Transparent thin film antenna and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A transparent thin film antenna and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: providing a base substrate (1) and a conductive substrate (2) laminated on the base substrate (1); performing laser depth-controlled cutting on the conductive substrate (2) to process the conductive substrate (2) into an antenna pattern layer (2a) having a plurality of concave grooves (20) - the concave grooves (20) limit the wiring distance of the antenna pattern layer (2a), and the portion between two adjacent concave grooves (20) forms the wiring (21) of the antenna pattern layer (2a); covering the antenna pattern layer (2a) with a transparent substrate (3) - the transparent substrate (3) fills each of the concave grooves (20); and peeling off the base substrate (1) - the antenna pattern layer (2a) and the transparent substrate (3) form a transparent thin film antenna. Since the production of a separate mold is unnecessary, it is possible to break away from dependence on high-precision imprinting molds, reduce costs, and shorten the delivery time. In addition, an antenna pattern layer (2a) can be manufactured by combining a copper foil and a laser depth-controlled cutting process, resulting in low material costs, low sheet resistance, and excellent conductivity. Furthermore, since the laser depth-controlled cutting process does not cut through the conductive substrate (2), it prevents the transparent substrate (3) and the base substrate (1) from curing together, thereby preventing the problem of the base substrate (1) being unable to be peeled off.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of antenna manufacturing, and more specifically, to a transparent thin-film antenna and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Antennas play a crucial role in wireless communication systems as components capable of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves. With the continuous advancement of wireless communication technology over the past few years, the demands placed on such technology have also been rising; consequently, antennas are receiving increasing attention, and research on them is becoming increasingly intensified. In some specialized electronic devices, traditional antennas not only compromise aesthetics but also pose disadvantages in terms of safety and concealment in real-world environments. Since transparent conductive thin films possess both optical transparency and conductivity, designing transparent thin-film antennas using them can achieve aesthetic appeal, safety, reliability, and excellent concealment. However, transparent antennas must undergo processing and manufacturing stages from design completion to actual use, and the key to manufacturing transparent thin-film antennas lies in the fabrication of the antenna pattern layer. Currently, the three major manufacturing processes in the market are nanoimprinting, microcontact, and ultraviolet nanoimprinting.

[0003] These processes require the use of high-precision imprinting molds, and since the molds must be modified or reworked multiple times, costs are high and lead times are long. Additionally, conductive materials generally composed of nano silver and polymer resin are used, but the high cost of nano silver materials increases the overall cost of the antenna. Furthermore, due to the characteristics of polymer resin, the sheet resistance of the antenna pattern layer is high and conductivity is poor, and this phenomenon becomes more pronounced as the antenna pattern layer becomes thinner. The problem to be solved

[0004] Accordingly, the present application provides a transparent thin-film antenna and a method for manufacturing the same, and can improve problems such as reliance on high-precision imprinting molds and the resulting high costs and long lead times when manufacturing transparent thin-film antennas. means of solving the problem

[0005] The method for manufacturing a transparent thin-film antenna provided by the present application is,

[0006] A step of providing a base substrate and a conductive substrate laminated on the base substrate;

[0007] A step of performing laser depth-controlled cutting treatment on the conductive substrate to process the conductive substrate into an antenna pattern layer having a plurality of concave grooves - the concave grooves limit the wiring distance of the antenna pattern layer, and the portion between two adjacent concave grooves forms the wiring of the antenna pattern layer - ;

[0008] Step of covering the antenna pattern layer with a transparent substrate - the transparent substrate fills each of the concave grooves - ; and

[0009] The step of peeling off the base substrate - the antenna pattern layer and the transparent substrate form a transparent thin film antenna - ; includes.

[0010] Optionally, the depth of the concave groove is smaller than the thickness of the conductive substrate, and the bottom of the concave groove does not expose the base substrate.

[0011] Optionally, after pressing a transparent substrate onto the antenna pattern layer, the method,

[0012] The method further includes the step of removing the bottom of the groove of the concave groove by performing an etching process on the antenna pattern layer.

[0013] Optionally, the conductive substrate is copper foil.

[0014] Optionally, the thickness of the conductive substrate is D1, 0 < D1 ≤ 6 μm, and the thickness of the groove bottom of the concave groove is 0.1 μm or more.

[0015] Optionally, the above method,

[0016] The method further includes the step of attaching one side of a transparent double-sided tape to the antenna pattern layer so that the transparent thin-film antenna can be attached to a target device through the other side of the transparent double-sided tape.

