ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING ASSEMBLIES

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a process for the manufacture of a multilayer assembly comprising applying at least one patterned substrate onto at least one surface of at least one non-patterned substrate.

The present invention also pertains to the multilayer assembly obtainable by said process and to uses of said multilayer assembly in various applications.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A multilayer assembly comprising: (1) at least one patterned substrate, said patterned substrate comprising: a patterned layer (LMP) made of a core of at least one first metal compound (M1) and, optionally, a shell of at least one second metal compound (M2) at least partially coating said core, said compound (M2) being equal to or different from said compound (M1), and optionally, directly adhered onto at least one surface of layer (LMP), preferably onto one surface of layer (LMP), an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-1); and (2) at least one non-patterned substrate, said non-patterned substrate comprising: an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-2) having an outer surface and an inner surface, said layer (LT-2) being equal to or different from layer (LT-1), if any, and directly adhered onto one surface of layer (LT-2), an optically transparent non-patterned layer (LMT) made of at least one optically transparent metal compound (M.sub.ot), said at least one surface of layer (LT-2) being optionally treated by a radio-frequency glow discharge process in the presence of an etching gas, wherein layer (LMP) of the patterned substrate of the multilayer assembly is directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT) of the non-patterned substrate.

11. The multilayer assembly according to claim 10, said multilayer assembly comprising: an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-1), directly adhered onto one surface of layer (LT-1), a patterned layer (LMP) made of a core of at least one first metal compound [compound (M1)], directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMP), an optically transparent non-patterned layer (LMT) made of at least one optically transparent metal compound (M.sub.ot), and directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT), an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-2), said layer (LT-2) being equal to or different from layer (LT-1), wherein the surface of layer (LT-2) directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT) is optionally treated by a radio-frequency glow discharge process in the presence of an etching gas.

12. The multilayer assembly according to claim 10, said multilayer assembly comprising: a patterned layer (LMP) made of a core of at least one first metal compound (M1) and, optionally, a shell of at least one second metal compound (M2) at least partially coating said core, said compound (M2) being equal to or different from said compound (M1), directly adhered onto one surface of layer (LMP), an optically transparent non-patterned layer (LMT) made of at least one optically transparent metal compound [compound (M.sub.ot)], and directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT), an optically transparent substrate layer (LT 2), wherein the surface of layer (LT-2) directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT) is optionally treated by a radio-frequency glow discharge process in the presence of an etching gas.

13. The multilayer assembly according to claim 10, wherein layer (LMP) is a patterned grid layer (LMP) made of a core of at least one first metal compound (M1) and, optionally, a shell of at least one second metal compound (M2) at least partially coating said core, said compound (M2) being equal to or different from said compound (M1).

14. The multilayer assembly according to claim 13, wherein layer (LMP) has a mesh size comprised between 100 m and 800 m.

15. The multilayer assembly according to claim 13, wherein layer (LMP) has a bar width comprised between 5 m and 70 m.

16. An optically transparent electrode comprising the multilayer assembly according to claim 10.

17. The multilayer assembly according to claim 10, wherein compound (M1) is selected from the group consisting of Rh, Ir, Ru, Ti, Re, Os, Cd, Tl, Pb, Bi, In, Sb, Al, Ti, Cu, Ni, Pd, V, Fe, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn, Mo, W, Ag, Au, Pt, Ir, Ru, Pd, Sn, Ge, Ga, alloys thereof and derivatives thereof.

18. The multilayer assembly according to claim 10, wherein compound (M2) is selected from the group consisting of Rh, Ir, Ru, Ti, Re, Os, Cd, Tl, Pb, Bi, In, Sb, Al, Ti, Cu, Ni, Pd, V, Fe, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn, Mo, W, Ag, Au, Pt, Ir, Ru, Pd, Sn, Ge, Ga, alloys thereof and derivatives thereof.

