A Metal Mesh SENSOR Based on Glass-Attached Metal Mesh and Its Preparation Method

Abstract

This invention discloses a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh and its fabrication method. After double-sided foil deposition on the display glass using vacuum deposition or magnetron sputtering, the sensor circuit is formed in a single step using a photolithography machine. One side has RX lines and the other has TX lines. This method features low impedance, low cost, reduced processing steps, high stability, and short production time. The photolithography machine used can achieve a single-line speed of up to 4000 mm / s during production, resulting in very high efficiency. It can be applied to on-cell, in-cell, bottom-cell, and display cover glass, meeting the usage requirements of these devices. It enables original handwriting and drawing functions while maintaining low impedance, low cost, simplified processes, high stability, short processing cycle, and high production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of electromagnetic handwriting touch screen technology, specifically relating to a metal mesh sensor based on glass-attached metal mesh and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional electromagnetic handwriting sensors typically use substrates such as PET, PCB, and FPC, requiring the addition of silicon steel sheets for interference isolation. This results in complex product structures and manufacturing processes, cumbersome assembly operations, high damage rates, and poor stability.

[0003] Traditional in-cell electromagnetic handwriting sensors typically use PET metal mesh or liquid layer circuitry as the substrate. Using PET metal mesh can easily affect optical performance, significantly impacting light transmittance and requiring a thicker screen.

[0004] Using a liquid crystal layer circuit method adds too many MARK points to the liquid crystal layer of the screen, resulting in many vias in the liquid crystal dot matrix of the screen. This can easily cause poor conductivity of the vias, with an impedance as high as 65-110KΩ, increasing the difficulty of firmware development and resulting in a poor writing experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems in existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh and its preparation method. The metal mesh and glass substrate are fused together at high temperature to form an integral structure, and then photolithography is performed on the metal mesh. This invention can adapt to the usage requirements of on-cell, in-cell, bottom-cell, and display cover glass, realizing the original handwriting writing and drawing functions. At the same time, it has low impedance, low cost, simplified process, strong stability, short processing cycle, and high production efficiency.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0007] A metal mesh sensor based on glass-attached metal mesh includes an upper metal mesh, a glass substrate, and a lower metal mesh arranged sequentially from top to bottom. The upper and lower metal meshes are integrated with the glass substrate into an integral structure through a high-temperature instantaneous fusion process. The external dimensions of the upper and lower metal meshes are greater than or equal to the external dimensions of the glass substrate.

[0008] The central region of the glass substrate is designated as the display area, and the area surrounding the display area is designated as the non-display area.

[0009] The portions of the upper and lower metal mesh corresponding to the display area are respectively formed into SENSOR circuits using photolithography.

[0010] The portions of the upper and lower metal mesh corresponding to the non-display areas are respectively formed into the external leads of the SENSOR circuit through photolithography.

[0011] Furthermore, the glass substrate is rectangular; the upper metal mesh and the lower metal mesh are identical and symmetrically arranged, and the portions of the upper metal mesh and the lower metal mesh corresponding to the display area are respectively formed into different sensor circuits by photolithography; the portions of the upper metal mesh and the lower metal mesh corresponding to the non-display area are respectively formed into a pair of transceiver leads by photolithography.

[0012] Furthermore, the display area is also rectangular, and the non-display area is a rectangular ring;

[0013] The upper metal mesh forms the SENSOR circuit, which is an RX line. The RX line is equipped with multiple horizontal signal units, each of which is connected to an RX external lead. The multiple RX external leads are led out from the side of the RX line.

[0014] The SENSOR circuit formed by the lower metal mesh is a TX line. The TX line is equipped with multiple vertical signal units, and each vertical signal unit is connected to a TX external lead. The multiple TX external leads are led out from the bottom edge of the TX line.

[0015] Furthermore, each of the RX external leads is drawn from the same side of the RX line and extends downwards to the bottom edge of the glass substrate in the non-display area;

[0016] Each of the TX external leads extends in the non-display area to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end of the RX external lead;

[0017] Multiple RX external leads and multiple TX external leads converge at the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end to form an external lead connector.

[0018] Furthermore, each RX lead extends at an angle in the outward and downward direction for a certain distance, and then extends downward to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end.

