Transparent heating element and manufacturing method therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transparent heating element and a manufacturing method therefor, the element comprising: a substrate; a first amorphous oxide layer deposited on the substrate; a metal layer deposited on the first amorphous oxide layer; a second amorphous oxide layer deposited on the metal layer; and an electrode layer that encompasses two ends of each of the first amorphous oxide layer, the metal layer and the second amorphous oxide layer from two ends of the substrate. Provided is the transparent heating element in which layers made of amorphous oxides are disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of a metal layer, and the transparent heating element has low power, high performance and moisture resistance characteristics due to the uniform surfaces of the amorphous oxide layers.

Description

Transparent heating element and manufacturing method thereof

[0001] The disclosed invention relates to a transparent heating element having a metal layer inserted between amorphous oxide protective layers and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002] The heating element installed on the glass surface of the lens uses electrode bars arranged around the glass to supply power. These bars heat the surface, partially or completely coating the surface. Previously, indium tin oxide (ITO), which has excellent conductivity, was primarily used. However, this material is inherently brittle, leading to structural uneven coating thickness where the curved and flat surfaces of the lens meet, creating electrical resistance and potentially unstable heating.

[0003] For example, in the process of attaching an electrode bar around a glass surface, conductive ink is applied and then the electrode bar is bonded thereon. At this time, a height difference occurs between the electrode bar and the conductive ink layer due to the thickness of the electrode bar made of a metal thin film.

[0004] When using conventional indium tin oxide, there is a high possibility that the coating will be discontinuous at the edges of the steps during the coating process, or that the coating will be thin, resulting in an uneven coating layer. This can easily cause cracks to form in the coating layer due to differences in thermal expansion caused by temperature changes, and electrical properties can deteriorate due to a momentary increase in resistance during the current passage process. In addition, if a heating layer is formed on the outer surface of the lens, the coating layer exposed to the outside can be damaged, causing distortion or unclear photographic information, and there is a risk of heat generation problems.

[0005] For the above reasons, one aspect of the disclosed invention is to provide a transparent heating element having a metal layer inserted between amorphous oxide protective layers to have high flexibility, low resistance, and high transmittance, and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0006] A transparent heating element according to one aspect of the disclosed invention may include a substrate; a first amorphous oxide layer deposited on the substrate; a metal layer deposited on the first amorphous oxide layer; a second amorphous oxide layer deposited on the metal layer; and an electrode layer surrounding each of the first amorphous oxide layer, the metal layer, and the second amorphous oxide layer from both ends of the substrate.

[0007] The first amorphous oxide layer and the second amorphous oxide layer may be characterized in that they are made of one single material or two or more mixed amorphous oxides selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ga, Al, Ge, As, Cu, Mn, Zr, Nb, Ru, Hf, Zn, Sr, Ba, Fe, Ag, In, Re, Cr, Ni, Mo, V, W, Mg, Si, Sn and Ta.

[0008] The first amorphous oxide layer and the second amorphous oxide layer may be characterized in that they are made of an organic or inorganic material having a transmittance of 80% or more.

[0009] The first amorphous oxide layer and the second amorphous oxide layer may be characterized in that they are deposited by any one of a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) deposition method, a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) deposition method, and a solution process.

[0010] The above metal layer and the electrode layer may be characterized by being composed of a single component selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Ti, Ni, Mo, Cu, and Al, or being composed of two or more types of alloys.

[0011] The above metal layer and the electrode layer may be characterized in that they are deposited by any one of a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) deposition method, a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) deposition method, and a solution process.

[0012] The thicknesses of the first amorphous oxide layer and the second amorphous oxide layer may be each characterized by being 10 nm to 1000 nm.

[0013] The thickness of the above metal layer may be characterized as being 10 nm to 200 nm.

[0014] The thickness of the electrode layer may be characterized as being 100 nm to 500 um.

[0015] The above substrate is polyimide (PI), polyamide (PA), polyamide-imide, polyurethane (PU), polyurethaneacrylate (PUA), polyacrylamide (PA), polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyether sulfone (PES), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyetherimide (PEI), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polystyrene (PS), It may be characterized by being made of any one of biaxially oriented polystyrene (BOPS), acrylic resin, silicone resin, fluororesin, modified epoxy resin, glass, and reinforced glass.

[0016] A method for manufacturing a transparent heating element according to one aspect of the disclosed invention may include the steps of: depositing a first amorphous oxide layer on a substrate; depositing a metal layer on the first amorphous oxide layer; depositing a second amorphous oxide layer on the metal layer; and forming an electrode layer so as to surround both ends of the first amorphous oxide layer, the metal layer, and the second amorphous oxide layer from both ends of the substrate.

[0017]

[0018] According to one aspect of the disclosed invention, a transparent heating element can be provided in which a layer made of an amorphous oxide is disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of a metal layer.

