Method for producing a multi-functional, multi-ply layer on a transparent plastic substrate and a multi-functional multi-ply layer produced according to said method

• US 20030104185A1
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ROTH & RAU AG (Meyer Burger Technology AG)
• Original Assignee: ROTH & RAU AG (Meyer Burger Technology AG)
• Inventors: Roth, Dietmar, Dittrich, Karl-Heinz
• Application Number:
  US10/312,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20030104185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/209
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/205 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/352 using more than one target C23C14/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/357 Microwaves, e.g. electron cyclotron resonance enhanced sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/30 Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for producing a multifunctional multi-ply layer on a transparent plastic substrate and to a multifunctional multi-ply layer produced thereby.

In the process, a multi-ply layer is constructed by a plasma-assisted method on a transparent plastics substrate (1) in an enclosed process by using a microwave plasma source to produce a plasma and continuously maintaining the plasma during the course of the process. A first adhesion-promoting organosilicon polymer layer (2) is subsequently deposited in the microwave plasma, and then cathode sputtering is used to deposit a first ITO layer (3), and a transparent layer of metal and/or of metal oxide and a second ITO layer (3). Finally, an organosilicon polymer layer (5) is deposited.

The multifunctional multi-ply layer is composed of a first adhesion-promoting organosilicon polymer layer (2) with a thickness of from 50 to 300 nm, of a first ITO layer (3) with a thickness of from 50 from 300 nm, of at least one transparent layer with a thickness of from 10 to 30 nm of metal and/or of metal oxide, of a second ITO layer (3) with a thickness of from 50 to 300 nm, and of at least one final organosilicon polymer layer (5) with a thickness of from 300 nm to 6 000 nm.

Claims

1. Process for producing a multi-ply layer on a transparent plastics substrate (1), the layer being optically transparent, electrically conductive and scratch-resistant, characterized in that the multi-ply layer is constructed by a plasma-assisted method and in a coating chamber by an enclosed process in which a plasma is produced by means of a microwave plasma source and is continuously maintained during the course of the process, and that a monomer, preferably an organosilicon compound, and oxygen are subsequently introduced into the coating chamber and a first adhesion-promoting organosilicon polymer layer (2) is deposited, and then cathode sputtering is used to construct a first ITO layer (indium-tin-oxide layer) (3), and a transparent layer of metal and/or of metal oxide and a second ITO layer (3), and that finally an organosilicon polymer layer (5) is deposited in the manner used for the first adhesion-promoting organosilicon polymer layer (2), where the supply of energy via the microwave plasma source and the cathode sputtering is restricted so that the thermal stress does not damage the plastics substrate.

2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that after deposition of the transparent layer of metal and/or of metal oxide onto the plastics substrate (1) a mask is superimposed which does not protectively cover particular regions, and that in these regions another transparent layer of metal and/or of metal oxide is constructed in an additional step of the process with a thickness such that these regions can be utilized as electrically contactable electrodes, and that the mask is removed and the other layers are constructed.

3. Multifunctional multi-ply layer on a transparent plastics substrate (1), the layer being optically transparent, electrically conductive and scratch-resistant, and composed of a first adhesion-promoting organosilicon polymer layer (2) with a thickness of from 50 to 300 nm, of a first ITO layer (3) with a thickness of from 50 to 300 nm, of at least one transparent layer with a thickness of from 10 to 30 nm of metal and/or of metal oxide, of a second ITO layer (3) with a thickness of from 50 to 300 nm, and of at least one final organosilicon polymer layer (5) with a thickness of from 300 nm to 6 000 nm.

4. Multi-ply layer according to claim 3, characterized in that the transparent layer of metal or of metal oxide has particular regions whose thickness is greater than that of the other regions, so that these regions can be utilized as electrically contactable electrodes.