White color coating layer-formed touch screen panel and white color coating layer vacuum coating method of touch screen panel

Abstract

Disclosed is a white coating layer-formed touch screen panel. The coating layer includes a glass substrate, a white coating layers selectively formed on an edge portion of the glass substrate, a black color coating layer selectively formed on an edge portion, and a transparent conductive layer formed on the glass substrate including the edge portion.

Claims

1. A method of forming a touch screen panel comprising: forming a mask layer at a center portion of a back surface of a glass substrate of the touch screen panel except an edge portion; foil ling a protruded portion by sand-processing or etching the back surface of the glass substrate on the edge portion; forming a white coating layer on the protruded portion by a vacuum deposition method or a sputtering method; forming a reflective layer on the white coating layer by a sputtering method; forming a black coating layer on the reflective layer by a sputtering method; removing the mask layer; forming an insulating layer on the center portion and the edge portion by a sputtering method; and forming a transparent conductive layer on the insulating layer by a sputtering method.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a size of the protruded portion is smaller than 500 mesh.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the white coating layer is one selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, TiO2, SrO2, Al2O3 and Y2O3.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer is one selected from the group consisting of Ag and Al.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the black coating layer is one selected from the group consisting of TiO+SiO and TiO2+SiO2.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is SiO2.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive layer is ITO.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a touch screen panel manufactured by a vacuum deposition coating method according to the inventive concept.

(2) FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a vacuum deposition coating method according to the inventive concept.

(3) FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an arrangement of a vacuum deposition apparatus according to the inventive concept.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating an inner construction of a vacuum deposition apparatus wherein a sputter module, a linear ion source and a thermal evaporation source are installed according to the inventive concept.

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic cut-away view illustrating a vacuum deposition apparatus wherein a sputter module, a linear ion source and a thermal evaporation source are installed according to the inventive concept.

(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic disassembled view illustrating a vacuum deposition apparatus wherein a sputter module, a linear ion source and a thermal evaporation source are installed according to the inventive concept.

(7) FIG. 7 is a schematic plane view illustrating a vacuum deposition apparatus wherein a sputter module, a linear ion source and a thermal evaporation source are installed according to the inventive concept.

(8) FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) The inventive concept is directed to a white color coating layer-formed touch screen panel. The white color coating layer-formed touch screen panel according to the inventive concept includes a coating layer i formed on a back surface of a glass plate 10 by a vacuum coating method. The coating layer is formed to have a different configuration at a central portion and a rim portion of the back surface of the glass plate 10. In the coating layer of the central portion, an insulating layer such as SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and an transparent conductive layer such as ITO and ZTO coating layer 60 are sequentially formed. The coating layer on the rim portion is a white color coating layer. On the glass plate 10 on the rim portion, a white coating layer such as a MgO coating layer 20, a reflective layer such as an Ag coating layer 30, a black coating such as TiO+SiO and SiO.sub.2+SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 coating layer 40, an insulating layer such as SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and a transparent conductive layer such as an ITO coating layer 60 are sequentially formed.

(10) The SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and the ITO coating layer 60 are formed over the central portion of the back surface of the glass plate and the rim portions.

(11) Instead of the MgO coating layer 20, a white oxide such as a CaO, TiO.sub.2, SrO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and Y.sub.2O.sub.3 may be formed.

(12) Instead of the Ag coating layer 30, an Al coating layer may be formed.

(13) The white color coating layer may be formed by a vacuum coating method. The vacuum coating method may include masking part of a back surface of a glass plate 10 of a touch screen panel by a mask; forming a protruded portion in the glass plate 10 by sand-processing or etching on which the mask is not covered; forming a MgO coating layer 20 by a vacuum deposition method or a sputtering method; forming an Ag coating layer 30 by a sputtering method; forming a TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2±TiO.sub.2 layer 40 by a sputtering method; removing the mask; forming a SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 by a sputtering method on the whole portions of a back surface of the glass plate 10 including a portion coated by the TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 layer; and forming an ITO coating layer 60 by a sputtering method on the whole portions of the SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50.

(14) The glass plate 10 may be quadrangle. The mask may be quadrangle too.

(15) The grain size of the protruded portion may be smaller than 500 mesh.

(16) In the step for forming the MgO coating layer 20, a coating layer of white oxide such as CaO, TiO.sub.2, SrO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and Y.sub.2O.sub.3 may be formed instead of MgO.

(17) In the step for forming the Ag coating layer 30, the Al coating layer may be formed instead of Ag.

