JPH11320141A - Electro conductive film processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electro conductive film processing device suitable for production of many kinds but small quantity article at a low cost, without the need for waste liquid disposal like in a case of a photo lithography method which includes an etching disposal, and having the least irregularity of processed size, remaining of the electro conductive film, and damage and the like of an insulation substrate. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a YAG laser 1 to emit a near- infrared laser light (wave length λ=1,064 nm), an optical system 2 composed of a step index type optical fiber for guiding the laser light emitted from the laser 1 to the proximity of the electro conductive film 4 on an insulation transparent substrate 3, a X-Y stage 5 having a mounting stand 5b on which the transparent substrate 3 is mounted and, a controller 6 to drive control the X-Y stage 5 so as to move the transparent substrate 3 in a direction crossing with a laser light irradiation direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a conductive film for removing a part of a conductive film formed on an insulating substrate for forming an electrode pattern on the surface of the insulating substrate such as a touch panel or a liquid crystal panel. Related to a processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a touch panel has been used as a means for a user to input information to various electronic devices. In addition, a liquid crystal panel is used as a display unit of the electronic device. Such a touch panel and a liquid crystal panel have a structure in which a pair of insulating substrates each having a transparent electrode made of a transparent conductive film formed on a surface thereof are bonded so that the transparent electrodes face each other. In the case of a touch panel,
The set of substrates is opposed to each other via a spacer having a predetermined height (for example, 9 to 12 μm) so that the transparent electrodes do not contact in a normal state.

The transparent electrodes formed on the surface of the insulating substrate are separated by slit-shaped gaps so as not to contact each other. Conventionally, the transparent electrode on the insulating substrate has been mainly formed by a photolithography method including an etching process. In this photolithography method, a conductive film is formed on the entire surface of an insulating substrate by vacuum evaporation or the like, a resist pattern is formed on the conductive film, and then the exposed portion of the conductive film is dissolved with an etchant. It is to be removed.

[0004]

However, when the above-described photolithography method is used, a waste liquid such as a developing solution or an etching solution for the photoresist is generated, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of environmental protection. Also, when changing the pattern shape of the transparent electrode, a new mask for photolithography must be created, resulting in poor processing efficiency.
It was difficult to cope with low-volume production of other products and to reduce costs.
In particular, even when a few slits are formed in a conductive film on an insulating substrate such as a hybrid touch panel, the same photolithography process as in a digital touch panel that forms several hundred slits is performed. Since it becomes necessary, it is difficult to reduce the waste liquid and reduce the cost even though the number of processed parts is small.

Therefore, there is no need for waste liquid treatment as in the case of using the photolithography method including the above-mentioned etching treatment. Irradiation of the laser beam is considered. The inventor of the present invention has conducted intensive experiments and the like on the processing of the conductive film by the laser irradiation. As a result of the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser beam, the width of the slit after processing was irregular and wavy. It has been found that problems such as a shape, a part of the conductive film remaining, and a problem that the insulating substrate is dug deep at a position corresponding to the center of the laser beam.

Problems such as the above-mentioned variations in processing dimensions, partial residue of the conductive film, damage to the insulating substrate, and the like are caused not only when processing is performed by irradiating the laser beam, but also when light other than the laser beam is used. This can also occur when processing is performed by irradiating another energy beam such as a beam, an X-ray beam, or a charged particle beam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to eliminate the need for waste liquid treatment as in the case of using a photolithography method including an etching treatment, to produce low-cost, low-mix production of other products. A method and apparatus for processing a conductive film, which is suitable for processing a conductive film with less variation in processing dimensions, partial residue of the conductive film, damage to an insulating substrate, and the like. is there.

[0008]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conductive film processing apparatus for removing a part of a conductive film formed on a surface of an insulating substrate. ,
An energy beam source that emits an energy beam, and a beam irradiation that uniformly irradiates an energy distribution in a cross section of the energy beam from the energy beam source and selectively irradiates the conductive film on the insulating substrate with the energy beam Means, substrate holding means for holding the insulating substrate, and drive control of at least one of the substrate holding means and the beam irradiating means so as to relatively move the insulating substrate and the energy beam irradiating the substrate. And control means for performing the control.

