Method for manufacturing touch screen and display device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of display, and provides a method for manufacturing a touch screen and a display device. The method for manufacturing a touch screen includes: providing a substrate, the substrate including a display area and a non-display area located around the display area; sequentially forming a first transparent conductive layer and a metal film layer on the substrate; forming a first photoresist pattern layer on the metal film layer, wherein the pattern of the first photoresist pattern layer corresponds to the metal trace pattern of the non-display area; etching the metal film layer to form the metal traces in the non-display area; etching the transparent conductive layer located on the substrate to form a first transparent conductive pattern in the display area; forming a protective layer on the first transparent conductive pattern and the metal traces; and forming a second transparent conductive layer on the protective layer in the display area. This method improves the line width limit of the metal film layer, the stability and adhesion of the metal film layer to other film layer structures, and reduces processing steps, thereby saving manufacturing costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of display, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a touch screen and a display device including the touch screen manufactured by the method. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, touch screens have become the simplest, most convenient, and most natural form of human-computer interaction as an input medium. They are increasingly being used in a variety of electronic products, such as mobile phones, laptops, MP3 / MP4 players, and e-readers. To achieve better display quality, touch screens are gradually evolving toward larger sizes, thinner bezels, and more compact designs.

[0003] In conventional touch screen electronic devices, the center area is the display and touch area, surrounded by a frame. Touch lines are typically arranged within the frame. In practical applications, for ease of handholding, people often want to make the frame of the touch screen electronic device as narrow as possible without reducing the width of the display area. The line width spacing of the touch lines is set to less than 10μm. In addition, to achieve three-dimensional touch, the edge of the touch screen must be flexible, that is, a flexible touch screen is achieved. Flexible metal materials are typically used to form metal lines, but these materials have insufficient adhesion to glass or polymer substrates. Moreover, when etching the composite film layer formed by the metal material and other film layers, misalignment can greatly affect the line width limit of the metal film layer.

[0004] In view of this, in order to meet the demand for the use of flexible high screen-to-body ratio touch screens, it is necessary to solve the current problems of touch trace area width and the stability and adhesion of flexible metal materials.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a method for manufacturing a touch screen and a display device, thereby overcoming one or more problems caused by limitations and defects of related technologies, at least to a certain extent.

[0007] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by practice of the present disclosure.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a touch screen is provided, characterized by comprising:

[0009] Providing a substrate, the substrate comprising a display area and a non-display area located around the display area;

[0010] forming a first transparent conductive layer and a metal film layer in sequence on the substrate;

[0011] forming a first photoresist pattern layer on the metal film layer, wherein a pattern of the first photoresist pattern layer corresponds to the metal trace pattern of the non-display area;

[0012] Etching the metal film layer to form the metal traces in the non-display area;

[0013] forming a first transparent conductive pattern on the substrate in the display area;

[0014] forming a protective layer on the first transparent conductive pattern and the metal trace;

[0015] A second transparent conductive layer is formed on the protection layer in the display area.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first photoresist pattern layer is disposed in the non-display area or on the display area and the non-display area.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first photoresist pattern layer is disposed on the non-display area, the metal film layer and the first transparent conductive layer are etched.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, etching the metal film layer and the first transparent conductive layer includes:

[0019] Etching the metal film layer through the first photoresist pattern layer to form the metal trace;

[0020] A second photoresist pattern layer is formed on the first transparent conductive layer in the display area, and the first transparent conductive layer is etched to form the first transparent conductive pattern and a transparent conductive pattern located in the non-display area.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal film layer and the first transparent conductive layer are etched simultaneously to form the metal traces and the transparent conductive pattern located in the non-display area.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0023] forming a third transparent conductive layer on the substrate;

[0024] forming a third photoresist pattern layer on the third transparent conductive layer in the display area, and etching the third transparent conductive layer to form a second transparent conductive pattern;

[0025] The second transparent conductive pattern is thinned to form the first transparent conductive pattern.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is characterized in that the thickness of the third transparent conductive layer is greater than the total thickness of the metal film layer and the first transparent conductive layer.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first photoresist pattern layer is disposed on the display area and the non-display area, the metal film layer is etched to form the metal traces and the metal film pattern located in the display area.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first transparent conductive layer is etched to form the first transparent conductive pattern and the transparent conductive pattern located in the non-display area, and the metal film pattern is removed.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, removing the metal film pattern includes:

[0030] A photoresist layer is formed on the metal wiring to protect the metal wiring, and the metal film pattern is removed by etching.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is characterized in that the substrate is one of a COP substrate, a PI substrate and a glass substrate.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is characterized in that the first transparent conductive layer is any one of ITO, FZO, AZO, FTO, GZO, and IMO.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the second transparent conductive layer is any one of ITO, FZO, AZO, FTO, GZO, and IMO.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is characterized in that the metal trace is made of a flexible metal material.

