PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11460964-B2
Application Number: US-202016785277-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Opaque thin film passivation

Abstract:
A touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer is disclosed. The opaque passivation layer can be made from an organic or inorganic material, such as acrylic. The opaque passivation layer can be positioned in the touch sensitive device between the cover material of the device and conductive traces located on the touch sensor to hide the conductive traces from the user&#39;s view and protect the conductive traces from corrosion. Processes for making the touch sensitive devices that include a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer are also disclosed.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A touch sensitive device comprising:
 cover material; 
 a touch sensor panel, the touch sensor panel including
 a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; 
 first touch sensor lines disposed in a viewable area on the first surface of the substrate, 
 first metal traces disposed in a first border area at least partially surrounding the viewable area on the first surface of the substrate and coupled to the first touch sensor lines, and 
 
 a first opaque passivation layer deposited over and in direct contact with the first metal traces in the first border area and formed in a nonoverlapping arrangement with respect to the first touch sensor lines on the first surface of the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the first opaque passivation layer is disposed between the first metal traces and the cover material; and 
 an optically clear adhesive disposed between the cover material and the touch sensor panel. 
 
     
     
       2. The touch sensitive device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 second touch sensor lines disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface opposite the first surface. 
 
     
     
       3. The touch sensitive device of  claim 2 , wherein the second touch sensor lines are configured to be driven by a stimulation signal, and the first touch sensor lines are capacitively coupled to the second touch sensor lines. 
     
     
       4. The touch sensitive device of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 second metal traces disposed on the second surface of the substrate and coupled to the second touch sensor lines. 
 
     
     
       5. The touch sensitive device of  claim 4 , wherein the second metal traces are disposed in a second border area at least partially surrounding the viewable area on the second surface of the substrate, the second border area non-parallel to the first border area. 
     
     
       6. The touch sensitive device of  claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor panel is configured to extend to an edge of the cover material to enable the first opaque passivation layer to hide components located below the touch sensor panel. 
     
     
       7. A method for protecting electrical connections in a touch sensitive device comprising:
 routing first touch sensor lines in a viewable area on a first surface of a substrate, the substrate having a second surface opposite the first surface, 
 routing first metal traces in a first border area at least partially surrounding the viewable area on the first surface of the substrate to form electrical connections with the first touch sensor lines; and 
 protecting and hiding the first metal traces with a first opaque passivation layer formed over and in direct contact with the first metal traces in the first border area and formed in a nonoverlapping arrangement with respect to the first touch sensor lines on the first surface of the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the first opaque passivation layer is disposed between the first metal traces and a cover material of the touch sensitive device. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 routing second touch sensor lines on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface opposite the first surface. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising configuring the second touch sensor lines to be driven by a stimulation signal and to be capacitively coupled to the first touch sensor lines. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 routing second metal traces on the second surface of the substrate to form electrical connections with the second touch sensor lines. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising routing the second metal traces in a second border area at least partially surrounding the viewable area on the second surface of the substrate, the second border area non-parallel to the first border area. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising extending the touch sensor panel to an edge of the cover material to enable the first opaque passivation layer to hide components located below the touch sensor panel. 
     
     
       13. The touch sensitive device of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 second metal traces disposed on the second surface of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       14. The touch sensitive device of  claim 13 , wherein the second metal traces are coupled to the second touch sensor lines and disposed in a second border area at least partially surrounding the viewable area on the second surface of the substrate, the second border area non-parallel to the first border area. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 routing second metal traces on the second surface of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising routing the second metal traces in a second border area at least partially surrounding the viewable area on the second surface of the substrate, the second border area non-parallel to the first border area, to form electrical connections with the second touch sensor lines.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/990,674, filed on Jan. 7, 2016, and published on Apr. 28, 2016 as U.S. Publication No. 2016/0117009, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/278,048, filed on Oct. 20, 2011, and issued on Feb. 16, 2016 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,259,904, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to touch sensitive devices and, more specifically, to passivation layers for touch sensitive displays. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Touch sensitive devices have become popular as input devices to computing systems due to their ease and versatility of operation as well as their declining price. A touch sensitive device can include a touch sensor panel and a display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emission display (OLED), positioned partially or fully behind the panel or integrated with the panel so that the touch sensitive surface can cover at least a portion of the viewable area of the display device. The touch sensitive device can allow a user to perform various functions by touching the touch sensor panel using a finger, stylus or other object at a location often dictated by a user interface (UI) being displayed by the display device. In general, the touch sensitive device can recognize a touch event and the position of the touch event on the touch sensor panel, and the computing system can then interpret the touch event in accordance with the display appearing at the time of the touch event, and thereafter can perform one or more actions based on the touch event. 
