Preparation method of flexible substrate oxide protection layer for space application

Abstract

The invention discloses a preparation method of a flexible substrate oxide protection layer for space application, and belongs to a flexible substrate for space application of a space solar cell panel, a space sensor or a space flexible antenna and the like. The preparation method aims at solving the problem that an existing flexible substrate does not have the atomic oxygen protection function, so that the flexible substrate and even a spacecraft face atomic oxygen threat in the space environment, and the preparation method comprises the steps that a flexible substrate thin film is coated with a precursor solution of an oxide protection layer; volatilizing the solvent in a drying manner; and processing the precursor of the oxide protection layer in an ultraviolet ozone mode to obtain the oxide protection layer film on the flexible substrate film. The oxide protection layer is prepared on the flexible substrate film, the stability of the oxide protection layer is good, the flexible substrate has excellent atomic oxygen protection performance, a spacecraft using the flexible substrate can not be threatened by atomic oxygen any more, and the operation safety of the spacecraft is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of space detection technology, and relates to a flexible base layer for space applications such as space solar panels, space sensors or space flexible antennas, and in particular to a method for preparing an oxide protective layer for a flexible base layer for space applications. Background Art

[0002] Flexible substrates are widely used in space environments. The flexible substrate can be used to make space solar panels. Because of its thin and bendable characteristics, it can adapt to the complex shape of spacecraft and efficiently convert solar energy into electrical energy. The flexible substrate can also be used to manufacture space sensors and attached to various parts of the spacecraft to monitor parameters such as temperature and radiation. In addition, in the field of space communications, flexible substrates can also be used to make flexible antennas, which are easy to store and deploy, and better adapt to different communication frequencies and directions. It can be seen that flexible substrates are widely used in space environments.

[0003] The invention patent application with application number 202311818120.8 discloses a flexible intelligent skin for spacecraft structural health monitoring and a development method. The skin is a two-layer adhesion structure, including an environmental protection layer located on the outer layer and a flexible monitoring layer located on the inner layer; the environmental protection layer is used to protect the internal flexible sensor array layer and auxiliary modules from force, heat, and electromagnetic environment interference in the deep space environment; the flexible monitoring layer includes a flexible substrate, a flexible sensor array, and an auxiliary module. The flexible sensor array and auxiliary module are installed on the flexible substrate, and the flexible substrate is directly attached to the part to be tested of the device under test. It further discloses that the environmental protection layer includes a dielectric layer, a heat-insulating layer, and a high-energy particle shielding layer from the inside to the outside; the dielectric layer uses epoxy resin as a base material, uses an ozone-resistant aging agent as an auxiliary curing agent, and is uniformly dispersed in the epoxy resin; the heat-insulating layer uses a chemical vapor deposition method to synthesize boron nitride on the surface of micron-level cerium dioxide; the high-energy particle shielding layer is an electromagnetic shielding coating based on a thin film material with adhesion and conductivity, and uses polyvinyl alcohol to induce polypyrrole to form small balls, which are then compounded with a dopamine-modified thin film material dispersion.

[0004] For example, the flexible intelligent skin mentioned above, the existing protective layer prepared for the flexible substrate can effectively resist threats such as space radiation, micrometeoroids and space debris, and provide reliable protection for spacecraft. However, the flexible substrate still faces huge challenges in the harsh space environment, such as atomic oxygen, high-energy particle radiation, etc., which still threaten the flexible substrate material. Therefore, it is particularly important to prepare a protective film on the flexible substrate that can realize the atomic oxygen protection function. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing an oxide protective layer for a flexible substrate for space applications that can achieve atomic oxygen protection, in order to solve the problem that existing flexible substrates do not have atomic oxygen protection function, causing flexible substrates and even spacecraft to face atomic oxygen threats in space environments.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention specifically adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A method for preparing an oxide protective layer of a flexible substrate for space applications, comprising the following steps:

[0008] Step 1, coating a precursor solution of an oxide protective layer on a flexible substrate film;

[0009] Step 2, volatilizing the solvent by drying;

[0010] Step 3: Treat the precursor of the oxide protective layer by ultraviolet ozone to obtain an oxide protective layer film on the flexible substrate film.

[0011] Furthermore, in step 1, the oxide in the oxide protective layer includes one or more combinations of silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, tin dioxide, zinc oxide, and vanadium pentoxide.

[0012] Furthermore, in step 1, the precursor in the precursor solution includes one or more combinations of PDMS, zinc acetate, and tin acetate.

[0013] Furthermore, in step 1, the coating method includes one or more combinations of spin coating, blade coating, spray coating, screen printing, roll-to-roll, embossing, and roller coating.

[0014] Furthermore, in step 1, the material of the flexible base film includes one or a combination of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate.

[0015] Furthermore, in step 2, the drying method is a combination of one or more of annealing, vacuum drying, and natural drying.

