JP5942454B2 - Touch panel sensor, display device with touch panel, and method of manufacturing touch panel sensor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel sensor capable of forming a display device with a touch panel having high sensitivity and excellent visibility.

  Today, touch panels are widely used as input means. In many cases, a touch panel is used together with a display device as an input means for various devices in which a display device such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display is incorporated (for example, a ticket vending machine, an ATM device, a mobile phone, a game machine). Yes. In such a device, the touch panel is placed on the display surface of the display device, which allows the touch panel to make a very direct input to the display device.

  Various types of touch panels have been put into practical use. Among them, what is called a capacitance method is a touch panel sensor having a layer structure of a first electrode / interelectrode insulating layer / second electrode, and a touch panel sensor for supplying power to the electrodes and outputting detection signals. What has a flexible printed wiring board (henceforth FPC) connected to an external connection terminal is used (for example, patent documents 1-5). Then, a weak current is passed through the touch panel surface of the touch panel to form an electric field, and the change in capacitance value when a finger or other conductor is lightly touched is converted into a voltage drop or the like and detected. The obtained contact position is output as a signal.

As a touch panel sensor used for a capacitance method, generally, a sensor in which an electrode and an external connection terminal are formed on a pair of opposing transparent substrates is known (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). Further, as another aspect, there is known one in which electrodes and external connection terminals are formed on both surfaces of a single transparent substrate (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a double-sided type touch panel sensor) (for example, a patent). Reference 5).
Moreover, as an electrode used for a touch panel sensor, a transparent electrode made of a transparent material is usually used from the viewpoint of improving visibility (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 5), but it is non-transparent due to a recent demand for higher sensitivity. Materials made of various metal materials (hereinafter sometimes referred to as metal electrodes) have also been studied (for example, Patent Documents 6 to 9).
Here, in the case of using a metal electrode, the metal electrode may be subjected to low reflection treatment such as blackening treatment to reduce visibility due to the metallic luster of the metal electrode, thereby improving the visibility. However, when metal electrodes are formed on both surfaces of the transparent substrate, the low reflection treatment cannot be applied to the adhesion surface of the metal electrode to the transparent substrate, so that when viewed from one surface side There was a problem that visibility was lowered due to the metallic luster of the metal electrode formed on the other transparent substrate side.

JP 2009-64343 A JP-A-9-146680 Japanese Patent No. 2587975 JP 2011-124332 A JP 2011-76514 A Japanese Patent No. 4610416 JP 2010-286886 A JP 2004-192093 A JP 2010-277392 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel sensor capable of forming a display device with a touch panel having high sensitivity and excellent visibility.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a transparent substrate, a metal electrode formed on one surface of the transparent substrate, and a transparent electrode formed on the other surface of the transparent substrate. And a sensor electrode, wherein the metal electrode is made of a metal layer having a surface subjected to low reflection treatment.

According to the present invention, the metal electrode subjected to the low reflection treatment is formed on one surface of the transparent substrate, and the transparent electrode is formed on the other surface, so that the visibility is excellent. Can do.
In addition, since one of the sensor electrodes is a metal electrode, the sensor electrode can be a low-resistance sensor. When the touch panel sensor of the present invention is used for a display device with a touch panel, the sensitivity is high. be able to.

  In this invention, it is preferable to have the dummy pattern which is not electrically connected with the said metal electrode on the surface in which the said metal electrode of the said transparent base material was formed. This is because the metal electrode can be made invisible.

  The present invention provides a display device with a touch panel, comprising the touch panel sensor described above and a display device formed on one surface of the touch panel sensor.

  According to the present invention, by having the touch panel sensor described above, it is possible to form a display device with a touch panel having high sensitivity and excellent visibility.

  The present invention comprises a transparent substrate, a sensor electrode comprising a metal electrode formed on one surface of the transparent substrate and a transparent electrode formed on the other surface of the transparent substrate, The metal electrode is a method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor comprising a metal layer whose surface is subjected to low reflection treatment, and a preparation for preparing a laminate in which the metal layer is laminated only on one surface of the transparent substrate A resist forming step for forming a patterned resist on the metal layer, an etching step for etching the metal layer using the resist as a mask, and a low reflection treatment for performing a low reflection treatment on the metal layer And a process for producing a touch panel sensor.

  According to this invention, the touch panel sensor excellent in visibility can be obtained by performing a low reflection process with respect to the said metal layer.

  The present invention has an effect that a touch panel sensor capable of forming a display device with a touch panel having high sensitivity and excellent visibility can be provided.

It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the touch panel sensor of this invention. It is an enlarged view of the sensor electrode shown by A of FIG. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the sensor electrode in this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the touchscreen sensor of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the touchscreen sensor of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the other example of the touchscreen sensor of this invention. It is the DD sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the dummy pattern in this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the dummy pattern in this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the display apparatus of this invention. It is process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor of this invention. It is process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor of this invention.

The present invention relates to a touch panel sensor, a display device with a touch panel using the same, and a method for manufacturing the touch panel sensor.
Hereinafter, the touch panel sensor of the present invention, the display device with a touch panel, and the manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor will be described.

A. Touch Panel Sensor First, the touch panel sensor will be described.
The touch panel sensor of the present invention has a transparent base material, a metal electrode formed on one surface of the transparent base material, the surface of which is a metal layer subjected to low reflection treatment, and the other surface of the transparent base material. And a sensor electrode made of a transparent electrode formed.

Such a touch panel sensor of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the touch panel sensor of the present invention. 2 is an enlarged view around the sensor electrode indicated by A in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. is there. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the touch panel sensor 10 of the present invention includes a transparent substrate 1, a metal electrode 2 a formed on one surface of the transparent substrate 1, and the other of the transparent substrate 1. A sensor electrode 2 made of a transparent electrode 2b formed on the surface of the metal electrode 2a. The metal electrode 2a is made of a metal layer 2X having a surface formed with a low reflection treatment and formed in a mesh shape. The electrode is made of the transparent electrode material layer 2Y.
In this example, the metal electrode 2a and the transparent electrode 2b are formed in the active area 12 visible to the touch panel user, and the routing wiring 5 is formed in the inactive area outside the active area 12. And connected to the external connection terminal at the end. The sensor electrode 2 is formed on the same transparent substrate.