[0017] Optionally, before peeling off the base substrate, the method,

[0018] The step of installing a reinforcing layer on the above transparent substrate is further included;

[0019] After attaching one side of the above transparent double-sided tape to the antenna pattern layer, the method is as follows:

[0020] It includes the step of peeling off the above reinforcing layer.

[0021] Optionally, the transmittance of the transparent substrate is 85% or higher.

[0022] Optionally, the transparent substrate is a PET film.

[0023] The transparent thin film antenna provided by the present application is manufactured by any one of the above methods. Effects of the invention

[0024] As described above, the present application manufactures an antenna pattern layer by adopting a laser depth-controlled cutting process. Since laser depth-controlled cutting inherently possesses high precision and is low-cost, it eliminates the need for separate mold fabrication, thereby freeing the method from dependence on high-precision imprinting molds, reducing costs, and shortening delivery times. Furthermore, the present application manufactures an antenna pattern layer by combining copper foil with the laser depth-controlled cutting process, resulting in low material costs, low sheet resistance, and excellent conductivity. In addition, the present application forms a transparent thin-film antenna by compressing a transparent substrate and an antenna pattern layer. Unlike conventional methods of forming a transparent thin-film antenna on a transparent substrate using processes such as imprinting, printing, spray coating, or sputtering, the manufacturing process is relatively simplified. Moreover, after the laser depth-controlled cutting process, the bottom of the concave groove does not expose the base substrate; that is, it does not cut through the conductive substrate. Therefore, when compressing the transparent substrate and the antenna pattern layer, the transparent substrate is prevented from curing together with the base substrate through the concave groove, thereby preventing the problem of being unable to peel off the base substrate. In addition, the present application can reduce appearance defects caused by wrinkles, warping, etc. by utilizing a peelable base substrate and a reinforcing layer to support the strength of the product during the manufacturing process. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0025] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a transparent thin-film antenna provided by the present application. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing another transparent thin-film antenna provided by the present application. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a transparent thin-film antenna manufacturing scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0026] To solve the aforementioned problems existing in the prior art, the present application provides a transparent thin-film antenna and a method for manufacturing the same. Since these two protected subjects are based on the same concept and the problem-solving principles are fundamentally identical or similar, the embodiments of each protected subject are mutually referenced, and overlapping parts are not described repeatedly.

[0027] A method for manufacturing a transparent thin-film antenna is at least,

[0028] A step of providing a base substrate and a conductive substrate laminated on the base substrate;

[0029] A step of performing laser depth-controlled cutting on a conductive substrate to process the conductive substrate into an antenna pattern layer having a plurality of concave grooves - the concave grooves define the wiring distance of the antenna pattern layer, and the portion between two adjacent concave grooves forms the wiring of the antenna pattern layer - ;

[0030] Step of covering the antenna pattern layer with a transparent substrate - the transparent substrate fills each concave groove - ; and

[0031] It includes the step of peeling off the base substrate - wherein the antenna pattern layer and the transparent substrate form a transparent thin film antenna.

[0032] Accordingly, the present application manufactures an antenna pattern layer by adopting a laser depth-controlled cutting process. Since the laser depth-controlled cutting process itself possesses high precision and is low in cost, the present application eliminates the need for separate mold manufacturing, thereby freeing it from dependence on high-precision imprinting molds, reducing costs, and shortening delivery times.

[0033] Parameters such as the type, specific structural design, length, and thickness of the above transparent thin film antenna can be adaptively determined according to actual needs. For example, the transparent thin film antenna can be applied as an ultra-wideband antenna to high-precision positioning devices, and includes, but is not limited to, handheld devices such as mobile phones and wearable devices such as smart glasses.

[0034] In actual scenarios, the actual implementation form of each of the aforementioned steps must be adaptively determined according to the actual scenario. To further clarify the purpose, technical solution, and advantages of the present application, the technical solution of the present application is described below with reference to specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. It is obvious that the embodiments described below are merely some embodiments of the present application and are not all. To the extent that there is no conflict, each of the following embodiments and their technical features may be combined with one another, and this also constitutes the technical solution of the present application.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a transparent thin-film antenna provided by the present application, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of another method for manufacturing a transparent thin-film antenna provided based on FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together, the method comprises the following steps S1 to S4.

[0036] S1: Provides a base substrate and a conductive substrate laminated on the base substrate.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 3, when observed in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction, the orthographic projection of the conductive substrate (2) is located within the orthographic projection of the base substrate (1), and FIG. 3 is shown as, for example, that the two completely overlap vertically.

