Layer containing an electroconductive transparent material, method for producing same and uses thereof

• US 6,830,814 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Erhard, Druschke, Frank, Klausmann, Hagen, Knoll, Peter, Hueppauff, Martin, Glueck, Joachim, Ginter, Ewald-Theodor
• Primary Examiner(s): ZACHARIA, RAMSEY E
• Application Number:
  US10/030,936
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 428/1.3, 428/1.4, 428/411.1, 428/500, 428/910, 252/500, 427/508, 427/510, 427/516, 427/520, 427/553, 427/555
• US Class Current: 428/411.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133711 by organic films, e.g. polymeric films
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133784 by rubbing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133788 by light irradiation, e.g. linearly polarised light photo-polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133796 having conducting property
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/91 Product with molecular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

In order to disclose a structure, which performs the functions of a structured, organic, electrically conductive, transparent electrode and an orientation layer, a cost-reducing and time-saving method for producing such a structure, and uses of this structure, the invention proposes a layer on a substrate, which layer contains an organic, transparent, electrically conductive material and which has a preferred orientation, a method for producing such a layer, in which a transparent, electrically conductive layer is produced and oriented on a substrate, and a use of such a layer as a combined electrode-and orientation layer in LC displays.

Claims

1. A layer on a substrate, which includes an organic, transparent, electrically conductive material, wherein the layer has a preferred orientation, wherein the material is a polymer, wherein the polymer was modified in such a way that it became photo-cross-linkable and was then photo-cross-linked, and wherein the polymer includes photo-cross-linkable substituents.

2. A layer on a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the layer includes a bonding agent.

3. The layer according to claim 2, wherein the bonding agent is a polymer that is cross-linked by means of irradiation.

4. The layer according to claim 2, wherein the bonding agent is photo-oriented.

5. The layer according to claim 2, wherein the bonding agent is a polymer, which is anisotropically cross-linked by irradiation with linearly polarized light.

6. A method for producing the layer of claim 1, wherein the layer is oriented, wherein a layer that contains a transparent, electrically conductive material is produced on the substrate, wherein a polymer is used in the material, wherein the starting material for the polymer is polymerized by irradiation, and wherein the starting material for the polymer polymerizes, forming a privileged direction, when irradiated with linearly polarized light.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the starting material for the polymer is polymerized in the presence of at least one compound, which is capable of anion formation, and one oxidation agent.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein a mixture is brought to reaction, which contains a monomer selected from the groups including thiophenes, polyacetylenes, polypyrroles, polyanilines, at least one organic compound containing di- and polyhydroxy- and/or carboxylic acid- or sulfonic acid groups, preferably at least one polycarboxylic acid or one polysulfonic acid, and an oxidation agent.

9. A method for producing the layer of claim 1, wherein the layer is oriented, wherein a layer that contains a transparent, electrically conductive material is produced on the substrate, wherein a polymer is used in the material, wherein the conductive polymer is modified with photo-cross-linkable substituents and is then cross-linked by irradiation.

10. A method for producing the layer of claim 1, wherein the layer is oriented, wherein a layer that contains a transparent, electrically conductive material, is produced on the substrate, wherein a polymer is used in the material, wherein the conductive polymer is modified with photo-cross-linkable substituents and is then cross-linked by irradiation, wherein said substituents are cross-linked when irradiated with linearly polarized light, and wherein the polymer is then cross-linked by at least one irradiation with linearly polarized light.

11. A method for producing the layer of claim 1, wherein the layer is oriented, wherein a starting material for the layer has a bonding agent or a starting material for such a bonding agent added to it, wherein a photo-cross-linkable polymer is used as the starting material for the bonding agent, and wherein the polymer anisotropically cross-links when irradiated with linearly polarized light.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the layer, at the same time as the photo-polymerization or the photo-cross-linking and the photo-orientation, is photolithographically structured by means of selective etching.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the conductivity in the layer is selectively nullified photolithographically by means of an oxidation agent.

14. The layer according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is a doped polymer.

15. The layer according to claim 14, wherein the doped polymer is a mixture of a polymer, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polythiophenes, polyacetylenes, polypyrroles, polyanilines and at least one polyanion, wherein the at least one polyanion is preferably comprised of organic compounds containing di- and polyhydroxy- and/or carboxylic acid- or sulfonic acid groups, and polyanions comprised of polycarboxylic acids or polysulfonic acids.

16. The layer according to claim 15, wherein the doped polymer is polyethylene dioxythiophene polystyrene sulfonate (PEDT/PSS).

17. The layer according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is photo-oriented.

18. The layer according to claim 17, wherein the polymer was modified by means of photo-cross-linkable substituents, wherein said substituents induce a privileged direction when irradiated with linearly polarized light, and was then cross-linked and photo-oriented by means of at least one irradiation with polarized light.

19. The layer according to claim 1, wherein the layer constitutes a pattern of layer segments.

20. The layer according to claim 1, wherein the conductivity in the layer is selectively nullified.