According to the present invention, the metal electrode subjected to low reflection treatment is formed on one surface of the transparent substrate, and the transparent electrode is formed on the other surface, that is, on the other surface of the transparent substrate. In addition, since the metal electrode subjected to the low reflection treatment is not formed as the sensor electrode, the surface of the adhesion surface side of the metal layer not subjected to the low reflection treatment with the transparent base material is visually recognized through the transparent base material. Can be prevented. In addition, since the metal electrode formed on one surface of the transparent substrate is a metal layer whose surface is subjected to low reflection treatment and has excellent invisibility, the display with a touch panel using the touch panel sensor of the present invention is used. When used in an apparatus, the information displayed on the display apparatus can be excellent in visibility.
In addition, since one of the sensor electrodes is a metal electrode, the sensor electrode can be a low-resistance sensor. When the touch panel sensor of the present invention is used for a display device with a touch panel, the sensitivity is high. be able to.

The touch panel sensor of the present invention has at least a transparent substrate and a sensor electrode.
Hereinafter, each component of the touch panel sensor of the present invention will be described in detail.

1. Sensor electrode The sensor electrode in this invention consists of the said metal electrode and a transparent electrode.
Moreover, a sensor electrode is normally formed in the active area of a transparent base material.

  Here, the sensor electrode is composed of a metal electrode and a transparent electrode formed on the transparent substrate. The sensor electrode used for detecting the contact position is composed of only the metal electrode and the transparent electrode. There is no other electrode formed for detecting the contact position.

(1) Metal electrode The metal electrode in this invention consists of a metal layer formed on one surface of the said transparent base material, and the surface was low-reflective-treated.

  The metal material constituting the metal layer in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has desired conductivity and light shielding properties. For example, aluminum, molybdenum, silver, chromium, copper Examples thereof include metals such as APC alloys including silver, palladium and copper, and alloys including these metals. Among these, silver, copper, and alloys thereof are preferable. This is because when the metal material constituting the metal layer is the above-described material, the metal electrode can be made excellent in conductivity.

The low reflection treatment in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as reflection of external light or the like by the metal layer can be reduced, and examples thereof include blackening treatment.
The blackening treatment in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the surface of the metal layer is blackened, and a commonly used treatment can be used. Specifically, a method of performing blackening treatment on the surface of silver, copper, gold and their alloys with a mixed solution of tellurium oxide, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid and water disclosed in JP-A-2006-233327, or international publication The method described in the publication 2009-054273 etc. can be mentioned.

The reflectance of the metal electrode surface in the present invention, that is, the reflectance of the metal layer subjected to low reflection treatment is displayed on the display device with good visibility when the touch panel sensor of the present invention is used for a display device with a touch panel. Although it will not specifically limit if information can be visually recognized, It is preferable that it is comparable as the reflectance in the said transparent base material surface, More specifically, a metal electrode is on the said transparent base material. The average reflectance of the surface of the formed substrate on which the metal electrode is formed is preferably 14% or less, more preferably 12% or less. It is preferable to make it 11% or less. When the reflectance is within the above-described range, the metal electrode is excellent in invisibility. Therefore, when the touch panel sensor of the present invention is used for a display device with a touch panel, the metal electrode is displayed on the display device. It is possible to improve the visibility of information.
Further, the reflectance of the surface of the single metal electrode is preferably within a range of 10% to 20%.
In addition, a reflectance means what was measured according to JISK7105 with the optical measuring device. A commercial item can be used for an optical measuring device, for example, HR-100 by Murakami Color Research Laboratory can be used.
The average reflectance of the surface on the side where the metal electrode is formed refers to the average reflectance of the entire active area among the surfaces of the substrate on which the metal electrode is formed. It refers to the reflectance that can be satisfied by all 20 mm diameter regions in the active area.

The pattern and thickness of the metal layer in plan view in the present invention and the pattern of the metal electrode in plan view and the aperture ratio are not particularly limited as long as the contact position can be detected with high accuracy. Patent No. 4610416, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-286886, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-192093, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-277392, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-129501, etc. It can be the same as the general touch panel sensor used.
Specifically, the pattern of the metal layer in plan view is not particularly limited as long as it has an opening that can achieve a desired light transmittance, but as shown in FIG. The mesh can be formed so that the metal layers are orthogonal to each other. In addition, the thickness of the metal electrode can be specifically in the range of 1000 to 5000 mm.
Also, the pattern of the metal electrode, that is, the pattern formed by the patterned metal layer may be formed with the same width, or the line portion extending linearly as shown in FIGS. And a bulging portion prevented from the line portion. In addition, the aperture ratio of the metal electrode in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can have a desired light transmittance, and is appropriately determined according to the use of the touch panel sensor of the present invention. Although set, for example, it is preferable that the total light transmittance of the touch panel sensor of the present invention is an aperture ratio of 84% or more, and in particular, an aperture ratio of 86% or more is preferable.
In addition, although the aperture ratio which becomes such a total light transmittance changes with kinds etc. of the touch panel sensor of this invention, it is preferable to set it as 90% or more, Especially, it is 93% or more. In particular, it is preferably 95% or more. This is because when the touch panel sensor of the present invention is used in a display device with a touch panel sensor, the touch panel sensor can have excellent visibility.
Note that the area of the metal electrode refers to the area of the region including the opening. Specifically, it refers to the area surrounded by the outer periphery of the metal electrode 2a in the example shown in FIG. 5, and is indicated by a × b. Moreover, the aperture ratio of a metal electrode means the ratio of the area of the opening part which occupies for the area of the said metal electrode.

