Flexible transparent conductive film, flexible functional element, and methods for manufacturing them

Abstract

In a flexible transparent conductive film which consists essentially of a base film and a transparent conductive layer formed by coating the base film with a transparent conductive layer forming coating fluid, the base film is constituted of a plastic film having been provided with gas barrier function, and the transparent conductive layer is chiefly composed of conductive fine oxide particles and a binder matrix, and has been subjected to compressing. Also disclosed is a flexible functional device which has the above flexible transparent conductive film and formed thereon any functional device selected from a liquid-crystal display device, an organic electroluminescent device, a dispersion-type inorganic electroluminescent device and an electronic paper device. The flexible transparent conductive film and the flexible functional device have gas barrier function and a superior flexibility, and are utilizable in thin-gauge equipments such as cards.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a flexible transparent conductive film with a transparent conductive layer on the surface of a base film and a liquid crystal display element, an organic electroluminescent element, an inorganic dispersed electroluminescent element, and an electronic paper element obtained by using the transparent conductive film etc., especially relates to the improvement of a flexible transparent conductive film with gas barrier function and excellent flexibility and flexible functional elements. Background technique [0002] In recent years, in various electronic devices such as liquid crystal displays and mobile phones, the trend toward thinner and thinner has accelerated, and research has been actively carried out to replace the conventionally used glass substrates with plastic films. Since the plastic film is light and superior to flexibility, if a thin plastic film with a thickness of about several nanometers can be applied to liquid cry...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0006] However, since the above-mentioned sputtered ITO layer is a thin film of inorganic components and is extremely brittle, there is a problem that microscopic cracks (cracks) are easily generated.

Therefore, when the sputtered ITO thin film with a base film thickness of less than 50 μm (such as 25 μm) is used for the above-mentioned flexible functional element, the flexibility (softness) of the base film is too high, and it may be formed in the process of processing or finally. After being a functional element, cracks are easily generated on the sputtered ITO layer and the conductivity of the film is significantly damaged. Therefore, the current status is that it cannot be applied to flexible functional elements that require high flexibility.

[0010] However, the method of pasting the gas-barrier plastic film on the transparent conductive film increases the thickness of the gas-barrier plastic film and the thickness of the adhesive layer, so the final thickness of the functional element increases correspondingly. There is a problem of poor flexibility, and further, there is a problem that the thickness of the device cannot be as thin as possible when the functional device is incorporated into a thin device such as a card (IC card, credit card, prepaid card, etc.)