CN114327104A

CN114327104A - Contact structure

Info

Publication number: CN114327104A
Application number: CN202011046812.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 林家瑞; 方国龙; 陈俊荣; 杨承军
Original assignee: TPK Advanced Solutions Inc
Current assignee: TPK Advanced Solutions Inc
Priority date: 2020-09-29
Filing date: 2020-09-29
Publication date: 2022-04-12

Abstract

Providing a contact region structure comprising: an organic substrate, an inorganic conductive layer, an organic adhesive layer, and a transparent conductive layer. The organic substrate comprises at least one lap joint area, and the lap joint area comprises a first block and a second block adjacent to the first block. The inorganic conductive layer is arranged on the organic substrate, wherein the inorganic conductive layer is partially arranged on the first block, and the second block is exposed out of the upper surface of the organic substrate. The organic adhesion layer covers the inorganic conductive layer and the upper surface of the organic substrate. The transparent conductive layer is arranged on the organic adhesion layer to enhance the adhesive force of the transparent conductive layer attached to the inorganic conductive layer.

Description

Contact structure

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to contact structures, and more particularly to organic and inorganic conductors in contact structures.

Background

In the prior art, in the contact area where the touch electrode meets the transmission line, the transmission line is mostly made of a solid metal layer, and the touch electrode is adhered to the transmission line by using an organic material. Therefore, the larger the contact area, the smaller the resistance value of the contact. However, the organic material cannot form a bond with inorganic materials such as metal, which results in poor adhesion and detachment of the touch electrode. In view of the above, there is a need for improvement in the prior art.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a contact structure, which can significantly enhance the adhesion of a transparent conductive layer to an inorganic conductive layer, and prevent the transparent conductive layer from falling off due to stripping of a photoresist.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a contact structure, comprising: an organic substrate, an inorganic conductive layer, an organic adhesive layer, and a transparent conductive layer. The organic substrate includes at least one contact pad area (contact pad area) including a first block and a second block adjacent to the first block. The inorganic conductive layer is arranged on the organic substrate, wherein the inorganic conductive layer is partially arranged on the first block, and the second block is exposed out of the upper surface of the organic substrate. The organic adhesion layer covers the inorganic conductive layer and the upper surface of the organic substrate. The transparent conductive layer is arranged on the organic adhesion layer.

In some embodiments, the inorganic conductive layer is a metal layer.

In some embodiments, the metal layer is a copper layer.

In some embodiments, the inorganic conductive layer has a line structure in a plan view.

In some embodiments, the line-like structures have a width of 10 to 50 microns.

In some embodiments, the inorganic conductive layer has a thickness of 0.1 to 1 micron.

In some embodiments, the inorganic conductive layers are spaced apart in a cross-sectional view of the overlap region.

In some embodiments, the inorganic conductive layer is in a mesh, dendritic, honeycomb, or grid-like structure.

In some embodiments, the inorganic conductive layer has an area of 10,000 square micrometers to 1,000,000 square micrometers.

In some embodiments, the organic substrate further comprises a plurality of bonding regions electrically connected via the inorganic conductive layer.

Drawings

Various aspects of the disclosure will be best understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the various features may not be drawn to scale in accordance with industry standard practice. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a contact structure according to a first embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a contact structure according to a second embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a contact structure according to a third embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 4;

fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a contact structure according to a fourth embodiment of the disclosure.

[ notation ] to show

10 contact area structure

100 organic substrate

110 overlap region

111 the first block

112 the second block

200 inorganic conductive layer

300 organic adhesive layer

400 transparent conductive layer

Detailed Description

To make the description of the present disclosure more complete and complete, the following description is given of embodiments and examples of the present disclosure, but this is not intended to be the only form in which the embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced or utilized. The various embodiments disclosed below may be combined with or substituted for one another where appropriate, and additional embodiments may be added to one embodiment without further recitation or description. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the following embodiments. However, embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details.

Furthermore, spatially relative terms, such as "lower," "upper," and the like, are used for convenience in describing the relative relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature in the figures. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

As used herein, the terms "a" and "an" can refer broadly to a single or a plurality of items, unless the context specifically states otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including" and similar terms, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The following examples and experimental examples are set forth to illustrate the contact structure of the present disclosure in more detail, but are only illustrative and not intended to limit the present disclosure, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 1 and 2, a contact region structure 10 includes an organic substrate 100, an inorganic conductive layer 200, an organic adhesion layer 300, and a transparent conductive layer 400.

