Method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure
First Claim
1. A method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a multilayered conductor/substrate structure which includes a plastic substrate and at least one conductive layer overlying the plastic substrate; and
(b) irradiating the multilayered conductor/substrate structure with ultraviolet radiation such that portions of the at least one conductive layer are ablated therefrom to pattern the multilayered conductor/substrate structure.
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Abstract
A method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure includes the steps of: providing a multilayered conductor/substrate structure which includes a plastic substrate and at least one conductive layer overlying the plastic substrate; and irradiating the multilayered conductor/substrate structure with ultraviolet radiation such that portions of the at least one conductive layer are ablated therefrom. In a preferred embodiment, a projection-type excimer laser system is employed to rapidly and precisely ablate a pattern from a mask into the at least one conductive layer. Preferably, the excimer laser is controlled in consideration of how well the at least one conductive layer absorbs radiation at particular wavelengths. Preferably, a fluence of the excimer laser is controlled in consideration of an ablation threshold level of at least one conductive layer. According to a preferred method, the excimer laser is employed and controlled to ablate portions of the at least one conductive layer without completely decomposing the at least one functional layer therebeneath.
109 Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a multilayered conductor/substrate structure which includes a plastic substrate and at least one conductive layer overlying the plastic substrate; and
(b) irradiating the multilayered conductor/substrate structure with ultraviolet radiation such that portions of the at least one conductive layer are ablated therefrom to pattern the multilayered conductor/substrate structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
(i) a silver-based layer formed of a silver-based metallic material having first and second surfaces;
(ii) a first transparent oxide layer provided on the first surface of the silver-based layer; and
(iii) a second transparent oxide layer provided on the second surface of the silver-based layer;
the first and second transparent oxide layers being independently formed of a compound oxide material of indium oxide with at least one secondary metal oxide whose metallic element has substantially no solid solubility in silver.
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32. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 31 wherein the metallic element having substantially no solid solubility in silver is selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, cerium, bismuth, germanium, silicon, chromium, and a combination of two or more of these elements.
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33. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 32 wherein the silver based layer is an alloy of silver with gold and copper and the first and second transparent oxide layers comprise indium oxide with cerium oxide.
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34. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive layer, where it has not been etched, has a thickness between around 10 nm and around 120 nm.
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35. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive layer has a resistivity of no greater than 80 Ω
- /square.
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36. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 35 wherein the at least one conductive layer has a resistivity of no greater than 30 Ω
- /square.
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37. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 36 wherein the at least one conductive layer has a resistivity of no greater than 20 Ω
- /square.
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38. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive layer has a transmissivity of at least 80%.
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39. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 8 wherein the at least one functional layer comprises a protective layer which serves to protect layers beneath the protective layer from laser irradiation.
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40. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 39 wherein the layers beneath comprise a barrier layer which serves to protect the plastic substrate from environmental damage.
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41. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 39 wherein the layers beneath include the plastic substrate.
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42. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 8 wherein the at least one functional layer comprises a layer of acrylic which abuts the at least one conductive layer.
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43. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 8 wherein the at least one functional layer comprises a barrier layer which serves to protect the plastic substrate from environmental damage.
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44. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 43 wherein the barrier layer is inorganic.
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45. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 43 wherein the barrier layer has an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) no greater than 0.1 cc/m2/day.
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46. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 43 wherein the barrier layer has a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) no greater than 0.1 g/m2/day.
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47. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 43 wherein the barrier layer comprises a layer of SiOx which abuts the plastic substrate.
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48. The method for patterning a multilayered conductor/substrate structure of claim 8 wherein the multilayered conductor/substrate further comprises an additional functional layer abutting a side of the plastic substrate that faces away from the at least one conductive layer, the additional functional layer serving to provide structural protection and/or environmental protection for the plastic substrate.
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49. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the multilayered electrode/substrate structure is an OLED.
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50. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the multilayered electrode/substrate structure is a PLED.
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51. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the multilayered electrode/substrate structure has surface roughness of less than about 8 nm.
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52. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the multilayered electrode/substrate structure has a driving voltage of less than about 20 volts.
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53. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the conductive material of the multilayered electrode/substrate structure comprises a light-emitting polymer.
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54. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 53 wherein the light-emitting polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV), poly(dialkoxyphenylenevinylene), poly(thiophene), poly(fluorene), poly(phenylene), poly(phenylacetylene), poly(aniline), poly(3-alkylthiophene), poly(3-octylthiophene), and poly(N-vinylcarbazole).
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55. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 54 wherein the light-emitting polymer is poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV).
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56. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 54 wherein the light-emitting polymer is polyfluorene.
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57. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the conductive material comprises a luminescent organic or organometallic material.
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58. The multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 57 wherein the luminescent organic or organometallic material is selected from the group consisting of metal ion salts of 8-hydroxyquinolate, trivalent metal quinolate complexes, trivalent metal bridged quinolate complexes, Schiff base divalent metal complexes, tin (IV) metal complexes, metal acetylacetonate complexes, metal bidentate ligand complexes incorporating organic ligands such as 2-picolylketones, 2-quinaldylketones, 2-(o-phenoxy) pyridine ketones, bisphosphonates, divalent metal maleonitriledithiolate complexes, molecular charge transfer complexes, rare earth mixed chelates, (5-hydroxy) quinoxaline metal complexes, and aluminum tris-quinolates.
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59. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the interlayer adhesion of the multilayered electrode/substrate structure is sufficiently great to survive a 180°
- peel adhesion test.
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60. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the Young'"'"'s modulus of the multilayered electrode/substrate structure is at least 1200 MPa.
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61. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the tensile elongation of the multilayered electrode/substrate structure is <
- 1% when subject to 1 lb/in at 23°
C.
- 1% when subject to 1 lb/in at 23°
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62. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 4 wherein the excimer laser has a fluence of from about 320 mJ/cm2 to about 800 mJ/cm2.
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63. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 62 wherein the excimer laser has a fluence of from about 320 mJ/cm2 to about 400 mJ/cm2.
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64. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises a step of cleaning debris from at least one surface of the multilayered electrode/substrate structure subsequent to ablation.
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65. The method for patterning a multilayered electrode/substrate structure of claim 64 wherein the step of cleaning debris from at least one surface of the multilayered electrode/substrate structure subsequent to ablation comprises cleaning with dry carbon dioxide.
Specification