  The line width of the metal layer when the metal layer in the present invention is mesh-shaped is not particularly limited as long as the contact position can be detected with high accuracy, but may be within a range of 1 μm to 10 μm. In particular, it is preferably in the range of 2 μm to 7 μm, particularly preferably in the range of 3 μm to 5 μm. This is because, when the line width is within the above range, when the touch panel sensor of the present invention is used for a display device with a touch panel, the information displayed on the display device is excellent in visibility. .

The method for forming a metal electrode in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can be formed with high definition. An adhesion layer made of a metal layer and an inorganic oxide material described later is formed on a transparent substrate. Examples of the method include forming a resist in a pattern on the adhesion layer after the formation in order, etching using the resist as a mask, and then performing a low reflection treatment.
In addition, as a method for forming the metal layer and the adhesion layer, a general method can be used as a method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor. For example, a dry process such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, CVD, or ion plating is used. The method to be used can be mentioned.
In addition, as an etching liquid used for etching, it sets suitably according to the metal material etc. which comprise the said metal layer. Specifically, when the metal layer is made of silver, APC, or the like, phosphorous nitric acid that is a mixed aqueous solution of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid can be used.

(2) Transparent electrode The transparent electrode in this invention is formed on the other surface of the said transparent base material.

  As the transparent electrode material in the present invention, those generally used for touch panels can be used. For example, indium tin oxide (ITO), zinc oxide, indium oxide, antimony-added tin oxide, fluorine-added tin oxide, Aluminum-added zinc oxide, potassium-added zinc oxide, silicon-added zinc oxide, metal oxides such as zinc oxide-tin oxide, indium oxide-tin oxide, zinc oxide-indium oxide-magnesium oxide, and metal oxides thereof Examples include materials in which two or more kinds of materials are combined.

  About the pattern and thickness in planar view of the said transparent electrode, it can be made to be the same as that of common touch panel sensors, such as Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2011-210176. Specifically, it can be the same as the metal electrode.

The method for forming the transparent electrode is not particularly limited as long as the transparent electrode can be stably formed. For example, a transparent electrode material layer made of the transparent electrode material is formed on the transparent substrate. Examples of the method include forming a resist in a pattern on the transparent electrode material layer after the formation, and etching using the resist as a mask.
Here, as a formation method of a transparent electrode material layer, a general method can be used as a manufacturing method of a touch panel sensor, and it can be made the same as the formation method of the said metal layer.
Moreover, as an etching liquid used for an etching, it sets suitably according to the transparent electrode material etc. which comprise the said transparent electrode material layer. Specifically, when the transparent electrode material layer is made of ITO, a mixed aqueous solution of ferric chloride and hydrochloric acid can be used.

(3) Sensor electrode In the formation part with respect to the said transparent base material of the sensor electrode in this invention, the said metal electrode is formed on one surface of the said transparent base material, and the said transparent electrode is on the other surface of the said transparent base material Is formed.
Here, the metal electrode is formed on one surface of the transparent base material, and the transparent electrode is formed on the other surface of the transparent base material. In view, the surface of the metal electrode, that is, the surface opposite to the adhesion surface of the metal electrode with the transparent substrate and the surface of the adhesion surface side of the transparent electrode with the transparent substrate are oriented in the same direction. If it is, it will not specifically limit.
Therefore, as described above, the metal electrode and the transparent electrode may be formed on the same transparent base material, but as illustrated in FIGS. It may be formed on a different transparent substrate.
In the present invention, it is preferable to form on the same transparent substrate. This is because, by using a double-sided touch panel sensor, the number of members is small, and the touch panel can be made thin, and the productivity can be improved by being able to be manufactured by a roll-to-roll process. Further, since there is no need to bond two substrates, problems such as misalignment between the metal electrode and the transparent electrode can be avoided. Therefore, the contact position can be detected with high accuracy.
6 to 7 indicate the same members as those in FIG. 3, and a description thereof will be omitted here.

2. Transparent substrate The transparent substrate in the present invention is one on which the sensor electrode is formed.

The material constituting the transparent substrate in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has transparency and has a desired insulating property, and a material generally used for a touch panel sensor should be used. Can do.
Specific examples include inorganic materials such as glass, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylic resins, and resin materials such as polycarbonate.
When the metal electrode and the transparent electrode are formed on different transparent substrates, the transparent substrates may be made of the same material or different materials. .

  The thickness of the transparent substrate in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can stably support the sensor electrode and the like, and may be a flexible film. It may be a shape. In the present invention, in particular, it is preferable that the film has a flexible film shape. When the insulating base material is made of a resin material, specifically, it is in the range of 50 μm to 300 μm. It is preferable.

The transparent substrate in the present invention may be composed of a single layer or may be composed of a plurality of layers.
In addition, as a layer laminated | stacked when it consists of multiple layers, a hard-coat layer, an adhesion adjustment layer, a low-refractive-index layer, a high-refractive-index layer, etc. can be mentioned besides the layer which consists of the said material. In particular, it is preferable to have a low refractive index layer and a high refractive index layer on the transparent electrode side. By having the low refractive index layer and the high refractive index layer having a predetermined thickness, the transmittance and the reflectance of the region where the transparent electrode is formed and the region where the transparent electrode is not formed are approximately the same. This is because the invisibility of the can be improved.

  As said hard-coat layer, what is generally used for the transparent base material used for a touchscreen sensor can be used, For example, what consists of photocurable acrylic resins can be mentioned.

