JP2014111515A - Production method of cover glass with circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a production method of a cover glass with a circuit capable of suppressing simultaneously generation of a damage of the circuit and generation of a damage of the cover glass.SOLUTION: A production method of a cover glass with a circuit is described as follows; resist films 11a, 11b are formed on both sides 10a, 10b of a mother glass 10 having both sides 10a, 10b to which strengthening treatment is applied, a cutting pattern 12 for exposing partially both sides 10a, 10b is formed by removing partially each resist film 11a, 11b, each cutting recessed part 10d corresponding to the cutting pattern 12 is formed on both sides 10a, 10b by etching, the resist film 11a at least on one side 10a of the mother glass 10 is removed, a touch panel circuit 3 or the like is formed on one side 10a of each cover glass part 20A, and a plurality of touch panels 1 are obtained as a plurality of cover glasses with each circuit by cutting the mother glass 10 along the cutting recessed part 10d.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a cover glass with a circuit.

  In recent years, touch panel displays have been widely used for portable terminals and the like. A general touch panel display has a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, a touch panel laminated on the display device, and a cover glass laminated on the touch panel so that the cover glass is exposed on the outer surface. It is mounted on mobile terminals. In the touch panel, electrode wiring constituting a touch sensor is formed on at least one surface of a transparent glass substrate. As a method for manufacturing such a touch panel, Patent Document 1 discloses that a plurality of touch panel electrode wirings are formed on one surface of a transparent glass substrate mother board, and then the mother substrate is cut to obtain a plurality of touch panels. A manufacturing method is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a cover glass-integrated touch panel in which electrode wiring is directly formed on one surface of a cover glass. Such a cover glass-integrated touch panel is also preferably manufactured by cutting the mother glass after forming a plurality of touch panel electrode wirings on one surface of the cover glass mother glass. Here, the cover glass is generally subjected to a tempering treatment to prevent damage. When the mother glass for cover glass is tempered, damage such as cracks tends to occur when the mother glass is cut with a diamond cutter or a laser cutter. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, in order to suppress the occurrence of cracks, an electrode wiring is formed on one surface of a mother glass for a cover glass, an etching protective film is formed on both surfaces of the mother glass, and chemical etching is performed. A manufacturing method for cutting the mother glass and removing the etching protective film is disclosed.

JP 2008-33777 A JP 2012-88946 A

  However, in the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 2, in the etching protective film peeling process, the electrode wiring (hereinafter referred to as a circuit) may be damaged depending on the peeling conditions and the electrode material of the electrode wiring of the touch sensor unit. There is. For this reason, in the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 2, although it is possible to suppress the occurrence of damage to the cover glass, the circuit may be damaged.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the manufacturing method of the cover glass with a circuit which can suppress both generation | occurrence | production of damage to a circuit and generation | occurrence | production of damage to a cover glass.

  The method of manufacturing a cover glass with a circuit according to the present invention includes a resist film forming step of forming a resist film on both sides of a plate-like mother glass that has been reinforced on both sides, and partially removing each resist film. Then, a pattern forming step for forming a cutting pattern that partially exposes both surfaces of the mother glass along a partition line that divides the mother glass into a plurality of cover glass portions, and after the pattern forming step, for cutting by etching After forming the recesses for cutting corresponding to the pattern on both sides of the mother glass, and after the recess forming step, the resist film on at least one side of the mother glass is removed, and a circuit is formed on one side of each cover glass part. A circuit forming step to be formed, and a cutting step of obtaining a plurality of cover glasses with circuits by cutting the mother glass along the recesses for cutting. It is characterized in.

  According to the method for manufacturing a cover glass with circuit according to the present invention, a resist film forming step, a pattern forming step, and a recess forming step are performed before the circuit forming step. Before the circuit formation step, no circuit is formed on both surfaces of the mother glass, so that the etching and the resist film can be removed without causing damage to the circuit. Moreover, since the stress which arises on both surfaces of mother glass is suppressed by performing the etching which does not use a cutter, the recessed part for a cutting | disconnection can be formed, without producing damage to each cover glass part of mother glass. Since the integrity of the mother glass is maintained at the time when the cutting recess is formed by the recess forming step, the circuit of each cover glass portion can be efficiently and simultaneously formed in the circuit forming step. In the cutting step, the mother glass is cut along the cutting recess. In the portion where the cutting recess is formed, the surface layer of the mother glass that has become hard and brittle by the tempering treatment is removed. For this reason, by cutting the mother glass along the recess for cutting, the mother glass can be cut without applying a load to the hard and brittle surface layer of each cover glass portion. Therefore, it is possible to suppress both the occurrence of circuit damage and the cover glass damage.