In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to the first aspect,
At least one of the substrate holding unit and the beam irradiation unit holding the insulating substrate is drive-controlled by the control unit,
The insulating substrate and the energy beam applied to the substrate are relatively moved. Thereby, the energy beam from the energy beam source is selectively irradiated to the conductive film while relatively moving on the conductive film of the insulating substrate, and a part of the conductive film is removed. You. Here, by changing the irradiation position of the energy beam by the beam irradiation means, the removed portion of the conductive film on the insulating substrate can be changed. And since the energy distribution in the cross section of the energy beam irradiating the conductive film by the beam irradiating means is made uniform, variations in processing dimensions,
Partial residue of the conductive film, damage to the insulating substrate, and the like can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the conductive film processing apparatus of the first aspect, the irradiation path of the energy beam is fixed, and the insulating substrate is moved in a direction intersecting the irradiation direction of the energy beam. The driving of the substrate holding means is controlled so as to perform the driving.

In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to the second aspect,
While the irradiation path of the energy beam is fixed, by controlling the driving of the substrate holding means, the insulating substrate held by the substrate holding means is moved in a direction intersecting the irradiation direction of the energy beam. Accordingly, the energy beam relatively moves on the conductive film of the insulating substrate, and a portion of the conductive film irradiated with the energy beam is selectively removed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to the first aspect, the position of the insulating substrate is fixed, and the irradiation position of the energy beam intersects the irradiation direction of the energy beam. The beam irradiation means is driven and controlled so as to move the beam irradiation means.

In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to the third aspect,
By driving and controlling the beam irradiating means while the position of the insulating substrate is fixed, the irradiation position of the energy beam is moved in a direction crossing the irradiation direction of the energy beam. Accordingly, the energy beam relatively moves on the conductive film of the insulating substrate, and a portion of the conductive film irradiated with the energy beam is selectively removed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to the first, second or third aspect, a light source for emitting a laser beam as the energy beam is used as the energy beam source, and the beam irradiation means is used. An optical system for making the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser light from the light source uniform and selectively irradiating the conductive film on the insulating substrate with the laser light is used. is there.

In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to a fourth aspect,
A portion of the conductive film is removed by selectively irradiating the conductive film on the insulating substrate with the laser light from the light source using the optical system. Here, by changing the irradiation position of the laser beam by the optical system, the removed portion of the conductive film on the insulating substrate can be changed. In addition, since the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser light applied to the conductive film is made uniform by the above-described optical system, variations in processing dimensions, partial residue of the conductive film, damage to the insulating substrate, and the like can be reduced. Can be.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the conductive film processing apparatus of the fourth aspect, the laser light emitted from the light source is internally transmitted as an optical system for making the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser light uniform. An optical fiber is used which guides to the vicinity of the conductive film on the insulating substrate while making the energy distribution uniform by refraction or reflection at the path.

In the conductive film processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the laser light emitted from the light source is guided by the optical fiber to the vicinity of the conductive film on the insulating substrate. When the laser light is guided, light incident on the optical fiber at different angles is refracted or reflected in multiple by an optical transmission line inside the optical fiber, so that a light beam emitted from the optical fiber is emitted. Has a uniform energy density in the cross section. The laser light emitted from the optical fiber after the energy distribution becomes uniform is irradiated onto the conductive film on the insulating substrate, and the conductive film is processed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to the fifth aspect, a step index type optical fiber having a core in a shaft core is used as the optical fiber. is there.

In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to claim 6,
When the laser light emitted from the light source is guided by the optical fiber, the light incident at different angles of the laser light is reflected multiplely by the core inside the optical fiber,
The energy density in the cross section of the laser light emitted from the optical fiber becomes uniform.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the conductive film processing apparatus of the fifth or sixth aspect, an optical element for condensing the laser light emitted from the optical fiber on the conductive film is provided. It is assumed that.