[0019] Each TX lead extends at an angle downwards and to the left, and then extends horizontally to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end.

[0020] Furthermore, the RX line includes six horizontal signal units, and the TX line includes ten vertical signal units.

[0021] Finally, the metal mesh is made of copper or aluminum. The sheet resistance of the sensor circuit is 1.5Ω to 2Ω. The transparency of the sensor circuit is 80% to 91%. The linewidth of the sensor circuit is 0.02µm to 10µm.

[0022] The present invention also relates to an apparatus for manufacturing the above-mentioned metal mesh SENSOR based on glass-attached metal mesh, comprising a vacuum furnace and multiple sets of steel molds; the multiple sets of steel molds are arranged in the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace;

[0023] Each set of the steel molds is used to position and clamp a set of glass components to be fused, which consist of two layers of metal mesh holding a glass substrate.

[0024] The inner cavity of the vacuum furnace is provided with multiple rows of metal contacts on the top and / or bottom surfaces, which are used to make contact and conduct electricity with the metal mesh of all glass components.

[0025] Each row of metal contacts is used to make contact with the two layers of metal mesh of the glass assembly at the corresponding position; or a row of metal contacts is set on the top and bottom surfaces of the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace at the position of each layer of metal mesh of each group of glass assemblies, and each row of metal contacts makes contact with the layer of metal mesh of the glass assembly at the corresponding position.

[0026] Each row of metal contacts includes one or more metal contacts; or each row of metal contacts is a long strip of metal.

[0027] The wire diameter of the metal mesh is 2-10 μm, and the diameter of each metal contact is 2-4 mm.

[0028] This invention also relates to a method for preparing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh, using the aforementioned equipment for manufacturing the aforementioned metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh, and comprising the following steps:

[0029] S01, Pre-designed SENSOR circuit diagram;

[0030] S02, Material preparation: Cut the glass substrate according to the design requirements;

[0031] S03, cut the upper and lower metal mesh according to the design requirements;

[0032] S04, Surface treatment of the glass substrate: cleaning, degreasing, and dust removal;

[0033] S05, each glass substrate is completely covered and clamped between the upper and lower metal meshes to form a glass assembly, and the glass assembly is fixed and locked by a steel mold.

[0034] S06, close all valves and switches of the vacuum furnace, and confirm that the vacuum furnace is powered off and shut down;

[0035] S07, the steel mold is pushed into the vacuum furnace through a special support frame, so that each layer of metal mesh of each glass component makes contact with a row of metal contacts on the top and bottom surfaces of the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace.

[0036] S08, turn on the vacuum furnace;

[0037] S09, Open the condensate valve, close the air valve, turn on the mechanical pump valve, and evacuate to below 10Pa;

[0038] S10, close the mechanical pump valve and turn on the current heating device;

[0039] S11, slowly heat up for 12-18 minutes, until the temperature reaches 90℃;

[0040] S12 releases a large current, increasing the current to 45-65A, triggering the metal contact current, causing the upper and lower metal meshes to heat up instantly and fuse with the glass substrate.

[0041] S13, open the vent valve to release air;

[0042] S14, after the venting is complete, control the vacuum furnace to cool down for 5 minutes, until the temperature drops to 50°C; to obtain the semi-finished display glass;

[0043] S15, import the SENSOR circuit diagram into the lithography machine;

[0044] S16, the upper metal mesh and the lower metal mesh are photolithographically ...

[0045] In step S12, the current is increased to 55A when releasing the large current.

[0046] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0047] A metal mesh sensor based on glass-attached metal mesh and its fabrication method are disclosed. An upper and lower metal mesh clamp a glass substrate and are fixed by a steel mold. The substrate is then fed into a vacuum furnace via a dedicated support frame. The edges of the upper and lower metal meshes make contact with metal contacts within the vacuum furnace, allowing them to conduct electricity. A large current is released through the metal contacts via the vacuum furnace, causing the upper and lower metal meshes and the glass substrate to heat up instantly and fuse together. A photolithography machine is then used to lithographically etch the upper and lower metal meshes to form RX and TX lines, respectively. This method features low impedance, low cost, reduced processing steps, high stability, and short production time. The photolithography machine used can achieve a single-line speed of up to 4000 mm / s during production, resulting in very high efficiency for high-speed production.