  In the recess forming step, etching may be performed by exposing both surfaces of the mother glass to an etching agent, or etching may be performed by exposing both surfaces of the mother glass to an airflow containing abrasive grains.

  In the resist film forming step, it is preferable to form a resist film having a certain thickness by applying or sticking a photosensitive resist to both sides of the mother glass. In this case, it is preferable to use a photosensitive film because it is easy to make the film thickness uniform. Further, compared to forming a resist film using a liquid resist, the photosensitive film has an advantage that a thick resist film can be easily formed. By increasing the thickness of the resist film, it is possible to more reliably prevent the penetration of the etchant, and more reliably prevent the circuit from being damaged by the etchant.

  In the circuit forming process, the resist films on both sides of the mother glass are removed, and in the cutting process, a protective layer is formed on one side of the mother glass, a resist film for cutting is formed on the other side, and a resist for cutting is formed. It is preferable to remove a portion of the film corresponding to the cutting recess, cut the mother glass along the cutting recess by etching from the other side, and remove the cutting resist film and the protective layer. In this case, since the resist film on both sides of the mother glass is removed in the circuit forming step, the entire mother glass can be exposed to a resist film stripping solution to efficiently remove the resist film. In the cutting process, by performing etching without using a blade, the stress generated in the mother glass is suppressed, so that the occurrence of damage to each cover glass portion of the mother glass can be further suppressed. Further, since a protective layer is formed on one side of the mother glass and etching is performed from the other side, the circuit on the one side is hardly damaged. Moreover, since it is not necessary to perform the process which removes the part corresponding to the recessed part for a cutting | disconnection to a protective layer, the whole one surface of mother glass is protected firmly by a protective layer. Furthermore, since the thickness of the part to be cut is reduced due to the formation of the recesses for cutting, the mother glass is cut in a short etching. From these things, even if it etches in the cutting process after a circuit formation process, generation | occurrence | production of damage to a circuit can be suppressed.

  In the cutting step, it is preferable to form a resist film for cutting by applying or sticking a photosensitive resist to the other side of the mother glass (the side where the circuit is not formed). In this case, it is preferable to use a photosensitive film because it is easy to make the film thickness uniform. Further, compared to forming a resist film for cutting using a liquid resist, entry of the resist into the recess for cutting can be suppressed. Thereby, the part corresponding to the recessed part for a cutting | disconnection can be easily removed among the resist films for a cutting | disconnection.

  In the cutting step, it is preferable to remove the cutting resist film before removing the protective layer. In this case, it is possible to prevent circuit damage due to the stripping solution for removing the resist film for cutting, and to protect the circuit more reliably.

  In the cutting step, it is preferable to perform etching by exposing the other surface of the mother glass (the surface on which no circuit is formed) to the etching agent.

  You may further provide the decoration film formation process which forms the decoration film visible from the other surface side in one surface between a recessed part formation process and a cutting process.

  The method for producing a cover glass-integrated touch panel according to the present invention is characterized in that a cover glass-integrated touch panel is obtained as a cover glass with a circuit by the method for producing a cover glass with a circuit. According to this manufacturing method, in the manufacture of the cover glass integrated touch panel, it is possible to suppress both the occurrence of circuit damage and the cover glass damage.

  According to the method for manufacturing a cover glass with a circuit according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress both the occurrence of circuit damage and the cover glass damage.

It is a top view of a cover glass integrated touch panel. It is sectional drawing which follows the II-II line | wire in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the mother glass in which the resist film was formed on both surfaces. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a cutting pattern is formed on the resist film in FIG. 3. It is a top view of the mother glass in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the recessed part for cutting was formed in the mother glass in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which removed the resist film in FIG. It is a top view of the mother glass in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which formed the decoration film | membrane and the circuit on one side of the mother glass in FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the mother glass in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a cutting resist film is formed on the other surface of the mother glass in FIG. 9. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which formed the protective layer in the one surface of the mother glass in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which cut | disconnected the mother glass in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which removed the resist film for cutting | disconnection in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which removed the protective layer in FIG. 14, and grind | polished the cut surface of each cover glass. It is a top view of the cover glass in FIG.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a method for producing a cover glass with a circuit according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements or elements having the same function, and redundant description is omitted.

  First, as an example of a cover glass with a circuit according to the present embodiment, a configuration of a cover glass-integrated touch panel will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover glass integrated touch panel 1 includes a cover glass 2, a touch panel circuit 3 formed on one surface 2 a of the cover glass 2, and a cover so as to surround the touch panel circuit 3. The decorative film 4 formed on the one surface 2a of the glass 2 and the peripheral circuit 5 formed on the one surface 4a of the decorative film 4 are provided. The touch panel 1 is mounted on a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or a smartphone together with a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, and constitutes a touch panel display.

  Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the planar shape of the cover glass 2, Here, the example whose planar shape is substantially rectangular is shown. The length of the long side is preferably 50 to 500 mm, for example, and the length of the short side is preferably 30 to 300 mm, for example. The cover glass 2 has a thickness of 0.3 to 2 mm, for example. A hole 2e for a speaker such as a portable terminal or a microphone may be formed on one short side 2d side of the cover glass 2.

  A preferable material of the cover glass 2 includes soda lime glass subjected to a tempering treatment. Reinforcing treatment is applied to both surfaces 2a and 2b of the cover glass 2. Thereby, the surface layer 2c on the both surfaces 2a, 2b side of the cover glass 2 is reinforced. Examples of the strengthening treatment include an ion exchange treatment in which glass is immersed in a molten salt of potassium nitrate to replace sodium in the glass crystal with potassium, thereby increasing the hardness of the glass crystal.

  The touch panel circuit 3 is a circuit that constitutes a touch sensor, and is configured using a transparent conductive material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide). The decorative film 4 is an opaque film formed on one surface 2a in a region between the outer edge 3a of the touch panel circuit 3 and the outer edge 2f of the cover glass 2, and is visible through the cover glass 2 from the other surface 2b side. It has become. The decorative film 4 can be colored in various colors according to the design of the mobile terminal or the like. As a representative color of the decorative film 4, for example, black and white are exemplified. The thickness of the decorative film 4 is, for example, 1 to 100 μm. An opening 4 b corresponding to the hole 2 e of the cover glass 2 is formed in the decorative film 4. Preferred materials for the decorative film 4 include, for example, an acrylic resin composition containing a black pigment, a low-melting glass containing a metal oxide, and the like.

  The peripheral circuit 5 is a circuit for supplying power to the touch panel circuit 3 and transmitting / receiving signals, and is formed on the one surface 4a of the decorative film 4 by a metal material such as silver, copper, or aluminum. Since the peripheral circuit 5 is formed on the opaque decorative film 4, it is not visually recognized from the other surface 2b side.

  The touch panel 1 configured as described above is mounted on a portable terminal or the like with the other surface 2b exposed. The one surface 2a side of the touch panel 1 is attached to a display device inside a portable terminal or the like. A user such as a portable terminal can view the display content of the display device through the touch panel 1. Further, the user can touch the touch panel 1 with a sense of touching a symbol or the like displayed on the display device. When the user's finger touches the touch panel 1, the touch state is detected by the touch panel circuit 3. By operating the mobile terminal or the like according to the detected contact state, the mobile terminal or the like can be operated by a touch operation on the touch panel 1.

  Then, the manufacturing method of the touch panel 1 is demonstrated. First, as shown in FIG. 3, a mother glass 10 for a cover glass is prepared, and resist films 11a and 11b are respectively formed on both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 (resist film forming step). The mother glass 10 is a plate-like material from which a plurality of cover glasses 2 can be cut out. For example, if the mother glass 10 has a square rectangular shape and the length of one side is about 500 mm, about 10 to 100 cover glasses 2 can be cut out from one mother glass 10.

  The material of the mother glass 10 is as described above as the material of the cover glass 2. The both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 are subjected to a strengthening process such as the ion exchange process described above. Thereby, the surface layer 10c of the mother glass 10 on both sides 10a and 10b is strengthened. The ion exchange treatment can be performed, for example, by immersing the mother glass 10 in molten potassium nitrate. The temperature of the molten potassium nitrate is, for example, about 400 to 500 ° C., and the immersion time is, for example, 1 to 10 hours.

  The resist films 11a and 11b are thin films made of a resist agent. The resist agent is preferably a photosensitive resist. In this case, the resist films 11a and 11b are formed by applying a liquid photosensitive resist or attaching a film-like photosensitive resist (hereinafter referred to as a photosensitive film). It is preferable to use a photosensitive film because it is easy to make the film thickness uniform. Examples of the photosensitive film include those formed from a photosensitive resin composition containing (A) a binder polymer, (B) a photopolymerizable compound, and (C) a photopolymerization initiator.

(A) The binder polymer is preferably an acrylic resin having a carboxyl group from the viewpoint of alkali developability. From the viewpoint of adhesion and peelability, an acrylic resin having a carboxyl group is a copolymer containing a structural unit derived from (meth) acrylic acid and an alkyl (meth) acrylate having 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl group. More preferably. (A) The weight average molecular weight of the binder polymer (measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and converted by a calibration curve using standard polystyrene) is preferably 20,000 or more from the viewpoint of developer resistance. From the viewpoint of shortening the development time, it is preferably 300,000 or less, more preferably 25,000 to 150,000, and particularly preferably 30,000 to 100,000. The measurement by the GPC is performed under the following conditions, for example.
Pump: Hitachi L-6000 (manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.)
Column: Gelpack GL-R420 + Gelpack GL-R430 + Gelpack GL-R440 (3 in total) (above, manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name)
Eluent: Tetrahydrofuran Measurement temperature: Room temperature (25 ° C)
Flow rate: 2.05 mL / min Detector: Hitachi L-3300 type RI (manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.)

