CN116959783B - Conductive film and touch electrode and preparation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiments of the present specification provide a conductive film and a touch electrode and a method for preparing the same. The conductive film includes a base film and a conductive layer, the conductive layer covers the base film, the conductive layer includes a first conductive region and a second conductive region, wherein the first conductive region includes a conductive grid structure; the conductive grid structure includes a plurality of hollow spaces and conductive grid lines; the second conductive region is arranged around the first conductive region, and the second conductive region is connected to the conductive grid lines; the surface resistance of the first conductive region is greater than the surface resistance of the second conductive region.

Description

Conductive film and touch electrode and preparation method thereof

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of touch control technology, and in particular to a conductive film and a touch control electrode and a method for preparing the same.

Background technique

With the development of science and technology, touch interaction has become one of the important ways of human-computer interaction and is widely used in smart homes, smart appliances, healthcare, self-service supermarkets, commercial advertising, smart logistics, smart settlement, industrial control, and vehicle-mounted displays. Touch electrodes need to be processed on the basis of conductive films. When existing conductive films are used for subsequent processing of touch patterns and leads of touch electrodes, the preparation of touch electrodes is cumbersome.

Summary of the invention

One of the embodiments of the present specification provides a conductive film. The conductive film includes: a base film and a conductive layer, the conductive layer covers the base film, the conductive layer includes a first conductive area and a second conductive area, wherein the first conductive area includes a conductive grid structure; the conductive grid structure includes a plurality of hollow spaces and conductive grid lines; the second conductive area is arranged around the first conductive area, and the second conductive area is connected to the conductive grid lines; the surface resistance of the first conductive area is greater than the surface resistance of the second conductive area.

In some embodiments, the conductive layer has at least two first conductive regions, and the second conductive region is located between two adjacent first conductive regions.

In some embodiments, the at least two first conductive regions are arranged in an array; and the first conductive regions are circular or polygonal in shape.

In some embodiments, the minimum distance between two adjacent first conductive regions is 200 mm-350 mm.

In some embodiments, the conductive layer includes a conductive nanolayer, and the conductive nanolayer includes at least one of a nanometal layer or a nanometal wire layer, wherein the nanometal layer includes at least one of nanogold, nanosilver, nanocopper, nanoplatinum, nanopalladium, nanoaluminum, nanotin, nanolead or nanotitanium; the nanometal wire layer includes at least one of nanosilver wire, nanogold wire, nanocopper wire, nanoplatinum wire, nanoaluminum wire, nanotitanium wire or nanotin wire.

In some embodiments, the ratio of the surface resistance of the first conductive region to the surface resistance of the second conductive region is not less than 5; the surface resistance of the first conductive region is 5Ω/□-150Ω/□, and the surface resistance of the second conductive region is 0.1Ω/□-10Ω/□.

In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region is greater than that of the second conductive region; the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region is 80%-92%, and the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region is 20%-85%.

In some embodiments, the conductive mesh structure is formed by photo-etching the conductive layer.

One of the embodiments of this specification provides a method for preparing a conductive film. The method includes: preparing a conductive layer on a base film; and etching the conductive layer to obtain the conductive film, wherein the conductive layer includes a first conductive region that is etched to form a conductive grid structure, and a second conductive region that is not etched; the conductive grid structure includes a plurality of hollow spaces and conductive grid lines; the second conductive region surrounds the first conductive region, and the second conductive region is connected to the conductive grid line; the surface resistance of the first conductive region is greater than the surface resistance of the second conductive region.

In some embodiments, etching the conductive layer includes: forming the first conductive region including the conductive grid structure on the conductive layer by photo-etching.

One of the embodiments of the present specification provides a touch electrode, which includes the aforementioned conductive film, and includes a touch pattern and a lead, wherein the touch pattern is formed in the first conductive area, and the lead is formed in the second conductive area.

One of the embodiments of the present specification provides a method for preparing a touch electrode, using the aforementioned conductive film, the method comprising: preparing a touch pattern of the touch electrode by laser etching in the first conductive area; and preparing a lead of the touch electrode by laser etching in the second conductive area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This specification will be further described in the form of exemplary embodiments, which will be described in detail by the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not restrictive, and in these embodiments, the same number represents the same structure, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary conductive film according to some embodiments of the present specification.