[0048] Low impedance: The sensor is composed of multiple units. In the design, the unit channel is widened to the ideal impedance range based on the wire diameter of the grid line in the channel. The minimum sheet resistance can be controlled at 1.5Ω-2Ω, which can completely control the impedance required by the sensor.

[0049] Improve transparency: During the design process, the thickness of the grid lines in each unit channel is determined according to different specifications and sizes to improve transparency and ensure that the transparency rate is maintained at 80% to 91%. The thickness of the unit grid lines can be adjusted according to customer needs, and the fine grid lines can be 0.02um-10um.

[0050] High signal sensitivity: low impedance, high signal strength;

[0051] Low cost: The upper metal mesh, lower metal mesh and glass substrate are fused into an integral structure at high temperature, which simplifies the process, saves labor costs, reduces losses in etching and bonding processes, and improves the product yield.

[0052] Photolithography of circuits on the upper and lower metal meshes can be applied to on-cell, in-cell, bottom-cell, and display cover glass, adapting to the usage requirements of on-cell, in-cell, bottom-cell, and display cover glass, realizing original handwriting and drawing functions, while having low impedance, low cost, simplified process, strong stability, short processing cycle, and high production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0053] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a metal mesh sensor based on glass-attached metal mesh according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the glass substrate planar structure of the Metal mesh SENSOR based on glass-attached metal mesh according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the SENSOR circuit structure composed of a glass substrate and an upper metal mesh based on a glass-attached metal mesh SENSOR according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the SENSOR circuit structure composed of a glass substrate and a lower metal mesh based on a metal mesh SENSOR according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the Metal mesh SENSOR based on glass-attached metal mesh according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the SENSOR circuit structure formed by the upper metal mesh of the Metal mesh SENSOR based on glass-attached metal mesh according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the SENSOR circuit structure formed by the lower metal mesh of the Metal mesh SENSOR based on glass-attached metal mesh according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a glass assembly consisting of two layers of metal mesh holding a glass substrate, which is used in the second embodiment of the present invention to manufacture a metal mesh SENSOR based on a glass-attached metal mesh. The steel mold is used to position and clamp a set of glass components to be fused, which are composed of two layers of metal mesh holding a glass substrate.

[0061] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of multiple steel molds being filled in a vacuum furnace for the equipment used in Embodiment 2 of the present invention for manufacturing a metal mesh SENSOR based on a glass-attached metal mesh. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0063] like Figures 1-9 As shown, to address the common problems in existing technologies, this invention provides a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh and its preparation method. The overall design scheme is as follows:

[0064] A metal mesh sensor based on glass-attached metal mesh has a main structure in which a glass substrate 1, an upper metal mesh 2, and a lower metal mesh 3 are arranged in order from top to bottom. The central area of ​​the glass substrate 1 is set as the display area 100, and the area around the display area of ​​the glass substrate 1 is the non-display area 200.

[0065] The upper metal mesh 2 and the lower metal mesh 3 are then integrated with the glass substrate 1 into a single structure using a high-temperature instantaneous fusion process. The external dimensions of the upper and lower metal meshes are greater than or equal to the external dimensions of the glass substrate to ensure that the edges of the upper and lower metal meshes can make contact with the device's contacts to conduct current required for the high-temperature instantaneous fusion process.

[0066] Then, using photolithography, the portions of the upper metal mesh 2 and the lower metal mesh 3 corresponding to the display area 100 are respectively photolithographically formed to create the sensor circuit; the portions of the upper metal mesh 2 and the lower metal mesh 3 corresponding to the non-display area 200 are respectively photolithographically formed to create the external leads of the sensor circuit. The photolithography machine used in the photolithography process can be a picosecond green light, ultraviolet, or femtosecond infrared photolithography machine, etc.

[0067] Example 1:

[0068] A metal mesh sensor based on glass-attached metal mesh is provided. The glass substrate 1 adopts a rectangular structure. The upper metal mesh 2 and the lower metal mesh 3 are identical and symmetrically arranged along the central plane of the glass substrate 1. In the subsequent assembly of the glass substrate 1, the upper metal mesh 2 and the lower metal mesh 3 into a glass assembly, which is positioned and clamped by a steel mold and pushed into a vacuum furnace for high-temperature instantaneous fusion to form a semi-finished display glass, and in the process of transporting the semi-finished display glass into the photolithography process and positioning it before photolithography circuits, there is no need to distinguish the directionality, which makes the operation convenient and the process simplified.

