups is one; The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 13.
The number of the main line groups and the discharge stability between the connection portion of the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N−1) extraction wiring and the connection portion of the i + 1-th extraction wiring. The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 14, wherein the ejection stabilization pattern is formed so that the sum of the number of the control patterns is n.
The line width L1 of the ejection stabilization pattern and the space width S1 between the ejection stabilization patterns are the line width L2 of the main line portion of the first to nth extraction wirings and the first to nth extraction wirings, respectively. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of the ejection stabilization patterns are formed in parallel to each other so as to be equal to a space width S 2 between the main line portions.
15. The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 14, wherein the discharge stabilization pattern is formed on the opposite side of the main line portion from the first to n-th transparent conductive patterns.
The line width L1 of the ejection stabilization pattern and the space width S1 between the ejection stabilization patterns are the line width L2 of the main line portion of the first to nth extraction wirings and the first to nth extraction wirings, respectively. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of the ejection stabilization patterns are formed in parallel to each other so as to be equal to a space width S 2 between the main line portions.
The number of the main line groups between the connection part of the i-th (i = 1, 2,..., N−1) extraction wiring and the connection part of the i + 1-th extraction wiring is one or The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein at least two discharge stabilization patterns are formed in two portions, and at least one discharge stabilization pattern is formed in three or more portions. Method.
The line width L1 of the ejection stabilization pattern and the space width S1 between the ejection stabilization patterns are the line width L2 of the main line portion of the first to nth extraction wirings and the first to nth extraction wirings, respectively. 20. The touch panel manufacturing method according to claim 19, wherein a plurality of the ejection stabilization patterns are formed in parallel to each other so as to be equal to a space width S2 between the main line portions.