JP6202370B2 - Touch panel sensor, input / output device including touch panel sensor, and method of manufacturing touch panel sensor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel sensor with improved reliability related to electrical insulation. The present invention also relates to an input / output device including a touch panel sensor and a method for manufacturing the touch panel sensor.

  Today, touch panel devices are widely used as input means. The touch panel device includes a touch panel sensor, a control circuit that detects a contact position on the touch panel sensor, wiring, and an FPC (flexible printed circuit board). In many cases, the touch panel device is used together with the display device as an input means for various devices including a display device such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display (for example, a ticket vending machine, an ATM device, a mobile phone, a game machine). ing. In such a device, the touch panel sensor is disposed on the display surface of the display device, thereby enabling extremely direct input to the display device. The area | region which faces the display area of a display apparatus among touch panel sensors is transparent, and this area | region of a touch panel sensor comprises the active area which can detect a contact position (approach position).

  Touch panel devices are classified into various types based on the principle of detecting a contact position (approach position) on a touch panel sensor. In recent years, capacitive touch panel devices have attracted attention because they are optically bright, have good design properties, have a simple structure, and are superior in function. In a capacitively coupled touch panel device, when an external conductor (typically a finger) whose position is to be detected contacts (approaches) the touch panel sensor via a dielectric, a new strange capacitance is generated. The position of the object on the touch panel sensor is detected based on the change in capacitance caused by this strange capacity. The capacitive coupling method includes a surface type and a projection type, but the projection type is attracting attention because it is suitable for multi-touch recognition (multi-point recognition).

  The projected capacitively coupled touch panel sensor includes a dielectric, a transparent conductive pattern formed in the above active area of the dielectric, and an inactive area (so-called frame region) outside the active area of the dielectric. And a formed extraction pattern. The extraction pattern transmits a signal from the transparent conductive pattern to a control circuit provided outside the touch panel sensor, and is generally formed from a material having high conductivity such as metal. On the other hand, the transparent conductive pattern is formed from a material having translucency and a conductive layer, such as a metal oxide.

  As a method of manufacturing a touch panel sensor, first, a laminate including a transparent conductive layer made of a metal oxide for forming a transparent conductive pattern and a metal layer made of a metal for forming a take-out pattern is prepared. In addition, there is known a method of patterning an arbitrary layer of the laminate by a photolithography method or the like (for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, it has been proposed to form an extraction pattern using both a transparent conductive layer and a metal layer in order to reduce the electrical resistance value of the extraction pattern. In this case, of the transparent conductive layer provided on the substrate, the portion arranged in the active area constitutes a transparent conductive pattern, and the portion arranged in the inactive area constitutes a part of the extraction conductive pattern To do. In addition, a metal layer is provided on the transparent conductive layer disposed in the inactive area.

JP 2010-257442 A

  In recent years, it is required to reduce the area of the frame area (inactive area) for the purpose of improving the design and the purpose of expanding the display area of the display device. As one method for reducing the area of the frame region, it is conceivable to reduce the interval between a plurality of extraction patterns provided in the frame region. However, reducing the interval between the extraction patterns means that the difficulty of the patterning process of the transparent conductive layer provided on the substrate is increased. For example, it becomes difficult to completely remove the transparent conductive layer on the substrate between two adjacent extraction patterns, and as a result, a residue of the transparent conductive layer is easily generated between the two adjacent extraction patterns. It is thought that it becomes. In this case, it is conceivable that the metal ions on the metal layer on the transparent conductive layer gradually move due to the electromigration phenomenon or the like, and as a result, the two adjacent extraction patterns are short-circuited.

  An object of this invention is to provide the touch panel sensor which can solve such a subject effectively. Another object of the present invention is to provide an input / output device including a touch panel sensor and a method for manufacturing the touch panel sensor.

  The present invention is a touch panel sensor, and includes a base material including an active area corresponding to a region where a touch position can be detected, a non-active area positioned around the active area, and the active area of the base material. A transparent conductive pattern that is disposed; and an extraction pattern that is disposed in the non-active area of the substrate and connected to the transparent conductive pattern, wherein the extraction pattern includes a metal layer having light shielding properties and conductivity. A transparent conductive layer that is provided so as to be in contact with the surface of the metal layer among the surfaces of the metal layer, and has a light transmitting property and a conductive property, and at an interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer In the touch panel sensor, the width of the transparent conductive layer is smaller than the width of the metal layer.

  In the touch panel sensor according to the present invention, when the width of the transparent conductive layer at the interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer is referred to as a first width, the transparent conductive layer is the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer. At a position other than the interface between and at least a portion, the width may be smaller than the first width.

  In the touch panel sensor according to the present invention, when the width of the transparent conductive layer on the surface on the substrate side of the surface of the transparent conductive layer is referred to as a second width, the second width is larger than the first width. It may be smaller.

  In the touch panel sensor according to the present invention, the width of the transparent conductive layer may monotonously decrease from the interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer toward the substrate.

  In the touch panel sensor according to the present invention, when the width of the transparent conductive layer on the substrate-side surface of the surface of the transparent conductive layer is referred to as a second width, the transparent conductive layer is other than the surface of the transparent conductive layer. In this position, at least partially, it may have a width smaller than the first width and the second width.

  In the touch panel sensor according to the present invention, the width of the transparent conductive layer may monotonously increase from the interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer toward the substrate.

  In the touch panel sensor according to the present invention, preferably, at the interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer, the width of the transparent conductive layer is at least 0.5 μm smaller than the width of the metal layer.