     To detect touch events, the touch sensor panel can include transparent traces arranged in rows and columns over the viewable area of the display device. At the ends of each row and column, metal can be used to couple the transparent traces with bus lines connected to a computing system used to interpret the touch events. Since the metal traces are not transparent, a black mask is typically placed on the cover glass of the device to hide the metal from the view of the user. Concealing the metal in this way restricts the size of the sensor and adds complexity to the manufacturing of the device. 
     SUMMARY 
     A touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer is provided. The opaque passivation layer can be made from an organic or inorganic material, such as an acrylic-based material. The opaque passivation layer can be positioned in the touch sensitive device between the cover material of the device and conductive traces located on the touch sensor. Positioning the opaque passivation layer in this way can advantageously hide the conductive traces from the user&#39;s view and protect the conductive traces from corrosion. 
     Processes for making touch sensitive devices that include a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer are also provided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a top view of an exemplary touch sensitive device according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary touch sensor panel that can be used with a touch sensitive device according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a top view of an exemplary touch sensitive device according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary process for making a touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an exemplary system for making a touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an exemplary personal device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an exemplary personal device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description of example embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which it is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments that can be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments can be used and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the various embodiments. 
     This relates to a touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer and processes for making the same. The opaque passivation layer can be made from an organic or inorganic material, such as an acrylic-based material. The opaque passivation layer can be positioned in the touch sensitive device between the cover material of the device and metal traces located on the touch sensor. Positioning the opaque passivation layer in this way can advantageously hide the metal traces from the user&#39;s view and protect the metal traces from corrosion. 
     In some embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can be used in combination with a black mask on the cover material to hide the metal traces from the user&#39;s view. In other embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can be used to cover the metal traces of the touch sensor by directly applying the opaque passivation layer to the metal traces. In yet other embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can be positioned between the metal traces and the cover material of the device. In these embodiments, the opaque passivation layer and the metal traces can be located on opposite sides of the touch sensor. In yet other embodiments, the metal traces can be deposited on the opaque passivation layer opposite the cover material. These will be described in more detail below. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a top-view of an exemplary touch sensitive device  100 , such as a mobile phone, tablet, touchpad, portable computer, portable media player, or the like. In some embodiments, touch sensitive device  100  can include display  101  that is capable of detecting touch events, such as taps, swipes, hover events, and the like. Display  101  can include a cover material (e.g., glass or plastic), a clear touch sensor panel having a touch sensitive surface positioned behind the cover material, and a display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emission display (©LED), that can be positioned partially or fully behind the touch sensor panel or integrated with the touch sensor panel so that the touch sensitive surface can cover at least a portion of the viewable area of display  101 . Display  101  can allow a user to perform various functions by touching or hovering over the touch sensor panel using a finger, stylus or other object. 