(18) The exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept will be described in details with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a touch screen panel manufactured by a vacuum deposition coating method according to the inventive concept. FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a vacuum deposition coating method according to the inventive concept. FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an arrangement of a vacuum deposition apparatus according to the inventive concept. FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating an inner construction of a vacuum deposition apparatus wherein a sputter module, a linear ion source and a thermal evaporation source are installed according to the inventive concept. FIG. 5 is a schematic cut-away view illustrating a vacuum deposition apparatus wherein a sputter module, a linear ion source and a thermal evaporation source are installed according to the inventive concept. FIG. 6 is a schematic disassembled view illustrating a vacuum deposition apparatus wherein a sputter module, a linear ion source and a thermal evaporation source are installed according to the inventive concept. FIG. 7 is a schematic plane view illustrating a vacuum deposition apparatus wherein a sputter module, a linear ion source and a thermal evaporation source are installed according to the inventive concept. FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 7.

(19) In the white color coating layer-formed touch screen panel according to the inventive concept, the coating layer formed by a vacuum coating method is sequentially formed on a back surface of a glass plate 10. In the coating layer, the heights of the central portion and the rim portion of the back surface of the glass plate 10 are different.

(20) In the coating layer of the central portion, there are sequentially formed a SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and an ITO coating layer 60, and in the coating layer of the rim portion which is a white color coating layer, there are formed a MgO coating layer 20, an Ag coating layer 30, a TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 coating layer 40, a SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and an ITO coating layer 60.

(21) In addition, the SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and the ITO coating layer 60 are formed by a vacuum coating method over the central portion of the back surface of the glass plate and the whole rim portions.

(22) In the inventive concept, part of the back surface of the touch screen panel glass plate 10 except the rim portions is first covered by a mask. The mask is formed using a metallic plate or a silk screen printing. The portions which are not masked in the back surface of the glass are sand-processed or etched thereby forming a protruded portion. The reason the protruded portion is formed is that light may be well scattered by the protruded portion.

(23) The MgO coating layer 20 is formed by coating, by a vacuum deposition method or a sputtering method, after forming the protruded portion. The MgO has white color because scattered light from the protruded portion is incident on the MgO. The MgO is white oxide. Instead of using the MgO, one white oxide selected from the group consisting of CaO, TiO.sub.2, SrO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and Y.sub.2O.sub.3 may be used.

(24) A reflective coating layer such as Ag coating layer 30 is formed by a sputtering method on the MgO coating layer. Here, the Ag coating layer 30 may prevent white light from being incident on a glass surface of the front surface opposite to the back surface.

(25) Without the reflective coating layer, the white light may leak and it is impossible to obtain an accurate white color with the aid of the protruded portion and the MgO coating layer because the light is interfered with the leaking light. The Al coating layer may be formed by a sputtering method instead of Ag.

(26) Next, the TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 layer 40 is formed by a sputtering method on the Ag coating layer 30. The TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 layer is called as a black coating because it has black color and a non-conductive characteristic. Next, the mask is removed, and a SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 is formed by a sputtering method over the whole portions of the back surface of the glass plate 10 including the TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 layer.

(27) In the final step, the ITO coating layer 60 is formed by a sputtering method over the whole portions of the SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50.

(28) In the inventive concept, the glass plate 10 of the touch screen panel may be quadrangle. The mask may be a quadrangle and covers the central portion except the rims of the glass plate 10.

(29) The grain size of the protruded portion which is sand-processed or etched is smaller than 500 mesh.

(30) The manufacturing method according to the inventive concept will be described in details.

(31) Part of the back surface of the glass plate is covered by a mask. The masking process is performed using a metallic plate or a silk screen printing. If the metallic plate is used as a masking material, a magnet is attached to the front surface of the glass so that the metallic plate is fixed to the back surface of the glass, thus, the mask is not disengaged from the back surface.

(32) The back surface of the glass where is not covered by the mask is sand-processed or etched. Scattered reflection of incident light occurs on the sand-processed or etched surface. The sand-processed or etched surface may help scattering of incident light. Thereafter, the coating is performed. The protrusion where is sand-processed or etched should be smaller than 500 mesh.

(33) MgO is first coated by either a vacuum deposition or sputtering method. Thereafter, Ag is coated by a sputtering method.

(34) The black coating is obtained by coating TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 by a sputtering method.

(35) SiO.sub.2 is coated by a sputtering method on the whole portions of the back surface of the glass plate. Here, SiO.sub.2 coating is performed for the sake of insulation effect and translucency.

(36) In addition, ITO conductive coating is coated by a sputtering method on the SiO.sub.2-coated portion. The ITO coating is performed for the sake of conductive effects.