The adhesion adjusting layer is not particularly limited as long as it can improve the adhesion of the sensor electrode to the transparent substrate. For example, molybdenum niobium (MoNb), silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ), five A layer made of niobium oxide (Nb ₂ O ₅ ) or the like can be given. In the present invention, it is preferable to include a layer made of MoNb, and in particular, a layer made of SiO ₂ or a layer made of Nb ₂ O ₅ and a layer made of MoNb in this order from the inside of the transparent substrate. It is preferable that they are stacked, and it is preferable that a layer made of SiO ₂ and a layer made of MoNb are stacked in this order. This is because the adhesiveness with the sensor electrode can be excellent.

4). Touch Panel Sensor The touch panel sensor of the present invention has at least a transparent substrate and a sensor electrode, but may have other configurations as necessary.
Examples of such other configurations include routing wiring connected to the sensor electrode and external connection terminals connected to the sensor electrode by routing wiring. In addition, a protective layer formed so as to cover the routing wiring can be exemplified.
Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable to have a dummy pattern which is not electrically connected with the said metal electrode on the surface in which the said metal electrode of the said transparent base material was formed. This is because by having the dummy pattern, it is possible to improve the invisibility of the pattern in which the metal electrode made of the metal layer subjected to the low reflection treatment is formed. More specifically, when there is a light-shielding metal electrode pattern and a region where such a metal electrode is not formed, only the region where the metal electrode pattern is formed is a region having low light transmittance. It may become easy to be recognized. In contrast, by forming a dummy pattern in a region where the metal electrode is not formed, the metal electrode pattern can be prevented from being recognized as a region having low light transmittance.
FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing an example when the dummy pattern 4 is provided, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in FIG.

  The dummy pattern layer constituting such a dummy pattern is not particularly limited as long as it can improve the invisibility of the metal electrode pattern, and may be made of a resin. A metal layer subjected to low reflection treatment is preferable, and among them, a metal layer subjected to low reflection processing that is the same as the metal electrode is preferable. This is because, when the dummy pattern layer is made of the material, the color tone of the metal electrode can be the same, and the invisibility of the metal electrode can be effectively improved. In addition, a dummy pattern can be formed simultaneously with the metal electrode, and the cost can be reduced.

The pattern in the plan view of the dummy pattern layer constituting the dummy pattern is not particularly limited as long as it has an opening that can improve the invisibility of the metal electrode pattern. It is preferable that it is the same pattern as a metal layer. Specifically, when the pattern in plan view of the metal layer constituting the metal electrode is a mesh shape formed so that the metal layers are orthogonal as shown in FIG. The pattern of the pattern layer in plan view is also preferably in the same mesh shape as the metal layer as shown in FIGS.
Further, the line width of the dummy pattern layer when the dummy pattern layer is mesh-shaped can be the same as the line width of the metal layer when the metal layer is mesh-shaped. The line width is preferably the same as the layer.

Further, the pattern in plan view between the metal electrode and the dummy pattern of the metal layer and the dummy pattern layer is particularly limited as long as the invisibility of the metal electrode pattern can be improved. However, when the metal layer and the dummy pattern layer are mesh patterns, the metal layer and the dummy pattern layer are respectively extended from the metal electrode and the dummy pattern toward the dummy pattern and the metal electrode. It is preferable to have an extended metal layer and an extended dummy pattern layer, and in particular, the lengths of the extended metal layer and the extended dummy pattern layer are different from the lengths of the adjacent extended metal layer and extended dummy pattern layer, respectively. Preferably there is. This is because the gap between the extended metal layer and the extended dummy pattern layer can be made invisible with the above pattern. On the other hand, if the lengths of the extended metal layer and the extended dummy pattern layer are constant, the gaps between the extended metal layer and the extended dummy pattern layer are aligned in a straight line, and the invisibility of the gaps is reduced, so that it is easily visible. This is because there is a possibility of becoming a thing.
In addition, the gap between the extended metal layer and the extended dummy pattern layer in the present invention is such that the gap between the two is excellent in invisibility and both are not stably electrically connected. Although not particularly limited, it is preferable that the width is approximately the same as the line width of the mesh-like metal layer. This is because it can be stably not electrically connected. Moreover, it is because it can suppress that the area | region between the said metal electrode and dummy pattern is recognized as an area | region with a high light transmittance.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the dummy pattern, and shows an example in the case of having the extended metal layer 2c and the extended dummy pattern layer 4c. In this example, the dummy pattern layer 4c constituting the dummy pattern 4 is made of the same material as the metal layer 2X constituting the metal electrode 2a and has the same mesh pattern. The extended metal layer 2c and the extended dummy pattern layer 4c are different in length from the adjacent extended metal layer 2c and extended dummy pattern layer 4c, respectively, and the gap h between them is not arranged in a straight line.

The pattern of the dummy pattern in plan view is not particularly limited as long as it can improve the invisibility of the metal electrode pattern, and is formed in a region where the metal electrode is not formed. However, the aperture ratio of the entire active area, that is, the ratio of the total area of the opening of the metal electrode and the dummy pattern to the total area of the active area, in other words, the total area of the active area. It is preferable that the ratio of the area of the metal layer constituting the metal electrode and the area other than the dummy pattern layer constituting the dummy pattern is a pattern having an opening ratio of the metal electrode within ± 5%. It is preferable that the opening ratio of the metal electrode is within ± 2%, especially the opening ratio of the metal electrode is ± 1%. It is preferable that a pattern for the inner. It is because the invisibility of the pattern of the metal electrode can be improved by having the pattern having the above-described aperture ratio.
In addition, about the minimum of the said area, since it is so preferable that it is near the aperture ratio of the said metal electrode, it does not specifically limit here.
Moreover, the aperture ratio of the entire active area refers to an aperture ratio that can be satisfied by all 50 mm × 50 mm regions arbitrarily selected in the active area.

