Abstract:
A touch screen panel includes a substrate, a plurality of first electrodes formed on the substrate and extending along a first axis direction, a plurality of second electrodes formed on the substrate and extending along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis; and a plurality of conducting connectors. Each conducting connector electrically couples with two neighboring second electrodes among the plurality of second electrodes in a same row without contacting the first electrodes.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from TW Patent Application No. 102125305, filed on Jul. 15, 2013, in the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to a touch screen panel and a method for manufacturing the touch screen panel. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Touch screen panels are input devices that allow manual instruction to be input by touching the screen. A typical touch screen panel includes a substrate, a plurality of second electrodes and a plurality of first electrodes arranged among the plurality of second electrodes. The plurality of second electrodes and the plurality of first electrodes are made of a transparent electrode material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) film. The first electrodes are electrically coupled to each other in a first axis direction. The second electrodes are dispersed between the first electrodes, and do not overlap with the first electrodes and can be formed to have separated patterns along a second axis direction that intersects the first direction. A conducting connector made of metal, such as silver or copper, is electrically coupled to each of two neighboring second electrodes in a same row. However, a reflectivity for a wavelength of a visible region of a metal is relatively high, which causes a poor readability in sunlight. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0004]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a plan view of one embodiment of touch screen panel having a substrate, a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, a plurality of insulating layers, and a plurality of conducting connectors. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  shows a partially enlarged view of area II of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  shows a section cross view along a line III-III of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  shows a process for manufacturing the touch screen panel of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  shows a flowchart for manufacturing the touch screen panel of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
         [0011]    The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. 
         [0012]      FIGS. 1 and 4  illustrate a touch screen panel  100  of one embodiment including a substrate  10 , a plurality of first electrodes  32 , and a plurality of second electrodes  34  arranged between the plurality of first electrodes  32 . The first electrodes  32  and the second electrodes  34  can be formed in mesh structures on the substrate  10 . The first electrodes  32  can be electrically coupled each other in a first direction X. The second electrodes  34  can be arranged between the first electrodes  32  to have separated patterns along a second direction Y that intersects the first direction X, thereby the second electrodes  34  do not overlap the first electrodes  32  and can be insulated from each other. The substrate can be made of a transparent insulation material, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), or polycarbonate (PC), for example. 
         [0013]    The first electrodes  32  and the second electrodes  34  can be formed of a electrode material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) film, indium-zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), carbon nanotubes (CNT), a conductive polymer, or graphene. The substrate  10  can be made of a transparent insulation material, such as PET, PI, or PC for example. The plurality of second electrodes  34  and the plurality of first electrodes  32  can be formed wherein a transparent electrode material layer  30  is etched on the substrate  10 . 
         [0014]      FIGS. 2-3  show a plurality of insulating layers  50  patterned on the plurality of first electrodes  32  and the plurality of second electrodes  34 . Each insulating layer  50  can overlap two neighboring second electrodes  34  of the same row along the second direction Y to provide an insulation property. Each insulating layer  50  can overlap a portion of each of two first electrodes  32 , which can be positioned adjacent to the two neighboring second electrodes  34 . Each insulating layer  50  can be substantially rectangular in shape. A thickness of each insulating layer  50  can be about 1 μm to 3 μm. Each insulating layer  50  can cover a portion of each of the two neighboring second electrodes  34 . In other embodiments, the insulating layer  50  can be in other shapes, such as triangular, hexagonal, or circular. 
         [0015]    A plurality of conducting connectors  70  can be formed on the plurality of insulating layers  50 . Each conducting connector  70  can be formed on one insulating layer  50 , and two ends of the conducting connector  70  protrude from the insulating layer  50  to electrically couple with the two neighboring second electrodes  34  in the same row. Thereby, the second electrodes  34  arranged in the same row along the second direction Y can be electrically coupled to each other. The conducting connectors  70  are made of a metal material doped with nonmetal conductive particles to form a rough side surface for improving a scattering property of the conducting connector  70 . In the illustrated embodiment, the metal material can be silver or copper, and the nonmetal conductive particles can be carbon nanoparticles or ZnO nanoparticles. In the illustrated embodiment, the conducting connectors  70  and the insulating layers  50  can be formed via an ink jet printing method. The insulating layers  50  are made of thermosetting, UV-type and transparent organic materials, such as PI. 
         [0016]      FIGS. 4-5  illustrate the process and method for manufacturing the touch screen panel. 
         [0017]    In block  201 , the transparent electrode material layer is formed on the substrate. In the illustrated embodiment, the transparent electrode material layer is made of a material such as ITO, IZO, ZnO, CNT, a conductive polymer, or grapheme, which is transparent and has electric conductivity on the substrate. The substrate can be made of transparent insulation material such as PET, PI, or PC, for example. The transparent electrode material layer can be coated on the substrate by a sputtering coating method. 
         [0018]    In block  202 , the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are formed via etching the transparent electrode material layer. The first electrodes and the second electrodes can be formed in mesh structures on the substrate. The first electrodes can be electrically coupled to each other along the first direction X. The second electrodes can be dispersed between the first electrodes not overlapping the first electrodes and can be formed to have separated patterns along the second direction Y. Thereby, the second electrodes can be insulated from each other. In present embodiment, the transparent electrode material layer can be etched via a chemical etching method. The first electrodes in the same row along the first direction X can be electrically connected with each other, and the first electrodes in the same row along the second direction Y can be insulated from each other. 
         [0019]    In block  203 , the plurality of insulating layers are patterned on the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes via ink jet printing. Each insulating layer can be located on at least two neighboring second electrodes along the second direction Y. The insulating layer can be substantially rectangular in shape. In other embodiments, the insulating layer can be in other shapes, such as triangular, a hexagonal, or circular. 
         [0020]    In block  204 , one conducting connector, made of a metal material doped with nonmetal conductive particles, is formed on each insulating layer via the ink jet printing method, and electrically coupled with the two neighboring second electrodes. In the illustrated embodiment, the metal material can be silver or copper, and the nonmetal conductive particles can be conductive carbon nanoparticles or ZnO nanoparticles. 
         [0021]    As described above, the conducting connector made of a metal material doped with nonmetal conductive particles. Thereby, a surface roughness of the conducting connector is improved for improving scattering property of the conducting connector. 
         [0022]    In other embodiments, the plurality of insulating layers can be omitted, the conducting connectors can be prepared via a chemical doping method, and each conducting connector can be electrically coupled with the corresponding two neighboring second electrodes via a wire bonding method without contacting the first electrodes. Thus, the step  203  can be omitted when the conducting connector is wire bonded with the corresponding two neighboring second electrodes. 
         [0023]    While the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is illustrative of the disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure, as defined by the appended claims.