  The present invention is an input / output device that includes a display device and a touch panel sensor disposed on a display surface of the display device, and the touch panel sensor includes the touch panel sensor described above.

  The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor comprising: a transparent conductive pattern disposed in an active area; and a take-out pattern disposed in a non-active area located around the active area and connected to the transparent conductive pattern. A base material, a metal layer having light shielding properties and conductivity, a transparent conductive layer having a translucency and conductivity, provided to be in contact with the surface of the metal layer among the surfaces of the metal layer, A step of preparing a laminate including: a step of etching the metal layer to pattern the metal layer; and etching the transparent conductive layer using the patterned metal layer as a mask to form the transparent conductive layer. Patterning, thereby forming the extraction pattern including the transparent conductive layer and the metal layer in the inactive area Removing the metal layer present in the active area, thereby forming the transparent conductive pattern made of the transparent conductive layer in the active area, and including the metal layer of the extraction pattern and the In the touch panel sensor manufacturing method, the width of the transparent conductive layer is smaller than the width of the metal layer at the interface with the transparent conductive layer.

  According to the present invention, the width of the transparent conductive layer is smaller than the width of the metal layer at the interface between the metal layer of the extraction pattern and the transparent conductive layer. For this reason, it can suppress that the metal ion of a metal layer moves between two adjacent extraction patterns. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a short circuit between two adjacent extraction patterns.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a touch panel sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel sensor of FIG. 1 taken along the line II. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel sensor of FIG. 1 along the line III. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel sensor of FIG. 1 taken along line IV. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first extraction pattern shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an effect obtained by the touch panel sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing a laminate used for manufacturing a touch panel sensor. FIG. 7B is a view showing a laminate provided with a photosensitive layer. FIG. 7C is a diagram for explaining a process of patterning the photosensitive layer. FIG. 7D is a diagram for explaining a process of patterning the metal layer. FIG. 7E is a diagram for explaining a process of patterning the transparent conductive layer. FIG. 7F is a diagram for explaining a process of removing the photosensitive layer in the active area. FIG. 7G is a diagram for explaining a process of removing the metal layer in the active area. FIG. 7H is a view for explaining a process of removing the photosensitive layer in the inactive area. FIGS. 8A to 8D are views showing a state in which the first transparent conductive layer is etched. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an effect obtained by the touch panel sensor according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention. 10A to 10D are views showing an example of a method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor according to the first modification shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an effect obtained by the touch panel sensor according to the second modification of the embodiment of the present invention. 12A to 12D are views showing an example of a method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor according to the second modification shown in FIG. FIGS. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing other examples of the manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor according to the first modification shown in FIG. 14A to 14C are diagrams showing other examples of the manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor according to the second modification shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the drawings attached to the present specification, for the sake of illustration and ease of understanding, the scale, the vertical / horizontal dimension ratio, and the like are appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual ones.

Touch Panel Sensor First, the entire touch panel sensor 30 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, an example in which the touch panel sensor 30 is configured as a projection capacitive touch panel sensor will be described. The “capacitive coupling” method is also referred to as “capacitance” method or “capacitance coupling” method in the technical field of touch panels. It is treated as a term synonymous with the “capacitive coupling” method. A typical capacitive coupling type touch panel sensor has a light-transmitting conductive pattern, and an external conductor (typically a human finger) approaches the touch panel sensor to externally. A capacitor (capacitance) is formed between this conductor and the conductive pattern of the touch panel sensor. Based on the change in the electrical state accompanying the formation of the capacitor, the position coordinates of the position where the external conductor is approaching on the touch panel sensor are specified. The touch panel sensor is usually used in combination with a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the touch panel sensor 30 includes a base material 32, a first transparent conductive pattern 41 provided in a predetermined pattern on a surface 32 a on one side (observer side) of the base material 32, and a base And a second transparent conductive pattern 46 provided in a predetermined pattern on the surface 32 b on the other side (display device side) of the material 32. In the present embodiment, the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 are patterns made of a material having translucency and conductivity. In FIG. 1, components provided on the other side of the base material 32, such as the second transparent conductive pattern 46, are indicated by dotted lines for convenience.

  The base material 32 functions as a dielectric in the touch panel sensor 30. The base material 32 includes a resin layer made of a material having sufficient translucency such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or cycloolefin polymer (COP). In addition, as long as the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 and the extraction patterns 43 and 48 can be appropriately held, the specific configuration of the base material 32 is not particularly limited. For example, the base material 32 may further include an index matching layer for adjusting the reflectance and transmittance of light in the touch panel sensor 30. In addition, the base material 32 may further include a hard coat layer provided on the surface of the resin layer. That is, in the present embodiment, the base material 32 does not mean any specific structure or material, but a base of a pattern such as the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 and the extraction patterns 43 and 48 constituting the touch panel sensor 30. It only means what becomes.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the base material 32 includes a rectangular active area A1 corresponding to a region where the touch position can be detected, and a rectangular frame-shaped inactive area A2 surrounding the active area A1. The first transparent conductive pattern 41 and the second transparent conductive pattern 46 described above are disposed in the active area A1. Further, extraction patterns 43 and 48 and terminal portions 44 and 49 for transmitting signals from the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 to the outside are arranged in the inactive area A2.

  Hereinafter, each element constituting the touch panel sensor 30 will be described in detail.