The distance between the metal electrode and the dummy pattern is not particularly limited as long as the invisibility of the metal electrode pattern can be improved, but both the metal layer and the dummy pattern layer are 1 In the case of a square mesh pattern formed with various line widths, when the interval between the metal electrode and the dummy pattern is P5 and the mesh interval is P, as illustrated in FIG. It is preferable that P5 ≦ P, that is, the interval between the metal electrode and the dummy pattern is narrower than the mesh interval between the metal layer and the dummy pattern layer, and it is particularly preferable that P / 2 ≦ P5 ≦ P. It is because it is easy to make the aperture ratio of the whole active area constant by being the said space | interval.
In addition, when the metal electrode and the dummy pattern have an extended metal layer and a dummy pattern layer, the interval between the metal electrode and the dummy pattern is an interval between the portions excluding the extended metal layer and the dummy pattern layer. That's what it says.
Moreover, about the code | symbol in FIG. 11, since it shows the member same as FIG. 9, description here is abbreviate | omitted.

The reason why the distance between the metal electrode and the dummy pattern is preferably within the above-described range is considered as follows.
That is, as shown in FIG. 11 already described, the metal layer is a mesh shape with a column line width W1, a row line width W2, a column interval P1, and a row interval P2, and a dummy pattern layer is a column line width W3 and a row line. Assume that the mesh shape of the width W4, the column interval P3, and the row interval P4, and the interval between the metal electrode and the dummy pattern is P5. Each of the intervals refers to the distance from the center line of each column line and each row line to the center line of each adjacent column line or each row line.
Here, regarding the space between the metal electrode and the dummy pattern, the space without the row line of the metal layer and the dummy pattern layer (the length in the row direction indicated by A in FIG. 11 is P1 / 2 + P5 + P3 / 2), the light shielding rate A per unit length in the column direction is light shielding rate A = (W1 + W3) / (P1 / 2 + P5 + P3 / 2).
Further, the inside of the metal electrode and the dummy pattern metal layer and the dummy pattern layer without the row line (the portion where the length in the row direction indicated by B in FIG. 11 is P1 and the length in the row direction indicated by C are The light shielding ratios B and C per unit length of the portion P3 are W1 / P1 and W3 / P3, respectively.
Here, when P1 = P2 = P3 = P4 = P and W1 = W2 = W3 = W4 = W, the light shielding rate B inside the metal electrode B = the light shielding rate C = W / P inside the dummy pattern, the spacing portion The light shielding rate A = 2W / (P + P5).
Therefore, P5 = P is required in order to set the light shielding rate B inside the metal electrode = the light shielding rate C inside the dummy pattern = the light shielding rate A of the interval portion.

On the other hand, the interval portion where the row lines of the metal layer and the pattern layer exist (the length in the row direction indicated by D in FIG. 11 is P1 / 2 + P5 + P3 / 2 and the length in the column direction is P2 (= P4). The shading rate D of (part) is (P1W2 / 2 + P2W1-W1W2 + P3W4 / 2 + P4W3-W3W4) / ((P1 / 2 + P5 + P3 / 2) × P2).
Further, the inside of the metal electrode and the dummy pattern (the portion in which the length in the row direction indicated by E in FIG. 11 is P1 and the length in the column direction is P2, and the length in the row direction indicated by F, respectively. The light shielding rate E and the light shielding rate F of the portion where P3 is P3 and the length in the column direction is P4 are (W1P2 + W2P1-W1W2) / P1P2 and (W3P4 + W4P3-W3W4) / P3P4, respectively.
Here, assuming that P1 = P2 = P3 = P4 = P and W1 = W2 = W3 = W4 = W, the light shielding rate inside the metal electrode E = the light shielding rate inside the dummy pattern F = (2PW−W ² ) / P ² , and the light shielding ratio D = (3PW−2W ² ) / (P (P + P5)) at the interval portion.
Therefore, P5 = P ² (1−W / P) / 2P (1−W / 2P) = in order to set the internal light shielding rate E of the metal electrode = the internal light shielding rate F of the dummy pattern = the light shielding rate D of the interval portion. P (1−W / P) / (1−W / 2P) is required. When P >> W, W / P≈0 and P5≈P / 2 are required.
From the above, it is preferable that the interval in the case where the metal layer and the dummy pattern layer are the same mesh pattern formed with the same line width is P / 2 ≦ P5 ≦ P. It is.

  The routing wiring and the external connection terminal can be the same as those used for a general touch panel sensor. Specifically, a material made of the same material as the metal electrode can be used. Further, the line width of the routing wiring can be about 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm.

The protective layer is not particularly limited as long as it has insulating properties. However, when the protective layer is formed so as to cover the sensor electrode, the protective layer is preferably transparent. .
Examples of the protective layer having insulation and transparency include those made of an inorganic material such as acrylic resin or SiO ₂ .

B. Next, the display device with a touch panel of the present invention will be described.
The display device with a touch panel according to the present invention includes the touch panel sensor described above and a display device formed on one surface of the touch panel sensor.

  Such a display device with a touch panel will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a display device with a touch panel according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the display device with a touch panel 20 of the present invention includes a touch panel sensor 10, a display device 22 formed on one surface of the touch panel sensor 10 via an adhesive layer 21, and the touch panel sensor 10. And a cover lens 23 formed on the other surface via an adhesive layer 21.

  According to the present invention, by having the touch panel sensor described above, it is possible to form a display device with a touch panel having high sensitivity and excellent visibility.

The display device with a touch panel of the present invention has at least the touch panel sensor and the display device.
Hereafter, each structure of the display apparatus with a touchscreen of this invention is demonstrated in detail.
The touch panel sensor according to the present invention is the same as the content described in the section “A. Touch panel sensor”, and a description thereof will be omitted here.

1. Display Device The display device according to the present invention is formed on one surface of the touch panel sensor.
Such a display device is not particularly limited as long as it can display information, and a device generally used with a touch panel can be used.
Specific examples include a liquid crystal display device, an organic or inorganic electroluminescence (EL) display device, and electronic paper.