In one embodiment, the contact structure 10 of the present disclosure can be widely applied to the places where organic materials and inorganic materials are overlapped and contacted, including, but not limited to, the position of the nano-silver contact metal layer. For example, the contact region structure 10 is an intersection or an overlapping portion of the touch electrode and the signal transmission line in the touch panel, so that the signal of the touch electrode can be transmitted to the signal transmission line.

In one embodiment, the organic substrate 100 refers to a non-conductive material. The substrate may be rigid or flexible. The substrate may be transparent or opaque. Suitable rigid substrates include, for example, polycarbonate, acrylics, and the like. Suitable flexible substrates include (but are not limited to): polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polynaphthalenes, and polycarbonates), polyolefins (e.g., linear, branched, and cyclic polyolefins), polyethylenes (e.g., polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl dichloride, polyvinyl acetals, polystyrene, polyacrylates, and the like), cellulose ester substrates (e.g., cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetate), polysulfones (e.g., polyethersulfones), polyimides, silicones, and other conventional polymeric films. Other examples of suitable substrates can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,067.

In one embodiment, the organic substrate 100 includes at least one bonding region 110, and the bonding region 110 includes a first block 111 and a second block 112 adjacent to the first block 111. In some embodiments, the overlap region 110 is a continuous plane, or a block.

In one embodiment, the organic substrate 100 includes a plurality of bonding regions 110. In some embodiments, the overlap regions 110 are not connected to each other. In some embodiments, the bonding regions 110 are electrically connected through the inorganic conductive layer 200.

In one embodiment, the inorganic conductive layer 200 is disposed on the organic substrate 100, wherein the inorganic conductive layer 200 is partially disposed in the first block 111, and the second block 112 exposes the upper surface of the organic substrate 100. In the partial cross-sectional view of fig. 2, the organic adhesion layer 300 covers the organic substrate 100 on both sides of the inorganic conductive layer 200 to form an interval arrangement of organic, inorganic, and organic materials, so that the transparent conductive layer 400 has strong adhesion and is not easy to fall off due to the photoresist stripping. In one embodiment, the inorganic conductive layer 200 is a metal layer. In some embodiments, the metal layer is made of a material including, but not limited to, indium tin oxide, silver, zinc, copper, gold, platinum, tungsten, aluminum, or an alloy thereof. In some embodiments, the inorganic conductive layer 200 is used as a transmission line. In some embodiments, the inorganic conductive layer 200 is a portion of a flexible printed circuit board.

In one embodiment, the organic adhesion layer 300 may help the transparent conductive layer 400 adhere to the inorganic conductive layer 200 and the organic substrate 100. The organic adhesive layer 300 includes a suitable binder, such as an optically clear polymer, including (but not limited to): polyacrylic acids such as polymethacrylates (e.g., poly (methyl methacrylate)), polyacrylates, and polyacrylonitriles; polyvinyl alcohol; polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate)(PET), poly (terephthalate), and polycarbonate); polymers having a high degree of aromatisation, e.g. phenol-formaldehyde or cresol-formaldehyde

Polystyrene, polyvinyltoluene, polyvinylxylene, polyimide, polyamide, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, polysulfide, polysulfone, polyphenyl and polyphenylene ether, Polyurethane (PU), epoxy resin, polyolefin (e.g., polypropylene, polymethylpentene and cyclic olefin), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), cellulose, silicone and other silicon-containing polymers (e.g., polysilsesquioxane and polysilane), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyacetate, polynorbornene, synthetic rubber (e.g., EPR, SBR, EPDM) and fluoropolymer (e.g., polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene (TFE) or polyhexafluoropropylene), copolymers of fluoro-olefins and hydrocarbon olefins (e.g.,

) And amorphous fluorocarbon polymers or copolymers (e.g., of Asahi Glass corporation)

Or Du Pont

AF)。

In one embodiment, the transparent conductive layer 400 is prepared by coating a coating composition containing nanostructures. To form a coating composition, the metal nanowires are typically dispersed in a volatile liquid to aid in the coating process. It is to be understood that as used herein, any non-corrosive volatile liquid may be used in which the metal nanowires may form a stable dispersion. Preferably, the metal nanowires are dispersed in water, alcohols, ketones, ethers, hydrocarbons or aromatic solvents (benzene, toluene, xylene, etc.). More preferably, the liquid has a volatility and a boiling point of no greater than 200 ℃, no greater than 150 ℃, or no greater than 100 ℃.