[0069] During the photolithography process, the portions of the upper and lower metal mesh corresponding to the display area are respectively formed into different sensor circuits through photolithography, and the portions of the upper and lower metal mesh corresponding to the non-display area are respectively formed into a pair of transceiver leads through photolithography.

[0070] During the photolithography process, either the upper metal mesh or the lower metal mesh can be photolithographically lithographically formed to create RX lines and RX external leads, while the other can be photolithographically lithographically formed to create TX lines and TX external leads.

[0071] Furthermore, the display area 100 is also a rectangular structure, and correspondingly, the non-display area 200 is a rectangular ring structure surrounding the display area 100. Correspondingly, the RX and TX lines are also rectangular. To improve aesthetics and ease of operation, the rectangular structure of the display area can be set to a scaled-down version of the rectangular structure of the glass substrate.

[0072] The SENSOR circuit formed by the upper metal mesh through photolithography is called RX line 21. RX line 21 is provided with multiple horizontal signal units. Each horizontal signal unit is connected to an RX external lead 22. Multiple RX external leads 22 are led out from the side of RX line 21. Each RX external lead 22 is led out from the same side of RX line 21 and extends downward to the bottom edge of the glass substrate in the non-display area.

[0073] The SENSOR circuit formed by the lower metal mesh through photolithography is called TX line 31. TX line 31 is provided with multiple vertical signal units, and each vertical signal unit is connected to a TX external lead 32. Multiple TX external leads 32 are led out from the bottom edge of TX line 31 and extend to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end of the RX external lead in the non-display area.

[0074] Multiple RX external leads 22 and multiple TX external leads 32 converge at the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end to form an external lead connector 4; when the Metal mesh SENSOR based on glass-attached metal mesh of the present invention is installed and used, it can be directly connected to an external electrical connector through the external lead connector 4, making the installation and connection operation convenient, safe and reliable.

[0075] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 As shown, each RX lead extends at an angle outward and downward for a certain distance before continuing downward to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end; each TX lead extends at an angle downward and to the left before continuing horizontally to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end. The structure is simple and compact, small in size and light in weight, with low raw material consumption and low cost.

[0076] Furthermore, in actual operation, the RX line 21 is configured with six lateral signal units and six RX external leads during photolithography. The six lateral signal units are designated as the first lateral signal unit 211, the second lateral signal unit 212, the third lateral signal unit 213, the fourth lateral signal unit 214, the fifth lateral signal unit 215, and the sixth lateral signal unit 216. The six RX external leads are designated as the first RX external lead 221, the second RX external lead 222, the third RX external lead 223, the fourth RX external lead 224, the fifth RX external lead 225, and the sixth RX external lead 226. The RX line 21 receives signals through the six lateral signal units.

[0077] The TX line 31 is configured with ten longitudinal signal units and ten TX external leads during the photolithography process. The ten longitudinal signal units are designated as the first longitudinal signal unit 311, the second longitudinal signal unit 312, the third longitudinal signal unit 313, the fourth longitudinal signal unit 314, the fifth longitudinal signal unit 315, the sixth longitudinal signal unit 316, the seventh longitudinal signal unit 317, the eighth longitudinal signal unit 318, the ninth longitudinal signal unit 319, and the tenth longitudinal signal unit 310. The ten TX external leads are designated as the first TX external lead 321, the second TX external lead 321, the third TX external lead 321, the fourth TX external lead 321, the fifth TX external lead 321, the sixth TX external lead 321, the seventh TX external lead 321, the eighth TX external lead 321, the ninth TX external lead 321, and the tenth TX external lead 321. The TX line 31 transmits signals through the ten longitudinal signal units.

[0078] Finally, the metal mesh can be made of copper or aluminum, and other conductive materials can be selected according to the application requirements, provided that the electrical performance requirements are met.

[0079] During the design of the SENSOR circuit diagram model, based on the multi-unit structure characteristics of the SENSOR circuit, the grid line diameter in the channel is calculated to widen the unit channel to the ideal impedance range. The minimum sheet resistance can be controlled at 1.5Ω-2Ω, which can completely control the impedance required by the sensor.

