# US 10,482,305 B1 · Electronic devices with thin-film masking layers

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- Number: US 10,482,305 B1
- Document ID: US10482305B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/170,818
- Filed: 2016-06-01
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-06
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Naoto Matsuyuki; Matthew S. Rogers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482305B1

## CPC

- G06V 40/1306: {non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing}
- G06V 40/1329: {Protecting the fingerprint sensor against damage caused by the finger}
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

An electronic device may have transparent structures. The transparent structures may include a transparent member such as a transparent button member. The transparent member may have an inner surface that is covered with an opaque masking layer. The opaque masking layer may be white and may include a white porous inorganic layer covered with an opaque layer that increases the optical density of the opaque masking layer. The white porous inorganic layer may be formed by depositing a metal or other material using physical vapor deposition followed by an annealing process in the presence of oxygen. The opaque layer may be an optically dense inorganic layer such as a metal oxide layer. The button member may be located within an opening in a display cover layer. A fingerprint sensor may be attached to the opaque layer on the button member.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device, comprising:
a transparent member; and
opaque masking structures on the transparent member that contain a porous inorganic layer, wherein the porous inorganic layer is in direct contact with the transparent member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the porous inorganic layer comprises a white layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the porous inorganic layer comprises a white layer deposited by physical vapor deposition and annealed to oxidize the porous inorganic layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the opaque masking structures include an opaque layer directly on the porous inorganic layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the porous inorganic layer comprises a layer of porous titanium oxide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the opaque layer comprises a layer of zirconium oxide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the opaque layer comprises an inorganic opaque layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the transparent member comprises a button member.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The electronic device defined in claim 8 further comprising:
a display, wherein the display has a display cover layer with an opening and wherein the button member is located in the opening.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The electronic device defined in claim 9 further comprising a sensor that is attached to the opaque layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the sensor is a fingerprint sensor.

### Claim 12

Apparatus, comprising:
a transparent member;
an inorganic white opaque masking layer on the transparent member, wherein the inorganic white opaque masking layer includes a porous oxidized metal layer directly on the transparent member and a metal oxide layer directly on the oxidized metal layer; and
a sensor coupled to the inorganic white opaque masking layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein the porous oxidized metal layer is a porous white layer and the metal oxide layer is an opaque layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus defined in claim 13 further comprising a display cover layer with an opening, wherein the transparent member comprises a button member in the opening.