     Touch sensitive device  100  can further include black mask  105  deposited on the cover material (e.g., glass or plastic). Black mask  105  can be used to hide portions of the touch sensor panel from the user&#39;s view. For instance, as described in greater detail below, metal traces can be located along the edges of display  101  that would be visible to the user if not covered by black mask  105 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a portion of an exemplary touch sensor  200  that can be used to detect touch events on touch sensitive device  100 . Touch sensor  200  can include an array of pixels  205  that can be formed at the crossing points between rows of drive lines  201  (D 0 -D 3 ) and columns of sense lines  203  (S 0 -S 4 ). Each pixel  205  can have an associated mutual capacitance Csig  211  formed between the crossing drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  when the drive lines are stimulated. The drive lines  201  can be stimulated by stimulation signals  207  provided by drive circuitry (not shown) and can include an alternating current (AC) waveform. The sense lines  203  can transmit touch or sense signals  209  indicative of a touch at the panel  200  to sense circuitry (not shown), which can include a sense amplifier for each sense line. 
     To sense a touch at the touch sensor  200 , drive lines  201  can be stimulated by the stimulation signals  207  to capacitively couple with the crossing sense lines  203 , thereby forming a capacitive path for coupling charge from the drive lines  201  to the sense lines  203 . The crossing sense lines  203  can output touch signals  209 , representing the coupled charge or current. When a user&#39;s finger (or other object) touches the panel  200 , the finger can cause the capacitance Csig  211  to reduce by an amount ACsig at the touch location. This capacitance change ACsig can be caused by charge or current from the stimulated drive line  201  being shunted through the touching finger to ground rather than being coupled to the crossing sense line  203  at the touch location. The touch signals  209  representative of the capacitance change ACsig can be transmitted by the sense lines  203  to the sense circuitry for processing. The touch signals  209  can indicate the pixel where the touch occurred and the amount of touch that occurred at that pixel location. 
     While the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  includes four drive lines  201  and five sense lines  203 , it should be appreciated that touch sensor  200  can include any number of drive lines  201  and any number of sense lines  203  to form the desired number and pattern of pixels  205 . Additionally, while the drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  are shown in  FIG. 2  in a crossing configuration, it should be appreciated that other configurations are also possible to form the desired pixel pattern. While  FIG. 2  illustrates mutual capacitance touch sensing, other touch sensing technologies can also be used in conjunction with embodiments of the disclosure, such as self-capacitance touch sensing, resistive touch sensing, projection scan touch sensing, and the like. Furthermore, while various embodiments describe a sensed touch, it should be appreciated that the touch sensor  200  can also sense a hovering object and generate hover signals there from. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates another top-view of exemplary touch sensitive device  100  having a touch sensor panel similar or identical to touch sensor  200 . For purposes of explanation, drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  (represented by the solid lines) are shown in the viewable area of display  101 . However, it should be appreciated that drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  can be made from transparent, or at least substantially transparent, materials, such as indium tin oxide, silicon oxide, other transparent oxides, or the like. As such, drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  may not be visible to the user. 
     Touch sensitive device  100  can further include conductive metal traces  301  (represented by the dashed lines) for coupling drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  to the circuitry for driving drive lines  201  and the circuitry for interpreting touch signals  209  from sense lines  203 . Note that although metal traces  301  are symbolically illustrated in  FIG. 3  as being extensions of the drive lines  201 , it should be understood that the metal traces may run perpendicular to the drive lines in the border areas of the touch sensitive device  100 . Since metal traces  301  can be made of non-transparent materials, metal traces  301  can be visible to the user and can give device  100  an undesirable aesthetic appearance. Thus, as described in greater detail below with respect to  FIGS. 4-8 , in some embodiments, device  100  can include an opaque passivation layer (not shown), or thin film, and black mask  105  deposited on the cover glass (or other cover material, such as plastic) to hide metal traces  301  from the user&#39;s view. Alternatively, in other embodiments, device  100  can include an opaque passivation layer (not shown) to hide metal traces  301  from the user&#39;s view and may not include a black mask. It should also be understood that although the conductive traces in the border areas are primarily described herein as being metal, other types of conductive material may also be used to form the border traces. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary touch sensitive device  400 . Touch sensitive device  400  can be similar or identical to touch sensitive device  100 . Device  400  can include touch sensor  200  positioned below a cover material, such as cover glass  401  or other optically transparent material. In some embodiments, touch sensor  200  can include touch sensor lines  405  (e.g., drive lines  201  or sense lines  203 ) (represented by the thin dashed lines) positioned on the top and bottom of substrate  407  of touch sensor  200 . For example, drive lines  201  can be positioned on the bottom surface of substrate  407  while sense lines  203  can be positioned on the top surface of substrate  407  or vice versa. Additionally, touch sensor lines  405  on the top surface of substrate  407  can be perpendicular to touch sensor lines  405  on the bottom surface of substrate  407  in a manner similar to that shown in  FIG. 2 . Alternatively, touch sensor lines  405  can be arranged in other angles to form different patterns of pixels  205 . In other embodiments, drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  can both be positioned on the same side of substrate  407 . 