  (B) As the photopolymerizable compound, tris (2- (meth) acryloxyethyl) isocyanurate, bis (2- (meth) acryloxyethyl) hydroxyethyl isocyanurate, bisphenol A-based (meth) acrylate, tricyclo Decandimethanol, neopentyl glycol-modified trimethylolpropane diacrylate, a compound obtained by reacting a polyhydric alcohol with α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and a glycidyl group-containing compound reacted with α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid A compound obtained by the above, a urethane monomer such as a (meth) acrylate compound having a urethane bond, nonylphenyldioxylene (meth) acrylate, γ-chloro-β-hydroxypropyl-β- (meth) acryloyloxyethyl-o-phthalate, β-hydroxyethyl-β′- And (meth) acryloyloxyethyl-o-phthalate, β-hydroxypropyl-β ′-(meth) acryloyloxyethyl-o-phthalate, (meth) acrylic acid alkyl ester, ethylene oxide-modified nonylphenyl (meth) acrylate, and the like. . These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  Examples of the compound obtained by reacting a polyhydric alcohol with an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid include, for example, polyethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate having 2 to 14 ethylene groups and 2 to 14 propylene groups. Polypropylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane di (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane tri (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane ethoxytri (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane diethoxytri (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane Methylolpropane triethoxytri (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane tetraethoxytri (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane pentaethoxytri (meth) acrylate, tetramethylolmethanetri (meth) a Chlorate, tetramethylolmethane tetra (meth) acrylate, polypropylene glycol di (meth) acrylate having 2 to 14 propylene groups, pentaerythritol triacrylate, dipentaerythritol penta (meth) acrylate, dipentaerythritol hexa (meth) An acrylate etc. are mentioned. From the viewpoints of releasability and etchant resistance, it is preferable to include a (meth) acrylate having a hydroxyl group, such as bis (2- (meth) acryloxyethyl) hydroxyethyl isocyanurate.

(C) As a photopolymerization initiator, benzophenone, N, N′-tetramethyl-4,4′-diaminobenzophenone (Michler ketone), N, N-tetraethyl-4,4′-diaminobenzophenone, bis (2,4 , 6-trimethylbenzoyl) -phenylphosphine oxide, bis (2,6-dimethoxybenzoyl) -2,4,4-trimethyl-pentylphosphine oxide, 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl-diphenylphosphine oxide, etc. Acylphosphine oxide compounds; 2- (o-chlorophenyl) -4,5-diphenylimidazole dimer, 2- (o-chlorophenyl) -4,5-di (m-methoxyphenyl) imidazole dimer, etc. 2,4,5-triarylimidazole dimer; benzyl, 2,2-dieto Cyacetophenone, benzyldimethyl ketal, 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1- (4-morpholinophenyl) -1-butanone, 2-methyl-1- [4- (methylthio) phenyl] -2-morpholino- Examples include 1-propane. From the viewpoint of curability and developability, 2,4,5-triarylimidazole dimer is preferred.
The content of the component (A) is preferably in the range of 40 to 80 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the component (A) and the component (B), and is 45 to 70 parts by mass. Is more preferable. The content of the component (B) is preferably in the range of 20 to 60 parts by mass and more preferably 30 to 50 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the components (A) and (B). preferable. The content of the component (C) is preferably 0.1 to 20 parts by mass, and 0.2 to 10 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass as a total of the components (A) and (B). It is more preferable.

  Moreover, it is preferable that a photosensitive film contains silane compounds, such as 3-methacryloxy polypropyl trialkoxy silane, in order to improve adhesiveness with a glass substrate more. In this case, it is preferable that content of a silane compound is 1-15 mass parts with respect to 100 mass parts of total amounts of (A) component, (B) component, and (C) component, and is 2-12 mass parts. More preferably, it is 4 to 10 parts by mass.

