Multi-layer conductor with carbon nanotubes

• US 7,645,497 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Majumdar, Debasis, Cok, Ronald S., Spath, Todd M., Anderson, Charles C., Irvin, Glen C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): HON, SOW FUN
• Application Number:
  US11/143,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20060274049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 428/1.3, 428/1.4, 428/297.4, 428/411.1, 428/299.1, 345/173, 524/495, 252/500, 252/502, 252/511, 977/742, 977/748
• US Class Current: 428/1.4
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/04 Charge transferring layer characterised by chemical composition, i.e. conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/127 comprising five-membered aromatic rings in the main chain, e.g. polypyrroles, polythiophenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/821 comprising carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/816 Multilayers, e.g. transparent multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80517 Multilayers, e.g. transparent multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/1135 Polyethylene dioxythiophene [PEDOT]; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/221 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/225 comprising substituents
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249945 Carbon or carbonaceous fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31533 Of polythioether

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an electronically conductive article comprising at least one conductive carbon nanotube layer in contact with at least one conductive layer comprising electronically conductive polymer.

Claims

1. An electronically conductive article comprising, in order, a substrate, a discrete continuous conductive layer comprising an electronically conductive polymer, and at least one conductive carbon nanotube layer in contact with and formed over the discrete continuous conductive layer, and wherein said electronically conductive polymer comprises a polythiophene and a polyanion, wherein said polythiophene has the following formula

2. The article of claim 1 wherein said conductive article is transparent.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein said carbon nanotubes are single wall carbon nanotubes.

4. The article of claim 1 wherein said carbon nanotubes in said at least one carbon nanotube layer are present in an amount of between 1 and 100 milligrams per square foot.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein said at least one carbon nanotube layer comprises between 40 and 100 weight percent of carbon nanotubes.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein said carbon nanotubes in said layer comprising carbon nanotubes are in a polymer matrix.

7. The article of claim 1 wherein said article further comprises a support of polyester, cellulose ester, polycarbonate or glass.

8. The article of claim 1 wherein said article has a visual light transmission of greater than 70 percent.

9. The article of claim 1 wherein said layer comprising carbon nanotubes or said layer comprising electronically conductive polymer further comprises a cross-linking agent.

10. The article of claim 1 wherein said layers are preformed and laminated together.

11. The article of claim 1 wherein said layers are sequentially cast.

12. The article of claim 1 wherein at least one of said layers is in a pattern.

13. The article of claim 1 further comprising a coating on said substrate on the side of the substrate opposite to the side with said conductive layers.

14. The article of claim 13 wherein said coating on said substrate opposite to said conductive layers comprises a hardcoat.

15. The article of claim 1 wherein the said article has a sheet resistance up to 10,000 ohms/sq.

16. The article of claim 1 wherein the said article has a sheet resistance of between 0.001 and 500 ohms/sq.

17. The article of claim 1 wherein the individual carbon nanotubes have a length of between 10 nanometers and 1 meter.

18. The article of claim 1 wherein the individual carbon nanotubes have a diameter of between 0.5 and 4 nanometers.

19. The article of claim 1 further comprising a conductivity enhancer formed in any one or more of the conductive layers.

20. The article of claim 1 wherein the conductive carbon nanotube layer or the conductive layer comprising electronically conductive polymer have a thickness of between 10 nanometers and 1 micrometer.

21. The article of claim 1 wherein the conductive carbon nanotube layer has a thickness of 1 nanometer to 1,000 nanometers.

22. The article of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive layer comprising electronically conductive polymer has a figure of merit of less than or equal to 50.

23. A display device having an electronically conductive article according to the claim of claim 1.

24. A touchscreen comprising in order a touching electrode, spacer elements, a conductive carbon nanotube layer, a discrete continuous conductive layer comprising electronically conductive polymer, and a substrate, wherein the conductive carbon nanotube layer is formed over and is in contact with the discrete continuous conductive layer comprising an electronically conductive polymer, and wherein said electronically conductive polymer comprises a polythiophene and a polyanion, wherein said polythiophene has the following formula

25. The touchscreen of claim 24 further comprising a coating on said substrate opposite to said conductive layers.

26. The touchscreen of claim 25 wherein said coating on said substrate on the side opposite to the side with said conductive layers comprises a hardcoat.

27. The touchscreen of claim 25 wherein said coating is an anti-reflection coating.

28. The touchscreen of claim 25 wherein said coating is an anti-glare coating.

29. A method of forming an electronically conductive article comprising:

A) applying a conductive layer composition to a substrate to form a continuous conductive layer, and

B) after drying said continuous conductive layer, forming at least one conductive carbon nanotube layer over and in contact with said dried continuous conductive layer, during which the dried continuous conductive layer remains discrete, and said dried discrete continuous conductive layer comprises an electronically conductive polymer, wherein said electronically conductive polymer comprises a polythiophene and a polyanion, wherein said polythiophene has the following formula