     Touch sensor  200  can further include metal traces  301  (represented by the bold dashed lines) coupled to the touch sensor lines  405 . Metal traces  301  can be used to couple drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  to circuitry for driving drive lines  201  and circuitry for interpreting touch signals  209  from sense lines  203 . Since metal traces  301  can be susceptible to corrosion, an opaque passivation layer  403  can be deposited on all or a portion of metal traces  301  to protect them from corrosive substances. In this way, opaque passivation layer  403  can protect metal traces  301  from corrosion as well as hide metal traces  301  from the user&#39;s view. Opaque passivation layer  403  can be made from an electrically insulating, opaque organic or inorganic material, such as an acrylic-based material. In some embodiments, opaque passivation layer  403  can have an opacity of at least OD (optical density)  3 . In other embodiments, opaque passivation layer  403  can include colored dyes to create a border around the display of device  400  having a desired color. 
     Device  400  can further include black mask  105  deposited on cover glass  401  (or other cover material). Black mask  105  can be used to further hide metal traces  301  from the user&#39;s view. The dimensions of black mask  105  and opaque passivation layer  403  can vary depending on the dimensions of touch sensitive device  400  and its components. One of ordinary skill in the art can determine the dimensions of black mask  105  and opaque passivation layer  403  required to hide metal traces  301  from the user&#39;s view for any touch sensitive device  400 . 
     Device  400  can further include an optically clear adhesive (not shown) disposed between the cover glass  401  (or other cover material) and touch sensor  200  for laminating cover glass  401  (or other cover material) and touch sensor  200  together. 
     Traditionally, without opaque passivation layer  403 , it would be required that the inner edge of black mask  105  extend past the inner edge of the metal traces  301  in order to block the user&#39;s view of metal traces  301  through cover glass  401  (or other cover material). In other words, the distance  411  between the edge of device  400  and the inner edge of metal traces  301  would have to be less than distance  409  between the edge of device  400  and the inner edge of black mask  105 . This required that the sensor (e.g., touch sensor  200 ) have a certain length and width determined based on the length and width of the cover glass  401  (or other cover material) and the width of black mask  105 . However, by using opaque passivation layer  403  to cover metal traces  301 , the size of touch sensor  200  is less restricted by the dimensions of device  400 . For example, smaller sensors can be used since the inner edges of black mask  105  are no longer required to extend past the inner edges of metal traces  301 . In other words, opaque passivation layer  403  allows distance  411  to be greater than distance  409 . 