[0038] Both the base substrate (1) and the conductive substrate (2) may be copper foil, and their thicknesses may differ. The thickness of the base substrate (1) is greater than the thickness of the conductive substrate (2). For example, the thickness of the conductive substrate (2) is D1 and 0 < D1 ≤ 6 μm, and the thickness of the base substrate (1) is D0 and D0 ≥ 9 μm.

[0039] S2: Laser depth-controlled cutting is performed on a conductive substrate to process the conductive substrate into an antenna pattern layer having a plurality of concave grooves - the concave grooves define the wiring distance of the antenna pattern layer, and the portion between two adjacent concave grooves forms the wiring of the antenna pattern layer - .

[0040] Referring further to FIG. 3, laser depth-controlled cutting processing means forming a concave groove (20) having a preset pattern on the surface of a conductive substrate (2) by cutting deeply with a laser emitted from a laser device. Each concave groove (20) is a blank area between two adjacent wires (21) within the antenna pattern layer (2a), thereby limiting the wiring distance (distance between two adjacent wires (21)) of the antenna pattern layer (2a). Correspondingly, the portion between two adjacent concave grooves (20), that is, the portion preserved in the conductive substrate (2), forms the wiring (21) of the antenna pattern layer (2a).

[0041] In one example, the depth of the concave groove (20) is smaller than the thickness of the conductive substrate (2), and the bottom of the concave groove (20) does not expose the base substrate (1), that is, the laser does not penetrate and cut the conductive substrate (2).

[0042] The width of the concave groove (20) (i.e., the length along the horizontal direction x parallel to the conductive substrate (2)) may be 6 μm or more, and the portion between two adjacent concave grooves (20) (i.e., the width of a single wire (21)) may be 6 μm or less. It should be understood that the width of each wire (21) may be the same or different, and the width of each concave groove (20) may also be the same or different. For any single concave groove (20), the width of the concave groove (20) along its extension direction may always be the same, and likewise for any single wire (21), the width of the wire (21) along its extension direction may always be the same. Additionally, at least one of the width of each wire (21), the width of the concave groove (20), and the depth of the concave groove (20) may be adaptively determined according to the requirements of an actual scenario, and embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. For example, in a scenario where the thickness of the aforementioned conductive substrate (2) satisfies 0 < D1 ≤ 6 μm, the thickness of the bottom of the concave groove (20) may be 0.1 μm or more.

[0043] S3: A transparent substrate is pressed onto the antenna pattern layer, and the transparent substrate fills each of the concave grooves.

[0044] Referring further to FIG. 3, the transparent substrate (3) may be a mixed film, for example, composed of a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) film and a transparent adhesive. The transparent adhesive is used to bond the PET film to the antenna pattern layer (2a), and optionally, the transparent adhesive is filled into the inside of the concave groove (20) and the joint between the wiring (21) and the PET film, so that after the transparent adhesive is cured, the transparent substrate (3) and the antenna pattern layer (2a) are cured together. The upper surface of the transparent substrate (3) is a horizontal surface.

[0045] In one example, the transmittance of the transparent substrate (3) may be 85% or more, thereby ensuring that the final manufactured transparent thin film antenna has good transmittance. The thickness of the transparent substrate (3) may be adaptively determined, for example, in the example scenario shown in FIG. 3, the thickness of the transparent substrate (3) may be 5 μm or more, and the thickness of the transparent adhesive may be 5 μm or more.

[0046] Referring further to FIG. 3, the method may further include step S31: installing a reinforcing layer (4) on a transparent substrate (3). The reinforcing layer (4) is installed on the side facing away from the antenna pattern layer (2a) on the transparent substrate (3). The reinforcing layer (4) supports the strength of the product during the manufacturing process, thereby reducing appearance defects caused by wrinkles, bending, etc.

[0047] In one example, the reinforcing layer (4) may be a PET film and may have a thickness of 25 μm or more.

[0048] In this application, the reinforcing layer (4) can be placed on the upper surface of the transparent substrate (3) through a pressure bonding process, and when observed in a direction perpendicular to the transparent substrate (3), the orthographic projection of the transparent substrate (3) can be located within the orthographic projection of the reinforcing layer (4), and in FIG. 3, the two are shown as completely overlapping vertically as an example.

[0049] It should be understood that, depending on the actual scenario, such as the thickness of the base substrate (1), the conductive substrate (2) and the transparent substrate (3) and the processing capacity of the production equipment, the present application may not install a reinforcing layer (4).

