KR101686283B1 - Conductive structure and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to a conductive structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The conductive structure according to the present invention is characterized in that when the conductive line is physically disconnected or a conductive failure such as a pin hole in the conductive line occurs, an additional conductive line is formed on the region where the conductive failure occurs, It is possible to restore the generated area.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a conductive structure and a method of manufacturing the conductive structure.

The present application relates to a conductive structure and a method of manufacturing the same.

Generally, a display device refers to a television, a computer monitor, and the like, and includes a display element that forms an image and a case that supports the display element.

Examples of the display device include a plasma display panel (PDP), a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electrophoretic display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), and an OLED display . The display element may be provided with an RGB pixel pattern for image implementation and an additional optical filter.

Meanwhile, as the spread of smart phones, tablet PCs, IPTVs, and the like is accelerated in connection with display devices, there is a growing need for a touch function in which a human hand becomes a direct input device without a separate input device such as a keyboard or a remote control. In addition, there is a demand for a multi-touch function capable of not only a specific point recognition but also writing.

The touch screen having the above functions can be classified as follows according to the signal detection method.

That is, a resistive type in which a position depressed by a pressure in a state where a direct current voltage is applied is sensed through a change in a current or a voltage value, and a resistive type in which a capacitance coupling is used in a state in which an alternating voltage is applied There is a capacitive type and an electromagnetic type in which a selected position is sensed as a change in voltage while a magnetic field is applied.

Among the most common resistive films and capacitive touch screens, a transparent conductive film such as an ITO film is used to recognize whether the touch is caused by electrical contact or capacitance change. However, since the transparent conductive film has a high resistance of 150 ohm / square or more, the sensitivity is reduced at the time of enlargement, and the patterning process of the ITO and the electrode patterning process of the metal trace at the time of manufacturing the touch screen are performed by a process such as photolithography And the cost of the ITO film increases as the size of the screen increases. Therefore, there is a difficulty in increasing the manufacturing cost and increasing the size of the manufacturing process. In order to overcome this problem, attempts have been made to implement a large-scale method using a metal pattern having a high conductivity.

When such a metal pattern is used, it is advantageous in large area due to high conductivity of metal, and advantageous in terms of yield and price due to reduction of process water in view of simultaneously forming trace electrode and screen portion.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2010-0007605

An object of the present invention is to provide a conductive structure applicable to an electrode of various electronic devices and the like and a method of manufacturing the same.

Accordingly,

1) preparing a substrate having a conductive pattern on at least one side thereof, the conductive pattern comprising a first conductive line, at least a portion of the first conductive lines being electrically connected to the first conductive line, The method comprising: preparing a substrate; And

2) electrically connecting the first conductive line and the second conductive line to each other by forming a second conductive line using the conductive ink composition on the open area

The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing a conductive structure.

Further, according to the present invention,

Board; And

A conductive structure on the substrate, the conductive structure comprising a conductive pattern comprising a first conductive line,

Wherein at least a portion of the first conductive lines includes an open region that is electrically disconnected from the first conductive line,

And a second conductive line electrically connected to the first conductive line on the open region.

The present invention also provides an electronic device comprising the conductive structure.

The conductive structure according to the present invention is characterized in that when the conductive line is physically disconnected or a conductive failure such as a pin hole in the conductive line occurs, an additional conductive line is formed on the region where the conductive failure occurs, It is possible to restore the generated area. In particular, by forming a further conductive line formed on the region where the conductive failure occurs, by a printing method such as an ink jet or the like, it is possible to restore the region where the conductive failure occurs even when the conductive line is extremely fine.

FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show cross-sectional views of a conductive structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 3 to 8 schematically show a plan view of a conductive structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 schematically shows results according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG.
≪ Description of reference numerals &
10: substrate
20: first conductive line
30: second conductive line
40: dark colored layer
50: Protective layer

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

A conventional method of manufacturing a conductive pattern is mainly a method of screen printing using a conductive ink composition, or etching after forming a metal film. When a conductive line such as a metal line is broken during the production of the conductive pattern, a conductive failure occurs, leading to a reduction in yield. Particularly, as the size of the substrate increases, the defect rate increases.

Open failure such as breakage of the conductive line frequently occurs due to foreign matter in the process. In particular, as the area of a sample increases, the probability of occurrence of an open defect is high So it is necessary to make a conductive structure to repair it.