[0080] The finer the line width, the higher the transparency. Lines within the 15µm range are invisible to the naked eye. Therefore, this application determines the thickness of the grid lines in each unit channel according to different specifications to improve transparency and ensure that the transparency is maintained at 80% to 91%. The thickness of the unit grid lines can be adjusted according to customer needs, and the fine grid lines can be 0.02µm to 15µm.

[0081] Example 2:

[0082] A device for manufacturing the above-mentioned metal mesh SENSOR based on glass-attached metal mesh is provided. The main equipment is a vacuum furnace 400, which is equipped with multiple sets of steel molds. Each set of steel molds can be composed of a front steel mold 5 and a rear steel mold 6. Each set of steel molds can position and clamp a set of glass components 300 to be fused, which are composed of two layers of metal mesh clamping a glass substrate. The structure of the steel mold body and the positioning and clamping mechanism can adopt conventional technical means in the existing electromechanical technology.

[0083] The vacuum furnace has double doors 10 on the front. After each set of steel molds clamps and positions a group of glass components, the furnace doors are opened to allow multiple sets of steel molds to be arranged and filled into the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace. After the steel molds are filled into the inner cavity, it is ensured that the upper edges of the two layers of metal mesh of the glass components are in reliable contact with the inner top surface of the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace, and the lower edges of the two layers of metal mesh of the glass components are in reliable contact with the inner bottom surface of the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace. This ensures reliable contact for subsequent conduction of high current for high-temperature instantaneous fusion. A vacuum furnace control box 9 is installed on the front side of the vacuum furnace, which controls the operating status and parameters of the vacuum furnace.

[0084] Multiple rows of metal contacts 7 are respectively set on the top and / or bottom surfaces of the inner cavity of the 400 vacuum furnace. The multiple rows of metal contacts are in contact with the edges of the two layers of metal mesh of all glass components to conduct electricity, thereby providing the required current for the high-temperature instantaneous fusion process.

[0085] The metal contacts in each row are connected to the two layers of metal mesh of the glass assembly at the corresponding position; or a row of metal contacts is set on the top and bottom surfaces of the vacuum furnace at the position of each layer of metal mesh of each group of glass assemblies, and the metal contacts in each row are connected to the layer of metal mesh of the glass assembly at the corresponding position.

[0086] Each row of metal contacts can be equipped with one or more metal contacts; or each row of metal contacts can be made directly from a long strip of metal with a wire diameter of 2-10µm and a diameter of 2-4mm for each metal contact, or a width of 2-4mm for the metal strip, ensuring that each row of metal contacts can make contact with the metal mesh of the glass assembly for conduction. The structure is simple, easy to operate, stable and reliable.

[0087] The specific structure of the metal contacts or metal strip adopts the conventional conductive contact technology structure in electromechanical products. In actual operation, it can be adapted to the specific structural characteristics of the glass substrate and metal mesh, as well as the structural characteristics of the vacuum furnace.

[0088] Example 3:

[0089] A method for preparing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh is provided, using the aforementioned equipment for manufacturing the aforementioned metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh. The specific operation process is performed according to the following steps:

[0090] S01, Pre-designed SENSOR circuit diagram;

[0091] S02, Material preparation: Cut the glass substrate according to the design requirements;

[0092] S03, cut the upper and lower metal mesh according to the design requirements;

[0093] S04, Surface treatment of the glass substrate: cleaning, degreasing, and dust removal;

[0094] S05, each glass substrate is completely covered and clamped between the upper and lower metal meshes to form a glass assembly, and the glass assembly is fixed and locked by a steel mold.

[0095] S06, close all valves and switches of the vacuum furnace, and confirm that the vacuum furnace is powered off and shut down;

[0096] S07, the steel mold is pushed into the vacuum furnace by a special support frame for arrangement and filling, so that each layer of metal mesh of each glass component makes contact with a row of metal contacts on the top and / or bottom surface of the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace.

[0097] For small-area metal meshes, only one edge needs to make contact with the metal contact to conduct current; for large-area metal meshes with a glass substrate area exceeding 0.8 square meters, both opposite edges need to make contact with the metal contact simultaneously to conduct current, in order to ensure reliable fusion between the metal mesh and the glass substrate.