In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to claim 7,
By condensing the laser light emitted from the optical fiber on the conductive film by the optical element, the irradiation area of the laser light irradiated on the conductive film can be reduced. As the energy density increases, it is possible to process even small-sized processing patterns.

The invention according to claim 8 is based on claims 1, 2, 3,
In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to any one of 4, 5, 6, and 7, a slit is formed in the transparent conductive film on the transparent insulating substrate by the irradiation of the energy beam.

In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to the eighth aspect,
By the irradiation of the energy beam, since a slit is formed in the transparent conductive film on the transparent insulating substrate, the transparent electrode can be formed without a waste liquid treatment such as when using a photolithography method including an etching treatment. Touch panels, liquid crystal panels, etc. can be produced at low cost in small quantities of other types. Since the energy distribution in the cross section of the energy beam applied to the conductive film is made uniform, the width of the slit formed in the conductive film varies, the remaining part of the conductive film in the slit, the slit In this case, damage to the insulating substrate can be reduced.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the apparatus for processing a conductive film for forming a wiring pattern made of a conductive paste on a surface thereof. And irradiating the energy beam to form a slit for wiring insulation around the wiring pattern on the conductive film.

In the apparatus for processing a conductive film according to the ninth aspect,
By the above energy beam irradiation, a slit for inter-wiring insulation is formed around the wiring pattern on the conductive film, so that the outer periphery can be formed without waste liquid treatment as in the case of using a photolithography method including an etching treatment. A touch panel or a liquid crystal panel having a wiring pattern in a part can be produced at a low cost in a small quantity of other types. Further, since the energy distribution in the cross section of the energy beam is made uniform, the width of the slit for insulation between wirings formed in the conductive film varies, and a part of the conductive film remains in the slit. Damage to the insulating substrate can be reduced.

[0026]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention is applied below to a conductive film processing apparatus for forming a transparent electrode by removing a part of a conductive film in a slit shape on a transparent insulating substrate in a hybrid type touch panel. An embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1A is a schematic configuration diagram of a processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1A, a near-infrared laser beam (wavelength λ = 1064 nm) emitted from a YAG laser 1 as an energy beam source (light source) controlled by a Q switch 1a constitutes an optical system as beam irradiation means. A transparent plastic material (for example, PE
(T, polycarbonate) is guided to the vicinity of the surface of the conductive film 4 made of a transparent material (ITO) on the insulating substrate 3 made of the same. At the exit (light emitting end) of the optical fiber 2,
As shown in FIG. 1B, a microlens 20 as an optical element for condensing the laser light L emitted from the optical fiber 2 on the conductive film 4 is integrally attached. By selectively irradiating the conductive film 4 with the laser light L condensed by the microlenses 20 and heating and evaporating the conductive film 4, the conductive film 4 is partially peeled and removed. Can be. Then, by condensing the laser light and irradiating the conductive film 4 on the insulating substrate 3, the irradiation area of the laser light irradiated on the conductive film 4 can be reduced. The processing efficiency can be improved by increasing the energy density. Moreover, since a processing pattern having a small size can be processed, the processing pattern can be miniaturized.

Instead of attaching the microlens 20, the light emitting end of the core of the optical fiber 2 may be formed to project in a convex lens shape. The laser beam to be emitted from the optical fiber 2 can be condensed and radiated onto the conductive film 4 by the core portion protruding into a convex lens shape. Also, near-infrared laser light emitted from the YAG laser 1 is focused on the entrance side of the optical fiber
May be provided with a microlens for introduction into the core.

An insulating substrate 3 to be processed is fixed on a mounting table 5b driven by a linear motor 5a of an XY stage 5 as substrate holding means.
It can be moved dimensionally. YAG laser 1 and X
The -Y stage 5 is controlled by a control unit 6 as control means including a personal computer 6a, a sequencer 6b, and a control circuit board 6c for synchronously linked operation. For example, the control unit 6 controls the driving unit of the YAG laser 1, and thereby changes the repetition period, pulse width, and the like of the laser light.