As described above, when a broken line of the conductive line occurs, a method of connecting a broken conductive line is mainly a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method in the case of using a glass substrate, And the conductive pattern material is chemically deposited on the surface of the conductive pattern material to restore the conductive pattern. However, the chemical vapor deposition method has a problem that the cost of the present apparatus is very high and a high temperature process is required.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of restoring a broken conductive line by a simple process when the conductive line is very fine, without requiring high-temperature process conditions.

A method of manufacturing a conductive structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of 1) preparing a substrate having a conductive pattern on at least one side thereof, the conductive pattern including a first conductive line, At least a portion of which includes an open region electrically disconnected from the first conductive line; And 2) electrically connecting the first conductive line and the second conductive line to each other by forming a second conductive line using the conductive ink composition on the open area.

In the method for manufacturing a conductive structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, the step 1) may include preparing a substrate having a conductive pattern on at least one side thereof, the conductive pattern including a first conductive line, At least a portion of the first conductive line comprises an open region electrically disconnected from the first conductive line. In this specification, the open region means a conductive defect region, and may include a physical disconnect region, a pinhole, and the like.

The substrate can be of any type known in the art. More specifically, it is possible to use a hard substrate such as glass, SiO2, silicon wafer or the like or a film substrate such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PC (Polycarbonate), PI (polyimide), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The material of the first conductive line constituting the conductive pattern is not particularly limited, but a metal, a metal mixture, a metal alloy, or the like may be used. The material of the first conductive line is preferably a material excellent in conductivity and easy to be etched.

Specific examples of the material of the first conductive line include at least one of gold, silver, copper, aluminum, nickel, palladium, a mixture thereof, and an alloy thereof. Although the thickness of the first conductive line is not particularly limited, it is preferably 0.01 to 10 占 퐉 in terms of the conductivity of the first conductive line and the economical efficiency of the forming process.

The first conductive line may have a line width of 10 mu m or less, may be 0.1 to 10 mu m, may be 0.2 to 8 mu m, and may be 1 mu m or more and 5 mu m or less. The thickness of the first conductive line may be 10 탆 or less, 2 탆 or less, and 10 to 300 nm. The conductive structure including the first conductive line having the above-described line width can be more preferably applied to the screen portion of the touch panel.

The first conductive line may have a line width of 50 mu m or less and 20 to 40 mu m. The conductive structure including the first conductive line having the above-mentioned line width can be more preferably applied to the router portion of the touch panel.

Wherein the conductive pattern is a regular pattern and includes an intersection point in which any of a plurality of lines of the first conductive lines constituting the conductive pattern are formed in an intersecting manner and the number of intersections is 3,000 to 123,000 Can be from 5,000 to 35,000, and can be from 10,000 to 35,000.

The opening ratio of the conductive pattern, that is, the area ratio not covered by the pattern may be 70% or more, 85% or more, and 95% or more. Also, the opening ratio of the conductive pattern may be 90 to 99.9%, but is not limited thereto.

The conductive pattern may be a regular pattern, and the regular pattern may be a pattern in the art, such as a mesh pattern.

The pitch of the conductive pattern may be 600 占 퐉 or less and may be 250 占 퐉 or less, but it may be adjusted according to the desired transmittance and conductivity of a person skilled in the art.

The first conductive line preferably has a specific resistance of 1 x 10 ⁶ ohm-cm to 30 x 10 ⁶ ohm-cm, more preferably 7 x 10 ⁶ ohm-cm or less.

The first conductive line may further include a darkening layer.

The darkening layer may be provided on the upper surface and the lower surface of the first conductive line and may be provided on at least a portion of the upper surface and the lower surface of the first conductive line as well as on the upper surface and the lower surface and the side surface of the first conductive line .

The dark coloring layer is provided on the entire surface of the first conductive line, so that the visibility according to the high reflectivity of the first conductive line can be reduced. At this time, since the dark coloring layer has extinction interference and self-absorbing property under a specific thickness condition when it is combined with a layer having a high reflectivity such as a conductive layer, the light is reflected by the dark coloring layer and passes through the dark coloring layer to the first conductive line The amount of reflected light is adjusted to be similar to each other, and at the same time, mutual extinction interference between two lights under specific thickness conditions is induced, thereby reducing the reflectivity of the first conductive line.