[0098] The dedicated support frame also adopts the support frame structure used in existing vacuum furnaces, and can be adapted to meet the specific needs of the glass substrate and the internal space of the vacuum furnace.

[0099] S08, turn on the vacuum furnace;

[0100] S09, Open the condensate valve, close the air valve, turn on the mechanical pump valve, and evacuate to below 10Pa;

[0101] S10, close the mechanical pump valve and turn on the current heating device;

[0102] S11, slowly heat up for 15 minutes, until the temperature reaches 90℃;

[0103] S12 releases a large current, increasing the current to 45-65A, triggering the metal contact current, causing the upper and lower metal meshes to heat up instantly and fuse with the glass substrate.

[0104] In actual operation, the current at each metal contact is actually very small, and the wire diameter of the metal mesh is very fine, so the corresponding metal fusion temperature is reached instantly.

[0105] S13, open the vent valve to release air;

[0106] S14, after the venting is complete, control the vacuum furnace to cool down for 5 minutes, until the temperature drops to 50°C; to obtain the semi-finished display glass;

[0107] S15, import the SENSOR circuit diagram into the lithography machine;

[0108] S16, the upper metal mesh and the lower metal mesh are photolithographically ...

[0109] In step S12, when releasing a large current, the current is increased to 55A. This triggers the metal contact current, causing the upper and lower metal meshes to instantly heat up and fuse with the glass substrate. When the materials of the upper and lower metal meshes are aluminum, the instantaneous temperature rises to 660°C; when the materials of the upper and lower metal meshes are copper, the instantaneous temperature rises to 1080°C.

[0110] Because the metal mesh is very fine, the required current is different from that of conventional meshes, and the current at each individual metal contact is not large. When the metal contact current of the vacuum furnace is triggered, the current parameters for the aluminum metal mesh are 1.05A and the temperature parameters for the aluminum metal mesh are 660°C, while the current parameters for the copper metal mesh are 1.5A and the temperature parameters for the copper metal mesh are 1080°C.

[0111] This invention relates to a metal mesh sensor with a glass substrate and its fabrication method. An upper and lower metal mesh clamp a glass substrate and are fixed by a steel mold. The substrate is then fed into a vacuum furnace via a dedicated support frame. The edges of the upper and lower metal meshes make contact with metal contacts within the furnace, allowing them to conduct electricity. A large current is released through the metal contacts via the vacuum furnace, causing the upper and lower metal meshes and the glass substrate to heat up instantly and fuse together. A photolithography machine is then used to lithographically model the upper and lower metal meshes to form RX and TX lines, respectively. This method features low impedance, low cost, reduced processing steps, high stability, and short production time. The photolithography machine used can achieve a single-line speed of up to 4000 mm / s during production, resulting in very high efficiency for high-speed production.

[0112] Low impedance: The sensor is composed of multiple units. In the design, the unit channel is widened to the ideal impedance range based on the wire diameter of the grid line in the channel. The minimum sheet resistance can be controlled at 1.5Ω-2Ω, which can completely control the impedance required by the sensor.

[0113] Improve transparency: During the design process, the thickness of the grid lines in each unit channel is determined according to different specifications and sizes to improve transparency and ensure that the transparency rate is maintained at 80% to 91%. The thickness of the unit grid lines can be adjusted according to customer needs, and the fine grid lines can be 0.02um-10um.

[0114] High signal sensitivity: low impedance, high signal strength;

[0115] Low cost: The upper metal mesh, lower metal mesh and glass substrate are fused into an integral structure at high temperature, which simplifies the process, saves labor costs, reduces losses in etching and bonding processes, and improves the product yield.

[0116] Photolithography of circuits on the upper and lower metal meshes can be applied to on-cell, in-cell, bottom-cell, and display cover glass, adapting to the usage requirements of on-cell, in-cell, bottom-cell, and display cover glass, realizing original handwriting and drawing functions, while having low impedance, low cost, simplified process, strong stability, short processing cycle, and high production efficiency.

[0117] The glass-mounted metal mesh sensor designed in this paper uses a circuit that attaches a metal mesh to the display glass in an additive manner.

