Manufacture method of touch panel

The present invention provides a manufacture method of a touch panel, comprising: step 1, forming a black matrix (2) on one side (11) of a color filter substrate (1); the black matrix (2) is positioned corresponding to a sensor pattern to be set to form gaps at portions of the black matrix (2) corresponding to the sensor pattern to be set; step 2, deposing a conductive film (3) on the other side (13) of the color filter substrate (1); step 3, coating photoresistor (4) on the conductive film (3); step 4, employing the black matrix (2) as a mask to implement exposure process and development process to the photoresistor (4) from the one side (11) of the color filter substrate (1) formed with the black matrix (2); step 5, implementing etching to the conductive film (3) by utilizing the photoresistor (4′) remained after the development to obtain the sensor pattern (3′) to be set; step 6, forming a protective layer (5) on the color filter substrate (1) and the sensor pattern (3′). The method saves manufacture times and the cost is low.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a display technology field, and more particularly to a manufacture method of a touch panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A Touch Panel (TP), also named touch control screen or touch control panel as being an input device of human machine interface has been widely utilized in kinds of electronic apparatuses, such as cell phones, PDAs, multimedia, public information query systems and et cetera. A user can touch the screen with fingers or a stylus to generate variations of electrical signals. The recognizing or selecting operations can be proceeded to the words, symbols, menus and et cetera shown in the display behind the touch panel to realize the input operation to the devices.

At present, a capacitive touch panel is the most widely utilized touch panel. The working principle is that the user and the surface of the touch panel form a coupling capacitor due to the body electric field when the fingers touch the panel. For a high frequency current, the capacitor is a direct conductor. Therefore, the finger extracts a tiny small current from the contact point. The detection circuit detects the variations of this tiny small current for confirmation of the finger's position.

In prior arts, the capacitive touch panel is generally manufactured by forming a conductive film on a tempered glass. Then, a mask, i.e. a photomask is employed to implement processes of exposure, etching and et cetera to the conductive film. However, the manufacture cost of the mask is relatively higher. The tempered glass has to be shaped as a small piece to be assembled in a carrier. The alignment between the mask and the carrier is performed by focusing or snapping the alignment mark on the entire carrier for implementing the exposure. Because the size of the glass substrate is smaller than the carrier and the exposure error can be larger. The mass production can be difficult. Besides, it is demanded to implement processes of coating, soft baking, hard baking, exposure, development, etching, photoresistor stripping and et cetera to the photoresistor. Lots of process times can be indispensable. Therefore, the efficiency of the production is lower and the manufacture cost can be higher.

In a Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD), the touch system of the capacitive touch panel can be designed to have the embedded structure. Accordingly, the touch panel and the display can be integrated together. In some degree, the thickness of the whole liquid crystal display can be reduced and the manufacture process can be simplified. For a Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display, the display panel generally comprises a TFT array substrate, a Color Filter (CF) laminated with the TFT array substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched inbetween. Because more circuit is arranged on the TFT substrate, commonly, the embedded capacitive touch panel is arranged on the color filter substrate side.

In the manufacture procedure of the color filter substrate, Formation of a Black Matrix (BM) is essential to prevent the light leakage from the gaps among the sub pixels of three primary colors, red, green and blue. Please refer toFIG. 1, a traditional black matrix100comprises a plurality of rows101and columns103which are orthogonally connected to form a unity array structure. The traditional black matrix100merely has shielding function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a manufacture method of a touch panel to simplify the process, reduce the amount of masks, save the manufacture times, raise the production efficiency and decrease the manufacture cost. Meanwhile, the alignment accuracy is promoted to effectively prevent the problems of Moiré happening.

For realizing the aforesaid objective, the present invention provides a manufacture method of a touch panel, comprising steps of:

step 1, forming a black matrix on one side of a color filter substrate;

the black matrix is positioned corresponding to a sensor pattern to be set to form gaps at portions of the black matrix corresponding to the sensor pattern to be set;

step 2, deposing a conductive film on the other side of the color filter substrate;

step 3, coating photoresistor on the conductive film;

step 4, employing the black matrix formed in the step 1 as a mask to implement exposure process to the photoresistor formed in the step 3 from the one side of the color filter substrate formed with the black matrix and then implementing development process;

step 5, implementing etching to the conductive film by utilizing the photoresistor remained after the development in the step 4 to obtain the sensor pattern to be set;

step 6, implementing film formation on the color filter substrate and the sensor pattern to form a protective layer for accomplishing the manufacture of a touch panel sensor.

The black matrix comprises rows and columns, and the rows and the columns are orthogonally connected.

The gaps are set at positions where the rows and the columns are connected.

In the step 2, the conductive film is an Indium Titanium Oxide thin film or a metal thin film.

