ARTICLE WITH METAL GRID COMPOSITE AND METHODS OF PREPARING

• US 20130004753A1
• 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 8,865,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/209
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/38 Meshes, lattices or nets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/202 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/025 Transfer laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/06 characterised by the heating method
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/10 characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/82 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/83 comprising arrangements for extracting the current from the cell, e.g. metal finger grid systems to reduce the serial resistance of transparent electrodes
• 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 71/50 Forming devices by joining two substrates together, e.g. lamination techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/80 using temporary substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2486 with outer strippable or release 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. The resulting article has a substrate on which a reverse composite of the metal grid and electronically conductive polymer is disposed, which article can be incorporated into various devices.

Claims

1. An article comprising an article substrate, having thereon, in order, an adhesive layer and a reverse composite comprising an electronically conductive polymer layer and a metal grid such that the metal grid is disposed over the adhesive layer and the voids of the metal grid are filled by the electronically conductive polymer, and at least some of the metal grid is uncovered.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the adhesive layer comprises an epoxy, acrylate polymer, polyurethane, polyester, polyolefin, polycarbonate, polysiloxane, or a mixture thereof.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein the metal grid is disposed directly on the adhesive layer.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein the electronically conductive polymer layer is also disposed between the metal grid and the adhesive layer.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein the electronically conductive polymer layer comprises a substituted or unsubstituted thiophene-containing polymer, and the metal grid comprises two or more metal lines comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, platinum, palladium, indium, tin, aluminum, and mixtures thereof.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein the electronically conductive polymer is a substituted or unsubstituted thiophene-containing polymer and the metal grid consists essentially of a plurality of silver lines.

7. The article of claim 1 wherein the article substrate is a transparent and flexible polymer or flexible glass.

8. A method of forming an article comprising a metal grid, the method comprising:

under beat, pressure, or both heat and pressure, forming as assembly of a laminate donor element and a receiver sheet,

the 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 and electronically conductive polymer, and

transferring the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer from the donor substrate to the receiver sheet so that the receiver sheet has thereon a reverse composite comprising the electronically conductive polymer layer and the metal grid such that the metal grid is disposed on the receiver sheet and the voids of the metal grid are filled by the electronically conductive polymer, and at least some of the metal grid is uncovered.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein there is an adhesive disposed between the donor substrate and the receiver substrate.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the composite transferring is carried out using pressure applied by acoustic or mechanical force.

11. The method of claim 8 where the transferring is carried out using a source of radiation.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the receiver sheet comprises a receiver substrate that is a transparent and flexible polymer or flexible glass.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the metal grid comprises a plurality of silver lines and the electronically conductive polymer is a substituted or unsubstituted thiophene-containing polymer.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer layer exhibits a peel force of less than or equal to 40 g/cm for separation from the donor substrate at room temperature.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the transferring is carried out by peeling the laminate donor substrate away from the assembly.

16. An assembly comprising a laminate donor element in intimate contact with a receiver sheet comprising a receiver substrate,

the 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 and electronically conductive polymer.

17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein the electronically conductive polymer layer 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, and the metal grid comprises a plurality of metal lines comprising at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, platinum, palladium, tin, indium, aluminum, and mixtures thereof.

18. The assembly of claim 16 wherein the electronically conductive polymer layer comprises a substituted or unsubstituted thiophene-containing polymer, and the metal grid consists essentially of a plurality of silver lines,

wherein the metal grid covers at least 0.01% and up to and including 90% of the donor substrate surface area,

each silver 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,

the electronically conductive polymer has an average thickness of at least 0.01 μ

m and up to and including 10 μ

m, and

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

19. The assembly of claim 16 wherein both the donor substrate and the receiver substrate are transparent and composed of the same or different flexible polymer or flexible glass.

20. The assembly of claim 16 further comprising an adhesive located between the receiver substrate and the donor substrate.

21. The assembly of claim 16 further comprising an adhesive located between the receiver substrate and the composite of metal grid and electronically conductive polymer.

22. An article comprising an article substrate having thereon a continuous electronically conductive polymer and a metal grid disposed within the outer surface of the continuous electronically conductive polymer layer such that the voids of the metal grid are filled by the continuous electronically conductive polymer, and wherein the electronically conductive polymer is also disposed between the substrate and the metal grid.