(Transparent conductive pattern)
As shown in FIG. 1, the first transparent conductive pattern 41 may include a line portion 41 a that extends linearly along the x direction, and a bulging portion 41 b that bulges from the line portion 41 a. The bulging portion 41 b is a portion that bulges from the line portion 41 a along the surface of the base material 32. Similarly, the 2nd transparent conductive pattern 46 may have the line part 46a extended linearly along the y direction orthogonal to x direction, and the bulging part 46b bulged from the line part 46a. . As shown in FIG. 1, the first transparent conductive pattern 41 and the second transparent conductive pattern 46 may be arranged in different patterns.

(Extraction pattern, terminal part)
Next, the extraction patterns 43 and 48 and the terminal portions 44 and 49 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the first extraction pattern 43 is connected to the first transparent conductive pattern 41 at one end and to the first terminal portion 44 at the other end. Similarly, the second extraction pattern 48 is connected to the second transparent conductive pattern 46 at one end and connected to the second terminal portion 49 at the other end. The signals detected by the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 are transmitted to the terminal portions 44 and 49 through the extraction patterns 43 and 48 and are extracted from the terminal portions 44 and 49 to the outside.

(Layer structure)
Next, the layer structure of the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46, the extraction patterns 43 and 48, and the terminal portions 44 and 49 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 are sectional views taken along lines II to IV of the touch panel sensor 30 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 are composed of transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b having translucency and conductivity. The materials constituting the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b include indium tin oxide (ITO), zinc oxide, indium oxide, antimony-added tin oxide, fluorine-added tin oxide, aluminum-added zinc oxide, potassium-added zinc oxide, and silicon-added oxide. Examples thereof include zinc and metal oxides such as zinc oxide-tin oxide, indium oxide-tin oxide, and zinc oxide-indium oxide-magnesium oxide. A combination of two or more of these metal oxides may be used. The thickness of the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b is preferably in the range of 10 nm to 40 nm, for example, 15 nm. The transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b are provided not only in the active area A1 but also in the inactive area A2, as shown in FIGS. The transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b arranged in the non-active area A2 constitute part of the extraction patterns 43 and 48 as described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 are provided so as to be in contact with the metal layer 54a and 54b having the light shielding layer and the conductive layer and the surface of the metal layer 54a and 54b on the substrate 32 side. And the above-described transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b. The materials constituting the metal layers 54a and 54b are selected in consideration of characteristics such as conductivity and ionization tendency. For example, as described later, in the manufacturing process of the touch panel sensor 30, when the step of patterning the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b using a hydrogen halide solution as an etching solution is performed, the metal layers 54a and 54b are configured. Examples of the material include metal materials having a smaller ionization tendency than hydrogen ions, such as silver, copper, palladium, gold, platinum, antimony, bismuth, and alloys thereof. In addition, when the metal layers 54a and 54b are not exposed to the etching solution for the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b, the metal layers 54a and 54b are made of a metal material having a higher ionization tendency than hydrogen ions, for example, Aluminum, molybdenum, chromium, titanium, nickel, manganese, or alloys thereof can also be used. The thickness of the metal layers 54a and 54b is preferably in the range of 100 nm to 500 nm, for example, 200 nm. As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal portions 44 and 49 may include metal layers 54 a and 54 b and transparent conductive layers 52 a and 52 b, similarly to the extraction patterns 43 and 48.

[Layer structure of extraction pattern]
Next, the layer configuration of the extraction patterns 43 and 48 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. Since the layer configuration of the first extraction pattern 43 and the layer configuration of the second extraction pattern 48 are the same, only the first extraction pattern 43 will be described here. FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the first extraction pattern 43 shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing the first extraction pattern 43 shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 52 c represents the surface of the first transparent conductive layer 52 a of the first extraction pattern 43 that is far from the base material 32, and reference numeral 52 d represents the surface on the base material 32 side. . Reference numeral 54 c represents a surface far from the base material 32 among the surfaces of the first metal layer 54 a of the first extraction pattern 43, and reference numeral 54 d represents a surface on the base material 32 side. Further, in FIG. 5, the width of the first metal layer 54a and the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a at the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a are represented by the symbols wb and wa1, respectively. Yes. Note that “the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a at the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a” has the same meaning as “the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a on the surface 54c”. is there. In the following description, the width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a at the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a may be referred to as a first width wa1.

  As a result of extensive research by the present inventors, the first width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is the first width wa1 at the interface between the first metal layer 54a of the first extraction pattern 43 and the first transparent conductive layer 52a. It has been found that the electrical reliability of the first extraction pattern 43 can be improved when the width is smaller than the width wb of one metal layer 54a. Specifically, even when the pitch of the first extraction patterns 43 and the interval between the two adjacent first extraction patterns 43 are small, a short circuit between the two adjacent first extraction patterns 43 and 43 is performed. It has been found that the occurrence of can be suppressed. In addition, the pitch of the 1st extraction pattern 43 is the space | interval between the centerline of each of the two adjacent 1st extraction patterns 43 and 43. FIG. The interval between the two adjacent first extraction patterns 43, 43 is the interval between the second metal layers 54b, 54b of the two adjacent first extraction patterns 43, 43. The pitch of the 1st extraction pattern 43 exists in the range of 30 micrometers-100 micrometers, for example.