     While metal traces  301  are shown on only the top surface of substrate  407 , it should be appreciated that metal traces  301  can also be included on the bottom surface of substrate  407 . For example, metal traces  301  can be located on the bottom of substrate  407  at the ends of touch sensor lines  405  that extend into and out of the page. These metal traces  301  can be hidden from the user&#39;s view using the techniques described below with respect to  FIG. 6 or 7 . Thus, in some embodiments, device  400  can be the same device as any of devices  600  or  700  and  FIG. 4  can illustrate the device cut along a line perpendicular to that of  FIG. 6 or 7 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary touch sensitive device  500 . Touch sensitive device  500  can be similar to touch sensitive devices  100  and  400  except that touch sensitive device  500  may omit black mask  105 . Instead, opaque passivation layer  403  can be positioned over metal traces  301  such that metal traces  301  cannot be viewed by a user through cover glass  401  (or other cover material) from any angle. Positioning opaque passivation layer  403  in this way obviates the need for black mask  105  to block the view of metal traces  301 . In some embodiments, the outside edges of sensor  200  can extend to the edge of cover glass  401  (or other cover material) in order to block the user&#39;s view of other components of device  500  located below touch sensor  200 . 
     In some embodiments, black mask  105  used in devices  100  and  400  can have a thickness of about 10 μm. Opaque passivation layer  403  can have a thickness of less than 5 μm, for example, between 2-3 μm. Thus, by eliminating the need to include black mask  105  between cover glass  401  (or other cover material) and touch sensor  200 , the amount of optically clear adhesive (not shown) needed to fill the gap between cover glass  401  (or other cover material) and touch sensor  200  can be reduced. 
     Similar to  FIG. 4 , while metal traces  301  are shown on only the top surface of substrate  407  in  FIG. 5 , it should be appreciated that metal traces  301  can also be included on the bottom surface of substrate  407 . For example, metal traces  301  can be located on the bottom of substrate  407  at the ends of touch sensor lines  405  that extend into and out of the page. These metal traces  301  can be hidden from the user&#39;s view using the techniques described below with respect to  FIG. 6 or 7 . Thus, in some embodiments, device  500  can be the same device as any of devices  600  or  700  and  FIG. 5  can illustrate the device cut along a line perpendicular to that of  FIG. 6 or 7 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary touch sensitive device  600 . Touch sensitive device  600  can be similar to touch sensitive device  500  except that metal traces  301  are shown on the side of touch sensor  200  opposite cover glass  401  (or other cover material). Opaque passivation layer  403  can still be located on the side of touch sensor  200  adjacent to cover glass  401  (or other cover material). However, the inner edge of opaque passivation layer  403  can extend beyond the inner edge of metal traces  301  such that opaque passivation layer  403  can block the user&#39;s view of metal traces  301  through cover glass  401  (or other cover material). In other words, the distance  601  between the edge of device  600  and the inner edge of opaque passivation layer  403  can be greater than the distance  603  between the edge of device  600  and the inner edge of metal traces  301 . The amount that the inner edge of opaque passivation layer  403  extends past the inner edge of metal traces  301  can be determined based at least in part on the distance between cover glass  401  (or other cover material) and touch sensor  200 , the amount of metal trace  301  to be visible to the user (if any), the length and width of cover glass  401  (or other cover material), and the thickness of touch sensor  200 . For instance, the smaller the distance between cover glass  401  (or other cover material) and touch sensor  200 , the greater the width and/or length of the cover glass  401  (or other cover material), and/or the greater the thickness of touch sensor  200 , the greater the distance that the inner edge of opaque passivation layer  403  may extend beyond the inner edge of metal traces  301  since larger viewing angles to metal traces  301  through cover glass  401  (or other cover material) are possible. Conversely, the greater the distance between cover glass  401  (or other cover material) and touch sensor  200 , the smaller the width and/or length of the cover glass  401  (or other cover material), and/or the smaller the thickness of touch sensor  200 , the smaller the distance that the inner edge of opaque passivation layer  403  may extend beyond the inner edge of metal traces  301  since smaller viewing angles to metal traces  301  through cover glass  401  (or other cover material) are possible. 
