Proximity sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10205035-B2
Application number	US-201214007740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2012
Priority date	Apr 1, 2011
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic proximity sensor having a decorative surface, characterized in that the decorative surface comprises a semiconductor layer, the thickness of which is between 10 nm and 100 nm. This coating imparts a desired metallic appearance to the proximity sensor, without the property thereof as a proximity sensor being lost.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Method for producing an electronic proximity sensor, having the steps of:
providing a capacitive proximity sensor having a sensor surface, and
coating the sensor surface with a semiconductor layer, the thickness of which is between 10 nm and 100 nm, wherein the coating is achieved by a vacuum process,
wherein the semiconductor layer is a silicon layer or a germanium layer or a layer consisting of silicon and germanium, and
wherein the electronic proximity sensor has a decorative surface with a metallic appearance.

2. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the vacuum process comprises at least one of PVD and CVD process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer is a layer component of a layer system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer is a layer component of a layer system and the layer system is structured as alternating layer system comprising at least one semiconductor layer and one dielectric layer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the semiconductor layer is a Si-layer and the dielectric layer is a SiO 2 -layer.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the semiconductor layer comprises germanium and the dielectric layer is a SiO 2 -layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a primer of UV acryl lacquer is first applied onto the surface.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a top layer of UV acryl lacquer is applied.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the vacuum process includes or is magnetron sputtering.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein germanium and silicon oxide are alternately formed.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one semiconductor layer comprises silicon and germanium combined, and the one dielectric layer comprises silicon oxide.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decorative surface comprises an entire decorative surface.

Assignees

• Keckes Antal
• Schuler Peter
• Hermann Thomas
• Oerlikon Surface Solutions Ag Pfaeffikon

Inventors

• Keckes Antal
• Schuler Peter
• Hermann Thomas

Classifications

• H03K17/96 Primary

  Touch switches (specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08) · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• H03K17/955 Primary

  using a capacitive detector · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• H03K2217/960755

  Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches · CPC title