[0016] Furthermore, in step 3, when the precursor of the oxide protective layer is treated by ultraviolet ozone, under the irradiation of short-wave ultraviolet light, ozone continuously decomposes and generates active oxygen atoms, which remove organic components in the precursor of the oxide protective layer and obtain an oxide protective layer film.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0018] 1. In the present invention, an oxide protective layer film is prepared on a flexible substrate film by spin coating a precursor solution of an oxide protective layer on the flexible substrate film, and by drying and ultraviolet ozone treatment; by preparing the oxide protective layer on the flexible substrate film, the oxide protective layer has good stability and enables the flexible substrate to have excellent atomic oxygen protection performance, and a spacecraft using the flexible substrate is no longer threatened by atomic oxygen, and the operational safety of the spacecraft is greatly improved.

[0019] 2. In the present invention, the oxide film is prepared by a solution method, which simplifies the preparation process, reduces the difficulty of preparation, and greatly reduces the production cost of the flexible substrate, which is conducive to large-scale promotion and application.

[0020] 3. In the present invention, the gentle drying method is friendly to the flexible substrate, can ensure the integrity of the flexible substrate, improve the atomic oxygen protection performance of the flexible substrate, and extend the service life of the flexible substrate (even the spacecraft).

[0021] 4. In the present invention, the UV-ozone treatment method is not only friendly to the flexible substrate, but also can ensure the high quality of the prepared oxide film, improve the atomic oxygen protection performance of the flexible substrate, and extend the service life of the flexible substrate (even the spacecraft).

[0022] 5. The present invention has strong designability and can realize controllable preparation of blended oxide films through precursor selection and doping. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the low-temperature preparation process of the oxide thin film of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is the influence of various oxide films prepared by the present invention on the transmittance of the PI substrate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments.

[0026] Therefore, based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative work shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a flexible substrate oxide protective layer for space applications. The preparation process is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0029] Step 1: transparent polyimide PI is used as a flexible substrate, silicon dioxide is selected as the oxide in the precursor solution, and the precursor PDMS is diluted at a ratio of 1:20 to obtain a precursor solution; the precursor solution is coated on the PI flexible substrate by spin coating at a rotation speed of 2000 rpm.

[0030] Step 2: Treat the flexible substrate by annealing at 80° C. to evaporate the solvent in the precursor solution spin-coated on the flexible substrate.

[0031] Step 3: Use a UV-ozone cleaning machine to treat the flexible substrate for 2 hours. Under the irradiation of short-wave ultraviolet light, ozone continuously decomposes and generates more and more active oxygen atoms. Active oxygen atoms have a strong oxidizing effect. Active oxygen atoms can remove organic components in the precursor of the oxide protective layer, thereby obtaining a high-purity flexible substrate with a SiO2 protective layer.

[0032] Example 2

[0033] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a flexible substrate oxide protective layer for space applications. The preparation process is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0034] Step 1: Using polyethylene terephthalate as a flexible substrate, the oxide in the precursor solution is zinc oxide, and the precursor zinc acetate is diluted at a ratio of 1:18 to obtain a precursor solution; the precursor solution is coated on the flexible substrate by screen printing at a rotation speed of 1800 rpm.

[0035] Step 2: Dry the flexible substrate in a vacuum manner to evaporate the solvent in the precursor solution spin-coated on the flexible substrate.

[0036] Step 3: Use a UV-ozone cleaning machine to treat the flexible substrate for 1.5 hours. Under the irradiation of short-wave ultraviolet light, ozone continuously decomposes and generates more and more active oxygen atoms. Active oxygen atoms have a strong oxidizing effect. Active oxygen atoms can remove organic components in the precursor of the oxide protective layer, thereby obtaining a high-purity flexible substrate with a ZnO protective layer.

[0037] Example 3

[0038] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a flexible substrate oxide protective layer for space applications. The preparation process is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0039] Step 1: Use polyethylene naphthalate as a flexible substrate, the oxide in the precursor solution is tin dioxide, and dilute the precursor tin acetate at a ratio of 1:22 to obtain a precursor solution; coat the precursor solution on the flexible substrate by embossing at a rotation speed of 2200 rpm.

[0040] Step 2: Dry the flexible substrate by air-drying to evaporate the solvent in the precursor solution spin-coated on the flexible substrate.

[0041] Step 3: Use a UV-ozone cleaning machine to treat the flexible substrate for 2.3 hours. Under the irradiation of short-wave ultraviolet light, ozone continuously decomposes and generates more and more active oxygen atoms. Active oxygen atoms have a strong oxidizing effect. Active oxygen atoms can remove organic components in the precursor of the oxide protective layer, thereby obtaining a high-purity flexible substrate with a SnO2 protective layer.