(37) The inventive concept will be described with regard to a manufacturing apparatus. The coating of the white color coating may be performed using an apparatus having a LIS (Linear Ion Source), a thermal source and a sputter module.

(38) Alternatively, it may be possible to provide other equipment which has the same function as the above-described function and implement through other processes. It is efficient and economical to perform necessary procedures in one apparatus having the LIS (Linear Ion Source), the thermal source and the sputter module in one vacuum chamber.

(39) The LIS is used for pretreatment. The sand-processed glass is inputted in the vacuum chamber and is cleaned by means of the LIS.

(40) After the cleaning is performed using the LIS, MgO is coated by a vacuum deposition or sputtering method using the thermal source installed at the center. After the MgO is coated, Ag is coated by a sputtering method, and a TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 which is the black coating layer is coated thereon by a sputtering method.

(41) The white color coating of the inventive concept will be described. When light is scanned onto the back surface of the glass, the transmissivity of light is 0% due to the black layer. On the contrary, when light is scanned onto the front surface of the glass, the light does not transmit due to the Ag layer and reflects substantially 100%. In addition, the reflected light turns white light due to scattered reflection effects against the MgO layer and the sand-processed glass surface.

(42) The thickness of the white color coating layer is below 4.5 μm, and resistance is equal to or above 70/cm.sup.2, and the average transmissivity is below 0.3%.

(43) For the sake of efficient coating, the vacuum coating apparatus used in the inventive concept may be equipped with a resistive thermal evaporation source at the center of the chamber.

(44) The linear ion source is installed on a wall of the chamber, so the pretreatment process of the sample using Ar and the cleaning process are performed.

(45) In addition, the sputtering method used in the inventive concept is a typical sputtering technology. Ar positive ions generated in the plasma state are accelerated toward the target placed on the cathode by means of the electric field applied to the cathode installed in the sputter module and collide with the target, so the atoms of the target sputters on to the glass plate 10.

(46) The sputtering does not have a heating procedure and even a high melting metal like tungsten may be deposited without an aid of heat. A metal may be heated and evaporated in a typical vacuum deposition method. However, in case of an alloy, the vapor pressures of the components of the alloy are different, which may make it difficult to make a deposition of the alloy using an evaporation method. On the contrary, the sputtering may be used to form a thin metal as well as an inorganic substance like quartz.

(47) The sputtering apparatus comprises a double-pole electrode and performs a flow discharge while emitting Ar gas. The substance to be deposited is made into a circular or rectangular target. When negative high voltage is applied to the target, target atoms sputtered due to the collisions of Ar.sup.+ ion are collected on a surface of the substrate thereby a thin layer may be formed.

(48) Since the flying speed of the target atoms in the sputtering method are 100 times faster than in the evaporation which is the vacuum deposition method, an adhering strength of the thin layer and the substrate is strong. In addition to the double pole sputtering, there are a quadrupole sputtering method wherein plasma generates by a cathode and an anode between the substrate and the target, a RF method which uses a high frequency, and a magnetron sputtering method which uses a magnetic field.

(49) The basic principles of the sputtering method and the resistive heating method are described in the Korean patent registration number 20-0185068 which was filed by the same applicant as the subject invention and was issued and discloses the basic principles of the sputtering method and the resistive heating method. According to the above-mentioned disclosure, the target to be sputtered is installed at the cathode of the sputter module using a clamp.

(50) Here, the evaporator is configured to perform coating by melting and evaporating a predetermined coating substance by the resistive heating method or the electron beam method. A deposited substance may be deposited by sputtering and dispersing of the coating substance.

(51) The resistive heating method uses a heating method wherein Joule's heat generates by flowing current through a resistor. Here, both a direct method of heating by directly flowing current through a substance and an indirect method of transferring the heat of a heating substance to a heated substance by means of a radiation and convection method may be used.

(52) The plasma or glow discharges are characterized in that a plasma or glow discharge band are formed by means of an inert gas and a low pressure and voltage spark supplied from an electric power supply apparatus between the above mentioned discharge means. In this state, an inner cylinder rotates, and a coating portion of a substance to be coated mounted on a holder is passed through the discharge band for thereby performing a coating. At the same time, a coating substance melted by the sputtering target and the evaporator disperses or sputters, so a thin layer in a multiple structure is formed on the deposited substance.