  The photosensitive film includes a support and a photosensitive resin composition layer formed thereon. As the support, for example, a polymer film such as polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyester can be preferably used. The thickness of the polymer film is preferably about 1 to 100 μm. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the formation method of the photosensitive resin composition layer on a support body, It can implement preferably by apply | coating and drying the solution of the photosensitive resin composition. The thickness of the photosensitive resin composition layer to be applied varies depending on the use, but is preferably about 1 to 100 μm after drying. The application can be performed using a known apparatus such as a roll coater, a comma coater, a gravure coater, an air knife coater, a die coater, or a bar coater. Drying can be performed at 70 to 150 ° C. for about 5 to 30 minutes. Further, the amount of the remaining organic solvent in the photosensitive resin composition layer is preferably 2% by mass or less from the viewpoint of preventing diffusion of the organic solvent in the subsequent step. You may coat | cover the photosensitive resin composition layer surface using the said polymer film used as a support body as a protective film. As a protective film, what is adhere | attached on the photosensitive resin composition layer with a small adhesive force compared with the adhesive force of the photosensitive resin composition layer and a support body is preferable. Furthermore, the photosensitive film may have an intermediate layer and a protective layer such as a cushion layer, an adhesive layer, a light absorption layer, and a gas barrier layer in addition to the photosensitive resin composition layer, the support, and any protective film. Good.

  The thickness of the resist films 11a and 11b is, for example, preferably 10 to 300 μm, more preferably 30 to 250 μm, and particularly preferably 40 to 200 μm, from the viewpoint of easily suppressing the penetration of the etching agent. . The resist films 11a and 11b can be formed by applying a liquid resist agent to both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 and drying and curing. The photosensitive film is particularly suitable when the resist film has a thickness of 10 μm or more. By using the photosensitive film, it is easy to make the film thickness uniform even when the film thickness is 10 μm or more.

  The resist films 11a and 11b using the photosensitive film can be formed as follows, for example. First, a photosensitive film is laminated on the mother glass 10. As a laminating method, when the protective film exists on the photosensitive resin composition layer of the photosensitive film, it is laminated on the mother glass 10 while removing the protective film. As lamination conditions, for example, a pressure of about 0.1 to 1 MPa (about 1 to 10 kgf / cm 2) is applied and pressure-bonded while the photosensitive resin composition layer is heated to about 70 to 130 ° C. It is also possible to laminate under reduced pressure.

  After lamination of the photosensitive resin composition layer, the region having a predetermined pattern is irradiated with actinic rays to photocur the photosensitive resin composition layer in the exposed portion. As a method of irradiating a predetermined pattern region with actinic rays, there is a method of irradiating a predetermined pattern region with actinic rays through a photomask and photocuring the photosensitive resin layer of the exposed portion. The photomask may be a negative type or a positive type, and a commonly used one can be used. As the light source of actinic light, a known light source, for example, a light source that effectively emits ultraviolet light, visible light, or the like, such as a carbon arc lamp, a mercury vapor arc lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, or a xenon lamp is used. Further, laser direct drawing exposure can be performed without using a photomask.

  Resist films 11a and 11b are formed on the mother glass 10 by selectively removing the photosensitive resin composition layer in the unexposed area after the exposure. In the development step, when a support is present, the support is removed prior to development. Development is performed by removing unexposed portions by wet development, dry development, or the like using a developer such as an alkaline aqueous solution, an aqueous developer, or an organic solvent. In the present invention, it is preferable to use an alkaline aqueous solution. Examples of the alkaline aqueous solution include a dilute solution of 0.1 to 5 mass% sodium carbonate, a dilute solution of 0.1 to 5 mass% potassium carbonate, a dilute solution of 0.1 to 5 mass% sodium hydroxide, and the like. . The pH of the alkaline aqueous solution is preferably in the range of 9 to 11, and the temperature is adjusted according to the developability of the photosensitive resin composition layer. Further, a surfactant, an antifoaming agent, an organic solvent, or the like may be mixed in the alkaline aqueous solution. Examples of the development method include a dip method, a spray method, brushing, and slapping. If necessary, the resist films 11a and 11b may be further cured by heat treatment at about 60 to 250 ° C. Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the resist films 11a and 11b are partially removed, and the cutting pattern 12, the hole processing pattern 13, and the marker pattern 14 are formed together (pattern forming step). ). The cutting pattern 12 is an opening that exposes both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 along a partition line PL that partitions the mother glass 10 into a plurality of cover glass portions 20A. The lane marking PL has an outer edge portion PL1 that partitions the mother glass 10 into a main body portion 20 and a frame portion 21 that surrounds the main body portion 20, and a dividing portion PL2 that divides the main body portion 20 into a plurality of cover glass portions 20A. ing. Each cover glass portion 20 </ b> A becomes the cover glass 2 after the mother glass 10 is cut.

  The hole processing pattern 13 is an opening partly exposing both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 in each cover glass part 20A. Each hole processing pattern 13 is formed at a position corresponding to the hole 2e of the cover glass 2 described above. The marker pattern 14 is an opening that partially exposes both surfaces 10 a and 10 b of the mother glass 10 at the four corners of the forehead portion 21 of the mother glass 10. Each marker pattern 14 has a cross shape in plan view. Each marker pattern 14 may be formed only on one side of the one surface 10a and the other surface 10b. That is, each marker pattern 14 may be an opening that partially exposes only one of the one surface 10 a and the other surface 10 b of the mother glass 10.