Further, the control unit 6 drives and controls the linear motor in the XY stage 5 in accordance with the output of the laser beam from the YAG laser 1 to move the insulating substrate 3 or to control the position of the mounting table 5b. The output of the laser light from the YAG laser 1 can be changed according to the moving state. For example, at the time of acceleration / deceleration at the start and end of the movement of the mounting table 5b, the energy density of the laser beam on the conductive film 4 is kept constant so that a uniform processing shape (taper shape) can be formed. For this purpose, control is performed such that the repetition period, pulse width, and the like are changed in real time according to the moving speed of the mounting table 6b. By performing this control, the acceleration of the mounting table 6b and the deceleration of the conventional mounting table 6b each require an approach of about 100 mm, and the total movement amount of the mounting table 5b is 700 mm
However, by performing the above control, the above-mentioned approach is not required, and the total movement amount is 500 mm × 500.
mm. Since the amount of movement of the mounting table 5b can be shortened in this manner, slit processing can be performed at a processing speed equal to or higher than the conventional etching processing (for example, about 35 seconds to 15 seconds per substrate), and dimensional accuracy can be reduced. It is possible to improve the performance and prevent the occurrence of scorching and unprocessed portions.

The XY stage 5 has a mounting table 5
It is also possible to provide a sensor for detecting the moving distance of b, and to perform feedback control of the mounting table 5b based on the output of this sensor.

In order to further improve the processing speed, the acceleration of the mounting table 5b, and the processing accuracy, the mounting table 5b is preferably formed of an ultralight material such as titanium foam, magnesium oxide, alumina oxide, or aluminum alloy. . The mounting table 5
A through hole may be formed inside b to reduce the weight. This through hole can also serve as an airflow path for a vacuum chuck when the object to be processed is a sheet-like object.

As shown in FIG. 2, a concave portion 5c of the mounting table 5b is formed at least below a portion of the insulating substrate 3 where the laser beam is irradiated, and the lower surface of the insulating substrate 3 and the mounting table 5b are formed. It is preferable that the distance between the upper surface and the upper surface is increased. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the reflected laser light that has passed through the insulating substrate 3 and has been reflected on the surface of the mounting table 5b from hitting the conductive film 4, thereby adversely affecting the processing of the conductive film 4. .

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a touch panel processed by the present processing apparatus. FIGS. 4A and 4B are an exploded perspective view and a plan view of the same touch panel, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the touch panel, a pair of upper and lower touch panel substrates 7 and 8 are placed at a predetermined height (for example, 9 to 12) so that the transparent electrodes made of the conductive films 4 do not come into contact with each other in a normal state.
.mu.m). Then, when this touch panel is pressed from above in FIG. 3, the upper touch panel substrate 7 is deformed as shown by a two-dot chain line, and the transparent electrodes of the upper and lower panels 7 and 8 come into contact with each other.
From the change in resistance between the upper and lower transparent electrodes due to this contact, it is possible to know whether or not the pressing has been performed and the pressed position. The touch panel is a hybrid type combining an analog type and a digital type. As shown in FIG. 4, slits 7a, 8a orthogonal to each other are formed in the upper and lower touch panel substrates 7, 8, respectively, in each conductive film. ing.

The processing apparatus according to this embodiment forms the slits of the conductive film 4 shown in FIG. The insulating substrate 3 having the conductive film 4 (thickness = about 500 Å) formed on the surface thereof by vacuum deposition, ion plating, sputtering, or the like, is placed on the XY stage 5 toward the upper side of the conductive film 4. Is set to And
The laser beam L is moved to one direction by the XY stage 5 while irradiating the conductive film 4 on the insulating substrate 3 with the laser beam L being focused to a predetermined spot diameter, so that the width is 500 to 1000 μm.
To this extent, the conductive film 4 is removed by being evaporated by heating with a laser beam, and a slit for insulating each electrode region is formed.