[0035] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a display device is provided, characterized by comprising a touch screen manufactured according to the above-mentioned touch screen manufacturing method.

[0036] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the touch screen manufacturing method and display device in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have at least the following advantages and positive effects:

[0037] In the present disclosure, a flexible metal material is used to form a metal film layer, and the metal film layer is used as a protective layer to etch the underlying structure, the metal film layer and the underlying structure are etched simultaneously, or the metal film layer and the underlying structure are etched step by step to form metal traces and underlying structure patterns. On the one hand, the line width limit of the metal film layer is improved, and adverse effects caused by misalignment are prevented. On the other hand, the stability and adhesion of the metal film layer and other film layer structures are solved. In addition, the manufacturing method of the touch screen disclosed in the present disclosure can reduce the processing technology, save manufacturing costs, and improve manufacturing efficiency.

[0038] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0040] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a method for manufacturing a touch screen in the prior art;

[0041] Figure 2 A flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a touch screen in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a touch screen in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a touch screen in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a touch screen in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a display device in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete and will fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, many specific details are provided to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solutions of the present disclosure may be practiced while omitting one or more of the specific details, or that other methods, components, devices, steps, etc. may be employed. In other cases, well-known technical solutions are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0047] The terms "a", "an", "the" and "said" are used in this specification to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "including" and "having" are used to express open-ended inclusion and mean that additional elements / components / etc. may exist in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms "first" and "second" etc. are used only as labels and are not intended to limit the quantity of their objects.

[0048] In addition, the accompanying drawings are merely schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Identical reference numerals in the drawings represent identical or similar parts, and thus repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted. Some of the blocks shown in the accompanying drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically separate entities.

[0049] Figure 1 A method for manufacturing a touch screen in related art is shown, comprising:

[0050] 1) Providing a base substrate 100, wherein the base substrate 100 includes a display area (VA area) and a non-display area (Trace area) located around the display area;

[0051] The base substrate 100 is a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate. The rigid substrate can be glass, tempered glass or acrylic plate, or a substrate formed of other rigid materials commonly used in the art; the flexible substrate can be COP, PI, PVC, PC, PE or PP, or a substrate formed of other flexible materials commonly used in the art, which will not be repeated here.

[0052] 2) forming a first transparent conductive layer 101 and a metal film layer 102 in sequence on the base substrate 100;

[0053] The first transparent conductive layer 101 and the metal film layer 102 can be formed by a physical deposition method or a chemical deposition method. The physical deposition method can be a physical deposition method commonly used in the art, such as magnetron sputtering, plasma magnetron sputtering, radio frequency magnetron sputtering, etc.; the chemical deposition method can be a chemical deposition method commonly used in the art, such as a hydrothermal method, a sol-gel method, a chemical vapor deposition method, etc.

[0054] The first transparent conductive layer 101 may be formed of metal or transparent conductive oxide, preferably a transparent conductive oxide. The transparent conductive oxide may be one or more of ITO, FZO, AZO, FTO, GZO, and IMO.

[0055] In order to form a flexible touch screen, the metal film layer 102 can be formed of a flexible metal or metal alloy, preferably a flexible metal material such as Au, Ag, and Cu. It can also be formed of other flexible metal materials in the art. As long as the flexible metal material is easy to bend and can form metal traces, it is within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0056] 3) forming a first photoresist pattern layer 103 on the metal film layer 102 in the non-display area;

[0057] The first photoresist pattern layer 103 can be formed using either a positive photoresist or a negative photoresist. The positive photoresist can be formed using quinone diazide as a photosensitive compound and a phenolic resin as a base material. The negative photoresist can be a polycinnamic acid-based or cyclized rubber-based photoresist. The first photoresist pattern layer 103 is designed based on the shape of the metal trace and the photoresist used.

