Flexible Touch Screen Panel with Etched Glass and Polymer Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capacitive touch screen panels face challenges in achieving flexibility due to the thickness requirements of glass substrates, which hinder their application on flexible flat display devices, and current fabrication methods do not adequately address the need for thin, flexible, and strong touch screen panels.
Innovation Solution
A method of fabricating touch screen panels by etching the glass substrate in the thickness direction, forming sensing patterns on a mother glass substrate, and using a supporting film with dual cutting to maintain flexibility and strength, while minimizing thickness and preventing cracks, involving the use of transparent resins and adhesive layers for attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the glass substrate thickness is reduced to achieve flexibility, then the flexibility is improved, but the strength and crack resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining a thin glass substrate (20-50μm) with a polymer supporting film (50-200μm) to achieve both flexibility and strength. The glass substrate provides flexibility while the polymer film provides mechanical support and crack resistance, creating a composite material system that resolves the contradiction between thinness and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer supporting film acts as an intermediary element between the thin glass substrate and the external environment. This intermediate layer bears the mechanical stress and prevents crack propagation in the glass substrate, allowing the glass to remain thin while maintaining overall structural strength.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the glass substrate thickness is reduced to achieve flexibility, then the flexibility is improved, but the crack resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of glass substrate combined with polymer supporting film provides crack resistance. The polymer film has higher toughness and can absorb crack energy, preventing cracks from propagating through the thin glass substrate, thus maintaining reliability while achieving flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer supporting film provides beforehand cushioning by being positioned beneath the glass substrate to prevent crack formation and propagation. This intermediate layer acts as a cushion that absorbs mechanical stress before it can cause cracks in the glass, ensuring crack resistance in the flexible display device.
3Productivity
If dual cutting is used to cut cell by cell, then the productivity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mother glass substrate into multiple individual display devices through dual cutting processes. This segmentation allows for efficient production where multiple units are created from a single large substrate, improving productivity. The dual cutting approach (first cutting glass substrate, second cutting polymer film) enables systematic division while maintaining organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by first forming all sensing patterns, electrodes, and other components on the mother glass substrate before performing the dual cutting process. This preliminary preparation allows for efficient batch production where multiple display devices are prepared simultaneously, then divided into individual units through the dual cutting process, thereby improving productivity.
4Length of stationary object
If the glass substrate is etched in the thickness direction, then the thickness is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thickness parameter of the glass substrate from conventional thick glass (hundreds of micrometers) to thin glass (20-50μm) through controlled etching processes. This parameter change achieves the desired flexibility while the controlled etching parameters (etchant concentration, exposure time, temperature) are optimized to maintain manufacturing precision and avoid excessive thinning or damage.
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 approach results in a flexible and strong touch screen panel with reduced thickness, suitable for flexible flat display devices, ensuring improved productivity and ultimate strength by preventing minute cracks and maintaining high heat and chemical resistance.
Implementation Method 1
etching the glass substrate in the thickness direction
Implementation Method 2
a first transparent adhesive layer between the second surface of the glass substrate and the supporting film
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4A
Figure 4B~4F
AI summary
A flexible and very thin touch screen panel is implemented by forming sensing patterns as touch sensors on a first surface of a flexible thin glass substrate and by forming a supporting film on a second surface of the glass surface. A method of fabricating a touch screen panel for securing the strength of a unit cell touch screen panel includes forming sensing patterns as touch sensors in every unit cell touch screen panel on a mother glass substrate, etching the glass substrate in the thickness direction, forming a supporting film under the glass substrate, and by cutting the glass substrate and the supporting film cell by cell using dual cutting.