In the step 2, the conductive film is formed by magnetron sputtering or chemical vaporous deposition.

In the step 4, an ultraviolet light of wavelength 200 nm-450 nm is employed to implement the exposure process to the photoresistor.

In the step 4, the exposure lasts with 20-180 seconds.

In the step 6, the protective layer is a silicon nitride thin film or a silicon dioxide thin film.

The benefits of the present invention are: by forming the black matrix on the one side of the color filter substrate, and employing the black matrix as the mask to implement exposure process to the photoresistor and to etch the conductive film for forming the sensor pattern, the manufacture method of the touch panel provided by the present invention is a method of manufacturing a touch panel without using a special mask. The method can simplify the process, reduce the amount of masks, save the manufacture times, raise the production efficiency and decrease the manufacture cost. Meanwhile, the black matrix as the mask can achieve the self-alignment, and then the alignment accuracy is promoted to effectively prevent the problems of Moiré happening.

In order to better understand the characteristics and technical aspect of the invention, please refer to the following detailed description of the present invention is concerned with the diagrams, however, provide reference to the accompanying drawings and description only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with the technical matters, structural features, achieved objects, and effects with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows.

Please refer toFIG. 2. The present invention provides a manufacture method of a touch panel. The method comprises steps of:

step 1, please refer toFIG. 3,FIG. 4, forming a black matrix2on one side11of a color filter substrate1.

As shown inFIG. 4, the black matrix2comprises rows21and columns23, and the rows21and the columns23are orthogonally connected. Specifically, the black matrix2is positioned corresponding to a sensor pattern to be set: for corresponding to the continuous portions of the sensor pattern to be set, the rows21and the columns23of the black matrix2also are formed with mutually and continuously connections; for corresponding to the disconnected positions of the sensor pattern to be set, the gaps are located at connected positions of the rows21and the columns23of the black matrix2.

Specifically, the black matrix2is formed by resin polymer added with photo sensing material which is processed by a photolithographic process to create the shape corresponding to the sensor pattern to be set.

The black matrix2formed in the step 1 not only functions for light shielding but also play as a mask for implementing exposure to a photoresistor in the following step 4.

step 2, please refer toFIG. 5, deposing a conductive film3on the other side13of the color filter substrate1.

The conductive film3is a base of the sensor pattern to be set. The desired sensor pattern to be set can be acquired by implementing etching to the conductive film3according to predetermined pattern.

Specifically, the conductive film3is an Indium Titanium Oxide (ITO) thin film or a metal thin film and can be formed by magnetron sputtering or chemical vaporous deposition.

Step 4, please refer toFIG. 7, employing the black matrix2formed in the step 1 as a mask to implement exposure process to the photoresistor4formed in the step 3 from the one side11of the color filter substrate1formed with the black matrix2and then implementing development process.

The difference of the step 4 from prior arts is, a special mask is located on the photoresistor in prior art, but the black matrix2corresponding to the sensor pattern to be set is employed as a mask. The backside exposure process is implemented to the photoresistor4from the one side of the color filter substrate1formed with black matrix2. On one hand, the special made mask is omitted and the process is simplified to save the process time, to raise the product efficiency and to decrease the manufacture cost. On the other hand, the black matrix2is employed as the mask for achieving the self-alignment. The alignment accuracy is promoted to effectively prevent the problems of Moiré happening.

Specifically, an ultraviolet light of wavelength 200 nm-450 nm is employed to implement the exposure process to the photoresistor4. The exposure time depends on the type and the thickness of the photoresistor4which is controlled in a range of 20-180 seconds.

After the exposure and the development of the step 4 is accomplished, partial photoresistor4corresponding to the sensor pattern is preserved to form the remained photoresistor4′.

step 5, please refer toFIG. 8, implementing etching to the conductive film3by utilizing the photoresistor4′ remained after the development in the step 4 to obtain the sensor pattern3′ to be set.

After the etching is accomplished, a stripping process is required to remove the remained photoresistor4′.

step 6, please refer toFIG. 9, implementing film formation on the color filter substrate1and the sensor pattern3′ to form a protective layer5for accomplishing the manufacture of a touch panel sensor.

Specifically, the protective layer5can be a silicon nitride thin film or a silicon dioxide thin film.

In conclusion, by forming the black matrix on the one side of the color filter substrate, and employing the black matrix as the mask to implement exposure process to the photoresistor and to etch the conductive film for forming the sensor pattern, the manufacture method of the touch panel provided by the present invention is a method of manufacturing a touch panel without using a special mask. The method can simplify the process, reduce the amount of masks, save the manufacture times, raise the production efficiency and decrease the manufacture cost. Meanwhile, the black matrix as the mask can achieve the self-alignment, and then the alignment accuracy is promoted to effectively prevent the problems of Moiré happening.