(53) The deposition process of the substance may be summarized as follows. The substrate to be deposited is mounted on the holder of the inner cylinder. The vacuum deposition chamber is vacuum-exhausted using a vacuum exhaustion apparatus such as vacuum pump. When the interior of the chamber becomes a vacuum state, the inner cylinder with the holder is rotated. A deposition substance which is melted and dispersed from the evaporator, and is sputtered from the sputtering target is uniformly deposited on the surface of the substance to be deposited.

(54) The inventive concept includes the white color coating layer of the touch screen panel by a vacuum coating method which is thin and durable, and have few defect.

(55) In the touch screen panel wherein a white color coating layer is formed according to the inventive concept, the coating layers are sequentially coated on a back surface of the glass panel in the touch screen panel. The coating layers are formed in such a way that the central portion and the rim portion of the back surface of the glass plate 10 are differently coated.

(56) The coating layers of the central portion are formed in such a way that a SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and an ITO coating layer 60 are sequentially formed. The coating layers of the rim portion are a white color layer including MgO coating layer 20, an Ag coating layer 30, a TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 coating layer 40, a SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and an ITO coating layer 60 which are sequentially formed.

(57) In addition, the SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 and the ITO coating layer 60 are formed in the central portion and the whole rim portions of the back surface of the glass plate.

(58) In the inventive concept, part of the back surface of the touch screen panel glass plate 10 is first covered by a mask. The masking is performed using a metallic plate or a silk screen printing. The portion of the back surface of the glass which is not covered by the mask is sand-processed or etched for thereby forming a protruded portion. The reason that the protruded portion is formed is that light may be easily scattered by the protruded portions.

(59) Next, a white metal layer such as a MgO coating layer 20 is selectively formed on the rim portion by a vacuum deposition method or a sputtering method on a back surface of the glass where the protruded portions are formed by sand-processing and etching. MgO is combined with the scattering light of the protruded portions and turns white color. MgO is a white color oxide. Instead of MgO, any of CaO, TiO.sub.2, SrO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, etc. may be used.

(60) Next, the Ag coating layer 30 is selectively formed by a sputtering method on the rim portion by coating Ag on the MgO coating layer. Here, the Ag coating layer 30 may prevent white light from being incident on a glass surface of the top.

(61) Without the reflective coating layer, the white light leaks and it is impossible to obtain an accurate white color with the aid of the protruded portion and the MgO coating layer because the light is interfered with the leaking light. The Al coating layer may be formed by a sputtering method instead of Ag.

(62) Next, the TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 layer 40 is selectively formed on the rim portion by a sputtering method on the Ag coating layer 30. The TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 layer is called as a black coating. Next, the mask is removed, and a SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50 is formed by a sputtering method over the whole portions of the back surface of the glass plate 10 including the TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 layer.

(63) In the final step, the ITO coating layer 60 is formed by a sputtering method over the whole portions of the SiO.sub.2 coating layer 50.

(64) In the inventive concept, the glass plate 10 of the touch screen panel is quadrangle. The mask may be a quadrangle and covers the central portion except for the rims of the glass plate 10.

(65) The grain size of the protruded portion which is sand-processed or etched is smaller than 500 mesh.

(66) The manufacturing method according to the inventive concept will be described in details.

(67) Part of the back surface of the glass plate is covered by a mask. The masking process is performed using a metallic plate or a silk screen printing. If the metallic plate is used as the mask, a magnet is attached to the front surface of the glass so that the metallic plate is fixed to the back surface of the glass, thus, the mask is not disengaged from the back surface.

(68) The back surface of the glass where is not covered by the mask is sand-processed or etched. Scattered reflection of incident light occurs on the sand-processed or etched surface. The sand-processed or etched surface may help scattering of incident light. Thereafter, the coating is performed. The protrusion where is sand-processed or etched should be smaller than 500 mesh.

(69) MgO is first coated by either a vacuum deposition or sputtering method. Thereafter, Ag is coated by a sputtering method.

(70) The black coating is obtained by coating TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 by a sputtering method.

(71) SiO.sub.2 is coated by a sputtering method on the whole portions of the back surface of the glass plate. Here, SiO.sub.2 coating is performed for the sake of insulation effect and translucency.

(72) In addition, ITO conductive coating is coated by a sputtering method on the SiO.sub.2-coated portion. The ITO coating is performed for the sake of conductive effects.

(73) The inventive concept will be described with regard to a manufacturing apparatus. The coating of the white color coating may be performed using an apparatus having a LIS (Linear Ion Source), a thermal source and a sputter module.

(74) Alternatively, it may be possible to provide other equipment which has the same function as the above-described function and implement through other processes. It is more efficient and economical to perform necessary procedures having the LIS (Linear Ion Source), the thermal source and the sputter module in one vacuum chamber.