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of area A in FIG. 1 .

FIG3 is a B-B cross-sectional view of the first conductive region in FIG1 .

FIG4 is a C-C cross-sectional view of the second conductive region in FIG1.

In the figure, 100 is a conductive film, 110 is a base film, 120 is a conductive layer, 121 is a first conductive region, 1211 is a hollow space, 1212 is a conductive grid line, 122 is a second conductive region, 123 is a conductive nanolayer, and 124 is a conductive protective layer.

Detailed ways

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this specification, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some examples or embodiments of this specification. For ordinary technicians in this field, without paying creative work, this specification can also be applied to other similar scenarios based on these drawings. Unless it is obvious from the language environment or otherwise explained, the same reference numerals in the figures represent the same structure or operation.

As shown in this specification and claims, unless the context clearly indicates an exception, the words "a", "an", "an" and/or "the" do not refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprises" and "includes" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements that have been clearly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The method or device may also include other steps or elements.

One of the embodiments of this specification provides a conductive film. The conductive film includes a base film and a conductive layer, and the conductive layer covers the base film. The conductive layer includes a first conductive area and a second conductive area, wherein the first conductive area includes a conductive grid structure; the second conductive area is arranged around the first conductive area. The first conductive area can be used to prepare a touch pattern of a touch electrode. The touch pattern area is used to sense external touch signals and does not require high conductivity, but as a visible area, it has high requirements for optical transmittance and appearance; the second conductive area can be used to prepare a lead of a touch electrode. The lead is used for signal transmission and requires high conductivity, but has no requirements for optical performance and appearance. The preparation of the touch electrode can be facilitated by designing the first conductive area and the second conductive area on the conductive layer.

Figure 1 is a top view of an exemplary conductive film shown in some embodiments of the present specification, Figure 2 is a partially enlarged view of area A in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a B-B cross-sectional view of the first conductive region in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a C-C cross-sectional view of the second conductive region in Figure 1.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the conductive film 100 may include a base film 110 (not shown in FIG. 1 , as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 ) and a conductive layer 120. The conductive layer 120 covers the base film 110. The conductive layer 120 includes a first conductive region 121 and a second conductive region 122. Among them, the first conductive region 121 is formed by etching the conductive layer 120 into a conductive grid structure by yellow light, and the conductive grid structure may include a plurality of hollow spaces 1211 and conductive grid lines 1212 (as shown in FIG. 2 ). The second conductive region 122 is arranged around the first conductive region 121. The second conductive region 122 is connected to the conductive grid line 1212 to realize the transmission of signals (e.g., electrical signals). The surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 is greater than the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122.

The first conductive region 121 is used to form a touch pattern on the touch electrode, and the second conductive region 122 is used to form a lead on the touch electrode. The surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 is smaller than that of the first conductive region 121, which can ensure that the conductivity of the second conductive region 122 is better than that of the first conductive region 121 to achieve signal transmission. The first conductive region 121 has a larger surface resistance because the conductive layer 120 is etched by yellow light to form a conductive grid structure, but this means that the transmittance of the first conductive region 121 is increased, and when the touch pattern is formed, the touch electrode can obtain better optical transmittance and appearance. It should be noted that the first conductive region 121 is an area on the conductive layer 120 that has been etched by yellow light, and the second conductive region 122 is an area on the conductive layer 120 that has not been etched by yellow light.

The conductive layer 120 covers the base film 110, which can be understood as the conductive layer 120 covers one side of the base film 110. For example, the conductive layer 120 can cover the top of the base film 110. In this specification, the top can refer to the side facing the outside of the touch electrode when the conductive film 100 is used for the touch electrode.

In some embodiments, the material of the base film 110 may include one or more combinations of polyester, cycloolefin polymer (COP), colorless polyimide (CPI), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), triacetate (TCA), poly(ethylene terephthalateco-1,4-cylclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) (PETG), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polycarbonate (PC).

In some embodiments, the polyester may include, but is not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

In some embodiments, the base film 110 may include a treated base film. In some embodiments, the treatment may include at least one of an anti-reflection treatment, an anti-reflection treatment, a hardening treatment, or an anti-glare treatment. In some embodiments, at least one of the anti-reflection treatment, the anti-reflection treatment, the hardening treatment, or the anti-glare treatment may be achieved by coating.