  In the prior art, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 described above, the first metal layer 54a of the first extraction pattern 43 has a width smaller than that of the first transparent conductive layer 52a. It has been considered that the possibility of electromigration of metal ions in the metal layer 54a is reduced, and thereby the insulation reliability of the first extraction pattern 43 can be increased. However, in recent years, it is required to further reduce the distance between two adjacent first extraction patterns 43, for example, within a range of 15 μm to 50 μm. In this case, if the width of the first metal layer 54a is made smaller than the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a as in the prior art, the gap between the first transparent conductive layers 52a of the two adjacent first extraction patterns 43 is reduced. The present inventors have found that the distance between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a is likely to be generated. As a result of repeated trial and error in order to solve such a problem, it was found that “the first width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is made smaller than the width wb of the first metal layer 54a”. This is the knowledge. Thus, the first extraction pattern 43 according to the present embodiment is significantly different from the form of the first extraction pattern proposed in the prior art, and thus can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art. Not so.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is monotonous as it goes from the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a toward the substrate 32. Has increased. The width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a on the surface 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a on the base material 32 side (hereinafter also referred to as the second width) is the same as the first width wa1 on the surface 52c. It is smaller than the width wb of the layer 54a.

  Hereinafter, the reason why the insulation reliability of the first extraction pattern 43 is improved by making the first width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a smaller than the width wb of the first metal layer 54a will be discussed. The description described below is merely an example, and the reason why the insulation reliability of the first extraction pattern 43 is improved is not limited to the following description.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the behavior of metal ions of the first metal layer 54a of the first extraction pattern 43. In FIG. In FIG. 6, symbol Ia represents metal ions that appear on the surface 54d of the first metal layer 54a on the substrate 32 side, and symbol Ib represents metal ions that appear on the side surface 54e of the first metal layer 54a. , Ic represents metal ions appearing on the surface 54c of the first metal layer 54a, which is located distal to the substrate 32. The metal ions are generated starting from moisture attached to the surface of the first metal layer 54a.

  In general, a phenomenon in which metal ions move, so-called electromigration phenomenon, is generated by using a potential difference between patterns or terminals as a driving force. In FIG. 6, the potential of the first extraction pattern 43 is higher than the potential of the first extraction pattern 43 (not shown) located on the right side of the first extraction pattern 43. An electric field in the right direction based on the potential difference is generated. On the other hand, in order for the metal ions Ia of the first metal layer 54a of the first extraction pattern 43 shown in FIG. 6 to move to the adjacent first extraction pattern 43, the arrows (1) to (3) shown in FIG. It is necessary to move in order. Arrow (1) represents movement along the surface 54d of the first metal layer 54a on the substrate 32 side, and arrow (2) represents movement along the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a. The arrow (3) represents the movement along the surface 32 a of the base material 32.

  As is apparent from FIG. 6, the movement of the arrow (3) is a movement along the direction of the electric field E and can therefore easily occur. In the present embodiment, the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a monotonously increases toward the base material 32. Therefore, the movement of the arrow (2) is also the movement along the direction of the electric field E. . Therefore, the movement of the arrow (2) can easily occur. However, the moving distance of the arrow (2) is longer than the moving distance when the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a extends in parallel to the normal direction of the substrate 32. For this reason, the effect which suppresses that a metal ion reaches | attains the surface of the base material 32 can be anticipated to some extent.

  Unlike the movement of the arrows (2) and (3), the movement of the arrow (1) is in the direction opposite to the direction of the electric field E. That is, in order to realize the movement of the arrow (1), it is necessary for the metal ion Ia to move against the electric field E, and thus such movement is difficult to occur. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the first width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is made smaller than the width wb of the first metal layer 54a, so that the gap between two adjacent first extraction patterns 43 is increased. Thus, the movement of the metal ions Ia of the first metal layer 54a can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent two adjacent extraction patterns 43 from being short-circuited.

  As is clear from FIG. 6, in order to move the metal ions Ib and Ic to the adjacent first extraction pattern 43, the metal ions Ib and Ic move in the order of arrows (1) to (3) as in the case of the metal ions Ia. There is a need. Here, as described above, the movement of the arrow (1) is the movement against the electric field E. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the movement of the metal ions Ib and Ic to the adjacent first extraction pattern 43 as in the case of the metal ion Ia.

  The first width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the width wb of the first metal layer 54a are appropriately set according to the required insulation reliability and electrical resistance value. For example, the first width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is in the range of 5 μm to 50 μm, more specifically 10 μm. The width wb of the first metal layer 54a is in the range of 15 μm to 60 μm, more specifically 20 μm. Preferably, at the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a, the first width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is at least 0.5 μm larger than the width wb of the first metal layer 54a. The first transparent conductive layer 52a and the first metal layer 54a are configured to be smaller. Thereby, it is possible to effectively suppress the movement of the metal ions to the adjacent first extraction pattern 43.

