Nucleation layer for thin film metal layer formation

• US 9,822,454 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Stoss, Walter, Bright, Clark I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kruer, Kevin R
• Application Number:
  US12/519,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20100089621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,616 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10018 comprising only one glass sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1022 Metallic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/024 Deposition of sublayers, e.g. to promote adhesion of the coating C23C14/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/20 on organic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/205 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/562 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/00 Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00 or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses C23C and C25C or C25D
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/111 using layers comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/116 including electrically conducting layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/282 reflecting for infrared and transparent for visible light, e.g. heat reflectors, laser protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A conductive film is formed on a flexible polymer support by applying a seed layer comprising gallium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide or mixture (including mixed oxides) thereof to the flexible polymer support, and applying an extensible, visible light-transmissive metal layer over the seed layer. The seed layer oxide desirably promotes deposition of the subsequently-applied metal layer in a more uniform or more dense fashion, or promotes earlier formation (viz., at a thinner applied thickness) of a continuous metal layer. The resulting films have high visible light transmittance and low electrical resistance.

Claims

1. A conductive film comprising a flexible polymer support;

a discontinuous seed layer as a series of islands having a physical thickness less than 3 nanometers and comprising a mixture selected from two or more of gallium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide on the support; and

a visible light-transmissive metal layer atop the seed layer.

2. The film of claim 1, further comprising an organic support coating between the support and the seed layer.

3. The film of claim 1, wherein the seed layer comprises indium oxide:

zinc oxide, indium oxide;

tin oxide, or indium gallium zinc oxide.

4. The film of claim 1, wherein the metal layer physical thickness is about 5 to about 50 nm.

5. The film of claim 1, wherein the film has at least about 70% visible light transmittance and less than about 20 ohms per square sheet resistivity.

6. The film of claim 1, wherein the film has from about 7.5 to about 15 ohms per square sheet resistivity.

7. The film of claim 1, wherein the seed layer comprises zinc oxide.

8. The film of claim 7, wherein the zinc oxide is doped with aluminum or aluminum oxide.

9. The film of claim 1, further comprising a second discontinuous seed layer as a series of islands atop the metal layer and a second metal layer atop the second discontinuous seed layer.

10. The film of claim 9, wherein the metal layers are separated by a polymeric spacing layer and provide an infrared-rejecting Fabry-Perot stack.

11. The film of claim 9, further comprising third, fourth, fifth or sixth discontinuous seed layers as a series of islands and third, fourth, fifth or sixth metal layers atop the second metal layer, wherein the metal layers are separated by polymeric spacing layers and provide an infrared-rejecting Fabry-Perot stack.

12. An electrical device comprising the film of claim 1.

13. A method for forming a conductive film on a flexible polymer support, which method comprises:

a) forming on the flexible polymer support or on an organic support coating on the flexible polymer support, a discontinuous seed layer formed as a series of islands having a physical thickness less than 3 nanometers and comprising a mixture selected from two or more of gallium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide; and

b) depositing a visible light-transmissive metal layer over the seed layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the seed layer comprises zinc oxide.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the seed layer is formed using a sputtering target comprising zinc oxide:

alumina, indium oxide;

zinc oxide, indium oxide;

tin oxide, indium oxide;

tin oxide;

zinc oxide, indium;

zinc, indium;

tin, or indium gallium zinc oxide.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer comprises silver.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer physical thickness is about 5 to about 50 nm.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the film has at least about 70% visible light transmittance and less than about 20 ohms per square sheet resistivity.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising;

c) forming a second discontinuous seed layer as a series of islands comprising gallium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide or mixtures including mixed oxides or doped oxides thereof over the metal layer; and

d) depositing a second visible light-transmissive metal layer over the second seed layer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising forming a polymeric spacing layer between the metal layers to provide an infrared-rejecting Fabry-Perot stack.

21. A method for making a glazing article, which method comprises:

a) assembling a layer of glazing material and a film comprising;

a flexible polymer support;

a discontinuous seed layer on the flexible polymer support or on an organic support coating on the flexible polymer support, formed as a series of islands having a physical thickness less than 3 nanometers and comprising a mixture selected from two or more of gallium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide; and

a visible light-transmissive metal layer atop the discontinuous seed layer; and

b) bonding the glazing material and film together into a unitary article.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the glazing material comprises glass and the glazing article further comprises an energy-absorbing layer between the film and the glass.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the seed layer comprises indium oxide:

zinc oxide, indium oxide;

tin oxide, or indium gallium zinc oxide.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising at least a second discontinuous seed layer as a series of islands atop the metal layer and at least a second metal layer atop the second discontinuous seed layer, wherein the metal layers are separated by a polymeric spacing layer and provide an infrared-rejecting Fabry-Perot stack, and the metal layer physical thicknesses are about 5 to about 50 nm.