In some embodiments, the anti-reflection treatment can increase the light transmittance of the base film.

In some embodiments, the anti-reflection treatment can reduce the reflection of light by the base film to further increase the light transmittance of the base film.

In some embodiments, the hardening treatment can increase the hardness of the base film. For example, the hardening treatment can increase the surface hardness of the base film to 3H or more.

In some embodiments, the anti-glare treatment can transform the surface of the film material into a matte diffuse reflection surface, thereby reducing the interference of external light to the human eye.

In some embodiments, the thickness of the base film may be 13 μm-300 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the base film may be 30 μm-280 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the base film may be 50 μm-250 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the base film may be 70 μm-230 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the base film may be 90 μm-200 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the base film may be 110 μm-180 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the base film may be 130 μm-150 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the base film may be 20 μm, 40 μm, 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, 140 μm, 160 μm, 180 μm, 200 μm, 220 μm, 240 μm, 260 μm, 280 μm or 300 μm, etc.

For the relevant description of the first conductive region 121, the conductive layer 120 and the conductive grid structure, please refer to the following and other parts of this specification (for example, Figures 2-4 and their related descriptions). In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1, there may be at least two first conductive regions 121 on the conductive layer 120. For example, the number of the first conductive regions 121 may be 2, 3, 4, 6 or 9, etc. In some embodiments, the shape of the first conductive region 121 may be a regular shape such as a circle or a polygon (for example, a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, a hexagon, an octagon). In some embodiments, the shapes of at least two first conductive regions 121 may be the same or different. In some embodiments, at least two first conductive regions 121 may be arranged in an array to improve the utilization rate of the conductive film 100. In some embodiments, the array arrangement may include but is not limited to a rectangular array (referred to as a "matrix") arrangement, a circular array arrangement, etc. In some embodiments, the matrix may be expressed as m (row) * n (column), where m and n are both integers greater than or equal to 1. For example, the four first conductive regions 121 may be arranged in a 1*4 matrix or a 2*2 matrix. For another example, eight first conductive regions 121 may be arranged in a 1*8 matrix, or a 2*4 matrix, or a 4*2 matrix, or an 8*1 matrix. For another example, as shown in FIG1 , nine first conductive regions 121 may be arranged in a 3*3 matrix. In some embodiments, at least two first conductive regions 121 may also be arranged irregularly.

In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 1 inch and 21.5 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 2 inches and 21 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 3 inches and 20 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 4 inches and 19 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 5 inches and 18 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 6 inches and 17 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 7 inches and 16 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 8 inches and 15 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 9 inches and 14 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 10 inches and 13 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be between 11 inches and 12 inches. In some embodiments, the size of the first conductive region 121 may be 1 inch, 3.5 inches, 5 inches, 5.5 inches, 8.9 inches, 10.1 inches, 13.4 inches, 14 inches, 15.6 inches, 17 inches, 21.5 inches, etc.

In some embodiments, the properties of the at least two first conductive regions 121 may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the properties may include but are not limited to size, sheet resistance, visible light transmittance, and haze.

In some embodiments, the first conductive region 121 may be formed by etching the conductive layer 120 into a conductive grid structure. In some embodiments, the photoetching may include but is not limited to at least one of oxidative corrosion and acid corrosion. For example, the photoetching may include oxidative corrosion and acid corrosion. In some embodiments, the etching solution may include but is not limited to a hydrochloric acid-nitric acid system, a ferric chloride system, a ferric nitrate system, a ferric nitrate-nitric acid system, and a phosphoric acid-nitric acid-acetic acid system.

The area on the conductive layer 120 that has not been photoetched is the second conductive area 122. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the second conductive area 122 may be arranged around the first conductive area 121, so that it is convenient to prepare the touch pattern of the touch electrode on the first conductive area 121, and to prepare the lead of the touch electrode on the second conductive area 122 to form the touch electrode. In some embodiments, the second conductive area 122 may be arranged between two adjacent first conductive areas 121, so that each first conductive area 121 on the conductive film 100 and the second conductive area 122 arranged around each first conductive area 121 are conveniently prepared as a touch electrode.