     While metal traces  301  are shown on only the bottom surface of substrate  407 , it should be appreciated that metal traces  301  can also be included on the top surface of substrate  407 . For example, metal traces  301  can be located on the top of substrate  407  at the ends of touch sensor lines  405  that extend into and out of the page. These metal traces  301  can be hidden from the user&#39;s view using the techniques described with respect to  FIG. 4, 5 , or  8 . Thus, in some embodiments, device  600  can be the same device as any of devices  400 ,  500 , or  800  and  FIG. 6  can illustrate the device cut along a line perpendicular to that of  FIG. 4, 5 , or  8 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary touch sensitive device  700 . Touch sensitive device  700  can be similar to touch sensitive device  600  except that metal traces  301  can be located on a surface of opaque passivation layer  403  opposite cover glass  401  (or other cover material). In some embodiments, the inner edge of opaque passivation layer  403  can extend past the inner edge of metal traces  301 . In other embodiments the inner edge of opaque passivation layer  403  can be even with the inner edge of metal traces  301 . One of ordinary skill in the art can configure opaque passivation layer  403  and metal traces  301  such that opaque passivation layer  403  can block the user&#39;s view of metal traces  301  through cover glass  401  (or other cover material). 
     While metal traces  301  are shown on only the bottom surface of substrate  407 , it should be appreciated that metal traces  301  can also be included on the top surface of substrate  407 . For example, metal traces  301  can be located on the top of substrate  407  at the ends of touch sensor lines  405  that extend into and out of the page. In  FIG. 7 , the upper touch sensor lines  405  may extend to the edge of substrate  407  to form the signal lines. These metal traces  301  can be hidden from the user&#39;s view using the techniques described with respect to  FIG. 4, 5 , or  8 . Thus, in some embodiments, device  700  can be the same device as any of devices  400 ,  500 , or  800  and  FIG. 7  can illustrate the device cut along a line perpendicular to that of  FIG. 4, 5 , or  8 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary touch sensitive device  800 . Touch sensitive device  800  can be similar to touch sensitive device  500  except that opaque passivation layer  403  can be non-uniformly deposited over metal traces  301  to form a gradient. For instance, the thickness of opaque passivation layer  403  can vary along the length of metal traces  301 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the thickness of opaque passivation layer  403  can be thicker at the outside edge of metal trace  301  and can gradually decrease toward the inner edge of metal trace  301 . This can produce a visual gradient effect as illustrated by gradients  801 . While the embodiment of  FIG. 8  shows the thickness of opaque passivation layer  403  decreasing towards the inner edge of metal traces  301 , it should be appreciated that other gradients can be generated by varying the thickness of opaque passivation layer  403  to create the desired visual effect. This non-uniform pattern for opaque passivation layer  403  can also be used for any of the opaque passivation layers  403  of devices  400 ,  500 ,  600 , or  700 . 
     While metal traces  301  are shown on only the top surface of substrate  407 , it should be appreciated that metal traces  301  can also be included on the bottom surface of substrate  407 . For example, metal traces  301  can be located on the top of substrate  407  at the ends of touch sensor lines  405  that extend into and out of the page. These metal traces  301  can be hidden from the user&#39;s view using the techniques described above with respect to  FIG. 6 or 7 . Thus, in some embodiments, device  800  can be the same device as any of devices  600  or  700  and  FIG. 8  can illustrate the device cut along a line perpendicular to that of  FIG. 6 or 7 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary process for making a touch sensitive device having an opaque passivation layer, such as opaque passivation layer  403  of devices  100 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700 , and  800  described above. At block  901 , a touch sensor can be provided. The touch sensor can be a multi-touch capacitive touch sensor similar or identical to touch sensor  200 . However, it should be appreciated that other touch sensing technologies can also be used in conjunction with embodiments of the disclosure, such as self-capacitance touch sensing, resistive touch sensing, projection scan touch sensing, and the like. 
     At block  903 , an opaque passivation layer can be deposited on the touch sensor. The opaque passivation layer can be similar or identical to opaque passivation layer  403  and can include an optically opaque organic or inorganic material, such as an acrylic-based material. The opaque passivation layer can be deposited using any known thin film process, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), sputtering, or the like. 