  As a typical method for partially removing the resist films 11a and 11b and forming the cutting pattern 12, the hole processing pattern 13, and the marker pattern 14, for example, photolithography may be mentioned.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, a cutting recess 10d corresponding to the cutting pattern 12 is formed on both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 by etching (recess forming step). At the same time, a hole processing recess 10e corresponding to the hole processing pattern 13 and a marker recess 10f (see FIG. 8) corresponding to the marker pattern 14 are formed on both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 by etching.

  The depths of the cutting recess 10d, the hole processing recess 10e, and the marker recess 10f are preferably equal to or greater than the thickness of the reinforced layer. Etching for forming the cutting recess 10d, the hole processing recess 10e, and the marker recess 10f includes, for example, wet etching in which the workpiece is exposed to a liquid etching agent, and the workpiece is reacted with a reactive gas or ion. And dry etching exposed to radicals. In addition, sand blasting (hereinafter, referred to as etching by abrasive grains) in which a workpiece is exposed to an airflow containing abrasive grains is also included in the etching. Among these, wet etching is preferable from the viewpoint of efficient etching.

  Preferable etching agents for wet etching include, for example, an aqueous solution containing 10 to 20% by mass of hydrofluoric acid and 5 to 20% by mass of hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid. Moreover, it is preferable to spray an etching agent on a workpiece.

  In the recess forming step, in the cutting pattern 12, the hole processing pattern 13, and the marker pattern 14, the both surfaces 10 a and 10 b of the mother glass 10 are exposed to an etching agent or the like, whereby the cutting recess 10 d, the hole processing recess 10 e and The marker recess 10f is formed simultaneously. Thereby, manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the resist films 11a and 11b are removed. The resist films 11a and 11b can be removed by, for example, a stripping solution. Examples of the stripping solution include a strong alkaline solution in which sodium hydroxide, tetramethylammonium hydroxide or the like is dissolved in a solvent. Since the resist films 11a and 11b on both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 are removed, the entire mother glass 10 can be exposed to a stripping solution, and the resist films 11a and 11b can be efficiently removed.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4, and the peripheral circuit 5 are respectively formed on the one surface 10 a of each cover glass portion 20 </ b> A (circuit forming process, decorative film) Forming step). As a typical technique used in the respective formation processes of the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4, and the peripheral circuit 5, photolithography can be mentioned. In each step of forming the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4, and the peripheral circuit 5, the marker recess 10f is used as a positioning reference. By using the marker recess 10f formed together with the cutting recess 10d that partitions the cover glass portions 20A as a positioning reference, the positions of the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4 and the peripheral circuit 5 are set to the respective cover glass portions. It can be adjusted to the position of 20A with high accuracy. Further, by using the common marker recess 10f for positioning the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4 and the peripheral circuit 5, the positions of the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4 and the peripheral circuit 5 can be aligned with each other with high accuracy. it can.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, a resist film 15 for cutting is formed on the other surface 10b of the mother glass 10, and portions of the resist film 15 corresponding to the recesses for cutting 10d and the recesses for hole processing 10e are removed. To do. For the resist film 15, the same resist agent as that for the resist films 11a and 11b can be used. The thickness of the resist film 15 is preferably, for example, 10 to 300 μm, more preferably 30 to 250 μm, and particularly preferably 40 to 200 μm. The resist film 15 can be formed by a method similar to the method of forming the resist films 11a and 11b. In the case where the resist film 15 is formed by pasting a resist agent previously formed into a film shape, the resist film 15 having a uniform film thickness can be efficiently formed. Further, compared with the case where the liquid resist agent is applied to the other surface 10b to form the resist film 15, the resist agent can be prevented from entering the cutting recess 10d. As a result, portions of the resist film 15 corresponding to the cutting recesses 10d and the like can be easily removed. As a typical method for partially removing the resist film 15, photolithography can be cited.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 12, a protective layer 16 is formed on one surface 10 a of the mother glass 10. The protective layer 16 includes, for example, a film support 16a and an adhesive 16b, and can be formed by sticking the film support 16a to the one surface 10a of the mother glass 10 via the adhesive 16b. Moreover, it is preferable to stick a sheet-like protective material in which the film support 16a and the adhesive 16b are integrated. The film support 16a is preferably made of a material having resistance to the etchant and the stripping solution for the resist film 15. Examples of such a material include a polypropylene film, a polyethylene film, and a polyester film. Among these, a polypropylene film is mentioned as a more preferable material. These films may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Moreover, it is preferable that the adhesive 16b is also made of a material having resistance to the etching agent and the stripping solution of the resist film 15. Examples of such materials include polyester resins and rubber resins. A more preferred adhesive is an acrylic adhesive. These materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The thickness of the protective layer 16 is preferably 10 to 200 μm, for example, and more preferably 15 to 100 μm.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the protective layer 16 is easily peeled off from the glass or the circuit surface after the etching treatment and the resist peeling treatment. Examples of the pressure-sensitive adhesive 16b from which good peelability can be obtained include a type in which the adhesive strength is reduced by heat treatment and a type in which the adhesive strength is reduced by exposure treatment. Among these, the type in which the adhesive strength is reduced by the exposure treatment is preferable.