2. Display device with a touch panel The display device with a touch panel of the present invention has at least the touch panel sensor and the display device, but may have other configurations as necessary.
As such other configurations, for example, an adhesive layer that adheres the touch panel sensor and the display device, or a surface of the touch panel sensor opposite to the surface on which the display device is formed is formed via an adhesive layer. Cover lens, a control unit that detects a contact position of the touch panel sensor as a signal element, a flexible printed wiring board that connects the control unit and the touch panel sensor, and the like.

In addition, about such an adhesive layer, a cover lens, a flexible printed wiring board, etc., since what is generally used for the display apparatus with a touch panel can be used, description here is abbreviate | omitted.
Specifically, the adhesive layer may be made of a photocurable resin, an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive, or an optically transparent double-sided tape (OCA (Optical Clear Adhesive) tape).
The cover lens is made of chemically tempered glass, soda glass, quartz glass, alkali-free glass or the like, resin such as polycarbonate, polyacrylate ester, polymethacrylate ester, and other inorganic materials. Can be mentioned.
Further, the flexible printed wiring board can be specifically the same as that described in JP 2011-210176 A.

C. Next, a method for manufacturing the touch panel sensor of the present invention will be described.
The touch panel sensor manufacturing method of the present invention includes a transparent substrate, a metal electrode formed on one surface of the transparent substrate and a transparent electrode formed on the other surface of the transparent substrate. And the metal electrode is a method of manufacturing a touch panel sensor comprising a metal layer whose surface is subjected to low reflection treatment, wherein the metal layer is laminated only on one surface of the transparent substrate. Preparation step for preparing a laminate, resist formation step for forming a patterned resist on the metal layer, etching step for etching the metal layer using the resist as a mask, and low reflection with respect to the metal layer And a low reflection treatment step for performing the treatment.

  A method for manufacturing such a touch panel sensor will be described with reference to the drawings. 13-14 is process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the touch-panel sensor of this invention. As shown in FIGS. 13 to 14, the touch panel sensor manufacturing method of the present invention includes a metal layer 2 </ b> X made of a metal material and an adhesion layer 3 </ b> X made of an inorganic oxide material on one surface of a transparent substrate 1. A laminated body 30 is prepared in which a transparent electrode material layer 2Y made of a transparent electrode material and a metal layer 2X made of a metal material are laminated in this order on the other surface of the transparent substrate 1 (see FIG. 13 (a)), a patterned resist 31 is formed on the adhesion layer 3X formed on one surface of the transparent substrate of the laminate 30 and the metal layer 2X formed on the other surface (FIG. 13 (b)). Thereafter, the metal layer 2X and the adhesion layer 3X formed on one surface of the transparent substrate 1 and the metal layer formed on the other surface by etching with phosphorous nitric acid or the like using the resist 31 as a mask. 2X is patterned, and then the transparent electrode material layer 2Y is etched using iron chloride or the like using the resist 31 as a mask (FIG. 13C), and then the resist 31 is peeled off (FIG. 13D).

Next, a resist 31 is coated on the patterned laminate, and the resist in the active area on the other surface on which the transparent electrode material layer 2Y is formed is removed by exposure and development (FIG. 14 (a)). By etching the metal layer 2X in the active area on the other surface with acetic acid or the like, a patterned transparent electrode 2b is formed (FIG. 14B), and then the remaining resist 31 is peeled off. The lead wiring 5 made of the metal layer 2X formed on the surface or the transparent electrode material layer 2Y and the metal layer 2X formed on the other surface was formed (FIG. 14C). Thereafter, the metal layer 2X in the active area on one surface is subjected to a low reflection process, and the touch panel sensor 10 is formed by forming the metal electrode 2a composed of the metal layer 2X subjected to the low reflection process. (FIG. 14 (d)).
13A is a preparation process and an adhesion layer forming process, FIG. 13B is a resist forming process, FIGS. 13C to 13D are etching processes, and FIG. Is a low reflection treatment step. Further, in this example, the blackening treatment is performed as the low reflection treatment, the adhesion layer is peeled off by the blackening treatment, and the metal layer 2X included in the routing wiring is also subjected to the low reflection treatment. However, it may be one that is not blackened by masking.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to form a metal electrode excellent in invisibility by having the low reflection treatment step. For this reason, when it is set as the display apparatus with a touch panel sensor, it can be excellent in visibility.

The manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor of this invention has at least the said preparatory process, a resist formation process, an etching process, and a low reflection process process.
Hereinafter, each process included in the manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor of this invention is demonstrated in detail.

1. Preparatory process The preparatory process in this invention is a process of preparing the laminated body by which the said metal layer is laminated | stacked only on one surface of a transparent base material.
In addition, in this process, the said metal layer is laminated | stacked only on one surface of a transparent base material means that the metal layer for forming a metal electrode only on one surface of the said transparent base material is formed. In general, the metal layer is directly formed only on one surface of the transparent substrate. Moreover, the case where the metal layer is formed on the other surface of a transparent base material through the transparent electrode material layer for forming a transparent electrode is also included.

  Moreover, about the method of forming the metal layer in this process, the thickness of the metal layer formed by this process, the metal material which comprises these, and a transparent base material, with the content as described in the said "A. touch panel sensor" Since it can be the same, description here is abbreviate | omitted.

2. Resist forming step The resist forming step in the present invention is a step of forming a patterned resist on the metal layer.

  The resist material constituting the resist used in this step is not particularly limited as long as it has resistance to the etching solution used for etching the metal layer, and a commonly used photosensitive resin resist. Material can be used. Specifically, a novolac positive resist and a cyclized rubber negative photoresist can be preferably used. As specific product names of the novolac-based positive resist, “SC500”, which is a product of Rohm & Haas Electronic Materials, “FR1000”, which is a product of the company, and the like can be suitably used. As a specific product name of the cyclized rubber negative resist, OMR85 manufactured by Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. can be preferably used.