Here, the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser beam L emitted from the YAG laser 1 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), the center has the strongest mountain-shaped profile. The level indicated by reference sign Eo in FIG.
It shows the threshold value for the removal processing of the conductive film 4 by laser light. When the conductive film 4 on the insulating substrate 3 was removed by irradiating a laser beam having the energy distribution of such a profile as it was, a slit 10 was formed as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C. Is not constant,
It became wavy. Therefore, leakage due to moisture or leakage due to adhesion of the conductive foreign matter 102 is likely to occur,
The wavy edge of the slit 10 is notable in that the transparent electrode is easily visible. In addition, slit 10
It is difficult to control the width of the conductive film, and the processing residue 101 in which a part of the conductive film remains is easily generated. The visibility is also increased by the unprocessed portion 101. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the insulating substrate 3 is dug deep at a position corresponding to the center of the laser beam L, or the processed portion is scorched and colored, thereby increasing the visibility of the slit. There was also a problem of rolling.

In order to solve various problems caused by the energy distribution of the laser light, in the present embodiment, an optical system for guiding the laser light from the light source 1 to the conductive film 4 is provided.
The step index type optical fiber 2 that can make the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser beam L uniform is used.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the insulating substrate 3 is used by using the step index type optical fiber 2.
By making the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser beam L applied to the upper conductive film 4 uniform at a level slightly exceeding the threshold value Eo, the slit is formed as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C. The width of 10 can be fixed to a predetermined width. Therefore, leakage due to moisture or conductive foreign matter 10
Leakage due to adhesion of 2 is less likely to occur, and the edge of the slit 10 is less noticeable. In addition, the width of the slit 10 can be easily controlled, and processing residue with a part of the conductive film 4 remaining hardly occurs. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the insulating substrate 3 is not dug deep at a position corresponding to the center of the laser beam L. Further, since the processed portion is not scorched and colored, the visibility of the slit does not increase.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the insulating substrate 3
Since the processing of removing a part of the upper transparent conductive film 4 by irradiation of laser light is performed, the transparent electrode can be formed without waste liquid treatment as in the case of using photolithography including etching. It is possible to produce other types of touch panels in small quantities at low cost. In addition, since the laser light applied to the conductive film 4 is guided by the step index type optical fiber 2, the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser light is made uniform. It is possible to reduce residual portions, damage to the insulating substrate, and the like.

Further, a laser beam of infrared light or visible light emitted from the YAG laser 1 as a heat laser is used as the laser light, and a part of the conductive film 4 is mainly heated and evaporated. Therefore, the insulating substrate 3 (PET, polycarbonate, etc.) that is the base of the conductive film 4 is less colored and damaged.

Also, by using the Q-switch controlled YAG laser 1, the setting of the thermal energy applied to the conductive film 4 can be changed by changing the repetition period and irradiation time width (pulse width) of the laser light. The removal processing of the conductive film 4 is easily controlled.

In this embodiment, the step index type optical fiber 2 is used. However, as long as the laser beam can be guided while making the energy distribution uniform by refraction or reflection in the internal optical transmission line, the present invention is not limited thereto. Other types of optical fibers may be used. For example, unlike a normal optical fiber, a core portion (optical transmission path) at the center of the axis is formed of a gas such as air or an inert gas having a low refractive index, and the outer periphery of the core portion is formed of a metal layer having a light reflectance or A hollow optical fiber clad with a dielectric layer may be used.

In this embodiment, the laser beam L is scanned on the conductive film 4 by moving the insulating substrate 3 using the XY stage 5.
The laser beam L may be scanned using a scanning mechanism such as a galvanomirror while keeping the fixed.

