NUCLEATION LAYER FOR THIN FILM METAL LAYER FORMATION

• US 20100089621A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 04/15/2010
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 9,822,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/254
• 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 method for forming a conductive film on a flexible polymer support, which method comprises:

a) forming a seed layer comprising gallium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide or mixtures including mixed oxides or doped oxides thereof atop the flexible polymer support; and

b) depositing an extensible, visible light-transmissive metal layer over the seed layer.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the seed layer comprises zinc oxide.

4. The method of claim 1, 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, indium gallium zinc oxide, Zn_(1-x)Mg_xO;

Al or MgIn₂O_(4-x).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal layer comprises silver.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

c) forming a second seed layer 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 extensible, visible light-transmissive metal layer over the second seed layer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising forming a polymeric spacing layer between the metal layers to provide an infrared-rejecting Fabry-Perot stack.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the seed layer physical thickness is greater than 0 and less than about 5 nm and the metal layer physical thickness is about 5 to about 50 nm.

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

10. A conductive film comprising a flexible polymer support;

a seed layer comprising gallium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide or mixtures including mixed oxides or doped oxides thereof atop the support; and

an extensible, visible light-transmissive metal layer atop the seed layer.

11. The film of claim 10, further comprising an organic support coating between the support and the seed layer.

12. The film of claim 10, wherein the seed layer comprises zinc oxide.

13. The film of claim 12, wherein the zinc oxide is doped with aluminum or aluminum oxide.

14. The film of claim 10, wherein the seed layer comprises indium oxide:

zinc oxide, indium oxide;

tin oxide, indium gallium zinc oxide, Zn_(1-x)Mg_xO;

Al or MgIn₂O_(4-x).

15. The film of claim 10, further comprising a second seed layer atop the metal layer and a second metal layer atop the second seed layer.

16. The film of claim 15, wherein the metal layers are separated by a polymeric spacing layer and provide an infrared-rejecting Fabry-Perot stack.

17. The film of claim 15, further comprising third, fourth, fifth or sixth seed layers 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.

18. The film of claim 10, wherein the seed layer physical thickness is greater than 0 and less than about 5 nm and the metal layer physical thickness is about 5 to about 50 nm.

19. The film of claim 10, wherein the film has at least about 70% visible light transmittance and less than about 20 ohms per square sheet resistivity.

20. The film of claim 10, wherein the film has from about 7.5 to about 15 ohms per square sheet resistivity.

21. An electrical device comprising the film of claim 10.

22. 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 seed layer comprising gallium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide or mixture thereof atop the support; and

an extensible, visible light-transmissive metal layer atop the seed layer; and

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

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

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the seed layer comprises zinc oxide, indium oxide:

zinc oxide, indium oxide;

tin oxide, Zn_(1-x)Mg_xO;

Al, MgIn₂O_(4-x) or indium gallium zinc oxide.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising at least a second seed layer atop the metal layer and at least a second metal layer atop the second seed layer, and wherein the metal layers are separated by a polymeric spacing layer and provide an infrared-rejecting Fabry-Perot stack, the seed layer physical thicknesses are greater than 0 and less than about 5 nm and the metal layer physical thicknesses are about 5 to about 50 nm.