In some embodiments, any two first conductive regions 121 do not intersect, and there is a spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 (as shown in d in FIG. 1) can be understood as the minimum spacing distance between two adjacent first conductive regions 121. The spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 will affect the utilization rate of the conductive film 100 and the subsequent production of touch electrodes. For example, if the spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 is too small, it will make it difficult to make the leads of the touch electrodes, or even it will be impossible to make two leads within the spacing, resulting in the inability to prepare two touch electrodes, further resulting in a low utilization rate of the conductive film 100. For another example, if the spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 is too large, waste will occur, and the utilization rate of the conductive film 100 will also be low.

In some embodiments, in order to improve the utilization rate of the conductive film 100 and facilitate the subsequent preparation of touch electrodes (or leads), the minimum spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 is 200mm-350mm. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 may be 220mm-330mm. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 may be 240mm-310mm. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 may be 260mm-290mm. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 may be 200mm-330mm. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 may be 200mm-300mm. In some embodiments, the minimum spacing between two adjacent first conductive regions 121 may be 200mm-250mm.

In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be not less than 5. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be not less than 10. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be not less than 15. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be not less than 20. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be not less than 25. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be not less than 30. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be not less than 35. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be not less than 40. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be no less than 45. In some embodiments, the ratio of the sheet resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the sheet resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be no less than 50.

In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 5Ω/□-150Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 10Ω/□-140Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 15Ω/□-130Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 20Ω/□-120Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 25Ω/□-110Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 30Ω/□-100Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 35Ω/□-90Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 40Ω/□-80Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 45Ω/□-70Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 50Ω/□-60Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 may be 5Ω/□, 20Ω/□, 50Ω/□, 80Ω/□, 100Ω/□, 120Ω/□, or 150Ω/□, etc.

In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be 0.1Ω/□-10Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be 0.5Ω/□-9Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be 1Ω/□-8Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be 1.5Ω/□-7Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be 2Ω/□-6Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be 2.5Ω/□-5Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be 3Ω/□-4Ω/□. In some embodiments, the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 may be 0.1Ω/□, 1Ω/□, 2Ω/□, 5Ω/□, 8Ω/□, or 10Ω/□, etc.

By setting the ratio of the surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 to the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 to be not less than 5, the conductivity of the second conductive region 122 is significantly better than that of the first conductive region 121, and the second conductive region 122 can be used to form leads in subsequent processes. The surface resistance of the first conductive region 121 can be set to 5Ω/□-150Ω/□, and the surface resistance of the second conductive region 122 can be set to 0.1Ω/□-10Ω/□. For the touch electrode, under the condition of satisfying the transmission of the touch graphic signal, the higher the transmittance of the touch graphic region, the better, and the lower the haze, the better, while the touch electrode lead region has no requirements for optical performance, but the higher the conductivity, the better. Therefore, under the premise of ensuring the transmission of the touch graphic signal, the first conductive region 121 can be designed with a hollow grid as much as possible to improve the optical performance of the first conductive region 121.

In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121 is greater than the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122. Yellow light etching can increase the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121. By setting the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121 to be larger, the function of the first conductive region 121 to form a touch pattern later can be ensured. The visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122 that has not been yellow light etched is relatively small, but this means that the conductive performance of the conductive layer 120 is not affected, and the second conductive region 122 can be ensured to have good conductive performance.

In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121 may be 80%-92%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121 may be 80%-90%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121 may be 83%-88%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121 may be 84%-86%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121 may be 80%, 85%, 90%, or 92%.

In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122 may be 20%-85%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122 may be 30%-80%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122 may be 40%-75%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122 may be 50%-70%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122 may be 60%-65%. In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122 may be 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% or 80%.

By setting the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region 121 to 80%-92% and the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region 122 to 20%-85%, the visible light transmittance setting of the first conductive region 121 can ensure the basic transmittance requirement of the touch electrode region, and the second conductive region 122 used for conduction can also transmit visible light, so that the conductive grid lines 1212 inside the first conductive region 121 obtained by hollowing out the second conductive region 122 can also transmit visible light, thereby avoiding the appearance problem of moiré or scattered points of traditional solid (opaque) conductive grid lines in later specific applications, while increasing the transmittance of the first conductive region 121, and improving the optical performance.

As shown in FIG2 and FIG3 , the hollow spaces 1211 are formed by etching the conductive layer 120 by photolithography. The conductive layer 120 that has not been photolithography is the conductive grid lines 1212 .