[0050] S4: The base substrate is peeled off, and the antenna pattern layer and the transparent substrate form a transparent thin film antenna.

[0051] Referring further to FIG. 3, the product with the reinforcing layer (4) installed is inverted vertically, and the base substrate (1) is peeled off from the antenna pattern layer (2a). During the peeling process, the strength of the product is supported through the reinforcing layer (4), thereby reducing defects such as wrinkles and bending in the antenna pattern layer (2a) and the transparent substrate (3).

[0052] Optionally, the peel strength of the base substrate (1) may be 0.3 kgf / cm or less.

[0053] Next, referring to FIG. 2, the method further comprises step S41: performing an etching treatment on the antenna pattern layer (2a) to remove the bottom of the groove of the concave groove (20). That is, the thickness of the antenna pattern layer (2a) is reduced through the etching treatment to expose the portion of the transparent substrate (3) that was covered by the bottom of the groove of the concave groove (20), and to ensure that the individual wiring (21) within the antenna pattern layer (2a) is not connected. At this time, the remaining antenna pattern layer (2a) and the transparent substrate (3) form a transparent thin film antenna. In one example, the etching treatment may adopt a rapid etching or micro-etching process.

[0054] Referring continuously to FIG. 3 and together with FIG. 2, the method may further include step S42: attaching one side of a transparent double-sided tape (5) to an antenna pattern layer (2a) so that a transparent thin-film antenna can be attached to a target device through the other side of the transparent double-sided tape (5).

[0055] After attachment, the wiring of the antenna pattern layer (2a) comes into direct contact with the transparent double-sided tape (5).

[0056] The transparent double-sided tape (5) includes at least one of OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive) and PET double-sided tape, but is not limited thereto. The transmittance of OCA is generally 90% or higher, and shrinkage is small when cured at room temperature or medium temperature. The orthographic projection of the antenna pattern layer (2a) and the transparent substrate (3) may be located within the orthographic projection of the transparent double-sided tape (5), and in FIG. 3, the two are shown as completely overlapping vertically as an example.

[0057] After attaching one side of the transparent double-sided tape (5) to the antenna pattern layer (2a), referring to FIG. 2, the method may further include step S43: peeling off the reinforcing layer (4). At this time, the finally formed transparent thin-film antenna comprises the antenna pattern layer (2a), the transparent substrate (3), and the transparent double-sided tape (5). Of course, the transparent double-sided tape (5) may also be peeled off when attaching the transparent thin-film antenna to a target device or after attaching it.

[0058] As described above, the present application manufactures an antenna pattern layer (2a) by adopting a laser depth-controlled cutting process. Since laser depth-controlled cutting itself has high precision and low cost, it eliminates the need for a separate mold, thereby freeing the application from dependence on high-precision imprinting molds, reducing costs, and shortening the delivery time. The transmittance of the light-transmitting thin film antenna manufactured by the present application may be in the range of 70% to 100%, and has the advantage of meeting current industrial requirements and exceeding current process levels.

[0059] In addition, the present application can manufacture an antenna pattern layer (2a) by combining a copper foil and a laser depth-controlled cutting process. Compared to conventional conductive materials composed of nano silver and polymer resin, the present application can significantly reduce material costs by manufacturing a conductive material (e.g., the aforementioned conductive substrate (2) and wiring (21)) using a low-cost copper foil. Furthermore, by adopting copper foil, there is no need to use polymer resin, thereby eliminating the effect of polymer resin on sheet resistance and conductivity, and the product manufactured by the present application has low sheet resistance and excellent conductivity.

[0060] In addition, the present application forms the transparent thin film antenna by compressing the transparent substrate (3) and the antenna pattern layer (2a). Unlike conventional methods of forming the transparent thin film antenna on the transparent substrate (3) through processes such as imprinting, printing, spray coating, or sputtering, the compression manufacturing process of the present application is relatively simplified. Furthermore, after undergoing the laser depth-controlled cutting process, the bottom of the groove of the concave groove (20) does not expose the base substrate (1), that is, it does not cut through the conductive substrate (2). Therefore, when the transparent substrate (3) and the antenna pattern layer (2a) are compressed, the transparent substrate (3) is prevented from hardening together with the base substrate (1) through the concave groove (20), thereby preventing the problem of the base substrate (1) being unable to be peeled off.

[0061] The present application utilizes a peelable base substrate (1) and a reinforcing layer (4) to support the strength of the product during the manufacturing process, thereby reducing appearance defects caused by wrinkles, warping, etc.