[0019] By this, the transparent heating element can provide a heating element having low power, high performance, and moisture resistance characteristics according to the uniform surface of the amorphous oxide layer.

[0020]

[0021] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a transparent heating element according to one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 2 is a drawing showing a 3D model and actual thickness of a conventional polycrystalline oxide layer and an amorphous oxide layer according to one embodiment.

[0023] Figure 3 is a graph showing the transmittance according to the thickness of a metal layer according to one embodiment.

[0024] Figure 4 is a graph showing the surface resistance according to the thickness of a metal layer according to one embodiment.

[0025] Fig. 5 is a graph showing the device performance index according to the thickness of the metal layer calculated based on the transmittance and surface resistance according to one embodiment.

[0026] Fig. 6 is a graph showing a change in temperature over time according to the voltage applied to a transparent heating element according to one embodiment, and a drawing showing specific voltage and temperature values ​​of the transparent heating element photographed in an actual experiment.

[0027] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a transparent heating element according to one embodiment.

[0028]

[0029] Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals denote the same components. This specification does not describe all elements of the embodiments, and any content that is general in the technical field to which the disclosed invention belongs or that overlaps between the embodiments is omitted. The terms 'part, module, element, block' used in the specification may be implemented in software or hardware, and depending on the embodiments, multiple 'parts, modules, elements, blocks' may be implemented as a single component, or a single 'part, module, element, block' may include multiple components.

[0030] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be 'connected' to another part, this includes not only direct connection but also indirect connection, and indirect connection includes connection via a wireless communication network.

[0031] Additionally, when a part is said to 'include' a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0032] Throughout the specification, when we say that an element is located 'on' another element, this includes not only cases where the element is in contact with the other element, but also cases where another element exists between the two elements.

[0033] The terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by the aforementioned terms.

[0034] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0035] The identification codes for each step are used for convenience of explanation and do not describe the order of each step. Each step may be performed in a different order than specified unless the context clearly indicates a specific order.

[0036] The operating principle and embodiments of the disclosed invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0037] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a transparent heating element according to one embodiment.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 1, the transparent heating element may include a substrate (100), a first amorphous oxide layer (200), a metal layer (300), a second amorphous oxide layer (400), and an electrode layer (500).

[0039] The substrate (100) is made of polyimide (PI), polyamide (PA), polyamide-imide, polyurethane (PU), polyurethaneacrylate (PUA), polyacrylamide (PA), polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyether sulfone (PES), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyetherimide (PEI), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polystyrene (PS), It can be made of any one of biaxially oriented polystyrene (BOPS), acrylic resin, silicone resin, fluororesin, modified epoxy resin, glass, and tempered glass.

[0040] A first amorphous oxide layer (200) can be deposited on a substrate (100).

[0041] A metal layer (300) can be deposited on the first amorphous oxide layer (200).

[0042] A second amorphous oxide layer (400) can be deposited on the metal layer (300).

[0043] The electrode layer (500) can be formed to surround both ends of the first amorphous oxide layer (200), the metal layer (300), and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) from both ends of the substrate (100).

[0044] According to one embodiment, the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) may be formed of one single material or two or more mixed amorphous oxides selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ga, Al, Ge, As, Cu, Mn, Zr, Nb, Ru, Hf, Zn, Sr, Ba, Fe, Ag, In, Re, Cr, Ni, Mo, V, W, Mg, Si, Sn, and Ta.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) may be formed of an organic or inorganic material having a transmittance of 80% or more.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) can be deposited by any one of a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) deposition method, a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) deposition method, and a solution process.

[0047] More specifically, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method of the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) may include Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (APCVD), Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LPCVD), Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), etc.

[0048] The Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) deposition method of the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) may include Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), Thermal deposition, Electron beam deposition, Sputtering, etc.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) may be SiInZnO or SiZnSnO.

[0050] More specifically, the mixing ratio of SiInZnO is Si1In 65 Zn 34 O, Si 0.5 In 65 Zn 34.5 O, Si 0.3 In 65 Zn 34.7 O can be, and the mixing ratio of SiZnSnO is Si1Zn 35 Sn 64 O, Si 0.5 Zn 35 Sn 63.5 O, Si 0.3 Zn 35 Sn 63.7 It could be O.

[0051] The solution process of the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) may include printing, wet solution, etc.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) may be composed of different components and thicknesses.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the thicknesses of the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) may each be 10 nm to 1000 nm.

[0054] The metal layer (300) is a layer that determines electrical characteristics and heat generation, and may be composed of a single component selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Ti, Ni, Mo, Cu, and Al, or may be composed of two or more types of alloys.

