ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTIVE LAMINATE DONOR ELEMENT

• US 20130004750A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: MAJUMDAR, DEBASIS, KLAUS, ROGER LEE, CORRIGAN, MICHAEL J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,628,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/202
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/814 combined with auxiliary electrodes, e.g. ITO layer combined with metal lines
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/824 combined with auxiliary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/611 using printing deposition, e.g. ink jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/80 using temporary substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2486 with outer strippable or release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24868 Translucent outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2804 Next to metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2839 with release or antistick coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2861 having readily strippable combined with readily readhearable properties [e.g., stick-ons, etc.]

Abstract

A laminate donor element can be used to transfer a composite of a metal grid and an electronically conductive polymer to a receiver sheet for use in various devices. The laminate donor element has a donor substrate, a metal grid that is disposed over only portions of the donor substrate, leaving portions of the substrate uncovered by the metal grid, and an electronically conductive polymer that covers the portions of the donor substrate that are uncovered by the metal grid. The composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer exhibits a peel force of less than or equal to 40 g/cm for separation from the donor substrate at room temperature.

Claims

1. A laminate donor element comprising, in order:

a donor substrate,

a metal grid comprising two or more metal lines that are in direct contact with only portions of the donor substrate, leaving portions of the donor substrate uncovered by the metal grid, and

an electronically conductive polymer layer that directly covers the portions of the donor substrate uncovered by the metal grid, and optionally directly covers at least some of the metal grid, thereby forming a composite of metal grid metal and electronically conductive polymer,

wherein the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer exhibits a peel force of less than or equal to 40 g/cm for separation from the donor substrate at room temperature.

2. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer layer exhibits a peel force of at least 0.1 g/cm and up to and including 40 g/cm for separation from the donor substrate at room temperature.

3. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the metal grid comprises silver.

4. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the metal grid is disposed over only portions of the donor substrate in a predetermined pattern.

5. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the metal grid is disposed over only portions of the donor substrate in a random arrangement.

6. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the metal grid is disposed over only portions of the donor substrate in a predetermined pattern wherein parallel metal lines are an average of at least 10 nm apart.

7. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the electronically conductive polymer comprises one or more members of the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted pyrrole-containing polymers, substituted or unsubstituted thiophene-containing polymers, and substituted or unsubstituted aniline-containing polymers.

8. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer comprises a substituted or unsubstituted thiophene-containing polymer and a metal grid consisting essentially of silver metal lines.

9. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the donor substrate is a transparent and comprises a flexible material.

10. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the metal grid covers at least 0.01% and up to and including 90% of the donor substrate surface area.

11. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein each metal line of the metal grid has an average width of at least 0.01 μ

m and up to and including 500 μ

m and an average height of at least 0.01 μ

m and up to and including 10 μ

m.

12. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the metal grid is composed of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, platinum, palladium, tin, indium, aluminum, and mixtures thereof.

13. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the metal grid consists essentially of two or more silver lines.

14. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the surface of the donor substrate on which the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer is disposed is a release surface.

15. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the electronically conductive polymer in the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer has an average thickness of at least 0.01 μ

m and up to and including 10 μ

m.

16. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein:

the donor substrate is a transparent film comprising a polyester that has a average thickness of at least 0.001 mm and up to and including 10 mm, the electronically conductive polymer is a substituted or unsubstituted thiophene-containing polymer, and

the metal grid consists essentially of silver metal lines.

17. The laminate donor element of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive over the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer.

18. The laminate donor element of claim 17 wherein the adhesive comprises an epoxy, acrylate polymer, polyurethane, polyester, polyolefin, polycarbonate, polysiloxane, or a mixture thereof.

19. The laminate donor element of claim 17 wherein the adhesive completely covers the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer.

20. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the electronically conductive polymer at least partially covers the metal grid.

21. The laminate donor element of claim 1 wherein the electronically conductive polymer completely covers the metal grid.