The ratio S of the sum of the areas of the plurality of hollow spaces 1211 to the area of the first conductive region 121 may affect the conductivity and optical properties of the first conductive region 121. For example, if the ratio S of the sum of the areas of the plurality of hollow spaces 1211 to the area of the first conductive region 121 is too small, the optical properties of the first conductive region 121 may be poor (e.g., low light transmittance and high haze). For another example, if the ratio S of the sum of the areas of the plurality of hollow spaces 1211 to the area of the first conductive region 121 is too large, the conductivity of the first conductive region 121 may be poor. Therefore, in some embodiments, in order to improve the optical properties and conductivity of the first conductive region 121, the ratio S of the sum of the areas of the plurality of hollow spaces 1211 to the area of the first conductive region 121 may meet a preset requirement.

In some embodiments, a ratio S of the sum of the areas of the plurality of hollow spaces 1211 to the area of the first conductive region 121 may be greater than or equal to 60% and less than or equal to 97%.

Conductive grid lines 1212 can be used to construct ultra-fine sensing circuit channels of touch graphic electrodes. In some embodiments, conductive grid lines 1212 are conductive channels composed of multiple overlapping nanometal wires. In some embodiments, conductive grid lines 1212 can be straight, curved, wavy, etc. In some embodiments, the shape of the grid formed by conductive grid lines 1212 (which can also be understood as the shape of hollow spaces 1211) can be polygonal. For example, triangles, rhombuses (as shown in FIG. 2), squares, rectangles, etc. In other embodiments, the shape of the grid formed by conductive grid lines 1212 (which can also be understood as the shape of hollow spaces 1211) can be elliptical, circular, or irregular. In some embodiments, the grid formed by conductive grid lines 1212 (which can also be understood as hollow spaces 1211) can be arranged in an array. In some embodiments, conductive grid lines 1212 can form grids of one or more shapes. For example, any combination of circles and polygons.

In some embodiments, the width of the conductive grid line 1212 (as shown by w in FIG. 3 ) may be 3 μm-30 μm. In some embodiments, the width of the conductive grid line 1212 may be 5 μm-28 μm. In some embodiments, the width of the conductive grid line 1212 may be 8 μm-27 μm. In some embodiments, the width of the conductive grid line 1212 may be 10 μm-25 μm. In some embodiments, the width of the conductive grid line 1212 may be 12 μm-23 μm. In some embodiments, the width of the conductive grid line 1212 may be 15 μm-20 μm. In some embodiments, the width of the conductive grid line 1212 may be 3 μm, 5 μm, 10 μm, 15 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm, or 30 μm. Since the conductive grid lines 1212 can also transmit visible light (for example, the transmittance is greater than 50%), when the width of the conductive grid lines 1212 is in the range of 3μm-30μm, it can not only construct an ultra-fine sensing circuit channel for the touch graphic electrode, but also reduce the difficulty of yellow light etching and improve the efficiency of yellow light etching.

It can be understood that the structure of the second conductive region 122 is the same as the structure of the conductive layer (i.e., the conductive grid line 1212) in the first conductive region 121. FIG4 can also be understood as a D-D cross-sectional view of the conductive grid line in FIG3.

In some embodiments, the conductive layer that has not been etched by photolithography (e.g., the conductive grid lines 1212 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 or the conductive layer shown in FIG. 4 ) may include a conductive nanolayer 123 and a conductive protective layer 124. The hollow space 1211 may be understood to be formed by etching the conductive nanolayer 123 and the conductive protective layer 124 by photolithography.

3 and 4, the conductive nanolayer 123 may be located below the conductive protective layer 124. In some embodiments, the conductive nanolayer 123 and the conductive protective layer 124 may be mixed (also understood as not being layered) to form a conductive layer 120 that is not photo-etched.

In some embodiments, the conductive nano layer 123 may include at least one of a nano metal layer or a nano metal wire layer. In some embodiments, when the conductive nano layer 123 includes a nano metal layer and a nano metal wire layer, the nano metal layer may be located above or below the nano metal wire layer. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nano conductive layer 123 may be 100nm-500nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nano conductive layer 123 may be 150nm-450nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nano conductive layer 123 may be 200nm-400nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nano conductive layer 123 may be 250nm-350nm.