[0055] The electrode layer (500) is a layer that can control the on / off of the transparent heating element, and may be made of a single component selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Ti, Ni, Mo, Cu, and Al, or may be made of two or more types of alloys.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the metal layer (300) and the electrode layer (500) may be deposited by any one of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) deposition method, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) deposition method, and a solution process, similar to the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400).

[0057] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the metal layer (300) may be 10 nm to 200 nm.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the thickness of the electrode layer (500) may be 100 nm to 500 um.

[0059] Figure 2 is a drawing showing a 3D model and actual thickness of a conventional polycrystalline oxide layer and an amorphous oxide layer according to one embodiment.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 2, the surface roughness of the existing polycrystalline oxide layer is 1.41 nm, whereas the surface roughness of the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) according to one embodiment of the present invention is only 0.34 nm.

[0061] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the bonding surface between the actual existing polycrystalline oxide layer and the Ag layer is non-uniform, whereas the bonding surface between the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) and the Ag layer according to one embodiment of the present invention is considerably uniform.

[0062] Since the polycrystalline oxide layer has an uneven surface due to the characteristics of the polycrystalline structure, when used as a material for an actual transparent heating element in various weather environments, water may seep into the polycrystalline gaps, causing it to break or crack.

[0063] On the other hand, the first amorphous oxide layer (200) and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) have a smooth surface due to the characteristics of the amorphous structure, so water does not penetrate and can have high moisture resistance, and thus durability can be improved.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the transmittance according to the thickness of a metal layer (300) according to one embodiment, FIG. 4 is a graph showing the sheet resistance according to the thickness of a metal layer (300) according to one embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a graph showing the device performance index according to the thickness of a metal layer (300) calculated based on the transmittance and sheet resistance according to one embodiment.

[0065] The horizontal axis of Fig. 3 represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents transmittance. The graph of Fig. 3 shows the optical performance of a transparent heating element according to the thickness of the metal layer (300) within the visible light range.

[0066] That is, Figure 3 is a graph showing transmittance, which is one of the key element characteristics of a transparent heating element, i.e., whether the transparent heating element can effectively transmit light while generating heat.

[0067] In order to determine the optimal thickness of the metal layer (300) of the transparent heating element, the thickness of the metal layer (300) was varied several times to examine the transmittance. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, it can be seen that when the thickness of the metal layer (300) is 11 nm, the transmittance is the highest while having a relatively small deviation.

[0068] When the thickness of the actual metal layer (300) is 11 nm, the transparent heating element exhibits a transmittance of up to 94%.

[0069] Even when the thickness of the metal layer (300) is 9 nm, it shows relatively high transmittance, but it can be seen that the average transmittance performance is lower compared to 11 nm.

[0070] When the thickness of the metal layer (300) is 5 nm or 7 nm, the maximum transmittance is similar to or greater than that of 9 nm, but the maximum transmittance is lower than that of 11 nm, and a phenomenon of rapid decrease in transmittance is observed as the wavelength becomes longer.

[0071] The horizontal axis of Fig. 4 represents the thickness of the metal layer (300, AG), and the vertical axis represents the sheet resistance. The unit of sheet resistance is It refers to the resistance value across a specific area regardless of the thickness of the material.

[0072] Expressing the surface resistance in this way makes it relatively easy to compare and understand the resistance when the material is in the form of a thin film.

[0073] That is, Figure 4 is a graph showing the surface resistance, which is one of the key element characteristics of a transparent heating element, that is, how much heat can be generated at a low current by the transparent heating element.

[0074] Referring to Fig. 4, when the thickness of the metal layer (300, Ag) is 5 nm, 7 nm, and 9 nm, the sheet resistance is 10 It is showing an ideal.

[0075] On the other hand, when the thickness of the metal layer (300) is 11 nm, 13 nm, and 15 nm, the sheet resistance is 6.2 It shows below.

[0076] Referring to the graphs of FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen that the thickness of the metal layer (300), which exhibits high transmittance and low surface resistance, which are important element characteristics in determining the performance of a transparent heating element, is 11 nm.

[0077] The results verifying the above insight are shown in Figure 5.

[0078] Figure 5 is a graph showing the figure of merit (FOM) of a device calculated using transmittance and surface resistance.

[0079] The horizontal axis represents the thickness of the metal layer (300), and the vertical axis represents FOM, i.e., the performance index of the element (transparent heating element).

[0080] As shown in Fig. 5, when the thickness of the metal layer (300) is 11 nm, the performance index of the device (transparent heating element) is close to 90, and it can be seen that there is a large difference compared to the performance index at other thicknesses.

[0081] Accordingly, the thickness of the metal layer (300) was set to 11 nm, and the results of measuring the temperature value according to time and voltage are shown in Fig. 6.

[0082] FIG. 6 is a graph showing a change in temperature over time according to the voltage applied to a transparent heating element according to one embodiment, and a drawing showing specific voltage and temperature values ​​of the transparent heating element photographed in an actual experiment.