In addition, the metal nanowire dispersion may contain an additive and a binder to controlViscosity, corrosion, adhesion, and nanowire dispersion. Examples of suitable additives and binders include, but are not limited to, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), Methylcellulose (MC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), tripropylene glycol (TPG), and Xanthan Gum (XG); and surfactants such as ethoxylates, alkoxylates, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and copolymers thereof, sulfonates, sulfates, disulfonates, sulfosuccinates, phosphates, and fluorosurfactants (e.g., of DuPont)

)。

In some embodiments, the nanowire dispersion or "ink" comprises from 0.0025% to 0.1% by weight of a surfactant (e.g.,

preferred ranges for FSO-100 are 0.0025% to 0.05%), 0.02% to 4% viscosity modifiers (e.g., preferred ranges for HPMC are 0.02% to 0.5%), 94.5% to 99.0% solvent, and 0.05% to 1.4% metal nanowires. Representative examples of suitable surfactants include

FSN、

FSO、

FSH, Triton (x100, x114, x45), Dynol (604, 607), n-dodecyl b-D-maltoside, and Novek. Examples of suitable viscosity modifiers include Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose, xanthan gum, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethylcellulose, and hydroxyethylcellulose. Examples of suitable solvents include water and isopropanol.

The concentration of nanowires in the dispersion may influence or determine parameters of the nanowire network layer such as thickness, electrical conductivity (including surface conductivity), optical transparency, and mechanical properties. The solvent percentage may be adjusted to provide a desired concentration of nanowires in the dispersion. However, in the preferred embodiment, the relative ratios of the other components may remain unchanged. Specifically, the ratio of surfactant to viscosity modifier is preferably in the range of about 80 to about 0.01; the ratio of viscosity modifier to metal nanowires is preferably in the range of about 5 to about 0.000625; and the ratio of metal nanowires to surfactant is preferably in the range of about 560 to about 5. The ratio of the components in the dispersion may vary depending on the substrate used and the method of application. The preferred viscosity range for the nanowire dispersion is between about 1cP and 100 cP.

After coating, the volatile liquid is removed by evaporation. Evaporation can be accelerated by heating (e.g., baking). The resulting nanowire network layer may require post-processing to make it conductive. As described below, this post-treatment may be a process step involving exposure to heat, plasma, corona discharge, UV-ozone or pressure.

In one embodiment, the optical transparency or clarity of the transparent conductive layer 400 (i.e., the conductive network on the non-conductive substrate) can be quantitatively defined by parameters including light transmittance and haze. "light transmittance" (or "light transmission") refers to the percentage of incident light transmitted through a medium. In many embodiments, the light transmittance of the conductive layer is at least 80% and can be as high as 98%. Performance enhancing layers such as an adhesive layer, an anti-reflective layer, or an anti-glare layer may further help reduce the overall light transmittance of the transparent conductor. In various embodiments, the transparent conductor can have a light transmission (T%) of at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, or at least 80%, and can be as high as at least 91% to 92%, or at least 95%.

The organic substrate 100, the inorganic conductive layer 200, the organic adhesive layer 300, and the transparent conductive layer 400 are described in more detail in the following non-limiting examples.

Example 1

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a contact region structure according to a first embodiment of the disclosure, and fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of fig. 1. The contact region structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an organic substrate 100, an inorganic conductive layer 200, an organic adhesion layer 300, and a transparent conductive layer 400.

The organic substrate 100 includes at least one bonding region 110, and the bonding region 110 includes a first block 111 and a second block 112 adjacent to the first block 111.

The inorganic conductive layer 200 is disposed on the organic substrate 100, wherein the inorganic conductive layer 200 is partially disposed in the first block 111, and the second block 112 exposes the upper surface 101 of the organic substrate 100. The inorganic conductive layer 200 is a metal layer, such as a copper layer. The inorganic conductive layer 200 is a line structure in plan view, wherein the width of the line structure is about 10 to 50 micrometers, for example: about 15 microns, about 20 microns, about 25 microns, about 30 microns, about 35 microns, about 40 microns, about 45 microns, or any value in between any two of these values. The thickness of the inorganic conductive layer 200 is about 0.1 to 1 micron, for example: about 0.2 microns, about 0.3 microns, about 0.4 microns, about 0.5 microns, about 0.6 microns, about 0.7 microns, about 0.8 microns, about 0.9 microns, or any value in between any two of these values. The inorganic conductive layer 200 has an area of about 10,000 square microns to about 1,000,000 square microns, for example: about 50,000 square microns, about 100,000 square microns, about 200,000 square microns, about 500,000 square microns, about 700,000 square microns, about 900,000 square microns, or any value in between any two of these values will aid in the adhesion between the transparent conductive layer 400 and the inorganic conductive layer 200.

The organic adhesion layer 300 covers the inorganic conductive layer 200 and the upper surface 101 of the organic substrate 100. In other words, the organic substrate 100 is covered by the inorganic conductive layer 200 and a portion of the organic adhesive layer 300.

