Transparent Conductive Film with SiOx Interlayer for Humidity Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conductive thin films used in touch panels face issues with transparency, scratch resistance, bending resistance, and environmental resistance at high temperature and high humidity, particularly in applications like smartphones and car navigators, where existing solutions fail to provide suitable surface resistivity and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A transparent conductive film is developed with a transparent SiOx thin film and an indium-tin complex oxide layer, formed using a dry thin film method to achieve surface roughness and a specific SnO2 content, resulting in a film with suitable surface resistivity and enhanced humidity and heat resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the transparent conductive thin film is increased to improve environment resistance, then humidity and heat resistance is improved, but surface resistivity becomes too low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surface morphology parameter of the SiOx thin film by controlling its thickness (10-100 nm) and forming it via dry process to achieve specific surface roughness (Ra: 0.5-3.0 nm). This parameter change in the intermediate layer affects the surface resistivity of the conductive film without requiring increased film thickness, thus improving humidity/heat resistance while maintaining appropriate surface resistivity (250-500 Ω/□).
Solution Approach 2:
The SiOx thin film acts as an intermediary layer between the transparent base film and the transparent conductive thin film. This intermediate layer mediates the interaction between the base film and conductive film, providing a controlled surface morphology that enhances the reliability of the conductive film under high temperature and humidity conditions without directly altering the conductive film's thickness or composition.
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 film achieves a surface resistivity range of 250 to 500 Ω/□ and maintains stability under high temperature and humidity conditions, improving the reliability of touch panels in demanding environments.
Implementation Method 1
a dry thin film forming method (i.e., a dry process) such as a vacuum deposition method
Implementation Method 2
a sputtering method
Implementation Method 3
an ion plating method
Implementation Method 4
forming a transparent conductive thin film comprising an indium-tin complex oxide on the transparent SiOx thin film
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a transparent conductive film having: a transparent base film; a transparent SiOx thin film having a thickness of from 10 to 100 nm, a refractive index of from 1.40 to 1.80 and an average surface roughness Ra of from 0.8 to 3.0 nm, wherein x is from 1.0 to 2.0; and a transparent conductive thin film including an indium-tin complex oxide, which has a thickness of from 20 to 35 nm and a ratio of SnO2/(In2O3+SnO2) of from 3 to 15 wt %, wherein the transparent conductive thin film is disposed on one side of the transparent base film through the transparent SiOx thin film.