Method for Manufacturing Touch Panel Sensor Next, a method for manufacturing the touch panel sensor 30 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7H. 7A to 7H are diagrams showing a layer configuration in each step of the manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor 30 at a position along the line II of the touch panel sensor 30 of FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7A, a laminate 50 (also referred to as a blank) as a base material for producing the touch panel sensor 30 is prepared. The laminate 50 is formed on the base material 32, the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the first metal layer 54a provided in this order on the surface 32a on one side of the base material 32, and the surface 32b on the other side of the base material 32. A second transparent conductive layer 52b and a second metal layer 54b provided in this order are included.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the first photosensitive layer 56 a is formed on the surface of one side of the multilayer body 50, and the second photosensitive layer 56 b is formed on the surface of the other side of the multilayer body 50. . The first photosensitive layer 56a and the second photosensitive layer 56b have photosensitivity to light in a specific wavelength range, for example, ultraviolet rays. The photosensitive layers 56a and 56b are formed, for example, by coating a photosensitive material on the surface of the laminate 50 using a coater. The type of the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b is not particularly limited. For example, a photodissolvable photosensitive layer may be used, or a photocurable photosensitive layer may be used. Here, an example in which a photodissolvable photosensitive layer is used will be described.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b are formed so that the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b have patterns corresponding to the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 and the extraction patterns 43 and 48 to be formed. Exposure and development with a predetermined pattern. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7D, the first metal layer 54a is etched using the patterned first photosensitive layer 56a as a mask, and the second metal layer 54b is etched using the patterned second photosensitive layer 56b as a mask. As the etching solution for the metal layers 54a and 54b, for example, a solution containing dilute iron chloride, copper chloride, an inorganic acid and an organic acid is used.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7E, the first transparent conductive layer 52a is etched using the patterned first photosensitive layer 56a and the first metal layer 54a as a mask, and the patterned second photosensitive layer 56b and the second metal are etched. The second transparent conductive layer 52b is etched using the layer 54b as a mask. As a result, the extraction patterns 43 and 48 including the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b and the metal layers 54a and 54b can be formed in the inactive area A2. As the etchant for the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b, for example, a hydrogen halide-based solution (HCl, HF, HBr, etc.) is used. Note that the hydrogen halide solution does not etch (not dissolve) a metal material having a smaller ionization tendency than hydrogen ions. Therefore, when a hydrogen halide-based solution is used as the etchant for the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b, by adopting a metal material having a smaller ionization tendency than hydrogen ions as a material constituting the metal layers 54a and 54b, It is possible to prevent the metal layers 54a and 54b from being etched at the same time when the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b are etched.

  FIGS. 8A to 8D are views showing in more detail how the first transparent conductive layer 52a is etched. FIG. 8A is a diagram showing the first transparent conductive layer 52a before the etching is started.

  When the laminated body 50 touches the etching liquid for the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b, the first transparent conductive layer 52a is isotropically etched. That is, the portion of the surface of the first transparent conductive layer 52a near the surface 52c on the first metal layer 54a side is first etched. FIG. 8B shows a state where the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is side-etched deeper on the first metal layer 54a side than on the base material 32 side.

  FIG. 8C illustrates a state in which the first transparent conductive layer 52a is further etched, and as a result, the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is equal to or smaller than the width of the first metal layer 54a at all positions. ing. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8C, the first transparent conductive layer 52a is deeply side-etched in the vicinity of the surface 52c on the first metal layer 54a side of the first transparent conductive layer 52a. In the following description, the “state where the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is equal to or smaller than the width of the first metal layer 54a at all positions” is also referred to as “standard etching state”.

  If the etching is further continued, as shown in FIG. 8D, the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is smaller than the width of the first metal layer 54a on the surface 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a on the substrate 32 side. Small enough. This suggests that the first transparent conductive layer 52 a on the surface 32 a of the substrate 32 will be sufficiently removed between the two adjacent first extraction patterns 43. That is, by continuing etching beyond the standard etching state, that is, so-called over-etching, the first width wa1 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is made sufficiently smaller than the width wb of the first metal layer 54a. In addition, it can be expected to remove the residue of the first transparent conductive layer 52a.

  Next, exposure light is irradiated to the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b existing in the active area A1 among the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b. Thereafter, the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b are developed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7F, the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b existing in the active area A1 can be removed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7G, the metal layers 54a and 54b are etched using the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b remaining in the inactive area A2 as a mask. Thereby, the metal layers 54a and 54b existing in the active area A1 are removed from the metal layers 54a and 54b. Thereby, the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 including the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b can be formed in the active area A1. As the etching solution for the metal layers 54a and 54b, a solution containing dilute iron chloride, copper chloride, an inorganic acid and an organic acid can be used as in the case of the first etching of the metal layers 54a and 54b.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7H, the photosensitive layers 56a and 56b remaining on the metal layers 54a and 54b are removed. In this way, the touch panel sensor 30 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 can be obtained.

Manufacturing Method of Input / Output Device The touch panel sensor 30 obtained as described above is bonded to a display device functioning as an output device that outputs information such as characters and drawings as an image using an adhesive or the like. As a result, information such as characters and figures can be displayed as an image, and an input / output device that can input information by touch is obtained.

  According to the present embodiment, the width of the transparent conductive layers 52a, 52b is the width of the metal layers 54a, 54b at the interface between the metal layers 54a, 54b of the extraction patterns 43, 48 and the transparent conductive layers 52a, 52b. Is smaller than For this reason, it can suppress that the metal ion of the metal layers 54a and 54b of one extraction pattern 43 and 48 moves along the surface at the side of the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b of the metal layers 54a and 54b. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the metal ions of the metal layers 54a and 54b from reaching the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b, and thereby the two adjacent extraction patterns 43 and 43; 48 and 48 are short-circuited. This can be suppressed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, in order to reduce the width of the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b, the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b can be over-etched over the time for the standard etching state. This reduces the possibility that a residue of the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b exists between two adjacent extraction patterns 43 and 43; For this reason, it is possible to prevent the metal ions from being easily moved through the residues of the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b. As described above, according to the present embodiment, not only the metal ions are prevented from moving along the side surfaces of the transparent conductive layers 52 a and 52 b of the extraction patterns 43 and 48, but also the metal along the surface of the base material 32. It is also possible to suppress the movement of ions. Further, it is possible to prevent the two adjacent extraction patterns 43, 43; 48, 48 from being short-circuited due to the residue of the transparent conductive layers 52a, 52b.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the insulation reliability of the extraction patterns 43 and 48 can be increased. For this reason, the pitch of the extraction patterns 43 and 48 can be made smaller than in the prior art, and thereby the area of the frame region can be made smaller.