As shown in FIG. 7, the insulating substrate 3 mounted on the mounting table 5b is fixed, and the emitting end side of the optical fiber 2 constituting the beam irradiating means is moved in the direction of irradiation of the laser beam. An optical fiber driving mechanism that moves along the surface of the conductive film 4 in a direction intersecting with the surface of the conductive film 4 may be provided.
This optical fiber driving mechanism is composed of a set of Y-direction movable members 100 driven in the Y-direction by a Y-direction driving device (not shown).
And an X-direction movable member 101 which is driven on the Y-direction movable member 100 in an X-direction in the drawing, which is orthogonal to the Y-direction, by an X-direction driving device (not shown). Further, the light emitting end side of the optical fiber 2 is fixed to a substantially central portion of the X-direction movable member 101 by a fixing member 103.
An imaging optical element is provided at the light emitting end of the optical fiber 2 so that a laser beam can be irradiated onto the conductive film 4 on the surface of the insulating substrate 3 with a predetermined spot diameter. on the other hand,
The insulating substrate 3 is fixedly arranged on a table 105 serving as a mounting table. Then, the X-direction driving device and the Y-direction driving device are controlled by a control unit (not shown) based on processing pattern data, whereby desired processing can be performed on the conductive film 4.

As a scanning method of the laser beam L on the conductive film 4, the scanning method shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B can be exemplified. In FIG. 8A, laser light Ls of a circular spot is linearly scanned. FIG.
In (b), the laser light Ls of a circular spot is scanned in a helical shape.

In the present embodiment, the process of forming a slit 10 for partitioning each transparent electrode by removing a part of the conductive film 4 in order to form a transparent electrode of the touch panel has been described. As shown in FIG. 9, the processing apparatus according to the embodiment includes a slit for wiring insulation around a wiring pattern 13 made of a conductive paste (for example, silver paste) formed on the surface of the conductive film 4 on the insulating substrate 3. 14 can be used, and a similar effect can be obtained. The paste may be applied to the wiring pattern 13 either before or after the slit 14.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to processing of a conductive film for forming a transparent electrode of a touch panel has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to a touch panel, but may be applied to, for example, a transparent electrode of a liquid crystal panel. The present invention can be applied to a case where a conductive film for forming is processed, and a similar effect can be obtained.

In this embodiment, a YAG laser is used as a heat laser light source for processing the conductive film. However, the present invention is applicable to other infrared lasers such as a CO ₂ laser, a visible laser, and the like. The present invention is also applicable to a case where an ultraviolet light laser such as a KrF excimer laser which mainly removes the conductive film by ablation is used.

The present invention can be applied to the case where a light beam other than laser light, or another energy beam such as an X-ray beam or a charged particle beam is used.

[0050]

According to the first to ninth aspects of the present invention, while the energy beam from the energy beam source relatively moves on the conductive film of the insulating substrate, the energy beam is selectively applied to the conductive film. By irradiating, a part of the conductive film can be removed and processed, so that there is no need for waste liquid treatment as in the case of using a photolithography method including an etching treatment, and low-cost low-volume production of other types can be performed. A suitable conductive film can be processed. In addition, since the energy distribution in the cross section of the energy beam applied to the conductive film is made uniform, there is an effect that variations in processing dimensions, partial remaining of the conductive film, damage to the insulating substrate, and the like are reduced.

In particular, according to the fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention, since an optical fiber with less restrictions on layout is used, there is an effect that the size of the apparatus can be reduced.

In particular, according to the invention of claim 7, since the irradiation area of the laser light irradiated on the conductive film of the insulating substrate can be reduced, the energy density of the laser light can be increased to perform the processing. Efficiency can be improved. In addition, since a processing pattern having a small dimension can be processed, there is an effect that a fine processing pattern can be miniaturized.

In particular, according to the invention of claim 8, a touch panel or a liquid crystal panel having a transparent electrode can be manufactured at low cost without a waste liquid treatment as in the case of using a photolithography method including an etching treatment. Varieties can be produced in small quantities. In addition, there is an effect that variations in the width of the slit formed in the conductive film, a part of the conductive film remaining in the slit, damage to the insulating substrate in the slit, and the like can be reduced.