[0118] The so-called additive method involves attaching a metal mesh sensor to the display glass. After attaching the metal mesh sensor to the display glass or cover glass, the design circuitry is photolithographically created, with one side being the RX circuitry and the other the TX circuitry. (For example, if the front of the display glass is RX, then the back is TX. The RX and TX of this sensor are unaffected regardless of which side is on the front or back.) The advantages of glass-attached metal mesh sensors include low impedance, low cost, short turnaround time, and significantly improved production efficiency.

[0119] Technical Notes:

[0120] Attaching metal mesh to glass: First, the metal mesh is overlapped with the glass on both sides, secured with a steel mold, and then pushed into a vacuum furnace using a special frame. The edges of the metal mesh on the glass will contact the metal contacts of the vacuum furnace. To prevent the glass from cracking due to high temperatures, a slow heating process is performed, taking about 15 minutes to reach 90 degrees Celsius. Once 90 degrees Celsius is reached, the metal contacts of the vacuum furnace are activated, releasing a large current that instantly (about 1.5 seconds) fuses the metal mesh with both sides of the glass. Then, the vacuum furnace cools down for 5 minutes to about 50 degrees Celsius, completing the entire process. The magnitude of the released current is adjustable depending on the type of metal (due to trade secrets, the specific parameters of the released current required for the high-temperature fusion point of the metal mesh are not described here). The maximum fusion temperature for aluminum metal mesh is around 660 degrees Celsius, and for copper metal mesh it is around 1080 degrees Celsius.

[0121] Low impedance: The sensor is composed of multiple units. In the design, the unit channel is widened to the ideal impedance range based on the wire diameter of the grid line in the channel. The minimum sheet resistance can be controlled at 1.5Ω-2Ω, which can completely control the impedance required by the sensor.

[0122] To improve transparency: The thickness of the grid lines in each unit channel is determined according to different specifications and sizes to improve transparency. The grid lines can be as thin as 0.02um-15um (lines in the 15um range are invisible to the naked eye). The thinner the lines, the higher the transparency.

[0123] High signal sensitivity: This is actually related to the design impedance requirements. If the impedance is high, the signal will attenuate, and if the impedance is low, the signal will be strong.

[0124] Low cost: Due to advancements in design technology, the glass-attached metal mesh sensor reduces the etching and OCA adhesive bonding time and labor costs associated with other manufacturing methods. Furthermore, the production method employed in this invention minimizes losses during etching and bonding, resulting in a very high yield rate. This significantly reduces costs.

[0125] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless specifically defined.

[0126] It should be noted that certain terms are used in this specification and claims to refer to specific elements. Those skilled in the art will understand that different manufacturers or producers may use different terms to refer to the same element. This specification and claims do not distinguish elements based on differences in terminology, but rather on differences in function.

[0127] This invention is not limited to the above-described optional embodiments. Anyone can derive other various forms of products under the guidance of this invention. However, regardless of any changes made in their shape or structure, any technical solution that falls within the scope of the claims of this invention shall be protected by this invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh, the metal mesh sensor comprising an upper metal mesh, a glass substrate, and a lower metal mesh arranged sequentially from top to bottom, wherein the upper metal mesh and the lower metal mesh are integrated with the glass substrate into an integral structure by a high-temperature instantaneous fusion process; the external dimensions of the upper metal mesh and the lower metal mesh are greater than or equal to the external dimensions of the glass substrate; The central region of the glass substrate is designated as the display area, and the area surrounding the display area is designated as the non-display area. The portions of the upper and lower metal mesh corresponding to the display area are respectively formed into SENSOR circuits using photolithography. The portions of the upper and lower metal mesh corresponding to the non-display areas are respectively formed into the external leads of the SENSOR circuit through photolithography. Its features are, The equipment used to manufacture a metal mesh sensor based on glass-attached metal mesh includes a vacuum furnace and multiple sets of steel molds; the multiple sets of steel molds are arranged inside the vacuum furnace. Each set of the steel molds is used to position and clamp a set of glass components to be fused, which consist of two layers of metal mesh holding a glass substrate. The inner cavity of the vacuum furnace is provided with multiple rows of metal contacts on the top and / or bottom surfaces, which are used to make contact and conduct electricity with the metal mesh of all glass components. Each row of metal contacts is used to make contact with the two layers of metal mesh of the glass assembly at the corresponding position; or a row of metal contacts is set on the top and bottom surfaces of the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace at the position of each layer of metal mesh of each group of glass assemblies, and each row of metal contacts makes contact with the layer of metal mesh of the glass assembly at the corresponding position. Each row of metal contacts includes one or more metal contacts; or each row of metal contacts is a long strip of metal. The wire diameter of the metal mesh is 2-15 μm, and the diameter of each metal contact is 2-4 mm; A large current is released through the metal contacts, increasing the current to 45-65A, triggering the metal contact current, which causes the upper and lower metal meshes to heat up instantly and fuse with the glass substrate.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh according to claim 1, characterized in that: The glass substrate is rectangular; the upper and lower metal meshes are identical and symmetrically arranged, and the portions of the upper and lower metal meshes corresponding to the display area are respectively formed into different sensor circuits by photolithography; the portions of the upper and lower metal meshes corresponding to the non-display area are respectively formed into a pair of transceiver leads by photolithography.