  The formation location of the patterned resist in this step is particularly limited as long as it has an opening at the location where the metal electrode is formed, more specifically, where the metal layer constituting the metal electrode is formed. However, it is preferable to have an opening at a location where the dummy pattern is formed, that is, a location where the dummy pattern layer constituting the dummy pattern is formed. This is because a dummy pattern can be easily formed simultaneously with the formation of the metal electrode.

  Moreover, as a method for forming a patterned resist in this step, a general resist patterning method can be used. For example, in the case of a photosensitive resin resist material, a mask having openings of a desired pattern is used. It is possible to use a method in which the film is exposed to light and then developed.

3. Etching Step The etching step in the present invention is a step of etching the metal layer using the resist as a mask.

  In this step, the etching solution used for etching the metal layer is not particularly limited as long as the metal layer can be etched with high accuracy. The contents can be the same as described in the section.

4). Low reflection processing step The low reflection processing step in the present invention is a step of performing low reflection processing on the metal layer.

  About the low reflection process in this process, since it can be made to be the same as that of the content of the term of the said "A. touch panel sensor", description here is abbreviate | omitted.

In this step, the metal layer subjected to low reflection treatment is not particularly limited as long as it includes the metal layer constituting the metal electrode, but includes all the metal layers constituting the metal electrode. It is preferable.
In this step, the metal layer for constituting other members such as the lead wiring may be covered with a resist or the like and not subjected to the low reflection treatment.

  The timing of performing this step is not particularly limited as long as the metal layer can be stably subjected to low reflection treatment, and can be before the resist forming step or after the etching step.

5. Manufacturing method of touch panel sensor The manufacturing method of the touch panel sensor of the present invention includes at least the above preparation process, resist formation process, etching process, and low reflection treatment process, but includes other processes as necessary. May be.
Examples of such other processes include a transparent electrode forming process for forming the transparent electrode. The method for forming the transparent electrode in the transparent electrode forming step is not particularly limited as long as it is a method capable of stably forming the transparent electrode. Specifically, in the section of “A. Touch panel sensor” above. The contents can be the same as described.
In addition, the timing of performing the transparent electrode formation step may be performed after the low reflection treatment step, but when the sensor electrode is formed on the same transparent substrate, the preparation step, resist It is preferably performed at the same timing as the forming step and the etching step. It is because it can be made excellent in productivity.

Moreover, in this invention, you may have an adhesion layer formation process of forming the adhesion layer which consists of inorganic oxide materials on the said metal layer between the said preparatory process and a resist formation process. This is because a high-definition metal electrode can be formed by having the adhesion layer.
Here, the reason why a high-definition metal electrode can be formed by forming the adhesion layer is presumed as follows.
That is, a film made of an inorganic oxide material generally has a rougher surface than a film made of a metal material. Therefore, by having an adhesion layer made of the inorganic oxide material, a resist is directly formed on the metal layer. As compared with the case of forming the resist, the resist can be formed with good adhesion. For this reason, when such a resist is patterned by exposure and development, a highly patterned resist can be formed on the metal layer. Further, it is possible to prevent pattern loss (disconnection) and pattern deformation (meandering) due to poor adhesion of the resist.

  The inorganic oxide material constituting the adhesion layer in such an adhesion layer forming step is not particularly limited as long as it can form an adhesion layer having better adhesion to the resist than the metal layer made of the metal material. However, it may be transparent or non-transparent. In the present invention, it is preferable that the material has conductivity. Even when a member for electrically connecting to another member such as an external connection terminal is formed of a metal layer together with the metal electrode, it is not necessary to peel off the adhesion layer. Because.

Specific examples of the inorganic oxide material include ITO (indium tin oxide), zinc oxide, indium oxide, antimony-added tin oxide, fluorine-added tin oxide, aluminum-added zinc oxide, potassium-added zinc oxide, and silicon-added zinc oxide. , Zinc oxide-tin oxide system, indium oxide-tin oxide system, zinc oxide-indium oxide-magnesium oxide system, etc. Among them, etching is possible with the same etching solution as the metal material constituting the metal electrode. It is preferable that it is a thing.
Specifically, when the metal material constituting the metal layer is APC which is an alloy of silver, palladium, or copper, ITO, aluminum-added zinc oxide, or the like is preferable, and ITO is particularly preferable. It is because it can be excellent in adhesiveness with respect to a resist by being the said material. This is because the same etching solution as the material constituting the metal electrode can be used, so that the productivity can be improved.

The state of the inorganic oxide material in the adhesion layer in this step may be crystalline or amorphous, but is preferably amorphous.
This is because etching can be easily performed when the above state is amorphous.
In particular, when the inorganic oxide material is amorphous ITO, it is easy to etch with a weak acid, and with a strong acid, it can be etched in a short time. Since there is room for durability, quality improvement in terms of defects etc. can be expected. In particular, when the blackening treatment is performed with an acidic blackening treatment solution containing hydrochloric acid or the like as a low reflection treatment of the metal electrode described later, the amorphous ITO on the metal electrode is dissolved in the blackening treatment solution prior to the blackening. Since the surface of the metal electrode is peeled off and the blackening process proceeds, there is an advantage that the blackening process can be easily performed.
In addition, it can discriminate | determine that it is amorphous by the diffraction pattern obtained by an X-ray analysis or an electron beam analysis. In the present invention, when the maximum peak height (maximum diffraction intensity) of the diffraction pattern when the inorganic oxide material is in a crystalline state is 1, it corresponds to the maximum peak measured under the same conditions. This can be determined by the fact that the diffraction intensity at the position to be smaller is less than 1. In the present invention, the ratio of the diffraction intensity of the maximum peak is preferably 0.5 or less. This is because etching can be made easier.