The darkening layer and the conductive pattern may have a structure in which at least a part of the light absorbing material is embedded or dispersed in the conductive pattern in that separate pattern layers are formed in a laminated structure, It is different from the structure in which physical or chemical modification is made.

Further, the darkening layer is provided directly on the substrate or directly on the conductive pattern without interposing an adhesive layer or an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer or the adhesive layer may affect durability and optical properties.

Λ / (4 × n) = N (λ / 4) where λ is the wavelength of light and n is the refractive index of the maturing layer if the thickness of the matting layer has the extinction interference property and the absorption coefficient characteristic, Where N is an odd number).

However, it is preferable to select between 10 nm and 400 nm in consideration of the etching characteristic with the conductive pattern in the manufacturing process. However, the preferable thickness may vary depending on the materials used and the manufacturing process, But is not limited by the numerical range.

The darkening layer may be formed of a single layer or a plurality of layers of two or more layers.

It is preferable that the dark coloring layer is close to achromatic color.

However, it is not necessarily an achromatic color, and it can be introduced if it has low reflectance even though it has a color. In this case, the hue of the achromatic series means a color which appears when light incident on (incident on) the object is not selectively absorbed but is reflected and absorbed evenly with respect to the wavelength (wavelength) of each component. The dark coloring layer may be a material having a standard deviation of the total reflectance of each wavelength band within 50% in the visible light region (400 nm to 800 nm) when the total reflectance is measured.

The material for the darkening layer is not particularly limited as long as it is a material composed of a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride or a metal oxynitride having physical properties described above when the front layer is formed, as the light absorbing material.

For example, the dark coloring layer may be an oxide film, a nitride film, an oxide-nitride film, a carbide film, a metal film, or a combination thereof by using deposition conditions set by a person skilled in the art using Ni, Mo, Ti,

As a specific example, the darkening layer may contain Ni and Mo at the same time. The dark coloring layer may include 50 to 98 atomic% of Ni and 2 to 50 atomic% of Mo, and may further contain 0.01 to 10 atomic% of atoms of other metals such as Fe, Ta, and Ti.

Here, the darkening layer may further contain 0.01 to 30 atomic% of nitrogen or 4 atomic% or less of oxygen and carbon, if necessary.

Also as one specific example, the dark color hwacheung are SiO, SiO _2, MgF ₂ and SiNx (x

And a metal selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ti, V, Al, Cu, Au and Ag, And Ag. ≪ / RTI > It is preferable that the dielectric material is distributed so as to be gradually decreased as the distance from the direction in which the external light is incident, and the metal and the alloy component are distributed in the opposite direction. In this case, the content of the dielectric material is preferably 20 to 50% by weight, and the content of the metal is preferably 50 to 80% by weight. When the dark coloring layer further comprises an alloy, the dark coloring layer preferably comprises 10 to 30 wt% of the dielectric material, 50 to 80 wt% of the metal, and 5 to 40 wt% of the alloy.

As another specific example, the darkening layer may be formed of a thin film containing at least one of an alloy of nickel and vanadium, an oxide, a nitride and an oxynitride of nickel and vanadium. At this time, the vanadium content is preferably 26 to 52 atomic%, and the atomic ratio of vanadium to nickel is preferably 26/74 to 52/48.

As another specific example, the dark coloration layer may include two or more elements, and one element composition ratio may include a transition layer which increases by about 20% per 100 ohms, depending on the direction in which external light is incident. In this case, one element may be a metal element such as chromium, tungsten, tantalum, titanium, iron, nickel, or molybdenum, and an element other than the metal element may be oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon.

As another specific example, the darkening layer may comprise a first chromium oxide layer, a metal layer, a second chromium oxide layer and a chrome mirror, wherein tungsten, vanadium, iron, chromium, molybdenum and niobium ≪ / RTI > The metal layer may have a thickness of 10 to 30 nm, the first chromium oxide layer may have a thickness of 35 to 41 nm, and the second chromium oxide layer may have a thickness of 37 to 42 nm.

As a specific example, a laminated structure of an alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) layer, a chromium oxide (Cr ₂ O ₃ ) layer, and a chromium (Cr) layer may be used as the darkening layer. Here, the alumina layer has improved reflection characteristics and light diffusion prevention characteristics, and the chromium oxide layer can reduce the specular reflectance and improve the contrast characteristic.