The transparent conductive layer 400 is disposed on the organic adhesive layer 300. The transparent conductive layer 400 includes nano silver. The inorganic conductive layer 200 and a portion of the organic adhesive layer 300 cover the organic substrate 100, so that the transparent conductive layer 400 has strong adhesion and is not easy to fall off due to stripping of the photoresist.

Example 2

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a contact structure according to a second embodiment of the disclosure. The difference between embodiment 2 and embodiment 1 is that the inorganic conductive layer 200 of embodiment 2 has a linear structure with a curved pattern below the plane. Similar to fig. 2, the organic adhesion layer 300 covers the organic substrate 100 on both sides of the inorganic conductive layer 200, so that the transparent conductive layer 400 has strong adhesion and is not easy to fall off due to stripping of the photoresist.

Example 3

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a contact structure according to a third embodiment of the disclosure, and fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of fig. 4. The difference between the embodiment 3 and the embodiment 1 is that the inorganic conductive layers 200 are arranged at intervals in the cross-sectional view of the bonding region 110, and the bonding region 110 has a plurality of first blocks 111 and a plurality of second blocks 112. In detail, the inorganic conductive layer 200 has a grid structure, and the hollow portions of the inorganic conductive layer 200 are the second blocks 112 and expose the upper surface of the organic substrate 100. In the partial cross-sectional view of fig. 5, the organic adhesion layer 300 covers the organic substrate 100 on both sides of the inorganic conductive layer 200 to form an organic, inorganic, and organic material arrangement at intervals, so that the transparent conductive layer 400 has strong adhesion and is not easy to fall off due to photoresist stripping.

Example 4

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a contact structure according to a fourth embodiment of the disclosure. The difference between embodiment 4 and embodiment 3 is that the inorganic conductive layer 200 has a honeycomb structure in the cross-sectional view of the bonding region 110. Similar to fig. 5, the organic adhesion layer 300 covers the organic substrate 100 on both sides of the inorganic conductive layer 200 to form an organic, inorganic, and organic material arrangement at intervals, so that the transparent conductive layer 400 has strong adhesion and is not easy to fall off due to stripping of the photoresist.

The organic adhesive layer 300 and the organic substrate 100 are bonded to each other by chemical bonds, which has stronger adhesion than the inorganic conductive layer 200 and the organic substrate 100 bonded by Vanderwatt force. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the adhesion of the transparent conductive layer 400 to the inorganic conductive layer 200 is significantly enhanced, thereby preventing the peeling-off caused by the stripping of the photoresist.

One embodiment of the disclosure is to cut a small irregular contact from a traditional whole continuous nano silver and metal layer in a lap joint area, and after the metal layer part in the lap joint area is hollowed out, a nano silver adhesive with good adhesive force can be adhered to an organic substrate, and meanwhile, the metal layer with poor adhesive force is adhered by the adhesive on two sides. In some embodiments, due to the material characteristics of the nano-silver, the nano-silver does not cause an increase in the contact area to resistance ratio after the metal layer in the overlap region is hollowed out.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and therefore the scope of the present disclosure should be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A contact structure, comprising:

an organic substrate, comprising at least one lap joint area, wherein the lap joint area comprises a first block and a second block adjacent to the first block;

an inorganic conductive layer disposed on the organic substrate, wherein the inorganic conductive layer is partially disposed in the first block, and the second block exposes an upper surface of the organic substrate;

an organic adhesion layer covering the inorganic conductive layer and the upper surface of the organic substrate; and

a transparent conductive layer disposed on the organic adhesion layer.

2. The contact structure of claim 1 wherein the inorganic conductive layer is a metal layer.

3. The contact structure of claim 2 wherein said metal layer is a copper layer.

4. The contact region structure of claim 1, wherein the inorganic conductive layer has a line structure in plan view.

5. The contact region structure of claim 4 wherein the line feature has a width of 10 microns to 50 microns.

6. The contact region structure of claim 4, wherein the inorganic conductive layer has a thickness of 0.1 to 1 μm.

7. The contact structure of claim 1 wherein said inorganic conductive layers are spaced apart in a cross-sectional view of said landing area.

8. The contact region structure of claim 7, wherein the inorganic conductive layer is in a mesh, dendritic, honeycomb, or grid structure.

9. The contact structure of claim 1 wherein the inorganic conductive layer has an area of 10,000 square microns to 1,000,000 square microns.

10. The contact region structure of claim 1, wherein the organic substrate further comprises a plurality of landing regions electrically connected via the inorganic conductive layer.