The thickness of the adhesion layer is not particularly limited as long as it can form an adhesion layer excellent in adhesion to the resist, and is appropriately set according to the method for forming the adhesion layer, etc. It is.
Specifically, when the adhesion layer is formed by a dry process such as a vacuum deposition method, it can be in the range of 10 to 300 mm, and more preferably in the range of 25 to 100 mm. . This is because when the thickness is within the above range, an adhesion layer that can be easily formed by etching can be obtained.

The method for forming the adhesion layer in this step is not particularly limited as long as it can stably form the adhesion layer, and can be the same as the method for forming the metal layer.
In addition, as a method for making the state of the inorganic oxide material in the adhesion layer into a crystalline state, a general method such as a heat treatment method can be used.
Examples of the amorphous method include a method in which the heat treatment as described above is not performed and a method of increasing the partial pressure of water vapor during film formation described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-16858. it can.

Further, when the adhesion layer forming step is performed, it is necessary to perform an adhesion layer etching step for etching the adhesion layer using the resist as a mask before the etching step.
As an etching method of the adhesion layer in such an adhesion layer etching process, a method of etching with an etching solution different from the etching solution used in the etching process, that is, two steps of performing the adhesion layer etching process and the etching process in this order. A method of performing the treatment may be used, and a method of performing both in the same etching solution, that is, a method of performing the present step and the etching step simultaneously.
In particular, this step is preferably a method in which this step and the etching step are simultaneously performed. This is because the process can be simplified.

  The etching solution used for etching the adhesion layer is not particularly limited as long as the adhesion layer can be etched with high accuracy, and those commonly used for touch panel sensors can be used. Specifically, when the adhesion layer is made of amorphous ITO, phosphorous nitric acid or the like can be used.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and the present invention has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention, and any device that exhibits the same function and effect is the present invention. It is included in the technical scope of the invention.

[Example 1]
A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film was used as the transparent substrate (transparent film substrate). APC alloy (metal layer) and amorphous ITO (inorganic oxide layer) are formed on one side of the PET film in this order, and ITO and APC alloy are formed on the opposite side, and then a positive photosensitive resin (resist) is applied on both sides. Then, patterning was performed by a photolithography method. Here, the resist pattern has a pattern corresponding to a mesh sensor electrode having a width of 5 μm, a lead wiring having a width of 0.02 to 0.05 mm, and a connection terminal on one side. The opposite side has a pattern corresponding to the shape of the ITO sensor electrode, the lead wiring, and the connection terminal.
Thereafter, the APC alloy and amorphous ITO on one side and the ITO and APC on the opposite side were simultaneously etched using a ferric chloride aqueous solution.
Next, a resist pattern is formed again, and an active area APC on the opposite side is formed with a phosphoric acid / acetic acid aqueous solution in which phosphoric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, and water are mixed at a ratio (volume ratio) of 5: 5: 5: 1. Etched selectively. Thereafter, the positive photosensitive resin (resist) was peeled off with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution.
Finally, the connection terminal on one side and the entire opposite side are masked with adhesive tape, then immersed in a blackening treatment solution with tellurium oxide, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, water, and the amorphous ITO is dissolved and peeled off. The surface of the metal layer (APC alloy) was blackened. The blackening treatment temperature and treatment time were 25 to 35 ° C. and 2 to 5 minutes, respectively.
After doing in this way, the adhesive tape was peeled off and the touch panel sensor was obtained.

[Comparative Example 1]
A touch panel sensor was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a double-sided metal mesh type touch panel sensor was used.

[Evaluation]
The pattern of the sensor electrode and the lead wiring of the touch panel sensor produced in the example and the comparative example was visually observed.
As a result, the double-sided metal mesh type touch panel sensor produced in Comparative Example 1 has a metallic luster, whereas the single-sided metal mesh single-sided ITO type touch panel sensor produced in Example 1 has no metallic luster. did it.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Transparent base material 2 ... Sensor electrode 3 ... Adhesion layer 4 ... Dummy pattern 5 ... Lead-out wiring 6 ... Insulating layer 10 ... Touch-panel sensor 12 ... Active area 20 ... Display apparatus with a touch panel 21 ... Adhesive layer 22 ... Display apparatus 23 ... Cover Lens 30 ... Laminated body 31 ... Resist

Claims (4)

A transparent substrate;
A sensor electrode comprising a metal electrode formed on one surface of the transparent substrate and a transparent electrode formed on the other surface of the transparent substrate;
Have
The metal electrode is, the surface Ri is Do the low reflection treated metal layer,
On the surface of the transparent substrate on which the metal electrode is formed, a metal layer formed using the same metal material as the metal layer and an adhesive layer made of a conductive inorganic oxide material are formed in this order. A touch panel sensor comprising an external connection terminal .   The touch panel sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a dummy pattern that is not electrically connected to the metal electrode on a surface of the transparent substrate on which the metal electrode is formed. The touch panel sensor according to claim 1 or 2,
A display device formed on one surface of the touch panel sensor;
A display device with a touch panel, comprising: A transparent substrate, a metal electrode formed on one surface of the transparent substrate, and a sensor electrode comprising a transparent electrode formed on the other surface of the transparent substrate, and the metal electrode The surface is made of a metal layer subjected to a low reflection treatment, and has a metal layer formed of the same metal material as the metal layer and conductivity on the surface of the transparent substrate on which the metal electrode is formed. A method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor having an external connection terminal in which an adhesion layer made of an inorganic oxide material is formed in this order ,
A preparation step of preparing a laminate in which the metal layer is laminated only on one surface of the transparent substrate;
A resist forming step of forming a patterned resist on the metal layer;
An etching step of etching the metal layer using the resist as a mask;
A low reflection treatment step of performing a low reflection treatment on the metal layer;
An adhesion layer forming step of forming an adhesion layer made of the inorganic oxide material on the metal layer between the preparation step and the resist formation step;
A method for manufacturing a touch panel sensor, comprising:

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