As another specific example, the darkening layer may include aluminum oxynitride (AlOxNy, 0 < x < 1.5, 0 &lt; y &lt;

The darkening layer may be provided in a region corresponding to the conductive pattern. Here, the region corresponding to the conductive pattern means that the conductive pattern has the same pattern as the conductive pattern. However, the pattern scale of the darkening layer is not necessarily the same as the conductive pattern, and the case where the line width of the darkening layer is narrower or wider than the line width of the conductive pattern is also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the darkening layer preferably has an area of 80% to 120% of the area of the conductive pattern.

It is preferable that the darkening layer has a pattern shape having a line width equal to or larger than the line width of the conductive pattern.

In the case where the darkening layer has a pattern shape having a line width larger than the line width of the conductive pattern, the effect that the darkening layer covers the conductive pattern when viewed by the user can be more increased, It is possible to effectively block the effect caused by the light emitting diode. However, even if the linewidth of the matted layer is the same as the line width of the conductive pattern, the desired effect of the present invention can be achieved.

The resistivity value of the darkening layer may be 1 x 10 ² to 5 x 10 ² ? Cm, but is not limited thereto. Also, the transmittance of the darkening layer may be 35 to 60%, but is not limited thereto.

In the method of manufacturing a conductive structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, the step 2) may include forming a second conductive line using the conductive ink composition on the open area, thereby forming the first conductive line and the second conductive line Are electrically connected to each other.

The method for forming the second conductive line in the step 2) may be an ink jet printing method, an electrohydrodynamic jet printing method, a dispensing printing method, or an aerosol jet printing method.

More specifically, the method of forming the second conductive line in step 2) comprises: 2-1) printing a conductive ink composition on the open area; And 2-2) firing the conductive ink composition by laser or photopolymerization.

The conductive ink composition may comprise a material capable of forming a second conductive line. More specifically, the conductive ink composition may include a metal, a metal precursor, a metal alloy, a mixture thereof, and a solvent. Examples of the metal are the same as those of the first conductive line described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As the solvent, solvents which can be used in the art can be used, and a single solvent or a mixed solvent of two or more solvents can be used. Examples of the solvent include propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), ethanol, propylene carbonate, butyl cellosolve, dimethyl acetamide, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), N-methylpyrrolidone glycerol, triethyleneglycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol, and the like can be used.

At this time, in order to maximize the contact area between the open area and the conductive ink composition, a part of the upper portion of the first conductive line where the open area is generated is desorbed by using a laser, or artificially partially etched or removed, The conductive ink composition can be printed on the open area.

In addition, in order to prevent excessive spreading of the conductive ink composition, a partition wall may be formed using an UV resin or the like around the open area.

Further, after the step 2-1), the conductive ink composition may further be thermally dried. The thermal drying is performed for drying and sintering the solvent remaining in the conductive ink composition, and may be performed at a temperature of 20 to 200 ° C within 1 hour by using an oven or the like. The thermal drying step may be omitted depending on post-processing conditions.

The step of firing the conductive ink composition by the laser or photolithography is a process for increasing the conductivity of the second conductive line, the process comprising the steps of: providing a contact area on the open area, Without inducing sintering of the conductive ink composition.

In the method of manufacturing a conductive structure according to the present invention, after the step 2), a step of forming a protective layer on the second conductive line may be further included.

The protective layer is formed to increase the durability of the second conductive line formed after the baking process of the conductive ink composition, and may be formed using an insulating film resin, UV curable resin, or the like known in the art.

For example, a thermosetting resin as well as a UV curable resin may be used as the protective layer material. Since the UV curable resin can dispense with the use of a solvent unlike the thermosetting resin, there is no problem caused by evaporation of the solvent, which is advantageous for forming a fine pattern of stable form. Specifically, examples of the protective layer material include imide polymers, bisphenol polymers, epoxy polymers, acrylic polymers, ester polymers, novolac polymers, or combinations thereof. Of these, acrylic, imide or novolac resins are preferred. Examples of the protective layer material include a combination or copolymer of two or more of an imide monomer, a bisphenol monomer, an epoxy monomer, an acrylic monomer and an ester monomer, for example, an epoxidized acrylic resin or an epoxy monomer and an acrylic monomer Coalescence can be used.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a conductive structure includes: a substrate; And a conductive pattern provided on the substrate, the conductive pattern comprising a first conductive line, at least a portion of the first conductive lines comprising an open region electrically disconnected from the first conductive line, And a second conductive line electrically connected to the first conductive line.

