Method of making touch sensitive device with multilayer electrode and underlayer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9557859-B2
Application number	US-201213489130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2012
Priority date	Jun 9, 2011
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Method of making a touch sensor including one or more multilayer electrodes and an underlayer disposed on a substrate. The underlayer is disposed between the multilayer electrodes and the substrate. The multilayer electrodes including at least two transparent or semitransparent conductive layers separated by a transparent or semitransparent intervening layer. The intervening layer includes electrically conductive pathways between the first and second conductive layers to help reduce interfacial reflections occurring between particular layers in devices incorporating the conducting film or electrode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a sensor component for use in a contact-sensitive device, the method comprising:
patterning a substrate with a lift-off mask to produce patterned substrate;
applying an underlayer layer to the patterned substrate;
applying a multilayer electrode layer to the underlayer layer, wherein the multilayer electrode layer comprises a first transparent or semitransparent conductive layer, a second transparent or semitransparent conductive layer, and a transparent or semitransparent intervening layer located between the first and second conductive layers, the intervening layer including electrically conductive pathways between the first and second conductive layers; and
removing the liftoff mask.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lift-off mask comprises a water-soluble ink.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein removing comprises exposing the patterned substrate to a water-based solution.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is substantially transparent.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the underlayer has an index of refraction different than the substrate layer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the underlayer has an index of refraction different than the multilayer electrode layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the liftoff mask comprises removing the layers above the liftoff mask.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning comprises a negative of a honeycomb pattern.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning comprises a negative of a diamond pattern.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second conductive layers each comprise a transparent or semitransparent conductive oxide.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrically conductive pathways comprise conductive links extending through apertures between the first and second conductive layers.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying an underlayer comprises applying a first sub-layer, then applying a second sub-layer, the first and second sub-layers having indexes of refraction different than one another.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein applying an underlayer further comprises applying a plurality of additional sub-layers.

Assignees

• Bright Clark I
• Lennhoff Nancy S
• Flanzer Mark E
• Brunner Dennis M
• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Bright Clark I
• Lennhoff Nancy S
• Flanzer Mark E
• Brunner Dennis M

Classifications

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/0446 Primary

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/0445

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title