(75) The LIS is used for pretreatment. The sand-processed glass is inputted in the vacuum chamber and is cleaned by means of the LIS.

(76) After the cleaning is performed using the LIS, MgO is coated by a vacuum deposition or sputtering method using the thermal source installed at the center. After the MgO is coated, Ag is coated by a sputtering method, and a TiO+SiO or SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2 which is the black coating layer is coated thereon by a sputtering method.

(77) The white color coating of the inventive concept will be described. When light is scanned onto the back surface of the glass, the transmissivity of light is 0% due to the black layer. On the contrary, when light is scanned onto the front surface of the glass, the light does not transmit due to the Ag layer and reflects substantially 100%. In addition, the reflected light turns white light due to scattered reflection effects against the MgO layer and the sand-processed glass surface.

(78) The thickness of the white color coating layer is below 4.5 μm, and resistance is equal to or above 7 Ω/cm.sup.2, and the average transmissivity is below 0.3%.

(79) For the sake of efficient coating, the vacuum coating apparatus used in the inventive concept may be equipped with a resistive thermal evaporation source at the center of the chamber.

(80) The linear ion source is installed on a wall of the chamber, so the pretreatment process of the sample using Ar and the cleaning process are performed.

(81) In addition, the sputtering method used in the inventive concept is a typical sputtering technology Ar positive ions generated in the plasma state are accelerated toward the target placed on the cathode by means of the electric field applied to the cathode installed in the sputter module and collides with the target, so the atoms of the target sputters onto the glass plate 10.

(82) The sputtering does not have a heating procedure and even a high melting metal like tungsten may be deposited without an aid of heat. A metal may be heated and evaporated in a typical vacuum deposition method. However, in case of an alloy, the vapor pressures of the components of the alloy are different, which may make it difficult to make a deposition of the alloy using an evaporation. On the contrary, the sputtering may be used to form a thin metal as well as an inorganic substance like quartz.

(83) The sputtering apparatus comprises a double-pole electrode and performs a flow discharge while emitting Ar gas. The substance to be deposited is made into a circular or rectangular target. When negative high voltage is applied to the target, target atoms sputtered due to the collisions of Ar.sup.+ ion are collected on a surface of the substrate thereby a thin layer may be formed.

(84) Since the flying speed of the target atoms in the sputtering method are 100 times faster than in the evaporation which is the vacuum deposition method, an adhering strength of the thin layer and the substrate is strong. In addition to the double pole sputtering, there are a quadrupole sputtering method wherein plasma generates by a cathode and an anode between the substrate and the target, a RF method which uses a high frequency, and a magnetron sputtering method which uses a magnetic field.

(85) The basic principles of the sputtering method and the resistive heating method are described in the Korean patent registration number 20-0185068 which was filed by the same applicant as the subject invention and was issued and discloses the basic principles of the sputtering method and the resistive heating method. According to the above-mentioned disclosure, the target to be sputtered is installed at the cathode of the sputter module using a clamp.

(86) Here, the evaporator is configured to perform coating by melting and evaporating a predetermined coating substance by the resistive heating method or the electron beam method. A deposited substance may be deposited by sputtering and dispersing of the coating substance.

(87) The resistive heating method uses a heating method wherein Joule's heat generates by flowing current through a resistor. Here, both a direct method of heating by directly flowing current through a substance and an indirect method of transferring the heat of a heating substance to a heated substance by means of a radiation and convection method may be used.

(88) The plasma or glow discharges are characterized in that a plasma or glow discharge band are formed by means of an inert gas and a low pressure and voltage spark supplied from an electric power supply apparatus between the above mentioned discharge means. In this state, an inner cylinder rotates, and a coating portion of a substance to be coated mounted on a holder is passed through the discharge band for thereby performing a coating. At the same time, a coating substance melted by the sputtering target and the evaporator disperses or sputters, so a thin layer in a multiple structure is formed on the deposited substance.

(89) The deposition process of the substance may be summarized as follows. The substrate to be deposited is mounted on the holder of the inner cylinder. The vacuum deposition chamber is vacuum-exhausted using a vacuum exhaustion apparatus such as vacuum pump. When the interior of the chamber becomes a vacuum state, the inner cylinder with the holder is rotated. A deposition substance which is melted and dispersed from the evaporator, and is sputtered from the sputtering target is uniformly deposited on the surface of the substance to be deposited.

(90) The inventive concept providing the touch screen panel which is thin, simple manufacturing procedures, and low manufacturing cost by vacuum depositing the white color coating layer of the touch screen panel.