In particular, according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a touch panel or a liquid crystal panel having a wiring pattern on an outer peripheral portion can be reduced without a waste liquid treatment as in the case of using a photolithography method including an etching treatment. Other types can be produced in small quantities at low cost. In addition, there is an effect that variations in the width of slits for wiring insulation formed in the conductive film, a part of the conductive film remaining in the slit, damage to the insulating substrate in the slit, and the like can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a schematic configuration diagram of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. (B) is an enlarged sectional view on the exit side of the optical fiber used in the processing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting table according to a modification example on which an insulating substrate is mounted.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a touch panel.

FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view of a touch panel. (B) is a plan view of the touch panel.

FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram showing an energy distribution in a cross section of a laser beam before being incident on an optical fiber. (B) is a perspective view of a conductive film on an insulating substrate when processed by the same laser beam. (C) is a plan view of a conductive film on the insulating substrate.

FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram showing an energy distribution in a cross section of a laser beam emitted from an optical fiber. (B) is a perspective view of a conductive film on an insulating substrate when processed by the same laser beam. (C) is a plan view of a conductive film on the insulating substrate.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser beam moving mechanism in a processing apparatus according to a modification.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are explanatory views illustrating a scanning method of a laser beam, respectively.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a wiring pattern at a peripheral end of a touch panel and slits around the wiring pattern.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 YAG laser 1a Q switch 2 optical fiber 3 insulating substrate (transparent substrate) 4 conductive film 5 XY stage 5a linear motor 5b mounting table 6 controller (control unit) 7 upper touch panel substrate 8 lower touch panel substrate 9 spacer 10 slit 13 Wiring pattern 14 Slit for insulation between wirings 20 Micro lens

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for processing a conductive film for removing a part of a conductive film formed on a surface of an insulating substrate, comprising: an energy beam source for emitting an energy beam; and an energy beam from the energy beam source. Beam irradiating means for making the energy distribution uniform in the cross section of the substrate and selectively irradiating the energy beam to the conductive film on the insulating substrate; substrate holding means for holding the insulating substrate; An apparatus for processing a conductive film, comprising: a control means for driving and controlling at least one of the substrate holding means and the beam irradiation means so as to relatively move a substrate and an energy beam applied to the substrate. . 2. The apparatus for processing a conductive film according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation path of the energy beam is fixed, and the insulating substrate is moved in a direction crossing the irradiation direction of the energy beam. An apparatus for processing a conductive film, characterized in that the holding means is drive-controlled. 3. The conductive film processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position of the insulating substrate is fixed, and the irradiation position of the energy beam is moved in a direction intersecting the irradiation direction of the energy beam. An apparatus for processing a conductive film, wherein the beam irradiation means is drive-controlled. 4. The apparatus for processing a conductive film according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a light source for emitting a laser beam as said energy beam is used as said energy beam source, and said light beam is emitted from said light source as said beam irradiation means. And an optical system for selectively irradiating the conductive film on the insulating substrate with the laser light while making the energy distribution uniform in the cross section of the laser light. 5. An apparatus for processing a conductive film according to claim 4, wherein the optical system for making the energy distribution in the cross section of the laser light uniform is such that the laser light emitted from the light source is refracted by an internal optical transmission line. An apparatus for processing a conductive film, wherein an optical fiber is used to guide the energy distribution to the vicinity of the conductive film on the insulating substrate while making the energy distribution uniform by reflection. 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a step index type optical fiber having a core at a shaft core is used as said optical fiber. 7. The conductive film processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an optical element for converging laser light emitted from the optical fiber on the conductive film. Processing equipment. 8. The conductive film processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the energy beam irradiation irradiates the transparent conductive film on a transparent insulating substrate with a slit. An apparatus for processing a conductive film, comprising: forming a conductive film. 9. A conductive film for forming a wiring pattern made of a conductive paste on a surface thereof is processed.
4. An apparatus for processing a conductive film according to 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein the energy beam irradiation forms a slit for wiring insulation around a wiring pattern on the conductive film. Processing equipment for conductive films.