[0083] Referring to Fig. 6, when the applied voltage is 1 V, it exhibits a low heat generation performance of about 20 degrees, when the applied voltage is 2 V, it exhibits a heat generation performance of about 60 degrees, when the applied voltage is 2.3 V, it exhibits a heat generation performance of about 80 degrees, and when the applied voltage is 3 V, it exhibits a heat generation performance of over 100 degrees.

[0084] The appropriate heating temperature of a transparent heating element varies depending on the application and environment in which it is used.

[0085] Common applications for transparent heating elements include windshield defogging in automobiles, touchscreens and display panels in smartphones and tablets, temperature maintenance in medical equipment, and sensor protection.

[0086] Generally, except in special applications, the required maximum appropriate heating temperature is limited to approximately 80 degrees Celsius. Temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius are likely to cause failure of the transparent heating element itself and surrounding components, and also increase the risk of fire.

[0087] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the applied voltage of 2.3 V, which can control the time for which the voltage is applied depending on the purpose and situation from a low temperature to 80 degrees, can be considered as the appropriate voltage.

[0088] In this way, the transparent heating element according to the embodiment of the present invention has a metal layer (300) having a thickness of 11 nm, can exhibit sufficient heating performance and high transmittance performance with only an applied voltage of 2.3 V, and can have high moisture resistance and durability due to the characteristics of the amorphous oxide layer.

[0089] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a transparent heating element according to one embodiment.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 7, a method for manufacturing a transparent heating element may include a step (1100) of depositing a first amorphous oxide layer (200) on a substrate (100), a step (1200) of depositing a metal layer (300) on the first amorphous oxide layer (200), a step (1300) of depositing a second amorphous oxide layer (400) on the metal layer (300), and a step (1400) of forming an electrode layer (500) to surround both ends of the first amorphous oxide layer (200), the metal layer (300), and the second amorphous oxide layer (400) from both ends of the substrate (100).

[0091] The above description is merely an illustrative illustration of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to illustrate, rather than limit, the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. Substrate; A first amorphous oxide layer deposited on the substrate; A metal layer deposited on the first amorphous oxide layer; a second amorphous oxide layer deposited on the metal layer; and A transparent heating element comprising an electrode layer surrounding both ends of the first amorphous oxide layer, the metal layer, and the second amorphous oxide layer from both ends of the substrate.

2. In paragraph 1, A transparent heating element, wherein the first amorphous oxide layer and the second amorphous oxide layer are made of one single material or two or more mixed amorphous oxides selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ga, Al, Ge, As, Cu, Mn, Zr, Nb, Ru, Hf, Zn, Sr, Ba, Fe, Ag, In, Re, Cr, Ni, Mo, V, W, Mg, Si, Sn and Ta.

3. In paragraph 1, A transparent heating element, wherein the first amorphous oxide layer and the second amorphous oxide layer are made of an organic or inorganic material having a transmittance of 80% or more.

4. In paragraph 1, A transparent heating element, wherein the first amorphous oxide layer and the second amorphous oxide layer are deposited by any one of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) deposition method, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) deposition method, and a solution process.

5. In paragraph 1, A transparent heating element, wherein the metal layer and the electrode layer are made of a single component selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Ti, Ni, Mo, Cu, and Al, or are made of two or more types of alloys.

6. In paragraph 1, A transparent heating element, wherein the metal layer and the electrode layer are deposited by any one of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) deposition method, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) deposition method, and a solution process.

7. In paragraph 6, A transparent heating element, wherein the thicknesses of the first amorphous oxide layer and the second amorphous oxide layer are each 10 nm to 1000 nm.

8. In paragraph 1, A transparent heating element, wherein the thickness of the metal layer is 10 nm to 200 nm.

9. In paragraph 1, A transparent heating element, wherein the thickness of the electrode layer is 100 nm to 500 um.

10. In paragraph 1, The above substrate is polyimide (PI), polyamide (PA), polyamide-imide, polyurethane (PU), polyurethaneacrylate (PUA), polyacrylamide (PA), polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyether sulfone (PES), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyetherimide (PEI), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polystyrene (PS), A transparent heating element made of any one of biaxially oriented polystyrene (BOPS), acrylic resin, silicone resin, fluororesin, modified epoxy resin, glass, and tempered glass.

11. A step of depositing a first amorphous oxide layer on a substrate; A step of depositing a metal layer on the first amorphous oxide layer; a step of depositing a second amorphous oxide layer on the metal layer; and A method for manufacturing a transparent heating element, comprising the step of forming an electrode layer so as to surround both ends of the first amorphous oxide layer, the metal layer, and the second amorphous oxide layer from both ends of the substrate.

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