  Note that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. Hereinafter, some modifications will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description and the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals as those used for the corresponding parts in the above embodiment are used for the parts that can be configured in the same manner as in the above embodiment. A duplicate description is omitted.

Variation of the shape of the transparent conductive layer In the above-described embodiment, the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is directed from the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a toward the substrate 32. An example of increasing monotonically as shown. That is, the example in which the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is maximized at the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a is shown. However, as long as the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is smaller than the width of the first metal layer 54a, and as a result, movement of metal ions in the first metal layer 54a can be suppressed, the first transparent conductive layer 52a. The shape of the layer 52a is not particularly limited. For example, the first transparent conductive layer 52a of the first extraction pattern 43 is at least partially at a position other than the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a. You may have a width | variety smaller than 1st width wa1 of the 1st transparent conductive layer 52a in the interface between the 1 transparent conductive layers 52a.

(First modification)
First, referring to FIG. 9, the width (second width) wa2 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a on the surface 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a on the substrate 32 side is the first metal of the first transparent conductive layer 52a. An example in which the surface 54c on the layer 54a side is smaller than the first width wa1 will be described. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a monotonously decreases from the interface between the first metal layer 54a and the first transparent conductive layer 52a toward the substrate 32. The case will be described. In FIG. 9, symbol Id represents a metal ion that appears at a position where the surface 54d of the first metal layer 54a on the substrate 32 side contacts the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a.

  In the example shown in FIG. 9, in order for the metal ions Id of the first metal layer 54a to move to the adjacent first extraction pattern 43, it is necessary to move in the order of arrows (4) and (5) shown in FIG. . The arrow (4) represents the movement along the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a, and the arrow (5) represents the movement along the surface 32a of the substrate 32.

  As is clear from FIG. 9, the movement of the arrow (5) is a movement along the direction of the electric field E and can therefore easily occur. On the other hand, the movement of the arrow (4) includes a component that proceeds in a direction opposite to the direction of the electric field E. That is, in order to realize the movement of the arrow (4), it is necessary for the metal ion Id to move against the electric field E, and thus such movement is unlikely to occur. As described above, according to the present embodiment, by making the second width wa2 of the first transparent conductive layer 52a smaller than the first width wa1, metal ions are allowed to flow along the surface 54d of the first metal layer 54a. In addition to suppressing the movement, it is also possible to suppress the movement of metal ions along the side surface 54e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a. As a result, it is possible to more firmly suppress the adjacent two first extraction patterns 43 and 43 from being short-circuited.

  FIGS. 10A to 10D are views showing an example of a method for forming the first transparent conductive layer 52a of the first extraction pattern 43 shown in FIG. Here, the laminate 50 in which the adhesion between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the first metal layer 54a is higher than the adhesion between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the substrate 32 is used. An example will be described. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing the first transparent conductive layer 52a before the etching is started.

  The first transparent conductive layer 52a is isotropically etched until the etching solution reaches the surface 32a of the substrate 32. That is, the portion of the surface of the first transparent conductive layer 52a near the surface 52c on the first metal layer 54a side is first etched. FIG. 10B shows that the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is side-etched deeper on the first metal layer 54a side than on the base material 32 side.

  Here, in this modification, the adhesiveness between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the first metal layer 54a is higher than the adhesiveness between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the substrate 32. . That is, the first transparent conductive layer 52a is peeled off at the interface between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the substrate 32 as compared to the interface between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the first metal layer 54a. It is easy. In this case, when the etching liquid reaches the surface 32a of the base material 32, the etching liquid penetrates into the interface between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the base material 32, and as a result, the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the base material The etching of the first transparent conductive layer 52a at the interface between the first and second conductive layers proceeds rapidly. Therefore, the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is etched faster on the substrate 32 side than on the first metal layer 54a side. As a result, at a certain point in time, as shown in FIG. 10C, the second width wa2 on the surface 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a on the substrate 32 side is equal to the surface 52c on the first metal layer 54a side. Becomes smaller than the first width wa1. When the etching is further continued, as shown in FIG. 10D, the difference between the first width wa1 and the second width wa2 further increases. In this way, the first extraction pattern 43 having the first transparent conductive layer 52a in which the second width wa2 on the surface 52d is smaller than the first width wa1 on the surface 52c can be obtained.

  The method for making the adhesion between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the first metal layer 54a higher than the adhesion between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the substrate 32 is particularly limited. There is no. For example, at least a portion of the first metal layer 54a that is in contact with the first transparent conductive layer 52a can be made of a material having high adhesion to the first transparent conductive layer 52a. Specifically, when the first transparent conductive layer 52a is made of ITO, the portion of the first metal layer 54a that is in contact with the first transparent conductive layer 52a has high adhesion to ITO such as MoNb alloy or CuNi alloy. It consists of the material which has. The first metal layer 54a may be further provided on the MoNb alloy layer, and may further include a layer made of a material having higher conductivity than the MoNb alloy, for example, a layer made of a silver alloy.

(Second modification)
Next, referring to FIG. 11, the first transparent conductive layer 52a is at least partially on the first width wa1 on the surface 52c and on the surface 52d at a position other than the surfaces 52c and 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a. An example having a width smaller than the second width wa2 will be described. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, a case will be described in which the width of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is minimum at an approximately middle position in the thickness direction.

