Single side touch panel structure and manufacturing method thereof

A single side touch panel structure is provided, which includes a substrate, and a mask layer, a first transparent conducting layer, an insulating layer, and a second transparent conducting layer, wherein the mask layer, the first transparent conducting layer, the insulating layer, and the second transparent conducting layer are from bottom to top sequentially formed on the substrate. The first transparent conducting layer has a plurality of the first patterns, and the second transparent conducting layer has a plurality of the second patterns. The first patterns are arranged in series along a first direction. The second patterns are arranged in series along a second direction that intersects the first direction at an angle. The first and second patterns cross each other, and are separated from each other by the insulating layer. Therefore, a plurality of capacitors are formed at the intersections between the first and second patterns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a touch panel and manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a single side touch panel structure without a linking bridge structure.

2. The Prior Arts

A conventional capacitive touch panel usually includes an insulating layer formed on a transparent conducting layer defining signal lines in X and Y directions, and a metal layer formed on the insulating layer, and the metal layer can serve as a linking bridge structure to serially connect the signal lines at the crossing intersections along the X and Y directions, as disclosed in Taiwan Patent No. M378433.

However, the disadvantage of the prior art structure is that a lot of photomasks are required to form the linking bridge structure on the insulating layers, which increases the manufacturing cost. Moreover, when the insulating layer is poorly formed, a connection failure occurs at the intersections, which causes the failure of the touch function of the touch panel. In addition, the linking bridge structure is easily subjected to cracks, which greatly reduces the good yield.

Therefore, there is a need for a single side touch panel structure without a linking bridge structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a single side touch panel structure and manufacturing method thereof. The single side touch panel structure of the present invention comprises a substrate, a mask layer, a first transparent conducting layer, an insulating layer, and a second transparent conducting layer, wherein the mask layer, the first transparent conducting layer, the insulating layer, and the second transparent conducting layer are from bottom to top sequentially formed on the substrate. The first transparent conducting layer has a plurality of first patterns, and the second transparent conducting layer has a plurality of second patterns. The mask layer is used to shield the incoming light, and has a mask pattern so that a portion of the first transparent conducting layer can contact with the substrate.

The first patterns are arranged in series along a first direction. The second patterns are arranged in series along a second direction that intersects the first direction at an angle. The first and second patterns cross each other, and are separated from each other by the insulating layer. Therefore, a plurality of capacitors are formed at the intersections between the first and second patterns, and the capacitance can be changed when a finger touch was made.

The angle defined between the first and second directions can be less than 90 degrees, equal to 90 degrees, or greater than 90 degrees.

Each of the first patterns comprises a plurality of the first body portions and first connecting portions, and two neighboring first body portions are connected with each other via one first connecting portion. In other words, the first body portions and the first connecting portions are alternatively connected to each other. Each of the second patterns comprises a plurality of second body portions and second connecting portions, two neighboring second body portions are connected with each other via one of the second connecting portions. In other words, the second body portions and the second connecting portions are alternatively connected to each other. The second connecting portions are respectively located above the corresponding first connecting portions, and are separated from the first connecting portions by an insulating layer. The first and second body portions can include square shapes, rectangular shapes, lozenge shapes, circular shapes, elliptical shapes or polygonal shapes, and the first and second connecting portions each can have a strip shape.

Accordingly, the single side touch panel structure does not need any bridging structure, and can use the different transparent conducting layers to form the capacitors of the touch panel. As a result, the structure can be simplified, and the reliability of the single side touch panel structure can be improved.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a single side touch panel structure, comprising: forming a mask layer with a mask pattern on a substrate to partially expose the upper surface of the substrate; forming a first transparent conducting layer on the mask layer and the exposed upper surface of the substrate, wherein the first transparent conducting layer has a plurality of first patterns that are arranged in series along a first direction; forming an insulating layer on the first transparent conducting layer; and forming a second transparent conducting layer on the insulating layer, wherein the second transparent conducting layer has a plurality of second patterns that are arranged in series along a second direction that intersects the first direction at an angle. The first and second patterns cross each other, and are separated by an insulating layer, and thereby a plurality of capacitors are respectively formed at the plurality of intersections between the first and second patterns.

Accordingly, the methods described herein can reduce the number of photomasks, and the insulating layer can cover the entire substrate to prevent the occurrence of short-circuits due to the poor etch or poor exposure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1is a schematic view of a single side touch panel structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 1, the single side touch panel structure comprises a substrate10, a mask layer20, a first transparent conducting layer30, an insulating layer40, and a second transparent conducting layer50, wherein the mask layer20, the first transparent conducting layer30, the insulating layer40, and the second transparent conducting layer50are from bottom to top sequentially formed on the substrate10. The substrate10can be a glass substrate, and a display device (not shown) can be disposed under the substrate10, and the display device can be a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an electroluminescent display, or a light-emitting diode display for displaying the images.

The mask layer20is made of an opaque material. The mask layer20can be a black color layer used to shield the light emitted from the display device disposed under the substrate10. Moreover, the mask layer20is patterned to partially expose the substrate10. The first transparent conducting layer30is formed on the mask layer20and the exposed portion of the substrate10. The insulating layer40is formed on the first transparent conducting layer30. The second transparent conducting layer50is formed on the insulating layer40. The first and second transparent conducting layers30and50can be made of indium tin oxide (ITO), and the insulating layer40can be made of silicon dioxide (SiO2).

