ITO-coated article and/or method of making the same via heat treating
First Claim
1. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:
- providing a substantially transparent substrate;
sputtering a substantially sub-oxidized indium tin oxide (ITO) and/or metallic-mode indium-tin film, directly or indirectly, on the substrate via an indium-tin (InSn) target, said sputtering being performed at or close to room temperature; and
heat treating the substrate with the substantially sub-oxidized ITO and/or metallic-mode indium-tin film such that the layer of substantially sub-oxidized ITO and/or metallic-mode indium-tin film is transformed into a substantially transparent and electrically conductive crystalline resultant ITO film.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to techniques for making a coated article including a transparent conductive indium-tin-oxide (ITO) film supported by a heat treated glass substrate. A substantially sub-oxidized ITO or metallic indium-tin (InSn) film is sputter-deposited onto a glass substrate at room temperature. The glass substrate with the as-deposited film thereon is subjected to elevated temperatures. Thermal tempering or heat strengthening causes the as-deposited film to be transformed into a crystalline transparent conductive ITO film. Advantageously, this may reduce the cost of touch panel assemblies, e.g., because of the higher rates of the ITO deposition in the metallic mode. The cost of touch-panel assemblies may be further reduced through the use of float glass.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:
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providing a substantially transparent substrate; sputtering a substantially sub-oxidized indium tin oxide (ITO) and/or metallic-mode indium-tin film, directly or indirectly, on the substrate via an indium-tin (InSn) target, said sputtering being performed at or close to room temperature; and heat treating the substrate with the substantially sub-oxidized ITO and/or metallic-mode indium-tin film such that the layer of substantially sub-oxidized ITO and/or metallic-mode indium-tin film is transformed into a substantially transparent and electrically conductive crystalline resultant ITO film. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:
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providing a substantially transparent soda-lime float glass substrate; sputtering an intermediate film, directly or indirectly, on the substrate via an indium-tin (InSn) target, said intermediate film comprising a substantially sub-oxidized indium tin oxide (ITO) and/or metallic-mode indium-tin film, said sputtering being performed at or close to room temperature; and heat strengthening or thermally tempering the substrate together with the intermediate film to produce an electrically conductive and crystalline resultant ITO film, wherein said intermediate film comprises (InSn)xOy, wherein 0<
y<
0.5, and wherein x=1−
y, andwherein said sputtering is performed in an environment having an oxygen-to-argon ratio of 0 to 0.4. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of making an electronic device, the method comprising:
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providing a coated article comprising an ITO coating, the coated article having an intermediate film sputtered, directly or indirectly, on the substrate via an indium-tin (InSn) target, said intermediate film comprising a substantially sub-oxidized indium tin oxide (ITO) and/or metallic-mode indium-tin film, said sputtering being performed at or close to room temperature, the substrate and the intermediate film having been heat treated to produce an electrically conductive and crystalline resultant ITO film, wherein said intermediate film comprises (InSn)xOy, wherein 0<
y<
0.5, and wherein x =1−
y, and wherein said sputtering is performed in an environment having an oxygen-to-argon ratio of 0 to 0.4. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:
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providing a substantially transparent glass substrate; sputtering a film comprising substantially sub-oxidized indium tin oxide (ITO) and/or metallic-mode indium-tin, directly or indirectly, on the glass substrate via a target comprising indium and tin, said sputtering being performed at or close to room temperature; and heat treating the substrate with the film comprising substantially sub-oxidized ITO and/or metallic-mode indium-tin such that the substantially sub-oxidized ITO and/or metallic-mode indium-tin is transformed into a substantially transparent and electrically conductive crystalline resultant film comprising ITO. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:
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having a substantially transparent glass substrate supporting a film comprising substantially sub-oxidized indium tin oxide (ITO) and/or metallic-mode indium-tin; and heat treating the glass substrate with the film comprising substantially sub-oxidized ITO and/or metallic-mode indium-tin such that the substantially sub-oxidized ITO and/or metallic-mode indium-tin is transformed into a substantially transparent and electrically conductive crystalline resultant film comprising ITO. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification