Flexible conductive substrate, flexible electronic device

Abstract

The utility model relates to flexible electronic device technical field discloses flexible conductive substrate, flexible electronic device, this flexible conductive substrate includes flexible base, conductive layer and water oxygen barrier layer, the conductive layer is located one side of flexible base, water oxygen barrier layer is located the side of flexible base away from the conductive layer. Water oxygen barrier layer can block outside moisture and oxygen, be favorable to prolong the service life of flexible electronic device, water oxygen barrier layer is located the surface of the side of flexible base away from the conductive layer, be favorable to improve the light transmittance of flexible conductive substrate, can also reduce the thickness of flexible electronic device, thereby be favorable to improve the bending resistance of flexible electronic device, need not to set up water oxygen barrier film after the preparation of flexible electronic device, be favorable to shorten the preparation period of flexible conductive substrate, improve the preparation efficiency of flexible conductive substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of flexible electronic device technology, specifically to flexible conductive substrates and flexible electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] Flexible electronic devices refer to devices that use flexible conductive substrates, possess bendable and foldable capabilities, and can perform electronic functions. By combining flexible materials with micro-nano fabrication technology, they overcome the morphological limitations of traditional rigid electronic devices, remaining functional even in a deformed state and meeting the application needs of diverse scenarios. See also Figure 1 The flexible conductive substrate 1' consists of a flexible base 11' and a conductive layer 12' located on one side surface of the flexible base. External moisture and oxygen can enter the device through the flexible conductive substrate, react with the internal functional layers, and affect the lifespan of the flexible electronic device.

[0003] See Figure 1 To reduce the impact of external moisture and oxygen on the device, after the flexible electronic device is fabricated, an adhesive film 21' and a water-oxygen barrier film 2' are typically deposited on the surface of a flexible conductive substrate 1'. The water-oxygen barrier film 2' is then fixed to the surface of the flexible conductive substrate 1' using a lamination process. The water-oxygen barrier film 2' comprises a flexible polymer layer 22' and a water-oxygen barrier layer 23' stacked together, utilizing the barrier effect of the water-oxygen barrier layer 23' to block moisture and oxygen. However, the introduction of the water-oxygen barrier film 2' increases the thickness of the flexible electronic device, affecting its bending resistance. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a flexible conductive substrate and a flexible electronic device, which can not only reduce the risk of external moisture and oxygen entering the interior of the flexible electronic device, but also reduce the thickness of the flexible electronic device.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a flexible conductive substrate, comprising a flexible substrate, a conductive layer and a water and oxygen barrier layer, wherein the conductive layer is located on one side of the flexible substrate and the water and oxygen barrier layer is located on the side surface of the flexible substrate opposite to the conductive layer.

[0006] The flexible conductive substrate provided by the first aspect of this utility model has at least the following beneficial effects: The water-oxygen barrier layer can block external moisture and oxygen, thereby reducing the risk of external moisture and oxygen entering the flexible electronic device through the flexible conductive substrate, which is beneficial to extending the service life of the flexible electronic device. The water-oxygen barrier layer is located on the surface of the flexible substrate away from the conductive layer. On the one hand, it can reduce the thickness of the flexible electronic device, thereby improving its bending resistance, making the flexible electronic device thinner and lighter and suitable for more application scenarios. On the other hand, it helps to improve the light transmittance of the flexible conductive substrate. When devices such as solar cells that require high light transmittance of the flexible conductive substrate use this flexible conductive substrate, it helps to improve their device performance. After the flexible electronic device is fabricated, there is no need to set a water-oxygen barrier film, which helps to shorten the fabrication cycle of the flexible conductive substrate and improve the fabrication efficiency.

[0007] In some alternative embodiments, the water-oxygen barrier layer comprises alternating layers of organic and inorganic materials stacked along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate.

[0008] In some optional embodiments, the organic material layer includes one or more of the following: a parylene material layer, an epoxy resin layer, a polyester resin layer, a polymethyl methacrylate layer, a polyethylene layer, and a polytetrafluoroethylene layer; and / or, the inorganic material layer includes one or more of the following: an alumina layer, a zinc oxide layer, a tin oxide layer, a silicon oxide layer, and a silicon nitride layer.

[0009] In some alternative embodiments, the membrane layer in the water-oxygen barrier layer that is furthest from the flexible substrate is an organic material layer.

[0010] In some alternative embodiments, the thickness of the organic material layer is 1 μm-20 μm; and / or, the thickness of the inorganic material layer is 10 nm-500 nm.

[0011] In some alternative embodiments, the thickness of the water-oxygen barrier layer is 10 μm-100 μm.

[0012] In some alternative embodiments, the flexible conductive substrate further includes an adhesive layer and a protective film, the adhesive layer being located on the side of the water-oxygen barrier layer opposite to the flexible substrate, and the protective film being located on the surface of the adhesive layer opposite to the flexible substrate.

[0013] In some optional embodiments, the thickness of the protective film is 10 μm-100 μm; and / or, the protective film includes one of ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer film, polyvinylidene fluoride film, polyvinyl fluoride film, polytetrafluoroethylene film, perfluoroethylene propylene film, perfluoroalkoxy polytetrafluoroethylene film, and ethylene-trifluorochloroethylene copolymer film.

[0014] In some alternative embodiments, the flexible substrate includes a polyethersulfone film, a polyacrylate film, a polyetherimide film, a polyethylene naphthalate film, a polyethylene terephthalate film, a polyphenylene sulfide film, a polyallyl ester film, a polyimide film, a polycarbonate film, or a cellulose acetate propionate film; and / or, the conductive layer includes an indium tin oxide layer.

[0015] Secondly, this utility model provides a flexible electronic device, including the flexible conductive substrate described in the first aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments or related technologies of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a flexible conductive substrate with a water-oxygen barrier film on its surface.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible conductive substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another flexible conductive substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0021] 1'-Flexible conductive substrate; 11'-Flexible substrate; 12'-Conductive layer; 2'-Water and oxygen barrier film; 21'-Adhesive film; 22'-Flexible polymer layer; 23'-Water and oxygen barrier layer; 1-Flexible conductive substrate; 11-Flexible substrate; 12-Conductive layer; 13-Water and oxygen barrier layer; 131-Organic material layer; 132-Inorganic material layer; 14-Protective film. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, not the entire structure.

[0023] Firstly, reference Figure 2The present invention provides a flexible conductive substrate 1, including a flexible substrate 11, a conductive layer 12 and a water and oxygen barrier layer 13. The conductive layer 12 is located on one side of the flexible substrate 11, and the water and oxygen barrier layer 13 is located on the side of the flexible substrate 11 opposite to the conductive layer 12.

[0024] Other functional layers in the flexible electronic device are formed on the side of the conductive layer 12 away from the flexible substrate 11. The water and oxygen barrier layer 13 can block external moisture and oxygen, thereby reducing the risk of external moisture and oxygen entering the interior of the flexible electronic device through the flexible conductive substrate 1, which is beneficial to extending the service life of the flexible electronic device.

[0025] The water-oxygen barrier layer 13 is located on the side of the flexible substrate 11 facing away from the conductive layer 12. This means there is no adhesive film or flexible polymer layer between the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 and the insulating flexible substrate. On one hand, this reduces the thickness of the flexible electronic device, thereby improving its bending resistance. The resulting thinner and lighter device can be used in a wider range of applications. On the other hand, it avoids the influence of the adhesive film and flexible polymer layer on the light transmittance of the flexible conductive substrate, thus improving its light transmittance. When devices such as solar cells require high light transmittance from the flexible conductive substrate, this improves their performance.

[0026] The water and oxygen barrier layer 13 is integrated in the flexible conductive substrate 1. The fabrication process of the flexible conductive substrate is independent of the fabrication process of the flexible electronic device. That is, the fabrication of the flexible conductive substrate is not included in the fabrication time of the flexible electronic device. After the flexible electronic device is fabricated, there is no need to set the water and oxygen barrier film, which helps to shorten the fabrication cycle of the flexible conductive substrate and improve the fabrication efficiency of the flexible conductive substrate.

[0027] In some alternative implementations, refer to Figure 3 The water-oxygen barrier layer 13 comprises alternating layers of organic material 131 and inorganic material 132 stacked along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 11. On one hand, the inorganic material layer 132 has a dense crystalline structure, providing strong physical barrier capabilities against water and oxygen molecules, significantly reducing water and oxygen permeability. The organic material layer 131 possesses high flexibility, capable of filling microscopic defects (such as pinholes and cracks) in the inorganic material layer 132. The alternating stacking of these two layers forms a composite barrier mechanism of "physical barrier + defect repair," significantly improving the water-oxygen barrier capability. On the other hand, while inorganic materials are hard, they are brittle and prone to cracking when formed alone. The high flexibility of the organic material layer 131 buffers the internal stress of the inorganic material layer 132, preventing cracking due to thermal expansion and contraction or mechanical deformation, thus enhancing the overall durability of the water-oxygen barrier layer 13.

[0028] In some optional embodiments, the organic material layer 131 includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: a parylene material layer, an epoxy resin layer, a polyester resin layer, a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) layer, a polyethylene (HDPE) layer, and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer. That is, the materials of the multiple organic material layers 131 in the water and oxygen barrier layer 13 can be the same or different. The parylene material layer includes, but is not limited to, N-type, C-type, D-type, and F-type materials. The epoxy resin layer can be prepared using epoxy ink, and the polyester resin layer can be prepared using polyester ink.

[0029] In some optional embodiments, the inorganic material layer 132 includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: an aluminum oxide layer, a zinc oxide layer, a tin oxide layer, a silicon oxide layer, and a silicon nitride layer. That is, the materials of the multiple inorganic material layers 132 in the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 can be the same or different. The chemical formula of the silicon nitride layer is SiN. x O y 0 <x<1.33,0<y<2。

[0030] In some optional embodiments, the membrane layer furthest from the flexible substrate 11 in the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 is an organic material layer 131. Its high flexibility fills the microscopic defects (such as pinholes and cracks) in the inorganic material layer 132, thereby improving the water-oxygen barrier capability of the water-oxygen barrier layer 13. The membrane layer closest to the flexible substrate 11 in the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 can be either an organic material layer 131 or an inorganic material layer 132.

[0031] In some alternative embodiments, the thickness of the organic material layer 131 can be 1μm-20μm, such as 1μm, 2μm, 4μm, 6μm, 8μm, 10μm, 12μm, 14μm, 16μm, 18μm, 20μm, or any range of the above values.

[0032] In some alternative embodiments, the thickness of the inorganic material layer 132 can be 10nm-500nm, such as 10nm, 50nm, 100nm, 150nm, 200nm, 250nm, 300nm, 350nm, 400nm, 450nm, 500nm, etc., or a range of any of the above values.

[0033] In some optional embodiments, the thickness of the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 can be 10μm-100μm, such as 10μm, 20μm, 30μm, 40μm, 50μm, 60μm, 70μm, 80μm, 90μm, 100μm, or any range of the above values. By limiting the thickness of the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 to the above range, it is beneficial for the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 to have both good water-oxygen barrier capability and good flexibility.

[0034] In some optional embodiments, the total number of organic material layers 131 and inorganic material layers 132 in the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 can be 4-6 layers, or other numbers of layers can be selected according to the thickness of the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 and the thickness of the organic material layers 131 and inorganic material layers 132.

[0035] In some optional embodiments, the flexible substrate 11 includes, but is not limited to, polymer films such as polyethersulfone (PES) film, polyacrylate (PAR) film, polyetherimide (PEI) film, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) film, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) film, polyallyl ester film, polyimide (PI) film, polycarbonate (PC) film, and cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) film.

[0036] In some alternative embodiments, the conductive layer 12 includes, but is not limited to, an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer.

[0037] In some optional embodiments, the thickness of the flexible substrate 11 can be 50μm-200μm, such as 50μm, 60μm, 70μm, 80μm, 90μm, 100μm, 110μm, 120μm, 130μm, 140μm, 150μm, 160μm, 170μm, 180μm, 190μm, 200μm, etc., or a range of any of the above values. The thickness of the conductive layer 12 can be 15nm-200nm, such as 15nm, 20μm, 30μm, 40μm, 50μm, 60μm, 70μm, 80μm, 90μm, 100μm, 110μm, 120μm, 130μm, 140μm, 150μm, 160μm, 170μm, 180μm, 190μm, 200μm, etc., or a range of any of the above values.

[0038] In some alternative embodiments, the flexible substrate 11 is a transparent flexible substrate, and the conductive layer 12 is a transparent conductive layer, such as an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer, to suit flexible electronic devices such as solar cells that require high light transmittance of the flexible conductive substrate 1. It should be noted that "transparent" refers to high transmittance of visible light.

[0039] In some alternative implementations, refer to Figure 2 The flexible conductive substrate 1 further includes an adhesive layer (not shown) and a protective film 14. The adhesive layer is located on the side of the water and oxygen barrier layer 13 facing away from the flexible substrate 11, and the protective film 14 is located on the surface of the adhesive layer facing away from the flexible substrate 11. The protective film 14 is used to protect the water and oxygen barrier layer 13 to prevent external forces from damaging the water and oxygen barrier layer 13 and affecting its water and oxygen barrier capability.

[0040] Specifically, the protective film 14 includes, but is not limited to, one of the following: ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE) film, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film, polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film, perfluoroethylene propylene (FEP) film, perfluoroalkoxy polytetrafluoroethylene (PFA) film, and ethylene trifluorochloroethylene copolymer (ECTFE) film. The thickness of the protective film 14 can be 10μm-100μm, such as 10μm, 20μm, 30μm, 40μm, 50μm, 60μm, 70μm, 80μm, 90μm, 100μm, or any range of the above values.

[0041] Specifically, the adhesive layer includes, but is not limited to, an acrylate layer, a methyl polysiloxane resin layer, an epoxy silane layer, and a polyurethane layer. The adhesive layer contains organic materials. When the layer furthest from the flexible substrate 11 in the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 is an organic material layer 131, both layers are organic materials with strong adhesion, which enhances the bonding force between the adhesive layer and the water-oxygen barrier layer 13, thereby improving the structural stability of the flexible conductive substrate 1.

[0042] In some alternative embodiments, the protective film 14 is a transparent protective film and the adhesive layer is a transparent adhesive layer, to be suitable for flexible electronic devices such as solar cells that require high light transmittance of the flexible conductive substrate 1.

[0043] The flexible conductive substrate 1 provided in this application can achieve or substantially achieve the water vapor transmission rate and oxygen transmission rate of conventional water and oxygen barrier films, the conductivity or surface sheet resistance of conventional flexible conductive substrate 1, while also having a smaller thickness, greater tensile strength, lower shrinkage rate and higher light transmittance.

[0044] For example, the fabrication method of the flexible conductive substrate 1 is described below: a water-oxygen barrier layer 13 is fabricated on one side surface of the flexible substrate 11; an adhesive layer is formed on the side surface of the water-oxygen barrier layer 13 facing away from the flexible substrate 11; a protective film 14 is attached to the side surface of the adhesive layer facing away from the flexible substrate 11; and a conductive layer 12 is fabricated on the side surface of the flexible substrate 11 facing away from the water-oxygen barrier layer 13. It should be noted that the fabrication method of the flexible conductive substrate 1 includes, but is not limited to, the above-described fabrication sequence. Preferably, the conductive layer 12 is fabricated last to avoid damage to the conductive layer 12 during the fabrication of other film layers.

[0045] Secondly, this invention provides a flexible electronic device, including the flexible conductive substrate 1 described in the first aspect. The flexible electronic device includes, but is not limited to, flexible solar cells and flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

[0046] The following embodiments are provided to specifically describe the flexible conductive substrate. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0047] Example 1

[0048] This embodiment provides a flexible conductive substrate, comprising a conductive layer, a flexible substrate, a water and oxygen barrier layer, an adhesive layer, and a protective film stacked sequentially. The flexible substrate is a PET film with a thickness of 100 μm; the water and oxygen barrier layer consists of alternating PMMA and SiO2 layers, with a total of four PMMA and SiO2 layers, the layer closest to the flexible substrate being the SiO2 layer; the PMMA layer has a thickness of 1 μm, and the SiO2 layer has a thickness of 100 nm; the adhesive layer is an acrylate layer; the protective film is an ETFE film with a thickness of 25 μm; and the conductive layer is an ITO layer with a thickness of 20 nm.

[0049] The method for fabricating a flexible conductive substrate includes: preparing a water-oxygen barrier layer on one side of the flexible substrate; coating a PMMA / chlorobenzene solution with a weight-average molecular weight of 10,000 using a screen printing process and annealing it at 100°C for 5 minutes; preparing a SiO2 layer using a chemical vapor deposition process; coating an acrylic adhesive on the side of the water-oxygen barrier layer away from the flexible substrate using a screen printing process; bonding an ETFE film to the water-oxygen barrier layer using a lamination process at 100°C; and depositing an ITO layer on the side of the flexible substrate away from the water-oxygen barrier layer using a magnetron sputtering process.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] This embodiment provides a flexible conductive substrate, comprising a conductive layer, a flexible substrate, a water and oxygen barrier layer, an adhesive layer, and a protective film stacked sequentially. The flexible substrate is a PI film with a thickness of 120 μm; the water and oxygen barrier layer consists of alternating layers of epoxy resin and Al2O3, with a total of 6 layers (epoxy resin and Al2O3 layers), the Al2O3 layer being closest to the flexible substrate. The epoxy resin layer has a thickness of 2 μm, and the Al2O3 layer has a thickness of 100 nm; the adhesive layer is an epoxy-based silane layer; the protective film is a PVDF film with a thickness of 25 μm; and the conductive layer is an ITO layer with a thickness of 20 nm.

[0052] The method for preparing a flexible conductive substrate includes: preparing a water-oxygen barrier layer on one side of the flexible substrate; applying epoxy ink using screen printing and annealing at 100°C for 15 min; preparing an Al2O3 layer using magnetron sputtering; applying an epoxy-based silane adhesive to the side of the water-oxygen barrier layer away from the flexible substrate using screen printing; bonding a PVDF film to the water-oxygen barrier layer at 100°C using lamination; and depositing an ITO layer on the side of the flexible substrate away from the water-oxygen barrier layer using magnetron sputtering.

[0053] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "this embodiment," "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0054] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. Materials, reagents, or instruments used, unless otherwise specified, are all commercially available conventional products.

[0055] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various obvious changes, readjustments, combinations, and substitutions can be made without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flexible conductive substrate, characterized in that, include: Flexible substrate; A conductive layer, the conductive layer being located on one side of the flexible substrate; A water-oxygen barrier layer is located on the side surface of the flexible substrate opposite to the conductive layer.

2. The flexible conductive substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water and oxygen barrier layer comprises alternating layers of organic and inorganic materials stacked along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate.

3. The flexible conductive substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that, The organic material layer includes one or more of the following: a parylene material layer, an epoxy resin layer, a polyester resin layer, a polymethyl methacrylate layer, a polyethylene layer, and a polytetrafluoroethylene layer; and / or, the inorganic material layer includes one or more of the following: an alumina layer, a zinc oxide layer, a tin oxide layer, a silicon oxide layer, and a silicon nitride layer.

4. The flexible conductive substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that, The membrane layer in the water-oxygen barrier layer that is furthest from the flexible substrate is an organic material layer.

5. The flexible conductive substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thickness of the organic material layer is 1μm-20μm; and / or, the thickness of the inorganic material layer is 10nm-500nm.

6. The flexible conductive substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The thickness of the water-oxygen barrier layer is 10μm-100μm.

7. The flexible conductive substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Also includes: An adhesive layer is located on the side of the water-oxygen barrier layer opposite to the flexible substrate; A protective film is located on the side surface of the adhesive layer opposite to the flexible substrate.

8. The flexible conductive substrate according to claim 7, characterized in that, The thickness of the protective film is 10μm-100μm; and / or, the protective film includes one of the following: ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer film, polyvinylidene fluoride film, polyvinyl fluoride film, polytetrafluoroethylene film, perfluoroethylene propylene film, perfluoroalkoxy polytetrafluoroethylene film, and ethylene-trifluorochloroethylene copolymer film.

9. The flexible conductive substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The flexible substrate includes a polyethersulfone film, a polyacrylate film, a polyetherimide film, a polyethylene naphthalate film, a polyethylene terephthalate film, a polyphenylene sulfide film, a polyallyl ester film, a polyimide film, a polycarbonate film, and a cellulose acetate propionate film; and / or, the conductive layer includes an indium tin oxide layer.

10. A flexible electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the flexible conductive substrate as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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