     In some embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can be deposited on the touch sensor over the metal traces. For example, as described above with respect to  FIG. 4 , the opaque passivation layer (e.g., opaque passivation layer  403 ) can be deposited on all or a portion of metal traces  301 . The opaque passivation layer can be used in combination with a black mask (e.g., black mask  105 ) to block the user&#39;s view of some or all of metal traces  301 . For example, in some embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can cover the metal traces such that the opaque passivation layer and black mask completely block the user&#39;s view of the metal traces through the cover glass (or other cover material). In other embodiments, the opaque passivation layer and black mask can be configured to block only a portion of the user&#39;s view of the metal traces. 
     In other embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can be deposited on the touch sensor over the metal traces. However, in these embodiments, a black mask may not be used in combination with the opaque passivation layer to block the user&#39;s view of the metal traces. For example, as described above with respect to  FIG. 5 , the opaque passivation layer (e.g., opaque passivation layer  403 ) can be deposited on all or a portion of metal traces  301 . In some examples, the opaque passivation layer can cover the metal traces such that the opaque passivation layer completely blocks the user&#39;s view of the metal traces through the cover glass (or other cover material). In other examples, the opaque passivation layer can be configured to block only a portion of the user&#39;s view of the metal traces. 
     In other embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can be deposited on the touch sensor between the metal traces and the cover glass (or other cover material). For example, as described above with respect to  FIG. 6 , metal traces  301  can be deposited on a surface of touch sensor  200  opposite cover glass  401  (or other cover material). The opaque passivation layer (e.g., opaque passivation layer  403 ) can be deposited on the surface of touch sensor  200  adjacent to cover glass  401  (or other cover material) such that the user&#39;s view of metal traces  301  is partially or fully blocked by opaque passivation layer  403 . In some examples, the opaque passivation layer can extend beyond the inner edge of the metal traces such that the opaque passivation layer completely blocks the user&#39;s view of the metal traces through the cover glass (or other cover material). In other examples, the opaque passivation layer can be configured to block only a portion of the user&#39;s view of the metal traces. 
     In other embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can be deposited on the touch sensor and the metal traces can be deposited on the opaque passivation layer. For example, as described above with respect to  FIG. 7 , opaque passivation layer  403  can be deposited on a surface of touch sensor  200  opposite cover glass  401  (or other cover material). The metal traces (e.g., metal traces  301 ) can be deposited on the surface of opaque passivation layer  403  opposite cover glass  401  (or other cover material) such that the user&#39;s view of metal traces  301  through cover glass  401  (or other cover material) is partially or fully blocked by opaque passivation layer  403 . In some examples, the opaque passivation layer can extend beyond the inner edge of the metal traces such that the opaque passivation layer completely blocks the user&#39;s view of the metal traces through the cover glass (or other cover material). In other examples, the opaque passivation layer can be configured to block only a portion of the user&#39;s view of the metal traces. 
     In other embodiments, the opaque passivation layer deposited on the touch sensor can have a non-uniform thickness. For example, as described above with respect to  FIG. 8 , opaque passivation layer  403  having a non-uniform thickness can be deposited on at least a portion of metal traces  301 . The non-uniformly distributed opaque passivation layer  403  can generate a visual gradient similar or identical to gradient  801 . In some examples, opaque passivation layer  403  having a non-uniform thickness can be generated by depositing multiple partially overlapping opaque passivation layers  403  on touch sensor  200 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . Specifically, a first opaque passivation layer  403  can be deposited on the substrate and hardened. A narrower second opaque passivation layer  403  can be deposited on the first opaque passivation layer  403  and hardened. This process can be repeated any number of times to generate the desired gradient. In some examples, the thickness of opaque passivation layer  403  can be larger at the outer edges of metal traces  301  and can be smaller at the inner edges of metal traces  301 . This can produce a dark border near the edge of the device that gradually becomes lighter toward the center of the device. It should be appreciated, however, that other patterns of thicknesses can be used to generate the desired visual gradient. In some examples, the opaque passivation layer can cover the metal traces such that the opaque passivation layer blocks all or a portion of the user&#39;s view of the metal traces through the cover glass (or other cover material). In some embodiments, the thickest portion of opaque passivation layer can have a thickness of less than 5 μm, for example, between 2-3 μm. As mentioned above, the thickness of the opaque passivation layer can be varied to produce a desired visual gradient, with the thicknesses depending on the characteristics of the opaque passivation layer. One of ordinary skill in the art can adjust the varying levels of thickness of the opaque passivation layer to produce the desired visual gradient. While specific thicknesses are provided above, it should be appreciated that the thickness can be varied depending on the particular application. Moreover, the process of depositing an opaque passivation layer having a non-uniform thickness can be applied to any of the other embodiments described above. 
