Process for producing articles having an electrically conductive coating

• US 9,603,256 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Am RAMP & Company GmbH (Sakata INX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Am RAMP & Company GmbH (Sakata INX Corporation)
• Inventors: Gellrich, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): TSCHEN, FRANCISCO W
• Application Number:
  US12/064,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,963 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2601/28 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0254 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/12 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/12 to obtain a coating with specific electrical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/04 to surfaces of films or sheets producing layered products by applying coatings of pasty or pulverulent plastics B29C41/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/20 Conductive material dispersed in non-conductive organic material organic macromolecular compounds or compositions C08
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/095 for polymer thick films, i.e. having a permanent organic polymeric binder
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0143 Using a roller; Specific shape thereof; Providing locally adhesive portions thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0278 Flat pressure, e.g. for connecting terminals with anisotropic conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0786 Using an aqueous solution, e.g. for cleaning or during drilling of holes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/12 using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing articles having on at least part of their surface an electrically conductive coating by at least partly coating a substrate with a composition comprising finely divided electrically conductive metal particles and a binder and subjecting the coated substrate to at least one treatment with water in the presence of a halide ion source at a temperature in the range from ambient temperature to 200° C. The process of the invention allows articles having an electrically conductive coating to be produced in a simple, rapid and mild way.

Claims

1. A process for producing an article having on at least part of its surface an electrically conductive coating, which article is selected from the group consisting of a printed circuit board, RFID antenna, battery and solar cell, wherein the process consists of at least partly coating a substrate with a composition comprising finely divided electrically conductive silver particles and a binder and improving the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive coating by subjecting the coated substrate to at least one treatment with a composition that consists of water and a halide ion source at a temperature in the range from 50 to 95°

C., wherein the composition optionally comprises a water soluble organic or inorganic acid, wherein the halide ion source is selected from an alkali metal halide, an alkaline earth metal halide, an aluminium halide, a zinc halide, and an ammonium halide such that the standardized specific surface resistance of the coating is less than 10 mΩ

/25 μ

m.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein a chloride ion source is used as halide ion source.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the halide ion source is 0.01 to 10% by weight, based on the amount of water.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprising finely divided electrically conductive silver particles and a binder comprises as its binder an organic polymeric binder or a curable component.

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein the binder is selected from polyvinyl butyrals and (meth)acrylate-based polymers.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprising finely divided electrically conductive silver particles and a binder is applied by screen printing, ink-jet printing or gravure printing to the substrate.

7. A process for producing an article having on at least part of its surface an electrically conductive coating, which article is selected from the group consisting of a printed circuit board, RFID antenna, battery and solar cell, wherein the process consists of at least partly coating a substrate with a composition comprising finely divided electrically conductive silver particles and a binder, improving the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive coating by subjecting the coated substrate to at least one treatment with a composition that consists of water and a halide ion source at a temperature in the range from 50 to 95°

C., and subjecting the article to at least one after treatment by rolling at a temperature of ≦

200°

C., wherein the composition optionally comprises a water soluble organic or inorganic acid, wherein the halide ion source is selected from an alkali metal halide, an alkaline earth metal halide, an aluminium halide, a zinc halide, and an ammonium halide such that the standardized specific surface resistance of the coating is less than 10 mΩ

/25 μ

m.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the rolling is carried out at ambient temperature.

9. A process for producing an article having on at least part of its surface an electrically conductive coating, which article is selected from the group consisting of a printed circuit board, RFID antenna, battery and solar cell, wherein the process comprises at least partly coating a substrate with a composition comprising finely divided electrically conductive silver particles and a binder and improving the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive coating by subjecting the coated substrate to at least one treatment with a composition that consists of water and a halide ion source at a temperature in the range from 50 to 95°

C., wherein the composition optionally comprises a water soluble organic or inorganic acid, wherein the halide ion source is selected from an alkali metal halide, an alkaline earth metal halide, an aluminium halide, a zinc halide, and an ammonium halide such that the standardized specific surface resistance of the coating is less than 10 mΩ

/25 μ

m, wherein the article is further subjected initially to a first rolling operation at ambient temperature and subsequently to at least one further rolling operation at a temperature in the range from 70 to 200°

C.

10. A process for producing an article having on at least part of its surface an electrically conductive coating, which article is selected from the group consisting of a printed circuit board, RFID antenna, battery and solar cell, wherein the process comprises at least partly coating a substrate with a composition comprising finely divided electrically conductive silver particles and a binder and improving the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive coating by subjecting the coated substrate to at least one treatment with a composition that consists of water and a halide ion source at a temperature in the range from 50 to 95°

C., wherein the composition optionally comprises a water soluble organic or inorganic acid, wherein the halide ion source is selected from an alkali metal halide, an alkaline earth metal halide, an aluminium halide, a zinc halide, and an ammonium halide such that the standardized specific surface resistance of the coating is less than 10 mΩ

/25 μ

m, wherein the article is additionally provided with a protective coat or topcoat.

11. A process for producing an article having on at least part of its surface an electrically conductive coating, which article is selected from the group consisting of a printed circuit board, RFID antenna, battery and solar cell, wherein the process comprises at least partly coating a substrate with a composition comprising finely divided electrically conductive silver particles and a binder and improving the electrical conductivity of the electrically conductive coating by subjecting the coated substrate to at least one treatment with a composition that consists of water and a halide ion source at a temperature in the range from 50 to 95°

C., wherein the composition optionally comprises a water soluble organic or inorganic acid, wherein the halide ion source is selected from an alkali metal halide, an alkaline earth metal halide, an aluminium halide, a zinc halide, and an ammonium halide such that the standardized specific surface resistance of the coating is less than 10 mΩ

/25 μ

m, wherein the article is submitted to at least one after treatment by rolling at a temperature of ≦

200°

C., wherein the article is additionally provided with a protective coat or topcoat.