FIGS. 2 and 3are respectively the top side view and the partially enlarged view of the single side touch panel structure of the present invention. The first transparent conducting layer30has a plurality of first patterns that are arranged in series along a first direction X. The second transparent conducting layer50has a plurality of second patterns that are arranged in series along a second direction Y that intersects the first direction X at an angle which can be less than 90 degrees, equal to 90 degrees, or greater than 90 degrees. The angle between the directions X and Y is 90 degrees in this embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention should not be limited to such an angle. The first and second patterns cross each other, and are separated by an insulating layer40, as shown in region A ofFIG. 2.

Each first pattern comprises a plurality of first body portions32and a plurality of first connecting portions34, and two neighboring first body portions32are connected with each other via one first connecting portion34. In other words, the first body portions32and the first connecting portions34are connected with one another in an alternating manner. Each second pattern comprises a plurality of second body portions52and a plurality of second connecting portions54, and two neighboring second body portions52are connected with each other via one second connecting portion54. In other words, the second body portions52and the second connecting portions54are connected with one another in an alternating manner. The second connecting portions54are respectively disposed above the first connecting portions34. Moreover, the first and second connecting portions34and54are located at the intersections between the first and second patterns, and are vertically separated from each other by the insulating layer40(as shown inFIG. 1). Therefore, the first connecting portions34, the insulating layer40, and the second connecting portions54form the capacitors whose capacitance values are modified when the second connecting portions54are pressed. The capacitive touch panel can be thereby provided.

The first and second body portions32and52can have square shapes, rectangular shapes, lozenge shapes, circular shapes, elliptical shapes, or polygonal shapes. Moreover, the first and second connecting portions34and54each can have a strip shape.

FIG. 4is a schematic view of another embodiment of a single side touch panel structure of the present invention. The single side touch panel structure of the present invention ofFIG. 4is similar to that ofFIG. 1. The difference is that the single side touch panel structure ofFIG. 4includes an additional buffer layer60that is formed below the first transparent conducting layer30and above the mask layer20and the exposed portion of the substrate10. The buffer layer60is made of an anti-reflective material. The buffer layer60can be used as an anti-reflection layer to reduce the reflection of the light emitted from underlying display device, and thereby the light transmittance is increased. Moreover, the buffer layer60can also be made of the same material as the insulating layer40to form as another insulating layer.

The structures as shown inFIGS. 1 and 4can further comprise an external connection wiring layer (not shown) formed on the second transparent conducting layer50and used to connect to an external device (not shown). This external connection wiring layer can be made of a conducting material, such as silver.

The single side touch panel structure of the present invention does not require any bridging structure. In the single side touch panel structure of the present invention, the first body portions of the first patterns of the first transparent conducting layer are connected with one another via the first connecting portions. Likewise, the second body portions of the second patterns of the second transparent conducting layer are connected with one another via the second connecting portions. Furthermore, the first and second patterns cross each other, and are separated by an insulating layer.

FIG. 5is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the single side touch panel structure of the present invention. In step S10, a mask layer is formed on the substrate, and the mask layer has a mask pattern so that the substrate is partially exposed. The mask pattern can be formed by etching.

In step S12, the first transparent conducting layer is formed on the mask layer and the exposed portion of the substrate. The first transparent conducting layer has a plurality of first patterns that are arranged in series along a first direction. The first patterns include a plurality of the first body portions and a plurality of the first connecting portions, and the two neighboring first body portions are connected with each other via one first connecting portion. In other words, the first body portions and the first connecting portions are connected with one another in an alternating manner.

In step S14, an insulating layer is formed on the first transparent conducting layer. In step S16, a second transparent conducting layer is formed on the insulating layer. The second transparent conducting layer has a plurality of second patterns that are arranged in series along a second direction. The second patterns include a plurality of the second body portions and a plurality of the second connecting portions, and the two neighboring second body portions are connected with each other via one second connecting portion. In other words, the second body portions and the second connecting portions are connected with one another in an alternating manner.

FIG. 6is a flowchart of another method for manufacturing a single side touch panel structure. The flowchart ofFIG. 6includes an additional step S11between steps S10and S12to form a buffer layer. The buffer layer is formed on the mask layer and the exposed portion of the substrate. In step S12, the first transparent conducting layer is formed on the buffer layer. The remaining steps are similar to the embodiment as shown inFIG. 5.

FIGS. 5 and 6can further comprise forming an external connection wiring layer on the second transparent conducting layer, and the external connection wiring layer is used to connect to an external device. This external connection wiring layer can be made of a conducting material, such as silver.

By using the method of the present invention, the number of photomasks applied can be reduced, and the formed patterns can be simplified. Because no bridging structure is required, and the formed insulating layer is formed over the entire surface of the substrate so that the occurrence of short-circuits due to the poor etch or poor exposure can be prevented. The good yield of the product and the operation reliability are thus improved.

The foregoing description is intended to only provide illustrative ways of implementing the present invention, and should not be construed as limitations to the scope of the present invention. While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may thus be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.