3. The apparatus for manufacturing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh according to claim 2, characterized in that: The display area is also rectangular, and the non-display area is a rectangular ring; The upper metal mesh forms the SENSOR circuit, which is an RX line. The RX line is equipped with multiple horizontal signal units, each of which is connected to an RX external lead. The multiple RX external leads are led out from the side of the RX line. The SENSOR circuit formed by the lower metal mesh is a TX line. The TX line is equipped with multiple vertical signal units, and each vertical signal unit is connected to a TX external lead. The multiple TX external leads are led out from the bottom edge of the TX line.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the aforementioned RX external leads is drawn from the same side of the RX line and extends downward to the bottom edge of the glass substrate in the non-display area; Each of the TX external leads extends in the non-display area to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end of the RX external lead; Multiple RX external leads and multiple TX external leads converge at the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end to form an external lead connector.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each RX lead extends at an angle in the outward and downward direction for a certain distance, and then extends downward to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end. Each TX lead extends at an angle downwards and to the left, and then extends horizontally to the bottom edge of the glass substrate near the end.

6. The apparatus for manufacturing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh according to claim 5, characterized in that: The RX line includes six horizontal signal units, and the TX line includes ten vertical signal units.

7. The apparatus for manufacturing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh according to claim 6, characterized in that: The metal mesh is made of copper or aluminum; the sheet resistance of the sensor circuit is 1.5Ω to 2Ω, and the linewidth of the sensor circuit is 0.02um to 15um.

8. A method for preparing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh, characterized in that: The apparatus for manufacturing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh, as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, comprises the following steps: S01, Pre-designed SENSOR circuit diagram; S02, Material preparation: Cut the glass substrate according to the design requirements; S03, cut the upper and lower metal mesh according to the design requirements; S04, Surface treatment of the glass substrate: cleaning, degreasing, and dust removal; S05, each glass substrate is completely covered and clamped between the upper and lower metal meshes to form a glass assembly, and the glass assembly is fixed and locked by a steel mold. S06, close all valves and switches of the vacuum furnace, and confirm that the vacuum furnace is powered off and shut down; S07, the steel mold is pushed into the vacuum furnace through a special support frame, so that each layer of metal mesh of each glass component makes contact with a row of metal contacts on the top and bottom surfaces of the inner cavity of the vacuum furnace. S08, turn on the vacuum furnace; S09, Open the condensate valve, close the air valve, turn on the mechanical pump valve, and evacuate to below 10Pa; S10, close the mechanical pump valve and turn on the current heating device; S11, slowly heat up for 12-18 minutes, until the temperature reaches 90℃; S12 releases a large current, increasing the current to 45-65A, triggering the metal contact current, causing the upper and lower metal meshes to heat up instantly and fuse with the glass substrate. S13, open the vent valve to release air; S14, after the venting is complete, control the vacuum furnace to cool down for 5 minutes, until the temperature drops to 50°C; to obtain the semi-finished display glass; S15, import the SENSOR circuit diagram into the lithography machine; S16, the upper metal mesh and the lower metal mesh are photolithographically ...

9. The method for preparing a metal mesh sensor based on a glass-attached metal mesh according to claim 8, characterized in that: In step S12, the current is increased to 55A when releasing the large current.

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