19. The multilayer assembly according to claim 10, wherein compound (M.sub.ot) is a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of: impurity-doped ZnO, In.sub.2O.sub.3, SnO.sub.2 and CdO, ternary metal oxide compounds, and multi-component metal oxides consisting of combinations of ZnO, In.sub.2O.sub.3 and SnO.sub.2.

20. The multilayer assembly according to claim 19, wherein compound (M.sub.ot) is a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of Sn-doped ZnO, Sn-doped In.sub.2O.sub.3, Sn-doped CdO, Zn.sub.2SnO.sub.4, ZnSnO.sub.3, Zn.sub.2In.sub.2O.sub.5, Zn.sub.3In.sub.2O.sub.6, In.sub.2SnO.sub.4, and CdSnO.sub.3.

21. The multilayer assembly according to claim 14, wherein layer (LMP) has a mesh size comprised between 150 m and 500 m.

22. The multilayer assembly according to claim 15, wherein layer (LMP) has a bar width comprised between 7 m and 35 m.

Description

[0265] The invention will be now described in more detail with reference to the following examples whose purpose is merely illustrative and not limitative of the scope of the invention.

Raw Materials

[0266] Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) commercially available from Sigma Aldrich.

[0267] Sn-doped In.sub.2O.sub.3 (ITO) commercially available from Sigma Aldrich.

[0268] Composition comprising Ag [composition (Ag)] commercially available as SunTronic Jettable Silver Ink U5603 from Sun Chemical, Inc.

Example 1Manufacture of a Multilayer Assembly

[0269] A non-patterned substrate having a thickness of 125 m was provided, said substrate having a layer made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) directly adhered onto an optically transparent continuous layer made of Sn-doped In.sub.2O.sub.3 (ITO).

[0270] A multilayer assembly was manufactured by printing by ink-jet printing techniques, using a Dimatix DMP-2831 ink-jet printer, having a ten-pL print-head and a solvent-resistant cartridge containing the composition (Ag) filtered through a 220 nm syringe filter, a patterned grid layer having a thickness of 1.2 m onto the optically transparent continuous layer made of ITO of said non-patterned substrate.

[0271] The patterned grid layer made of Ag thereby provided had a mesh size of 400 m and a bar width of 20 m.

Comparative Example 1Manufacture of a Patterned Substrate

[0272] A patterned grid substrate having a thickness of 125 m was manufactured by printing by ink-jet printing techniques, onto one surface of a PET layer having a thickness of 120 m, a patterned grid layer using the composition (Ag).

[0273] The patterned grid layer made of Ag thereby provided had a mesh size of 400 m and a bar width of 20 m.

Comparative Example 2Manufacture of a Non-Patterned Substrate

[0274] A non-patterned substrate commercially available from Sigma Aldrich was used, said substrate having a thickness of 125 m, wherein an optically transparent continuous layer made of Sn-doped In.sub.2O.sub.3 (ITO) was directly adhered onto a PET layer having a thickness of 120 m.

Determination of the Mesh and Bar Width Structures

[0275] The mesh and bar width structures of the patterned grid layers were determined by using the Dimatix DMP-2831 ink-jet printer fiducial camera and its digital software.

Determination of the Optical Transparency

[0276] The optical transparency of the assemblies was determined by measuring transmittance values using a double beam spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer Lambda 2). Wavelength measurement range was 200-1000 nm and data point spacing was 1 nm.

Determination of the Electrical Resistivity

[0277] The electrical resistivity of the assemblies was determined by using the four point technique (Multi Height Probe, Bridge Technology) on 25 cm.sup.2 samples at room temperature in standard environment.

[0278] The results are set forth in Table 1 here below:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Transmittance Electrical at 500 nm resistivity Run [%] [/square] Ex. 1 60 12 C. Ex. 1 65 85 C. Ex. 2 78 60

[0279] It has been thus found that the multilayer assembly of the present invention advantageously provided for lower electrical resistivity values as compared with prior art assemblies while advantageously maintaining high transmittance values.