[0062] The method for manufacturing a transparent thin-film antenna is a complete manufacturing process that includes steps related to other manufacturing processes, and since reference can be made to prior art, it is not described repeatedly in the embodiments of this application.

[0063] The transparent thin-film antenna provided by the embodiments of the present application is manufactured by any one of the aforementioned methods. Accordingly, since the transparent thin-film antenna possesses the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the method of the corresponding embodiments, these effects are not described repeatedly herein.

[0064] The above transparent thin film antenna may have a structure as shown in the last drawing of FIG. 3, that is, the transparent thin film antenna includes an antenna pattern layer (2a), a transparent substrate (3), and a transparent double-sided tape (5). In another example, the transparent thin film antenna may include an antenna pattern layer (2a) and a transparent substrate (3) but may not have the transparent double-sided tape (5) installed, and in an actual scenario, the transparent thin film antenna may be attached to a target device using a method such as an adhesive.

[0065] The transparent thin film antenna provided by the embodiment of the present application is a complete device and also has a structure corresponding to a known transparent thin film antenna. For example, a radiating element connected to the wiring (21) to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals, various feed points and ground points for implementing electrical connection of the wiring (21), etc. are installed, and these are not described repeatedly here.

[0066] The above description is merely a partial embodiment of the present application and does not limit the scope of the patent of the present application. To a person skilled in the art, all equivalent structural modifications made using the contents of the specification and drawings are equally included within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0067] It should be understood that step symbols such as S1, S2, etc. are intended merely to express the corresponding content more clearly and concisely, and do not constitute a substantial restriction on the order. A person skilled in the art may, in specific implementation, adopt a method such as executing S3 first and then S2, and all such methods must be within the scope of protection of this application.

[0068] In this specification, terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used to describe various types of information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish information of the same type from one another. Additionally, the singular forms "one," "one," and "corresponding" are intended to include the plural forms as well. The terms "or" and "and / or" are interpreted as inclusive or refer to any one or any combination, provided that an exception to this definition occurs only where the combination of elements, functions, steps, or actions is inherently mutually exclusive in any way.

[0069] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as “center,” “longitudinal,” “transverse,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inside,” “outside,” “clockwise,” and “counterclockwise” is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings and is intended only for convenience in explaining the technical solution of the corresponding embodiment; it does not indicate or imply that a device or element must have a specific orientation or be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation to the present application. Explanation of the symbols

[0070] 1: Base material 2: Conductive material 2a: Antenna pattern layer 20: Concave groove 21: Wiring 3: Transparent material 4: Reinforcement Layer 5: Transparent double-sided tape

Claims

Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a transparent thin-film antenna comprises the steps of: providing a base substrate and a conductive substrate laminated on the base substrate; performing laser depth-controlled cutting on the conductive substrate to process the conductive substrate into an antenna pattern layer having a plurality of concave grooves, wherein the concave grooves define the wiring distance of the antenna pattern layer, the portion between two adjacent concave grooves forms the wiring of the antenna pattern layer, the depth of the concave grooves is smaller than the thickness of the conductive substrate, and the bottom of the concave grooves does not expose the base substrate; pressing a transparent substrate onto the antenna pattern layer, wherein the transparent substrate fills each of the concave grooves, and wherein the transparent substrate comprises a PET film and a transparent adhesive, and the transparent adhesive is filled into the interior of the concave grooves and the joint between the wiring and the PET film to adhere the PET film to the antenna pattern layer; and, after installing a reinforcing layer on the transparent substrate, peeling off the base substrate and exposing one side of the antenna pattern layer where the bottom of the concave grooves is installed. A method characterized by including the step of performing an etching treatment on the antenna pattern layer and removing the bottom of the groove of the concave groove so that the antenna pattern layer and the transparent substrate form a transparent thin film antenna. Claim 2 A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductive substrate is a copper foil. Claim 3 A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the thickness of the conductive substrate is D1, 0 < D1 ≤ 6 μm, and the thickness of the bottom of the concave groove is 0.1 μm or more. Claim 4 A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of attaching one side of a transparent double-sided tape to the antenna pattern layer so as to allow the transparent thin-film antenna to be attached to a target device through the other side of the transparent double-sided tape. Claim 5 A method according to claim 4, wherein after attaching one side of the transparent double-sided tape to the antenna pattern layer, the method comprises the step of peeling off the reinforcing layer. Claim 6 A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmittance of the transparent substrate is 85% or higher. Claim 7 A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the transparent substrate is a PET film. Claim 8 A transparent thin film antenna characterized by being manufactured by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete

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