     In other embodiments, the opaque passivation layer can be applied to other components of the device to protect the components from corrosion or to block the user&#39;s view of the component. 
     At block  905 , the touch sensor can be laminated to a cover material. For example, a touch sensor similar or identical to touch sensor  200  can be laminated to cover glass  401  (or other cover material) using an optically clear adhesive. 
     One or more of the functions relating to the manufacturing of a touch sensitive device that includes a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer can be performed by a system similar or identical to system  1000  shown in  FIG. 10 . System  1000  can include instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as memory  1003  or storage device  1001 , and executed by processor  1005 . The instructions can also be stored and/or transported within any non-transitory computer readable storage medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “non-transitory computer readable storage medium” can be any medium that can contain or store the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or device, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (magnetic), a read-only memory (ROM) (magnetic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) (magnetic), a portable optical disc such a CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, or DVD-RW, or flash memory such as compact flash cards, secured digital cards, USB memory devices, memory sticks, and the like. 
     The instructions can also be propagated within any transport medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “transport medium” can be any medium that can communicate, propagate or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The transport medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic or infrared wired or wireless propagation medium. 
     System  1000  can further include manufacturing device  1007  coupled to processor  1005 . Manufacturing device  1007  can include passivation layer device  1011  configured to deposit the opaque passivation layer (e.g., opaque passivation layer  403 ) onto a touch sensor (e.g., touch sensor  200 ) and laminating device  1013  configured to laminate the touch sensor (e.g., touch sensor  200 ) to a cover material (e.g., cover glass  401  or other cover material). Processor  1005  can control manufacturing device  1007  and its components to apply the desired pattern of opaque passivation layers and to laminate the touch sensor to the cover material using the appropriate amount of optically clear adhesive in a manner similar or identical to that described above with respect to process  1000 . 
     It is to be understood that the system is not limited to the components and configuration of  FIG. 10 , but can include other or additional components in multiple configurations according to various embodiments. Additionally, the components of system  1000  can be included within a single device, or can be distributed between two manufacturing device  1007 , in some embodiments, processor  1005  can be located within manufacturing device  1007 . 
       FIG. 11  illustrates an exemplary personal device  1100 , such as a tablet, that can include a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates another exemplary personal device  1200 , such as a mobile phone, that can include a touch sensor having an opaque passivation layer according to various embodiments. 
     Although embodiments have been fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the various embodiments as defined by the appended claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20200207
Publication Date: 20221004
Grant Date: 20221004
Priority Date: 20111020
Inventors: HONG, SEUNG JAE
KANG, SUNGGU
GRUNTHANER, MARTIN PAUL
ZHONG, JOHN Z.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "B32B37/12", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T156/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04107", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2037/246", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2307/412", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K3/282", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K3/282", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0445", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0445", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/041", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2037/1253", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B37/1207", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2307/41", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2457/208", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2037/1253", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04107", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T156/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2457/208", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2307/41", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B37/1207", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2037/246", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2307/412", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04103", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04103", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2037/246", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/041", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K3/282", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2457/208", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0445", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2037/1253", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2307/41", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B37/1207", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2203/04107", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B37/12", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T156/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B32B2307/412", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 48135546