[0058] 4) etching the metal film layer 102 to form metal traces 104;

[0059] 5) forming a second photoresist pattern layer 105 on the first transparent conductive layer 101 and the metal trace 104;

[0060] The second photoresist pattern layer 105 and the first photoresist pattern layer 103 may be made of the same material or different materials, and preferably, the same material.

[0061] 6) etching the first transparent conductive layer 101 to form a first transparent conductive pattern 106 and a transparent conductive pattern 107 located in the non-display area, and removing the second photoresist pattern layer 105 on the metal trace 104;

[0062] 7) forming a protective layer 108 on the first transparent conductive pattern 106 and the metal trace 104;

[0063] The protective layer 108 can be made of materials commonly used in the art, and preferably uses light-transmitting optical adhesive, such as organic silicone, acrylic resin, unsaturated polyester, polyurethane, epoxy resin, etc.

[0064] 8) Forming a second transparent conductive layer 109 on the protective layer 108 in the display area.

[0065] The material of the second transparent conductive layer 109 can be the same as or different from the material of the first transparent conductive layer 101 . Those skilled in the art can select a suitable material according to actual needs.

[0066] In the above-mentioned existing touch screen preparation method, Figure 1 As shown, in step (5), it is necessary to design a second photoresist pattern layer 105 on the metal trace 104 formed by the flexible metal film to form a composite film layer. However, when etching the composite film layer in layers, it is necessary to consider that the equipment accuracy of the metal trace 104 and the second photoresist pattern layer 105 is 3μm. The alignment accuracy of this equipment greatly affects the line width limit of the metal trace 104.

[0067] In view of this, this exemplary embodiment first provides a method for manufacturing a touch screen. Figure 2 The specific process of the manufacturing method is shown, including:

[0068] S1: providing a substrate 200, wherein the substrate 200 includes a display area (VA area) and a non-display area (Trace area) located around the display area;

[0069] S2: forming a first transparent conductive layer 201 and a metal film layer 202 on the substrate 200 in sequence;

[0070] S3: forming a first photoresist pattern layer 203 on the metal film layer 202 , wherein the pattern of the first photoresist pattern layer 203 corresponds to the pattern of the metal traces 204 in the non-display area;

[0071] S4: etching the metal film layer 202 to form the metal trace 204 in the non-display area;

[0072] S5: etching the transparent conductive layer on the substrate 200 to form a first transparent conductive pattern 205 in the display area;

[0073] S6: forming a protective layer 206 on the first transparent conductive pattern 205 and the metal trace 204;

[0074] S7: forming a second transparent conductive layer 207 on the protective layer 206 in the display area.

[0075] The materials of the substrate 200, the first transparent conductive layer 201, the metal film layer 202, the first photoresist pattern layer 203, the protective layer 206 and the second transparent conductive layer 207 are the same as or different from the materials and formation methods of the base substrate 100, the first transparent conductive layer 101, the metal film 102, the first photoresist pattern layer 103, the protective layer 107 and the second transparent conductive layer 108, and preferably use the same materials and formation methods.

[0076] By forming a metal film layer and a first photoresist pattern layer on a substrate and then etching the metal film layer and the transparent conductive layer to form metal traces and a first transparent conductive pattern, on the one hand, the line width limit of the metal film layer is improved and adverse effects caused by misalignment are prevented; on the other hand, the stability and adhesion of the metal film layer and other film layer structures are solved. In addition, this manufacturing method can reduce processing technology, save manufacturing costs, and improve manufacturing efficiency.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first photoresist pattern layer 203 is disposed in the non-display area or on the display area and the non-display area.

[0078] Figure 3 The figure shows a specific process for forming a metal trace 204 and a first transparent conductive pattern 205 when the first photoresist pattern layer 203 is only provided in the non-display area, wherein the metal film layer 202 is etched through the first photoresist pattern layer 203 to form the metal trace 204, and then a second photoresist pattern layer 208 is formed on the first transparent conductive layer 201 in the display area, and the first transparent conductive layer 201 is etched to form the first transparent conductive pattern 205 and a transparent conductive pattern 209 located in the non-display area.

