Multilayer plastic substrates

• US 20030215575A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eric S. Mast, Gordon L. Graff, Mark E. Gross, Michael G. Hall, Peter M. Martin
• Original Assignee: Eric S. Mast, Gordon L. Graff, Mark E. Gross, Michael G. Hall, Peter M. Martin
• Inventors: Graff, Gordon L., Mast, Eric S., Gross, Mark E., Hall, Michael G., Martin, Peter M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,962,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/10 Substrates, e.g. flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31721 Of polyimide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31725 Of polyamide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]

Abstract

A multilayer plastic substrate. The substrate comprises a plurality of thin film layers of at least one polymer, the plurality of thin film layers being adjacent to one another and having sufficient strength to be self-supporting, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has an average visible light transmittance of greater than about 80%.

Claims

1. A method of making a multilayer plastic substrate, comprising:

providing a support;

depositing a plurality of thin film layers of at least one polymer on the support so that the plurality of thin film layers have sufficient strength to be self-supporting to form the multilayer substrate; and

removing the support from the multilayer substrate,

wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has an average visible light transmittance of greater than about 80%.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has an average visible light transmittance of greater than about 85%.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has an average visible light transmittance of greater than about 90%.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has a peak visible light transmittance of greater than about 85%.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has a peak visible light transmittance of greater than about 90%.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin film layers are deposited in a vacuum.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the thin film layers are deposited in the vacuum by flash evaporation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein depositing a plurality of thin film layers of at least one polymer on the support so that the plurality of thin film layers have sufficient strength to be self-supporting to form the multilayer substrate comprises:

flash evaporating a polymer precursor;

condensing the polymer precursor on the support as a liquid film; and

cross-linking the polymer precursor to form the polymer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the polymer precursor is cross-linked by curing the polymer precursor using a process selected from ultraviolet radiation curing, electron beam radiation curing, x-ray radiation curing, glow discharge ionization, and spontaneous thermally induced curing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing a plurality of thin film layers of at least one polymer on the support so that the plurality of thin film layers have sufficient strength to be self-supporting to form the multilayer substrate comprises:

extruding a layer of polymer precursor on the support; and

cross-linking the polymer precursor to form the polymer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the polymer precursor is cross-linked by curing the polymer precursor using a process selected from ultraviolet radiation curing, electron beam radiation curing, x-ray radiation curing, glow discharge ionization, and spontaneous thermally induced curing.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing a plurality of thin film layers of at least one polymer on the support so that the plurality of thin film layers have sufficient strength to be self-supporting to form the multilayer substrate comprises:

casting a layer of polymer precursor on the support; and

cross-linking the polymer precursor to form the polymer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the polymer precursor is cross-linked by curing the polymer precursor using a process selected from ultraviolet radiation curing, electron beam radiation curing, x-ray radiation curing, glow discharge ionization, and spontaneous thermally induced curing.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing a plurality of thin film layers of at least one polymer on the support so that the plurality of thin film layers have sufficient strength to be self-supporting to form the multilayer substrate comprises:

spraying a layer of polymer precursor on the support; and

cross-linking the polymer precursor to form the polymer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the polymer precursor is cross-linked by curing the polymer precursor using a process selected from ultraviolet radiation curing, electron beam radiation curing, x-ray radiation curing, glow discharge ionization, and spontaneous thermally induced curing.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate comprises at least about 50 thin film layers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate comprises at least about 100 thin film layers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate comprises at least about 500 thin film layers.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate comprises at least about 1000 thin film layers.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate is at least about 0.001 inches thick.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate is at least about 0.004 inches thick.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein each thin film layer is less than about 50 μ

m thick.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein each thin film layer is less than about 5 μ

m thick.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein each thin film layer is in the range of about 0.005 to about 2 μ

m thick.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein each thin film layer is in the range of about 0.2 to about 0.3 μ

m thick.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one polymer is selected from (meth)acrylates, polystyrenes, methyl styrene-containing polymers, fluorinated polymers, polycarbonates, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, polyimides, polyamides, and polyether naphthenates, and combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the glass transition temperature of the at least one polymer is greater than about 150°

C.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the glass transition temperature of the at least one polymer is greater than about 200°

C.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has a surface roughness of less than about 10 nm.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has a surface roughness of less than about 2 nm.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has a refractive index of greater than about 1.5.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has a refractive index of greater than about 1.4.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate is flexible.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate is rigid.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing at least one barrier stack adjacent to the multilayer plastic substrate.

36. The method of claim 35, where the at least one barrier stack comprises at least one barrier layer and at least one polymer layer.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the at least one barrier layers comprises a material selected from metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, and combinations thereof.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the metal oxides are selected from silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, and combinations thereof.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the metal nitrides are selected from aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, and combinations thereof.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the metal oxynitrides are selected from aluminum oxynitride, silicon oxynitride, boron oxynitride, and combinations thereof.

41. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a scratch resistant layer adjacent to the multilayer plastic substrate.

42. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing an antireflective coating adjacent to the multilayer plastic substrate.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing an antifingerprint coating adjacent to the multilayer plastic substrate.

44. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing an antistatic coating adjacent to the multilayer plastic substrate.

45. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a conductive coating adjacent to the multilayer plastic substrate.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the conductive coating is an indium tin oxide coating.

47. The method of claim 8, wherein flash evaporating comprises:

supplying a continuous liquid flow of the polymer precursor into a vacuum environment at a temperature below both the decomposition temperature and the polymerization temperature of the polymer precursor;

continuously atomizing the polymer precursor into a continuous flow of droplets; and

continuously vaporizing the droplets by continuously contacting the droplets on a heated surface having a temperature at or above a boiling point of the polymer precursor, but below a pyrolysis temperature, forming an evaporate.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the droplets range in size from about 1 micrometer to about 50 micrometers.

49. The method of claim 8 wherein flash evaporating comprises:

supplying a continuous liquid flow of the polymer precursor into a vacuum environment at a temperature below both the decomposition temperature and the polymerization temperature of the polymer precursor; and

continuously directly vaporizing the liquid flow of the polymer precursor by continuously contacting the polymer precursor on a heated surface having a temperature at or above a boiling point of the polymer precursor, but below a pyrolysis temperature, forming the evaporate.

50. The method of claim 1, wherein the multilayer plastic substrate has a surface roughness of less than about 5 nm.