  In the example shown in FIG. 11, in order for the metal ions Id of the first metal layer 54a to move to the adjacent first extraction pattern 43, it is necessary to move in the order of arrows (6) to (8) shown in FIG. . Arrow (6) represents the movement along the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a from the surface 52c on the first metal layer 54a side of the first transparent conductive layer 52a to the intermediate position. The arrow (7) represents the movement along the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a from the intermediate position to the surface 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a on the substrate 32 side. The arrow (8) represents the movement along the surface 32a of the substrate 32.

  As is clear from FIG. 11, the movements of the arrows (7) and (8) are movements along the direction of the electric field E and can be easily generated. On the other hand, the movement of the arrow (6) includes a component that proceeds in a direction opposite to the direction of the electric field E. That is, in order to realize the movement of the arrow (6), it is necessary for the metal ion Id to move against the electric field E. Therefore, such movement is unlikely to occur. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the first transparent conductive layer 52a is at least partially at the position other than the surfaces 52c and 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a, and the first width wa1 and the surface of the surface 52c. By having a width smaller than the second width wa2 in 52d, it is possible to provide a portion on the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a where metal ions are difficult to move. As a result, it is possible to more firmly suppress the adjacent two first extraction patterns 43 and 43 from being short-circuited.

  12A to 12C are diagrams showing an example of a method for forming the first transparent conductive layer 52a of the first extraction pattern 43 shown in FIG. Also in the example shown in FIGS. 12A to 12C, as in the case of FIGS. 10A to 10D, the laminated body 50 has a space between the first transparent conductive layer 52 a and the first metal layer 54 a. The adhesiveness of the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the base material 32 is higher than that of the first transparent conductive layer 52a. FIG. 12A is a diagram showing the first transparent conductive layer 52a before the etching is started.

  10A to 10D, the first transparent conductive layer 52a is isotropically etched until the etching solution reaches the surface 32a of the substrate 32. FIG. 12B shows a state in which the side surface 52e of the first transparent conductive layer 52a is etched deeper on the first metal layer 54a side than on the base material 32 side.

  When the etching solution reaches the surface 32a of the base material 32, the etching solution penetrates into the interface between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the base material 32, and as a result, the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the base material 32 are in contact with each other. Etching of the first transparent conductive layer 52a at the interface and the vicinity thereof proceeds rapidly. Here, if the etching process is terminated before the etching proceeds to the stage shown in FIG. 10C, the first width wa1 and the surface 52d on the surface 52c are obtained as shown in FIG. 12C. A portion having a width smaller than the second width wa2 can be provided in the vicinity of the intermediate position of the first transparent conductive layer 52a in the thickness direction. In this way, at positions other than the surfaces 52c and 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a, at least partially, the first width wa1 on the surface 52c and the second width wa2 on the surface 52d are smaller. Thus, the first extraction pattern 43 having the first transparent conductive layer 52a in which the portion is present can be obtained.

Variations of Manufacturing Method In each of the variations described above, the adhesion between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the first metal layer 54a is greater than the adhesion between the first transparent conductive layer 52a and the substrate 32. In the example, the first transparent conductive layer 52a of the first extraction pattern 43 having the shape shown in each modified example is obtained by using the stacked body 50 having a higher height. However, the method for obtaining the first transparent conductive layer 52a of the first extraction pattern 43 having the shape shown in each modification is not particularly limited, and various methods can be appropriately employed. For example, by forming the first transparent conductive layer 52a by a plurality of layers having different crystallinity, it is possible to obtain the first transparent conductive layer 52a of the first extraction pattern 43 having a shape as shown in each modification. .

  Hereinafter, another example of the method for obtaining the first transparent conductive layer 52a according to the first modification shown in FIG. 9 will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, as the stacked body 50, an amorphous transparent conductive layer 52aa disposed on the substrate 32 side and a crystal having higher crystallinity than the amorphous transparent conductive layer 52aa disposed on the first metal layer 54a side. And a first transparent conductive layer 52a including a transparent transparent conductive layer 52ab. FIG. 13A is a diagram showing the first transparent conductive layer 52a before the etching is started.

  As described above, the crystalline transparent conductive layer 52ab has higher crystallinity than the amorphous transparent conductive layer 52aa. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 13B, the speed at which the amorphous transparent conductive layer 52aa is etched is higher than the speed at which the crystalline transparent conductive layer 52ab is etched. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13C, the second width wa2 on the surface 52d on the substrate 32 side is smaller than the first width wa1 on the surface 52c on the first metal layer 54a side. The first extraction pattern 43 having the transparent conductive layer 52a can be obtained.

  Next, another example of the method for obtaining the first transparent conductive layer 52a according to the second modification shown in FIG. 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, as the stacked body 50, an amorphous material disposed between a pair of crystalline transparent conductive layers 52ab and a pair of crystalline transparent conductive layers 52ab constituting the respective surfaces 52c and 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a. The thing provided with the 1st transparent conductive layer 52a containing transparent conductive layer 52aa is used. FIG. 14A is a diagram showing the first transparent conductive layer 52a before the etching is started.