  Next, etching is performed from the other surface 10b side, and as shown in FIG. 13, the mother glass 10 is cut along the cutting recess 10d, and is divided into a forehead portion 21 and a plurality of cover glass portions 20A (cutting step). ). At the same time, a hole 2e is formed in the range of each hole machining recess 10e. For this etching, the above-described wet etching, dry etching, and etching with abrasive grains can be used. In the cutting step, the cutting of the mother glass 10 and the processing of the hole 2e are performed simultaneously by exposing the cutting recess 10d and the hole processing recess 10e on the other surface 10b side to an etching agent or the like. By this. Manufacturing efficiency can be further improved.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14, the resist film 15 is removed from the forehead portion 21 and the plurality of cover glass portions 20A. The resist film 15 can be removed by dissolving a resist agent in a stripping solution, like the resist films 11a and 11b. Next, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the forehead portion 21 and the protective layer 16 are removed from the plurality of cover glass portions 20A. At this time, the adhesive of the protective layer 16 may be irradiated with energy rays such as heat or ultraviolet rays to accelerate the curing of the adhesive, and the peelability between the protective layer 16 and each cover glass portion 20A may be improved. By removing the resist film 15 for cutting before removing the protective layer 16, it is possible to protect the stripping solution for removing the resist film 15 from adhering to the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4, the peripheral circuit 5, and the like. The layer 16 prevents the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4, the peripheral circuit 5, and the like more reliably.

  Each cover glass part 20 </ b> A separated from the protective layer 16 into a piece becomes the cover glass 2 of the touch panel 1. Finally, the outer edge 2f of each cover glass 2 is polished to smooth the cut surface. Thus, a plurality of touch panels 1 are completed.

  According to the manufacturing method of the touch panel 1 described above, the resist film forming process, the pattern forming process, and the recess forming process are performed before the circuit forming process. Before the circuit formation process, the touch panel circuit 3, the decorative film 4, the peripheral circuit 5 and the like (circuit etc.) are not formed on the both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10, so that the circuit etc. are etched without causing damage. It can be performed. Moreover, since the stress which generate | occur | produces on both surfaces 10a and 10b of the mother glass 10 is suppressed by performing the etching which does not use a blade, it forms the recessed part 10d for a cutting | disconnection, without producing damage to each cover glass part 20A of the mother glass 10. can do. Since the integrity of the mother glass 10 is maintained at the time when the cutting recess 10d is formed by the recess forming process, the circuits and the like of each cover glass part 20A are efficiently and simultaneously formed in the circuit forming process. Can do. In the cutting step, the mother glass 10 is cut along the cutting recess 10d. In the portion where the recess 10d for cutting is formed, the surface layer 10c that has become hard and brittle by the tempering process in the mother glass 10 is removed. For this reason, the mother glass 10 can be cut | disconnected without applying a load to the hard and brittle surface layer 10c of each cover glass part 20A by cut | disconnecting the mother glass 10 along the recessed part 10d for a cutting | disconnection. Therefore, both the occurrence of damage to the circuit and the like and the occurrence of damage to the cover glass 2 can be suppressed.

  In the cutting process, the protective layer 16 is formed on the one surface 10a of the mother glass 10, the resist film 15 for cutting is formed on the other surface 10b, and the cutting resist film 15 corresponds to the cutting recess 10d. The portion is removed, and the mother glass 10 is cut along the cutting recess 10d by etching from the other surface 10b side. By performing etching without using a blade in the cutting step, the stress generated in the mother glass 10 is suppressed, so that the occurrence of damage to each cover glass portion 20A of the mother glass 10 can be further suppressed.

  Further, since the protective layer 16 is formed on the one surface 10a of the mother glass 10 and etching is performed from the other surface 10b side, the circuit on the one surface 10a side is hardly eroded. Since the protective layer 16 does not need to be treated to remove the portion corresponding to the cutting recess 10d, the entire one surface 10a of the mother glass 10 is firmly protected by the protective layer 16. Furthermore, since the thickness of the part to be cut is reduced by the formation of the cutting recess 10d, the mother glass 10 is cut in a short time. From these things, even if it etches in the cutting process after a circuit formation process, generation | occurrence | production of damage, such as a circuit, can be suppressed.