[0079] The method etches the metal film layer 202 and the first transparent conductive pattern layer 201 through the first photoresist pattern layer 203 and the second photoresist pattern layer 208 to form a structure of a metal trace 204 and a first transparent conductive pattern 205, wherein the metal trace 204 serves as a protective layer to protect the first transparent conductive layer 201 located thereunder from being etched.

[0080] Figure 4Another specific process for forming the metal traces 204 and the first transparent conductive pattern 205 when the first photoresist pattern layer 203 is only provided in the non-display area is shown: after forming the first photoresist pattern layer 203, the first transparent conductive layer 201 and the metal film layer 202 are simultaneously etched to form the metal traces 204, and then a third transparent conductive layer 210 is formed on the substrate 200. The thickness of the third transparent conductive layer 210 is greater than the total thickness of the first transparent conductive layer 201 and the metal traces 204, and the third transparent conductive layer 210 can be formed of the same or different material as the first transparent conductive layer 201. A third photoresist pattern layer 211 is formed on the third transparent conductive layer 210 in the display area, the third transparent conductive layer 210 is etched to form the second transparent conductive pattern 212, and the second transparent conductive pattern 212 is thinned to form the first transparent conductive pattern 205.

[0081] This method forms a metal trace 204 by simultaneously etching the first transparent conductive layer 201 and the metal film layer 202, and forms a first transparent conductive pattern 205 by etching and thinning the third transparent conductive layer 210. On the one hand, this method avoids the influence of misalignment on the line width of the metal trace when other film layers are subsequently formed on the metal trace. On the other hand, it eliminates the need to form a photoresist layer on the metal trace 204, reduces the processing technology, and saves manufacturing costs.

[0082] When the first photoresist pattern 203 is disposed on the display area and the non-display area, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the metal film layer 202 is etched to form metal traces 204 and a metal film pattern 213 in the display area. The first transparent conductive layer 201 is then etched to form a first transparent conductive layer 205 and a transparent conductive pattern 209 in the non-display area. A photoresist layer 214 is then formed over the metal traces 204 in the non-display area to prevent the metal traces 204 from being affected when the metal film pattern 213 in the display area is etched away. After the metal film pattern 213 is removed, the photoresist layer 214 is removed to facilitate subsequent operations. This method also prevents the metal traces' width from being affected by misalignment when forming other film layers on the metal traces.

[0083] The touch screen manufacturing method disclosed in the present invention improves the adhesion and line width limit of the metal traces, further reduces the width of the frame, enables the touch screen to have a high screen-to-body ratio, and improves the performance and service life of the touch screen.

[0084] This exemplary embodiment also provides a display device such as Figure 6As shown, the display device 600 includes a touch screen 601. The touch screen 601 is formed using the touch screen manufacturing method disclosed herein. The display device 600 can be a product or component with a display function, such as a liquid crystal display, electronic paper, an OLED display, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a television, a laptop computer, a digital photo frame, or a navigator.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the appended claims.

[0086] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a touch screen, characterized in that: include: Providing a substrate, the substrate comprising a display area and a non-display area located around the display area; forming a first transparent conductive layer and a metal film layer in sequence on the substrate; forming a first photoresist pattern layer on the metal film layer, wherein the pattern of the first photoresist pattern layer corresponds to the metal wiring pattern of the non-display area, and the first photoresist pattern layer is disposed on the non-display area; Etching the metal film layer through the first photoresist pattern layer to form the metal traces; forming a second photoresist pattern layer on the first transparent conductive layer in the display area, using the second photoresist pattern layer and the metal traces as a protective layer, and etching the first transparent conductive layer to form a first transparent conductive pattern in the display area and a transparent conductive pattern located below the metal traces in the non-display area; forming a protective layer on the first transparent conductive pattern and the metal trace; A second transparent conductive layer is formed on the protection layer in the display area.

2. The method for manufacturing a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate is one of a COP substrate, a PI substrate and a glass substrate.

3. The method for manufacturing a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein: The first transparent conductive layer is any one of ITO, FZO, AZO, FTO, GZO, and IMO.

4. The method for manufacturing a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein: The metal wiring is made of flexible metal material.

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