  As described above, the crystalline transparent conductive layer 52ab has higher crystallinity than the amorphous transparent conductive layer 52aa. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14B, the rate at which the amorphous transparent conductive layer 52aa is etched is higher than the rate at which the crystalline transparent conductive layer 52ab is etched. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14C, the width of the amorphous transparent conductive layer 52aa is largely smaller than the first width wa1 on the surface 52c and the second width wa2 on the surface 52d. . In this way, at positions other than the surfaces 52c and 52d of the first transparent conductive layer 52a, at least partially, the first width wa1 on the surface 52c and the second width wa2 on the surface 52d are smaller. Thus, the first extraction pattern 43 having the first transparent conductive layer 52a in which the portion is present can be obtained.

  In addition, the method for producing the laminated body 50 including the first transparent conductive layer 52a having the amorphous transparent conductive layer 52aa and the crystalline transparent conductive layer 52ab is not particularly limited. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-16858 discloses that the crystallinity of the obtained ITO can be controlled by adjusting the amount of hydrogen or water vapor added when forming the ITO film by sputtering. Yes. In general, it is known that as the amount of hydrogen or water vapor added increases, the resulting ITO film tends to become amorphous. The first transparent conductive layer 52a including a plurality of layers having different crystallinity is obtained by laminating a plurality of ITO films while changing the amount of added hydrogen or water vapor by utilizing such properties of the ITO film. Can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment and each modification, the method for manufacturing the touch panel sensor 30 by patterning the stacked body 50 using a subtractive method such as photolithography has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the extraction patterns 43 and 48 of the touch panel sensor 30 may be formed using an additive method such as plating.

  In the above-described embodiment and modifications, an overcoat layer that covers the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 and the extraction patterns 43 and 48 may be provided, although not shown. Thereby, the transparent conductive patterns 41 and 46 and the extraction patterns 43 and 48 can be appropriately protected. The overcoat layer can be formed by vacuum lamination or reduced pressure lamination. Here, according to the above-described embodiment and each modification, the width wa1 of the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b at the interface between the metal layers 54a and 54b of the extraction patterns 43 and 48 and the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b. Is smaller than the width wb of the metal layers 54a and 54b. That is, the metal layers 54a and 54b protrude laterally at the interface between the metal layers 54a and 54b of the extraction patterns 43 and 48 and the transparent conductive layers 52a and 52b. For this reason, the overcoat layer is easily caught by the protruding portions of the metal layers 54a and 54b, and this improves the adhesion of the overcoat layer to the metal layers 54a and 54b. Therefore, the overcoat layer can be more firmly fixed as compared with the conventional touch panel sensor.

  In addition, although some modified examples with respect to the above-described embodiment have been described, naturally, a plurality of modified examples can be applied in combination as appropriate.

30 touch panel sensor 32 base material 41 first transparent conductive pattern 43 first extraction conductive pattern 46 second transparent conductive pattern 48 second extraction conductive pattern 50 laminate 52a first transparent conductive layer 52b second transparent conductive layer 54a first metal layer 54b Second metal layer 56a First photosensitive layer 56b Second photosensitive layer A1 Active area A1
A2 Inactive area A2

Claims (6)

A touch panel sensor,
A substrate including an active area corresponding to an area where a touch position can be detected, and an inactive area located around the active area;
A transparent conductive pattern disposed in the active area of the substrate;
An extraction pattern disposed in the inactive area of the substrate and connected to the transparent conductive pattern,
The extraction pattern includes a light-shielding and conductive metal layer, and a transparent conductive layer that is provided so as to be in contact with the surface of the metal layer on the substrate side and has translucency and conductivity. ,
The width of the transparent conductive layer at the interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer is referred to as a first width, and the width of the transparent conductive layer on the surface on the substrate side of the surface of the transparent conductive layer is defined as the width of the transparent conductive layer. sometimes referred to as second width, the first width, the is smaller than the width of the metal layer definitive at the interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer, and said second width A touch panel sensor that is smaller than the first width . The width of the transparent conductive layer decreases monotonously toward the interface between the transparent conductive layer and the metal layer to the substrate, the touch panel sensor of claim 1. The transparent conductive layer at a position other than the surface of the transparent conductive layer, at least partially, the first has a width and said second width less than the width, the touch panel according to claim 1 Sensor. At the interface between the transparent conductive layer and the metal layer, the width of the transparent conductive layer, wherein is smaller at least 0.5μm than the width of the metal layer, in any one of claims 1 to 3 The touch panel sensor described. A display device;
A touch panel sensor disposed on a display surface of the display device,
The input / output device which the said touch panel sensor consists of a touch panel sensor as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4 . A method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor comprising: a transparent conductive pattern disposed in an active area; and an extraction pattern disposed in a non-active area located around the active area and connected to the transparent conductive pattern,
A laminate including a base material, a light-shielding and conductive metal layer, and a transparent conductive layer that is provided so as to be in contact with the surface of the metal layer on the base-material side and has translucency and conductivity Preparing the body,
Etching the metal layer to pattern the metal layer;
The transparent conductive layer is etched using the patterned metal layer as a mask to pattern the transparent conductive layer, thereby forming the extraction pattern including the transparent conductive layer and the metal layer in the inactive area. Process,
Removing the metal layer present in the active area, thereby forming the transparent conductive pattern made of the transparent conductive layer in the active area, and
The width of the transparent conductive layer at the interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer of the extraction pattern is referred to as a first width, and the transparent conductive on the surface on the substrate side of the surface of the transparent conductive layer. When the width of the layer is referred to as a second width, the first width is smaller than the width of the metal layer at the interface between the metal layer and the transparent conductive layer of the extraction pattern , and The method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor , wherein the second width is smaller than the first width .

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