Conductive Laminate Bubble Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conductive laminates used in touch panels often generate bubbles from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer during thermal treatment for ITO crystallization, which are not effectively removed due to the ITO acting as a gas barrier, leading to reliability issues.

Innovation Solution

A conductive laminate structure with a crosslinkable polymer pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a monomer with a boiling point of 140 °C or less, preventing bubble formation during thermal treatment, and including a double-sided conductive layer configuration to prevent gas reduction and aging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is used during thermal treatment for ITO crystallization, then the adhesive layer provides bonding functionality, but bubbles are generated from the adhesive layer and cannot be removed due to ITO acting as a gas barrier

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebubble-free conductive laminateVSAvoidbubble generation from pressure-sensitive adhesive layer
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer by selecting monomers with specific boiling points (140°C or less, or 200°C or more) to control vaporization behavior during thermal treatment, thereby preventing bubble generation while maintaining adhesive functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harmful effect of monomer vaporization into a beneficial outcome by carefully selecting monomers whose vaporization occurs at controlled temperatures, allowing gas to escape before the ITO layer forms a complete barrier, thus preventing bubble formation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If ITO is formed on both sides to serve as a gas barrier, then gas escape is prevented, but bubbles generated from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer during thermal treatment cannot be removed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas barrier functionalityVSAvoidtrapped bubbles preventing reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by selecting monomers that vaporize at specific temperatures (140°C or less, or 200°C or more) before the ITO layer fully forms a gas barrier during thermal treatment, allowing controlled gas escape to prevent bubble formation while maintaining the eventual gas barrier functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 prevents bubble generation from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer during thermal treatment, ensuring the reliability of the conductive laminate by controlling the boiling point of the monomer and using a double-sided conductive layer as a gas barrier.

Implementation Method 1

thermal treatment condition for ITO crystallization

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal treatment: Heating

Implementation Method 2

thermal treatment for ITO crystallization

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCrystallization: Crystallisation

Implementation Method 3

since the ITO serves as a gas barrier, it may prevent the bubbles from being removed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas barrier: Diffusion Barrier

Implementation Method 4

includes a crosslinkable polymer including a monomer having a boiling point of 140 °C or less or 200 °C or more as a polymerization unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBoiling: Boiling

Data Source

PatentEP3054458B1Conductive laminate
Publication Date: 2019.08.14 LG CHEM LTD
  • EP3054458B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

Provided are a conductive laminate, a method of manufacturing the same, and an electronic device including the same. The conductive laminate may prevent bubbles from being generated from a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer during thermal treatment for crystallizing a conductive layer.