In the conductive structure according to the present invention, the details of the substrate, the conductive pattern, the first conductive line, the second conductive line, the open region, and the like are the same as those described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the conductive structure according to the present invention, the resistivity of the second conductive line may be 800% or less of the resistivity of the first conductive line.

It is desirable to repair the open region defects until the length of the open region reaches 300 mu m at the maximum. In the present invention, the resistance of the first conductive line having a length of 300 mu m in a good state without an open area is about 4 to 6 ohms. Even if the resistance of this part increases up to 150 ohm, that is, increases to about 25 ~ 37 times, the performance of the product may not be affected. On the other hand, the line resistance R of the first conductive line can be calculated by a formula of R =? L / WH where?: Specific resistance, L: line length, w: line width, H : thickness). Generally, after repairing the open area defect, L and w are not much different from those in the good state, but the resistivity and thickness may vary.

That is, at the same thickness, the specific resistance may be increased to 25 times to increase the line resistance by a maximum of 25 times, and the resistivity may be increased by 50 times if the thickness is doubled.

However, since the first conductive line and the second conductive line of different materials may be combined with not only the line resistance in the actual process, their contact resistance should also be considered. Therefore, in the conductive structure according to the present invention, in consideration of the contact resistance, a more preferable effect can be obtained when the resistivity of the second conductive line is 800% or less of the resistivity of the first conductive line.

More specifically, the resistivity of the first conductive line provided with the darkening layer according to the present invention may be 4 to 10 μΩ · cm, but is not limited thereto.

Sectional views of a conductive structure according to one embodiment of the present invention are schematically shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig.

3 is a plan view of a conductive structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the present invention, the ratio of the contact area of the first conductive line to the second conductive line is 0.3, considering the size and area of the conductive structure, when A is the reference area in the case of the conductive structure as shown in FIG. A to 3A.

The present invention also provides an electronic device comprising the conductive structure. Specific examples of the electronic device include, but are not limited to, a display device, a touch panel, and the like.

More specifically, the conductive structure can be applied as a metal electrode in an electronic device such as a display device, a touch panel, or the like.

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples. However, the following examples are intended to illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

< Example >

FIG. 9 shows a test pattern formed with a conductive structure and a result of observation (OM, SEM) in order to solve defects of such a pattern. In the case of a pattern with conductivity after repairs, the conductive particle coating is perfectly necked after laser sintering, and the substrate and wiring are connected smoothly. However, in the case of a pattern that does not show conductivity even after the repair, cracks are observed in the process of the conductive particle film being transferred from the substrate to the wiring, and the sintering of the nanoparticles of the crack portion is not completely performed and the particle shape is maintained.

Claims (16)

1) preparing a substrate having a conductive pattern on at least one side thereof, the conductive pattern comprising a first conductive line, at least a portion of the first conductive lines being electrically connected to the first conductive line, The method comprising: preparing a substrate;
2) depositing a darkening layer made of a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride or a metal oxynitride on the first conductive line; And
3) electrically connecting the first conductive line and the second conductive line to each other by forming a second conductive line using the conductive ink composition on the open area
&Lt; / RTI &gt; [3] The method according to claim 1, wherein the second conductive line is formed by using an ink jet printing method, an electrohydrodynamic jet printing method, a dispensing printing method, or an aerosol jet printing method Wherein the conductive structure is formed of a conductive material. The method of claim 1, wherein the second conductive line of step 3)
3-1) printing the conductive ink composition on the open area; And
3-2) firing said conductive ink composition by laser or photo-firing. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein after step 3-1)
Wherein the conductive ink composition further comprises thermally drying the conductive ink composition. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein after step 3)
Further comprising forming a protective layer on the second conductive line. &Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; 11. &lt; / RTI &gt; 2. The method of claim 1, wherein after step (1)
Further comprising removing a portion of the first conductive lines. &Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; 11. &lt; / RTI &gt; delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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