IP Library Granted Patent US 7,494,834
Granted Patent B2
US 7,494,834 · App. 11/424,700 · Granted Feb 24, 2009

Method of manufacturing a transparent element including transparent electrodes

Assignee: Asulab S.A.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,494,834
App. No.
11/424,700
Granted
Feb 24, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

Method of manufacturing a transparent element including transparent electrodes, said method including the steps of: depositing over at least one part of the surface of a transparent substrate ( 1 ) a layer ( 2 ) of a conductive oxide that is also transparent, and structuring in said conductive oxide layer ( 2 ) at least one electrode ( 4 ) connected to a contact pad ( 8 ) by a conductive path ( 6 ) by removing said oxide along the contour of the desired electrode ( 4, 6, 8 ) so as to create a trimming line ( 10 ) which will insulate the part ( 12 ) of the conductive oxide layer ( 2 ), which forms the electrode ( 4, 6, 8 ) and which is to be brought to an electric potential, from the rest ( 14 ) of the conductive oxide layer ( 2 ) which will be floating, this method being wherein at least a second trimming line ( 10′ ) is made around the first ( 10 ).

Claims (33)

1. A method of manufacturing a transparent element including transparent electrodes, said method including the steps of:

depositing over at least one part of the surface of a transparent substrate a layer of a conductive oxide that is also transparent, and

structuring in said conductive oxide layer at least one electrode connected to a contact pad by a conductive path by removing said oxide along the contour of the desired electrode so as to create a trimming line which will insulate the part of the conductive oxide layer, which forms the electrode and which is to be brought to an electric potential, from the rest of the conductive oxide layer which will be floating,

wherein this method further includes the step of making at least a second trimming line around the first trimming line.

2. A method of manufacturing a transparent element including transparent electrodes, said method including the steps of:

depositing over at least one part of the surface of a transparent substrate a layer of a transparent conductive oxide, and

structuring in the conductive oxide layer at least one electrode connected to a contact pad by a conductive path by removing said oxide along the contour of the desired electrode so as to create a trimming line which will insulate the active part of the conductive oxide layer, which forms the electrode and which will be brought to an electric potential, from the rest of the conductive oxide layer which will be floating,

wherein said method further includes the step of segmenting the floating conductive oxide layer into at least two distinct parts that are not electrically connected to each other, by removing said oxide along a line of separation.

3. A method of manufacturing a transparent element including transparent electrodes, this method including the steps of:

depositing over at least one part of the surface of a transparent substrate a layer of a conductive oxide that is also transparent, and

structuring in said conductive oxide layer at least one electrode connected to a contact pad by a conductive path by removing said oxide along the contour of the desired electrode so as to create a trimming line which will insulate the part of the conductive oxide layer, which forms the electrode and which is to be brought to an electric potential, from the rest of the conductive oxide layer which will be floating,

wherein this method further includes the step of making at least a second trimming line around the first trimming line and wherein the floating conductive oxide layer is segmented into at least two distinct parts that are not electrically connected to each other, by removing said oxide along a line of separation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, after the transparent conductive oxide layer has been deposited, a metallization layer is deposited on the periphery of the substrate above said conductive oxide layer, then the electrodes, the conductive paths and the contact pads are trimmed along the trimming lines so as to remove both the conductive oxide and the metallization layer on the contact pads.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein, after the transparent conductive oxide layer has been deposited, a metallization layer is deposited on the periphery of the substrate above said conductive oxide layer, then the electrodes, the conductive paths and the contact pads are trimmed along the trimming lines so as to remove both the conductive oxide and the metallization layer on the contact pads.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a metallization layer is first deposited on the periphery of the substrate, then the transparent oxide layer is deposited such that said oxide layer at least partially covers said metallization layer, then the electrodes, the conductive paths and the contact pads are trimmed along the trimming lines so as to remove both the conductive oxide and the metallization layer on the contact pads.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a metallization layer is first deposited on the periphery of the substrate, then the transparent oxide layer is deposited such that said oxide layer at least partially covers said metallization layer, then the electrodes, the conductive paths and the contact pads are trimmed along the trimming lines so as to remove both the conductive oxide and the metallization layer on the contact pads.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the trimming lines and the separation lines are optically compensated for by depositing at least one optical compensation layer.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the trimming lines and the separation lines are optically compensated for by depositing at least one optical compensation layer.

10. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the trimming lines and the separation lines are optically compensated for by depositing at least one optical compensation layer.

11. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the trimming lines and the separation lines are optically compensated for by depositing at least one optical compensation layer.

12. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the trimming lines and the separation lines are optically compensated for by depositing at least one optical compensation layer.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a first layer of a transparent dielectric material having a low refractive index and a second layer of another transparent dielectric material having a high refraction index in relation to that of the first layer are deposited in succession.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a first layer of a transparent dielectric material having a low refractive index and a second layer of another transparent dielectric material having a high refraction index in relation to that of the first layer are deposited in succession.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a first layer of a transparent dielectric material having a low refractive index and a second layer of another transparent dielectric material having a high refraction index in relation to that of the first layer are deposited in succession.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein a first layer of a transparent dielectric material having a low refractive index and a second layer of another transparent dielectric material having a high refraction index in relation to that of the first layer are deposited in succession.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein a first layer of a transparent dielectric material having a low refractive index and a second layer of another transparent dielectric material having a high refraction index in relation to that of the first layer are deposited in succession.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the trimming and separation lines is between 1 μm and 10 μm.

19. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the width of the trimming and separation lines is between 1 μm and 10 μm.

20. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the width of the trimming and separation lines is between 1 μm and 10 μm.

21. A device including a transparent substrate at least partly covered with a transparent conductive oxide layer in which at least one electrode is structured, a trimming line separating the active part of the conductive oxide layer, which forms the electrode and which is brought to an electric potential, from the rest of the conductive oxide layer, which is floating, wherein it includes means for preventing stray capacitive coupling between the active part and the floating part of said conductive oxide layer.

22. The device according to claim 21 , wherein the means for preventing stray capacitive coupling include a second trimming line formed around the first trimming line.

23. The device according to claim 21 , wherein the means for preventing stray capacitive coupling include a separation line which segments the floating part of the conductive oxide layer into at least two distinct zones that are not electrically connected to each other.

24. The device according to claim 22 , wherein the means for preventing stray capacitive coupling include a separation line which segments the floating part of the conductive oxide layer into at least two distinct zones that are not electrically connected to each other.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Jan 3, 2018
From: ASULAB S.A.
To: THE SWATCH GROUP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LTD
Reel/Frame 044989/0933 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2006
From: POLI, GIAN CARLO; GRUPP, JOACHIM
To: ASULAB S.A.
Reel/Frame 017904/0533 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2006
From: POLI, GIAN-CARLO; GRUPP, JOACHIM
To: ASULAB S.A.
Reel/Frame 017800/0099 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 05012998 · Jun 16, 2005 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20060286702A1 · Dec 21, 2006