Conductive Film Intersection Thickness Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conductive films with mesh-like metal layers for touch panels suffer from visual recognition issues due to thickened metal wire intersections, which compromise their conductive characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A conductive film with a mesh-like metal layer is developed, where the average intersection growing rate is controlled to 1.6 or less by performing an exposure treatment under vacuum with the substrate and photomask in close contact, ensuring uniform wire width and reduced plating at intersections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mesh-like metal layer is formed by plating treatment on a to-be-plated layer, then the conductive characteristics are improved, but the metal wire intersections become thickened causing visual recognition issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the average intersection growing rate as a critical parameter, setting it to 1.6 or less to prevent excessive thickening at metal wire intersections while maintaining good conductive characteristics. This parameter control approach directly addresses the contradiction by establishing a quantitative threshold that balances both concerns.
2Shape
If the plating amount is reduced to suppress intersection thickening, then the visual recognition is suppressed, but the conductive characteristics of metal thin wires are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for to-be-plated layer thickness (0.05 to 100 μm) and metal layer thickness (0.05 to 0.5 μm) to optimize the balance between intersection uniformity and conductive performance. These parameter specifications prevent both excessive thickening and insufficient plating.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively suppresses visual recognition of metal wires while maintaining excellent conductive characteristics, enhancing the performance of touch panel sensors and panels.
Implementation Method 1
a patterned to-be-plated layer which is disposed on the substrate in a mesh pattern and has a functional group interacting with a plating catalyst or a precursor thereof
Implementation Method 2
a mesh-like metal layer which is disposed on the patterned to-be-plated layer and has a plurality of metal thin wires intersecting each other
Data Source
AI summary
According to the invention, there are provided a conductive film which has a mesh-like metal layer composed of metal thin wires and in which visual recognition of the metal thin wires is suppressed and the metal layer has excellent conductive characteristics, a touch panel sensor, and a touch panel. A conductive film according to the invention includes a substrate; a patterned to-be-plated layer which is disposed on the substrate in a mesh pattern and has a functional group interacting with a plating catalyst or a precursor thereof; and a mesh-like metal layer which is disposed on the patterned to-be-plated layer and has a plurality of metal thin wires intersecting each other, an average thickness of the patterned to-be-plated layer is 0.05 to 100 μm, an average thickness of the metal layer is 0.05 to 0.5 μm, and an average intersection growing rate at an intersection of metal thin wires of the mesh of the metal layer is 1.6 or less.