Capacitive Touch Panel Busbar Fabrication via Laser Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing processes for projective capacitive touch panels are complex, environmentally damaging, and costly, with a high likelihood of errors due to the small size and numerous steps involved in forming busbar structures, leading to defective products.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using inkjet printing to deposit a conducting border region followed by laser ablation to create discrete electrical busbars and electrodes, reducing the complexity and environmental impact while improving reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional manufacturing processes are used to form busbar structures, then electrical connections can be established, but the processes become complex, environmentally damaging, and costly with high error rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical deposition and lithography processes with laser ablation technology. The laser beam directly removes material to form busbar structures, eliminating the need for complex multi-step mechanical processes and reducing manufacturing complexity while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach by using laser parameters (power, pulse duration, scan speed) to control the ablation process. This allows precise formation of busbars with optimized electrical conductivity and geometric dimensions, reducing errors and improving product reliability
2Reliability
If multiple manufacturing steps are used to form busbars, then electrical connections can be achieved, but the production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate manufacturing steps into a single laser ablation process. The laser beam can simultaneously form multiple busbars and electrode patterns in one continuous operation, dramatically increasing production speed while maintaining electrical connection reliability through precise parameter control
3Reliability
If conventional deposition methods are used, then busbar structures can be formed, but environmental damage and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful laser energy into a beneficial ablation process that precisely removes material to form busbars. This eliminates the need for harmful deposition chemicals and processes, reducing environmental impact while maintaining structural integrity through controlled material removal
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies and cost-reduces the production of projective capacitive touch panels by using inkjet printing and laser ablation to form busbars and electrodes, enhancing the reliability and quality of the final product.
Implementation Method 1
radiating a laser beam onto the conductive films to form partitioning grooves, thereby forming wiring conductive films and electrodes that are partitioned in predetermined shapes by the partitioning grooves
Data Source
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AI summary
A novel method and apparatus for performing the method is disclosed the apparatus comprises a laser (17), at least one ink jet print head (14), means for holding a transparent substrate having a transparent conductive layer, means (22) for adjusting the relative positions of the laser and at least one ink jet print head to the transparent conducting layer (2) and a controller to control the laser and ink jet print head whereby in a first step to inkjet print one or more coarse metal borders (15) onto the deposited TCM layer and in a second step by means of a single laser ablation process, ablating tracks in both the metal border and underlying TCM layer to form a plurality of discrete electrical busbars (12) and optionally also to form electrodes in the remainder of the TCM layer.