  Further, the fact that the protective layer 16 does not need to be subjected to the process of removing the portion corresponding to the cutting recess 10d contributes to the improvement of manufacturing efficiency. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to perform photolithography on the protective layer 16, the degree of freedom in selecting the material of the protective layer 16 is increased, and the resistance to the etching agent and the peeling liquid, the peelability from each cover glass portion 20A, and the like are taken into consideration. Therefore, the optimum material can be selected and the production efficiency can be improved.

  As described above, the pattern forming step, the circuit forming step, and the decorative film forming step can be performed by photolithography. For this reason, it is possible to share the apparatus and the like between these processes.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A various change is possible in the range which does not change the summary. For example, in the cutting step, the mother glass 10 may be cut and the hole 2e may be processed by a technique using a blade such as a diamond cutter. Also in this case, the mother glass 10 can be cut without applying a load to the hard and fragile surface layer 10c of each cover glass portion 20A by cutting the mother glass 10 along the recess 10d for cutting.

  In the circuit forming process, only the resist film 11a on the one surface 10a may be removed, and in the cutting process, the resist film 11b remaining on the other surface 10b may be used as the resist film 15 for cutting. In this case, manufacturing efficiency can be improved by effectively utilizing the resist film 11b formed in the resist film forming step as the resist film 15 for cutting.

  A touch panel that does not have the decorative film 4 may be formed by eliminating the decorative film forming step.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Touch panel, 2 ... Cover glass, 2a ... One side, 2b ... The other side, 3 ... Touch panel circuit (circuit), 4 ... Decorating film, 5 ... Peripheral circuit (circuit), 10 ... Mother glass, 10a ... One side DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10b ... Other side, 10d ... Recess for cutting, 10e ... Recess for hole processing, 10f ... Recess for marker, 11a, 11b ... Resist film, 12 ... Pattern for cutting, 13 ... Pattern for hole processing, 14 ... Pattern for marker 15 ... Resistive film for cutting, 16 ... Protective layer, 20A ... Cover glass part, PL ... Dividing line.

Claims (10)

A resist film forming step of forming a resist film on both sides of the plate-like mother glass subjected to a tempering treatment on both sides;
Pattern formation that forms a cutting pattern that partially exposes the both surfaces of the mother glass along a partition line that partitions the mother glass into a plurality of cover glass portions by partially removing the resist films Process,
After the pattern formation step, a recess formation step for forming a recess for cutting corresponding to the cutting pattern on the both surfaces of the mother glass by etching,
After the recess forming step, removing the resist film on at least one surface of the mother glass, and forming a circuit on the one surface of each cover glass portion; and
Cutting the mother glass along the recess for cutting to obtain a plurality of cover glasses with circuit, and a method for producing a cover glass with circuit.   The method for manufacturing a cover glass with circuit according to claim 1, wherein in the recess forming step, the etching is performed by exposing the both surfaces of the mother glass to an etching agent.   The method for producing a cover glass with circuit according to claim 1, wherein in the recess forming step, the etching is performed by exposing the both surfaces of the mother glass to an air flow containing abrasive grains.   The said resist film formation process forms the said resist film of a fixed film thickness by affixing the photosensitive resist on the said both surfaces of the said mother glass. Of manufacturing cover glass with circuit. In the circuit formation step, the resist film on both sides of the mother glass is removed,
In the cutting step, a protective layer is formed on the one surface of the mother glass, a resist film for cutting is formed on the other surface, and a portion of the resist film for cutting corresponding to the cutting recess is formed. The said resist glass for cutting and the said protective layer are removed by removing and cutting | disconnecting the said mother glass along the said recessed part for a cutting | disconnection by the etching from the said other surface side. A method for producing a cover glass with a circuit according to claim 1.   6. The method of manufacturing a cover glass with circuit according to claim 5, wherein, in the cutting step, the resist film for cutting is formed by applying or sticking a photosensitive resist to the other surface of the mother glass. .   The method for producing a cover glass with circuit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, in the cutting step, the resist film for cutting is removed before removing the protective layer.   In the said cutting process, the said etching is performed by exposing the said other surface of the said mother glass to an etching agent, The manufacturing method of the cover glass with a circuit as described in any one of Claims 5-7 characterized by the above-mentioned.   A decorative film forming step of forming a decorative film visible from the other surface side of the mother glass on the one surface of the mother glass is further provided between the recess forming step and the cutting step. The manufacturing method of the cover glass with a circuit as described in any one of Claims 1-8.   A cover glass-integrated touch panel is obtained as the cover glass with circuit by the method for manufacturing a cover glass with circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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