Group 2 Metal Doped Transparent Conductive Oxide Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display devices and touch panels face challenges in achieving high transmittance and low sheet resistance with transparent electrodes, often resulting in crystallization issues during deposition processes that lead to surface roughness and defects.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a group 2 metal element, such as Be, Mg, or Ca, into the first transparent conductive oxide layer at specific atomic percentages, which helps prevent crystallization during deposition, allowing for the formation of a thin, high-transmittance, and low-resistance first light transmitting layer with a work function ranging from 4.75 eV to 4.9 eV, and optionally including a metal layer and a second light transmitting layer for enhanced performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a transparent conductive oxide layer is deposited to achieve high transmittance, then light transmittance is improved, but crystallization occurs during deposition causing surface roughness and defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the transparent conductive oxide layer by incorporating group 2 metal elements (Be, Mg, or Ca) at specific atomic percentages (0.01-5.00 atomic %). This compositional parameter change modifies the deposition behavior to prevent crystallization while maintaining high transmittance and achieving smooth surfaces with sheet resistance in the range of 30-55 Ω/square
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite transparent conductive oxide material by combining traditional TCO components (such as In2O3, SnO2, ZnO) with group 2 metal elements. This composite structure prevents crystallization during deposition while maintaining electrical conductivity and optical transmittance, resolving the contradiction between high transmittance and surface smoothness
2Length of moving object
If the thickness of the transparent conductive oxide layer is reduced to achieve a thin film structure, then device thickness is reduced, but electrical conductivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the dopant concentration parameter of group 2 metal elements in the transparent conductive oxide layer. By controlling the atomic percentage of group 2 metals within 0.01-5.00%, the material achieves enhanced electrical conductivity that allows thin film structures (5-10 nm) to maintain low sheet resistance (30-55 Ω/square), thus resolving the contradiction between thinness and conductivity
3Reliability
If the work function of the transparent conductive oxide layer is increased to improve hole injection, then electrode performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the compositional parameters of the transparent conductive oxide layer by incorporating group 2 metal elements, which naturally increase the work function to the optimal range of 4.75-4.9 eV for hole injection. This single parameter change (composition) simultaneously achieves both high work function and low manufacturing complexity, as it requires only one doping step rather than multiple layered structures
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 results in electrodes with excellent electrical conductivity, high transmittance, and improved pattern-forming characteristics, suitable for use as anodes in OLEDs, pixel electrodes in LCDs, and touch sensor patterns, while maintaining a thin film structure and reducing surface roughness.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating a group 2 metal element, such as Be, Mg, or Ca, into the first transparent conductive oxide layer at specific atomic percentages, which helps prevent crystallization during deposition
Implementation Method 2
the first light transmitting layer has a sheet resistance ranging from about 30 Ω/square to about 55.0 Ω/square
Data Source
AI summary
A display substrate, a display device, and a touch panel, the display substrate including a base substrate; and an electrode on the base substrate, the electrode including a first light transmitting layer, wherein the first light transmitting layer has a work function ranging from about 4.75 eV to about 4.9 eV, the first light transmitting layer includes a first transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer and a first metal element doped in the first transparent conductive oxide layer, the first metal element being a group 2 metal element, the first metal element is included in the first light transmitting layer in an amount of about 0.01 atomic percent (atomic %) to about 5.00 atomic %, based on a total number of atoms in the first light transmitting layer.