Methods and apparatus for providing touch sensitive displays

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide for a touch sensitive display, which may include: a display layer; a cover glass layer formed from ion exchanged glass; and an optional touch glass layer, where, either on a first side of the touch glass or on a first side of the cover glass, a grid of electrode traces is disposed, which is sensitive to distortions of a local electrostatic field caused by a touching event, and the grid may be positioned between the display layer and the cover glass layer.

1 . A method of manufacturing a touch sensitive display, comprising:
 patterning electrode traces on one side of a touch glass layer to form a grid sensitive to distortions of a local electrostatic field caused by a touching event; and   laminating the touch glass layer to a cover glass layer formed from ion exchanged glass, such that the touch glass layer is positioned between a display layer and the cover glass layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of laminating includes orienting the one side of the touch glass, carrying the electrode traces, to face the display layer, and orienting an opposite, side of the touch glass layer toward one side of the cover glass layer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of laminating includes orienting the one side of the touch glass, carrying the electrode traces, to face and couple to one side of the cover glass layer, and orienting an opposite side of the touch glass layer to face the display layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of patterning includes:
 coating the one side of the touch glass layer with electrode material;   removing some of the electrode material and leaving a first plurality of traces extending substantially in a first direction;   applying a dielectric layer to the one side of the touch glass layer that substantially covers the first plurality of traces;   coating the dielectric layer with electrode material; and   removing some of the electrode material and leaving a second plurality of traces extending substantially in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of patterning includes:
 coating the one side of the touch glass layer with a first layer of substantially dark material;   coating the substantially dark material with a first layer of metal electrode material;   removing some of the metal electrode material and the substantially dark material, leaving a first plurality of traces extending substantially in a first direction, where each trace includes a layer of the substantially dark material interposed between a layer of the metal electrode and the one side of the touch glass layer;   applying a dielectric layer to the one side of the touch glass layer that substantially covers the first plurality of traces;   coating the dielectric layer with a second layer of substantially dark material;   coating the second layer of substantially dark material with a second layer of metal electrode material; and   removing some of the second layer of metal electrode material and some of the second layer of substantially dark material, leaving a second plurality of traces extending substantially in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, where each trace includes a layer of the substantially dark material interposed between a layer of the metal electrode and the one side of the touch glass layer.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of traces and the second plurality of traces form the grid that is sensitive to distortions of the local electrostatic field. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the step of patterning includes patterning a sheet of touch glass material with respective sets of electrode traces on one side thereof, thereby forming respective grids, each grid for a separate touch sensitive display;   the method further comprises cutting the sheet of touch glass material, thereby forming a plurality of separate touch glass layers, each layer for one of the separate touch sensitive displays; and   laminating each of the touch glass layers to a respective cover glass layer, such that the respective touch glass layers are positioned between a respective display layer and the associated cover glass layer.   
     
     
         8 . A method of manufacturing a touch sensitive display, comprising:
 cutting a base sheet of glass into a plurality of cover glass layers, each for a separate touch sensitive display;   subjecting the cover glass layers to ion exchange such that they are hardened and exhibit exposed surfaces that are under compression and internal regions under tension; and   patterning electrode traces on a first side of each of the cover glass layers to form respective grids thereon, each grid being sensitive to distortions of a local electrostatic field caused by touching events.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 contacting an opposing, second side of each of the hardened cover glass layers to a carrier sheet such that they are in precise registration with one another and with at least one edge of the carrier sheet; and   temporarily bonding the hardened cover glass layers to the carrier sheet,   wherein the step of patterning includes depositing the electrode traces on the respective first sides of the hardened cover glass layers at the same time using a batch process.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of patterning further includes:
 coating the respective first sides of the cover glass layers with electrode material;   removing some of the electrode material and leaving respective first pluralities of traces extending substantially in a first direction;   applying a dielectric layer to the respective first sides of the touch glass layers that substantially covers the respective first pluralities of traces;   coating the dielectric layer with electrode material; and   removing some of the electrode material and leaving respective second pluralities of traces extending substantially in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of patterning includes:
 coating the respective first sides of the cover glass layers with a first layer of substantially dark material;   coating the substantially dark material with a first layer of metal electrode material;   removing some of the metal electrode material and the substantially dark material, leaving respective first pluralities of traces extending substantially in a first direction, where each trace includes a layer of the substantially dark material interposed between a layer of the metal electrode and the respective first sides of the cover glass layers;   applying a dielectric layer to the respective first sides of the cover glass layers that substantially covers the respective first pluralities of traces;   coating the dielectric layer with a second layer of substantially dark material;   coating the second layer of substantially dark material with a second layer of metal electrode material; and   removing some of the second layer of metal electrode material and some of the second layer of substantially dark material, leaving respective second pluralities of traces extending substantially in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, where each trace includes a layer of the substantially dark material interposed between a layer of the metal electrode and the respective first sides of the cover glass layers.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each plurality of traces among the first pluralities of traces in combination with a respective plurality of traces among the second pluralities of traces form the respective grids. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 releasing the temporary bond between the hardened cover glass layers and the carrier sheet after patterning is completed, thereby resulting in a plurality of separate touch sensitive displays.   
     
     
         14 . A method of processing thin sheet glass, comprising:
 contacting a first side of at least one target glass layer to a carrier sheet such that it is in precise registration with at least one edge of the carrier sheet;   temporarily bonding the at least one target glass layer to the carrier sheet; and   patterning a second side of the at least one target glass layer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the at least one target glass layer is at least one touch glass layer;   the patterning step includes disposing electrode traces of each layer to form a respective grid thereon, each such grid being sensitive to distortions of a local electrostatic field caused by touching events; and   the at least one touch glass layer is a base sheet of glass large enough to produce a plurality of separate touch glass layers, each for a separate touch sensitive display.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of patterning includes depositing the electrode traces on the second side of the base sheet of glass in a batch process to form respective grids, each for one of the separate touch glass layers. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 releasing the temporary bond between the base sheet of glass; and   cutting the base sheet of glass into the plurality of separate touch glass layers.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 contacting a respective first side of each of a plurality of the target glass layers to the carrier sheet such that they are in precise registration with one another and with at least one edge of the carrier sheet; and   temporarily bonding each of the target glass layers to the carrier sheet,   wherein the step of patterning includes depositing material on the respective second sides of the target glass layers at the same time using a batch process.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 releasing the temporary bond between the touch glass layers and the carrier sheet after patterning is completed; and   laminating the at least one touch glass layer to a respective cover glass layer formed from ion exchanged glass, such that the touch glass layer is positioned between a display layer and the cover glass layer.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the at least one target glass layer is at least one color filter layer; and   the patterning step includes depositing color filter elements on the second side of the at least one color filter layer.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one target glass layer is about 250 um thick or less.