MASK EXPOSURE METHOD, TRANSPARENT CONDUCTIVE METALLIZATION AND PIGMENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a mask exposure method comprising the following steps:the providing of a carrier substrate; the print application of a radiation-crosslinkable washable dye layer to the full area of the carrier substrate;the exposure of the radiation-crosslinkable washable dye layer in defined regions to radiation by means of a radiation mask, such that the washable dye is cured in the defined regions;the applying of a metallization over the full area;the removing of the non-radiation-exposed washable dye outside the defined regions together with the metal present thereon with the aid of a solvent, such that the resultant carrier substrate has cured washable dye with metal applied thereto only in defined regions.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A mask exposure method, comprising the following steps: the provision of a carrier substrate; the print application of a full-area, radiation-crosslinkable, washable ink layer to the carrier substrate; the irradiation of the radiation-crosslinkable, washable ink layer in defined regions by means of a shadow mask, so that the washable ink is cured in the defined regions; the application of a full-area metallization; the removal of the non-irradiated washable ink outside of the defined regions, together with the metal present thereon, by means of a solvent, so that the carrier substrate obtained is such that only in defined regions it comprises cured washable ink with metal applied thereon.

13. The mask exposure method according to claim 12, wherein the carrier substrate obtained which only in defined regions comprises cured washable ink with metal applied thereon forms a transparent, conductive metallization in the form of a regular, coherent network.

14. The mask exposure method according to claim 12, wherein the shadow mask is based on a radiation-transparent material which in defined regions comprises a material impervious to the radiation.

15. The mask exposure method according to claim 14, wherein the shadow mask has a cylindrical shape, and the radiation-transparent material is selected in particular from glass or quartz.

16. The mask exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the step of irradiating the radiation-crosslinkable, washable ink layer in defined regions by means of the cylindrical shadow mask, so that the washable ink is cured in the defined regions, is carried out such that the web speed of the carrier substrate, present in the form of a substrate web, coincides with the rotary speed of the rotating cylindrical shadow mask.

17. The mask exposure method according to claim 13, wherein the shadow mask is based on a radiation-transparent material which in defined regions comprises a material impervious to the radiation; wherein the geometry of the metallization generated in the method, in the form of a regular, coherent network, is determined by a suitable choice of the parameters of the geometric structure of the radiation-impervious shadow mask material and of the spacing of the structures composed of impervious material.

18. The mask exposure method according to claim 12, wherein the radiation-crosslinkable, washable ink layer is based on a composition which comprises a photoinitiator, a binder and optionally a reactive diluent.

19. The mask exposure method according to claim 18, wherein the binder is a polymer selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, more particularly of low molecular weight, and of medium degree of hydrolysis, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol and casein.

20. The mask exposure method according to claim 12, wherein after the step of the removal of the non-irradiated washable ink outside of the defined regions, together with the metal present thereon, by means of a solvent, the step of isolation of the metal removed takes place, in order thus to obtain platelet-shaped pigments.

21. A transparent, conductive metallization in the form of a regular, coherent network, obtainable by the method according to claim 13.

22. A platelet-shaped pigment obtainable by the method according to claim 20.

Description

[0047] Further exemplary embodiments and also advantages of the invention are explained below with reference to the figures, which in order to increase their illustrative nature have not been represented true to scale or to proportion.

[0048] FIGS. 1 to 5 show the production of a transparent conductive metallization of the invention, serving as an electronic device;

[0049] FIG. 6 shows the transparent, conductive metallization of the invention at approximately 25-fold magnification;

[0050] FIGS. 7 and 8 show the production of an (effect) pigment of the invention; and

[0051] FIG. 9 shows an example of the implementation of the mask exposure of the invention by means of a cylindrical shadow mask.

[0052] FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate the production of a transparent conductive metallization of the invention, serving as an electronic device, according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0053] In accordance with FIG. 1, a carrier substrate 1 is first provideda polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foil in the example. Applied by printing on the carrier substrate 1 is a full-area, washable ink layer 2 which is crosslinkable by UV radiation and which in the example is based on the binder polyvinylpyrrolidone, admixed with trimethylolpropane triacrylate with 9-fold ethoxylation (TMP(EO)9TA) as polyfunctional reactive diluent and with a photoinitiator.

[0054] Subsequently, according to FIG. 2, the radiation-crosslinkable, washable ink layer 2 is irradiated in defined regions by means of a shadow mask 3, so that the washable ink is cured in the defined regions.

[0055] FIG. 3 illustrates the regions 4, cured by means of UV radiation, of the washable ink layer 2 crosslinkable by UV radiation.

[0056] Subsequently, according to FIG. 4, a full-area metallization 5 is applied by vapor depositionan Ag layer in the example.

[0057] The washable ink 2 not irradiated with UV radiation is subsequently removed outside of the defined regions, together with the metal 5 present thereon, by means of a solvent, the carrier substrate 1 obtained being such that only in defined regions it comprises cured washable ink 4 with metal 5 applied thereon. The carrier substrate 1 obtained which only in defined regions comprises cured washable ink 4 with metal 5 applied thereon forms a transparent, conductive metallization in the form of a regular, coherent network.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows the picture of a transparent, conductive metallization of the invention in the form of a regular, coherent network in plan view at about 25 times magnification. Readily apparent are circular regions within the regular, metallic, coherent network 5, these regions taking the form of regular islands. The diameter of one circular region is about 125 m.

[0059] FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the production of an (effect) pigment of the invention according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0060] In accordance with FIG. 7, a carrier substrate 6 is first provideda polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foil in the example. Applied by printing on the carrier substrate 6 is a full-area, washable ink layer 7 which is crosslinkable by UV radiation and which in the example is based on the binder polyvinylpyrrolidone, admixed with trimethylolpropane triacrylate with 9-fold ethoxylation (TMP(EO)9TA) as polyfunctional reactive diluent and with a photoinitiator. After the radiation-crosslinkable, washable ink layer 7 has been irradiated in defined regions with UV radiation by means of a shadow mask, the washable ink layer 7 is present in cured form in defined regions 8. This is followed by the application, by vapor deposition, of a color-flopping thin-layer element 9 with reflector/dielectric/absorber constructionin the example, a multilayer Al/SiO.sub.2/Cr arrangement.

[0061] Subsequently, according to FIG. 8, the washable ink 7 not irradiated with UV radiation is removed outside of the defined regions 8, together with the thin-layer element 9 present thereon, by washing with a suitable solvent, and so the carrier substrate 6 obtained is such that only in defined regions 8 it comprises cured washable ink with thin-layer element 9 applied thereon (see product A in FIG. 8). The platelet-shaped effect pigments 9 are subsequently isolated (see product B in FIG. 8).

[0062] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of the implementation of the mask exposure of the invention by means of a cylindrical shadow mask 11. The shadow mask 11 is based on a material transparent to UV radiation, quartz in the example. The shadow mask 11 comprises opaque, circular structural elements 13 which are impervious to UV radiation and which in the example are based on a metal. Located at the center of the cylindrical shadow mask 11 is an elongate, rod-shaped UV lamp 12. The length of the UV lamp 12 is such that the carrier substrate 10, present in the form of a continuous web, can be fully irradiated with UV light in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the continuous web. The step of irradiating the radiation-crosslinkable, washable ink layer in defined regions with UV radiation by means of the cylindrical shadow mask 11 takes place such that the web speed of the carrier substrate 10, present in the form of a continuous web, coincides with the rotary speed of the rotating cylindrical shadow mask 11.