Copper-Nickel Oxide Conductive Structure for Touch Screens

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large-area touch screen panels face challenges in maintaining performance under heat resistance, salt water resistance, and high humidity environments while ensuring excellent visibility and etching properties of micropatterns, and existing solutions suffer from high electrode resistance and visibility issues due to reflectance and diffraction problems.

Innovation Solution

A conductive structure comprising a substrate with a metal layer and a light reflection reducing layer made of copper-nickel oxide, where the copper content is between 15 at% and 55 at%, nickel content is between 1 at% and 30 at%, and the nickel to copper ratio is between 0.01 and 1.8, which is applied using a method involving sputtering under an oxygen atmosphere to enhance durability and reduce reflectivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a metal layer is used to ensure electrical conductivity, then conductivity is improved, but light reflectance increases causing visibility deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical conductivityVSAvoidlight reflectance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

A light reflection reducing layer comprising copper-nickel oxide is introduced as an intermediary between the metal layer and the external environment. This intermediate layer absorbs or reduces the light reflected by the metal layer, thereby maintaining the electrical conductivity of the metal layer while improving visibility by reducing the dazzle effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a metal layer and a copper-nickel oxide light reflection reducing layer. The copper-nickel oxide layer has specific compositional ratios (Cu: 15-55 at%, Ni: 1-30 at%) that provide both optical absorption properties to reduce reflectance and chemical stability to protect the underlying metal layer, thus resolving the contradiction between conductivity and visibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Illumination intensity

If a light reflection reducing layer is added to improve visibility, then visibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent specifies precise compositional parameters for the copper-nickel oxide layer (Cu: 15-55 at%, Ni: 1-30 at%) to achieve the desired light reflection reducing effect. By controlling these compositional parameters within specific ranges, the patent optimizes the balance between visibility improvement and manufacturing feasibility, ensuring that the layer can be deposited using conventional sputtering techniques without excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 conductive structure maintains excellent electrical conductivity, chemical and physical durability, and visibility by minimizing reflectance and diffraction, effectively preventing performance decline in harsh environments and improving visibility in touch screen panels and display devices.

Implementation Method 1

a light reflection reducing layer comprising a copper-nickel oxide provided on at least one surface of the metal layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

applied using a method involving sputtering under an oxygen atmosphere

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSputtering: Sputtering

Data Source

PatentEP3264423B1Conductive structure and method for manufacturing same
Publication Date: 2020.10.21 LG CHEM LTD
  • EP3264423B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3264423B1 patent drawingFigure 5
  • EP3264423B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

The present specification relates to a conductive structure and a method for manufacturing the same.