Conductive Structure with CO2 Darkening Layer for Touch Screens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch screen panels face challenges with high surface resistance in large-area applications, leading to decreased touch recognition speed and visibility issues due to reflectivity and glare, particularly with metal fine patterns, which require additional layers to reduce reflection and improve concealment.
Innovation Solution
A conductive structure body is developed with a metal layer and a darkening layer formed using reactive sputtering with CO2, where the darkening layer includes CuOx and has a specific composition to reduce reflectivity and enhance absorbance, improving visibility and stability compared to conventional methods using O2.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal layer is used as the conductive pattern in large-area touch screen panels, then conductivity is improved, but reflection and glare increase, reducing visibility
Solution Approach 1:
A darkening layer is introduced as an intermediary between the metal layer and the external environment. This darkening layer absorbs reflected light and reduces glare, allowing the metal layer to maintain its high conductivity while eliminating the harmful visual effects of reflection and glare.
Solution Approach 2:
The darkening layer changes the optical appearance of the conductive pattern by absorbing light and reducing reflectivity. This color/darkness change allows the metal layer to remain conductive while becoming visually less prominent and reducing glare for the user.
2Ease of manufacture
If reactive sputtering using O2 is used to form the darkening layer, then the darkening layer can be formed, but high-temperature denaturation occurs, reducing stability
Solution Approach 1:
The reactive gas parameter is changed from O2 to CO2 in the sputtering process. This parameter change fundamentally alters the chemical composition of the darkening layer, preventing high-temperature denaturation while maintaining the darkening effect. The CO2-based darkening layer remains stable under high-temperature conditions where O2-based layers would degrade.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the darkening layer is formed with conventional methods, then visibility can be improved, but deposition rate is reduced, lowering productivity
Solution Approach 1:
Changing the reactive gas from O2 to CO2 in the sputtering process simultaneously improves visibility by forming an effective darkening layer and increases deposition rate. This parameter change eliminates the trade-off between visibility improvement and productivity, allowing both goals to be achieved together.
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
The solution provides a stable darkening layer that enhances visibility by reducing reflection and improving concealment, allowing for faster touch recognition and easier large-area touch screen panel implementation with improved productivity and visibility.
Implementation Method 1
improve absorbance... prevent reflection by the conductive pattern and improve concealment of the conductive pattern by improving absorbance
Implementation Method 2
forming of the darkening layer is performed by reactive sputtering using CO2
Data Source
AI summary
The present application relates to a conductive structure body and a manufacturing method thereof. The method for manufacturing the conductive structure body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application includes forming a metal layer on a substrate and forming a darkening layer on the metal layer, in which the forming of the darkening layer is performed by reactive sputtering using CO2.