LASER PATTERNING OF SILVER NANOWIRE - BASED TRANSPARENT ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING COATINGS

摘要

A transparent electrical conductor (10; 20), comprising a transparent substrate (14; 201); a composite layer (18; 28) comprising an electrically conductive layer (12) disposed on at least a portion of a major surface of the transparent substrate (14; 201) and comprising a plurality of interconnecting metallic nanowires, and a polymeric overcoat layer (16) disposed on at least a portion of the electrically conductive layer (12); wherein a pattern in the composite layer includes an x-axis and a y-axis of an x-y plane of the composite layer and a z-axis into the x-y plane of the composite layer, and the pattern defines a plurality of electrically conductive regions (24, 24′) in the x-y plane of the composite layer (18; 28), wherein the electrically conductive regions (24, 24′) are separated from each other by electrically insulative traces (21), each of which defines a valley into the z-axis of the x-y plane of the composite layer (18; 28), the valley having a maximum depth (27) in a range from 50 nanometers to 100 nanometers relative to the x-y plane of the composite layer (18; 28), wherein the valley has a cross-sectional width (M1) in a range from 10 micrometers to 1000 micrometers, and wherein the valley further comprises a plurality of crevices (22) having a depth (23) in a range from 50 nanometers to 100 nanometers further into the z-axis of the x-y plane of the composite layer (18; 28). Methods for patternwise irradiating transparent electrodes (10; 20) to generate electrically insulating traces (21) are also described.

主权项

1. A transparent electrical conductor, comprising:
a transparent substrate; a composite layer comprising: an electrically conductive layer disposed on at least a portion of a major surface of the transparent substrate and comprising a plurality of interconnecting metallic nanowires; and a polymeric overcoat layer disposed on at least a portion of the electrically conductive layer; wherein a pattern in the composite layer includes an x-axis and a y-axis of an x-y plane of the composite layer and a z-axis into the x-y plane of the composite layer, and the pattern defines a plurality of electrically conductive regions in the x-y plane of the composite layer, wherein the electrically conductive regions are separated from each other by electrically insulative traces, each of which defines a valley into the z-axis of the x-y plane of the composite layer, the valley having a maximum depth in a range from 10 nanometers to 100 nanometers relative to the x-y plane of the composite layer, wherein the valley has a cross-sectional width in a range from 10 micrometers to 1000 micrometers, and wherein the valley further comprises a plurality of crevices having a depth in a range from 50 nanometers to 100 nanometers further into the z-axis of the x-y plane of the composite layer.