[0042] Example 4

[0043] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a flexible substrate oxide protective layer for space applications. The preparation process is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0044] Step 1, using a combination of polyimide PI and polyethylene terephthalate (the weight ratio of the two is 75.6%:24.4%) as a flexible substrate, the oxide in the precursor solution is a combination of silicon dioxide and tin dioxide, and the combination of precursor PDMS and tin acetate (the weight ratio of the two is 60%:40%) is diluted at a ratio of 1:15 to obtain a precursor solution; the precursor solution is coated on the flexible substrate by a combination of spin coating and screen printing (i.e., spin coating first and then screen printing) at a rotation speed of 1500rpm.

[0045] Step 2: Drying the flexible substrate by annealing at 80° C. and air-drying the substrate naturally to evaporate the solvent in the precursor solution spin-coated on the flexible substrate.

[0046] Step 3: Use a UV ozone cleaning machine to treat the flexible substrate for 3 hours. Under the irradiation of short-wave ultraviolet light, ozone continuously decomposes and generates more and more active oxygen atoms. Active oxygen atoms have a strong oxidizing effect. Active oxygen atoms can remove organic components in the precursor of the oxide protective layer, thereby obtaining a high-purity flexible substrate with an oxide protective layer.

[0047] Test example

[0048] The PI flexible substrate with a silicon oxide protective layer and the PI flexible substrate without a protective layer prepared in Example 1 were subjected to an atomic oxygen erosion experiment for 8 hours at the same time. The experimental parameters were: the atomic oxygen energy range was 3eV to 10eV, the atomic oxygen flux was (2 to 10)×10 15 atoms / (cm 2 ·s).

[0049] According to the test, the PI weight loss of the PI flexible substrate with the silicon oxide protective layer is 0.01%, and the PI weight loss of the PI flexible substrate without the protective layer is 3%. Therefore, the PI flexible substrate with the silicon oxide protective layer prepared in Example 1 achieves excellent atomic oxygen protection function.

[0050] Test Case

[0051] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a flexible substrate oxide protective layer for space applications. The preparation process is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0052] Step 1: using polyimide PI as a flexible substrate, and using PDMS, zinc acetate, and tin acetate as precursors of silicon oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide, respectively, to prepare their precursor solutions; coating the precursor solutions on the flexible substrate by scraping at a rotation speed of 2500 rpm.

[0053] Step 2: Dry the flexible substrate in a vacuum manner to evaporate the solvent in the precursor solution spin-coated on the flexible substrate.

[0054] Step 3, use a UV ozone cleaning machine to treat the flexible substrate for 3 hours. Under the irradiation of short-wave ultraviolet light, ozone continuously decomposes and generates more and more active oxygen atoms; active oxygen atoms have a strong oxidizing effect, and active oxygen atoms can remove organic components in the precursor of the oxide protective layer, thereby obtaining three high-purity flexible substrates with oxide protective layers, namely, a flexible substrate with a silicon oxide protective layer, a flexible substrate with a zinc oxide protective layer, and a flexible substrate with a tin oxide protective layer.

[0055] The three flexible substrates with different oxide protective layers prepared above were tested for transmittance. The test results are as follows: Figure 2 As shown. Figure 2 As shown, the prepared oxide films have little effect on the PI transmittance, among which the silicon oxide film has the smallest effect on the PI transmittance.

[0056] The present invention has been described by the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are only for the purpose of example and description, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the scope of the described embodiments. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and more variations and modifications can be made according to the teachings of the present invention, and these variations and modifications all fall within the scope of the protection claimed by the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for preparing an oxide protective layer of a flexible substrate for space applications, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1, coating a precursor solution of an oxide protective layer on a flexible substrate film; Step 2, volatilizing the solvent by drying; Step 3: Treat the precursor of the oxide protective layer by ultraviolet ozone to obtain an oxide protective layer film on the flexible substrate film.

2. The method for preparing an oxide protective layer for a flexible substrate for space application according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 1, the oxide in the oxide protective layer includes one or more combinations of silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, tin dioxide, zinc oxide, and vanadium pentoxide.

3. The method for preparing an oxide protective layer for a flexible substrate for space application according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 1, the precursor in the precursor solution includes one or more combinations of PDMS, zinc acetate, and tin acetate.

4. The method for preparing an oxide protective layer for a flexible substrate for space application according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 1, the coating method includes one or more combinations of spin coating, blade coating, spray coating, screen printing, roll-to-roll, embossing, and roller coating.

5. The method for preparing an oxide protective layer for a flexible substrate for space application according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 1, the material of the flexible base film includes one or a combination of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate.

6. The method for preparing an oxide protective layer for a flexible substrate for space application according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 2, the drying method is a combination of one or more of annealing, vacuum drying, and natural drying.

7. The method for preparing an oxide protective layer for a flexible substrate for space application according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 3, when the precursor of the oxide protective layer is treated by ultraviolet ozone, under the irradiation of short-wave ultraviolet light, ozone continuously decomposes and generates active oxygen atoms, which remove organic components in the precursor of the oxide protective layer and obtain an oxide protective layer film.

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