Solution process for transparent conductive oxide coatings

• US 8,624,050 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kniajanski, Sergei, Yakimov, Aharon
• Primary Examiner(s): Richter, Johann R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonaparte, Amy C
• Application Number:
  US12/512,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 556/467, 556/10
• US Class Current: 556/467
• CPC Class Codes: C07F 7/0836 Compounds with one or more Si-OH or Si-O-metal linkage
• CPC Class Codes: C07F 9/005 Compounds of elements of Group 5 of the Periodic Table without metal-carbon linkages
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/58 Metal-containing linkages C08G77/485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 183/14 in which at least two but not all the silicon atoms are connected by linkages other than oxygen atoms C09D183/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/24 Electrically-conducting paints conductive materials H01B1/00

Abstract

A process according to the present invention comprises

• • combining in a reaction mixture at least one metal alkyl compound of formula MR_x with at least one silanol compound of formula;

• • forming a film from the reaction mixture; and
  • treating the film with heat and moisture;
  • wherein an amount of the at least one silanol compound present ranges from about one quarter to about three quarters of an amount required to replace all alkyl groups of the at least one metal alkyl compounds with groups derived from the at least one silanol compound;
  • M is, independently at each occurrence, Zn, Cd, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Hg, Pb, Bi or a combination thereof;
  • x is, independently at each occurrence, an integer equal to 2 or 3;
  • z is 0, 1 or 2;
  • R is, independently at each occurrence, alkyl; and
  • R¹-R⁵ is independently H, alkyl, or hydroxyl.

Claims

1. A process comprising

combining in a reaction mixture at least one metal alkyl compound of formula MR_x with at least one silanol compound of formula;

2. A process according to claim 1, comprising combining at least two metal alkyl compounds of formula MR_x with the at least one silanol compound.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the at least one metal alkyl compound of formula MR_x is ZnR₂.

4. A process according to claim 1, comprising combining ZnR₂ and AlR₃ with the at least one silanol compound of formula I.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein R is C_1-12 alkyl.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein R is C_1-4 alkyl.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein M is Zn, Al, In, Ga, or Cd.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein M is Zn, Cd, Al, Ga, In, Pb, Bi or a combination thereof.

9. A process according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one silanol compound present ranges from about one third to about two thirds of the amount required to replace all alkyl groups of the at least one metal alkyl compounds with groups derived from the at least one silanol compound.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one silanol compound present ranges from about two fifths to about three fifths of the amount required to replace all alkyl groups of the at least one metal alkyl compounds with groups derived from the at least one silanol compound.

11. A process according to claim 1 wherein both the metal alkyl compound of formula MR_x and the at least one silanol compound are dissolved in one or more solvents.

12. A process according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one silanol compound present is about two thirds of the amount required to replace all alkyl groups of the at least one metal alkyl compounds with groups derived from the at least one silanol compound.