In some embodiments, the nanometal layer may include at least one of nanogold, nanosilver, nanocopper, nanoplatinum, nanopalladium, nanoaluminum, nanotin, nanolead or nanotitanium. In some embodiments, the nanometal layer may include a film layer structure made by magnetron sputtering nanometal (e.g., at least one of nanogold, nanosilver, nanocopper, nanoplatinum, nanopalladium, nanoaluminum, nanotin, nanolead or nanotitanium). Nanometal or its alloy has an absorption effect on light of a specific wavelength band, so the nanometal layer can not only adjust the chromaticity of the conductive nanolayer 121, but also increase the conductivity of the conductive film 100 obtained. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nanometal layer may be 3nm-10nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nanometal layer may be 4nm-9nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nanometal layer may be 5nm-8nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nanometal layer may be 6nm-7nm.

In some embodiments, the nanometal wire layer may include at least one of nanosilver wires, nanogold wires, nanocopper wires, nanoplatinum wires, nanoaluminum wires, nanotitanium wires, or nanotin wires. In some embodiments, the nanometal wire layer may include a film layer structure prepared by coating nanometal wire ink. In some embodiments, the nanometal wires contained in the nanometal wire ink may include at least one of nanosilver wires, nanogold wires, nanocopper wires, nanoplatinum wires, nanoaluminum wires, nanotitanium wires, or nanotin wires.

The conductive protection layer 124 can protect the conductive nano-layer 123 from being corroded. In some embodiments, the conductive protection layer 124 can include at least one of a polymer layer, a metal oxide layer, or a graphene layer.

In some embodiments, the polymer layer may include a film structure obtained by drying and curing after coating a protective liquid containing a polymer. In some embodiments, the protective liquid containing a polymer may include but is not limited to one or more of aliphatic polyurethane acrylate, aromatic polyurethane acrylate, polyurethane methacrylate, diallyl phthalate, epoxy acrylate and epoxy methacrylate. In some embodiments, when the conductive nano layer 123 and the conductive protective layer 124 are arranged in layers (for example, the conductive nano layer 123 is located below the conductive protective layer 124), the thickness of the polymer layer may be 0.5nm-10nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the polymer layer may be 1nm-9nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the polymer layer may be 2nm-8nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the polymer layer may be 3nm-7nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the polymer layer may be 4nm-6nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the polymer layer may be 4.5nm-5nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the polymer layer may be 0.5nm, 1nm, 3nm, 5nm, 7nm, 9nm or 10nm.

In some embodiments, the metal oxide layer may include a film structure obtained by magnetron sputtering metal oxide. In some embodiments, the metal oxide may include but is not limited to indium tin oxide (ITO). In some embodiments, when the conductive nano layer 123 and the conductive protective layer 124 are arranged in layers (for example, the conductive nano layer 123 is located below the conductive protective layer 124), the thickness of the metal oxide layer may be 10nm-50nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the metal oxide layer may be 15nm-45nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the metal oxide layer may be 20nm-40nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the metal oxide layer may be 25nm-35nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the metal oxide layer may be 28nm-30nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the metal oxide layer may be 10nm, 20nm, 30nm, 40nm or 50nm.

In the embodiments of this specification, different thicknesses of the conductive protective layer 124 can be set for different conductive protective layers 124 (for example, a polymer layer or a metal oxide layer), which can not only improve the weather resistance of the conductive film 100 obtained, but also reduce the difficulty of yellow light etching and improve the efficiency of yellow light etching.

By using yellow light etching to etch the conductive layer 120, the yellow light etching can more effectively etch away the conductive nanolayer and the conductive protective layer 124, so that the first conductive region of the conductive film can have excellent optical properties (eg, higher light transmittance, lower haze).

It should be noted that the above description of the conductive film is only for illustration and explanation, and does not limit the scope of application of the present application. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and changes can be made to the conductive film under the guidance of the present application. However, these modifications and changes are still within the scope of the present application.

One of the embodiments of this specification provides a method for preparing a conductive film. The method may include the following steps:

Step S1, preparing a conductive layer on a base film.

In some embodiments, the conductive layer may include a conductive nanolayer. The conductive nanolayer may include at least one of a nanometal layer or a nanometal wire layer.

In some embodiments, nanometal can be formed by magnetron sputtering nanometal. In some embodiments, a nanometal wire layer can be formed by coating nanometal wire ink. For example, the nanometal wire ink can be coated on a base film (e.g., a PET base film, a CPI base film) by roll-to-roll coating to obtain a nanometal wire layer. The solid content of the nanometal wire ink can be understood as the mass fraction of the nanometal wires in the nanometal wire ink. In some embodiments, the solid content of the nanometal wire ink can be 0.08% to 1.0%. In some embodiments, the diameter of the nanometal wire can be 10nm to 50nm. In some embodiments, the length of the nanometal wire can be 10μm to 40μm.

In some embodiments, the conductive layer may further include a conductive protective layer. In some embodiments, the conductive protective layer may include at least one of a polymer layer, a metal oxide layer, or a graphene layer. In some embodiments, preparing the conductive protective layer may include coating a protective liquid containing a polymer on the conductive nanolayer, and obtaining a polymer layer after drying. In some embodiments, preparing the conductive protective layer may include forming a metal oxide layer by magnetron sputtering a metal oxide on the conductive nanolayer. In some embodiments, preparing the conductive protective layer may include coating a graphene oxide solution on the conductive nanolayer, and obtaining a graphene layer after drying and reduction.

In some embodiments, when the conductive nanolayer and the conductive protective layer are not separated into layers, preparing the conductive layer on the base film may include mixing nanometal wire ink and protective liquid and coating the mixture on the base film.

In some embodiments, when the conductive nanolayer and the conductive protective layer are layered, preparing the conductive layer on the base film may include preparing a nanometal wire layer on the base film and preparing the conductive protective layer on the nanometal wire layer.

Step S2, photo-etching the conductive layer to obtain a conductive film, wherein the conductive layer includes a first conductive region that is photo-etched to form a conductive grid structure, and a second conductive region that is not photo-etched, and the second conductive region surrounds the first conductive region.

In some embodiments, in step S2, a photoresist can be coated on the base film and the conductive layer that has not been etched by yellow light (for example, by a roll-to-roll device) under a yellow light environment, and the photoresist is dried to obtain a film material. In some embodiments, the thickness of the photoresist after drying is 1.2μm-1.8μm. In some embodiments, a negative photosensitive dry film material of a preset thickness (for example, 10μm to 30μm) can also be pressed on the conductive layer. The film material should be protected from light during storage, transfer or transportation. In some embodiments, the film material coated with photoresist is transferred by exposure to a pattern on the film, which may include continuous exposure or sheet exposure. Among them, the pattern on the film can be a polygonal grid image (for example, a square grid pattern, a diamond grid pattern, etc.). The pattern on the film matches the pattern formed by the conductive grid structure.

In some embodiments, the exposed film material can be developed with a developer on a DES (DES is the abbreviation of developing, etching, and stripping) line to obtain a grid pattern, and then the developed film material is transferred to an oven for drying. In some embodiments, the developer can be a 0.8wt%-0.9wt% KOH developer, or a 0.7-1.2wt% sodium carbonate solution. In some embodiments, the baking temperature of the oven can be 80°C to 120°C. In some embodiments, the baking time of the oven can be 60s to 300s.

In some embodiments, etching and film stripping can be performed on the DES line to obtain a conductive film, wherein the etching solution can be a hydrochloric acid-nitric acid system, a ferric chloride system, a ferric nitrate system, a ferric nitrate-nitric acid system, a phosphoric acid-nitric acid-acetic acid system, etc., and the film stripping solution is a NaOH aqueous solution, etc.

In some embodiments, the first conductive region manufactured by the above method may have a visible light transmittance of 80%-92%, a haze of 0.8%-4.0%, and a surface resistance of 5Ω-150Ω.

For related descriptions about the base film, conductive layer, conductive nanolayer, nanometal wire layer, nanometal layer, conductive protective layer, polymer layer, metal oxide layer, first conductive region, second conductive region and conductive film, please refer to other parts of this specification (for example, Figures 1-4 and related descriptions), which will not be repeated here.

By preparing the conductive film in the above-mentioned yellow light etching method, the first conductive region of the conductive film can have excellent optical properties. For example, the visible light transmittance of the first conductive region can reach 80%-92%, and the haze of the conductive film can reach less than 4.0%. Compared with laser etching, the embodiment of this specification prepares the conductive film (for example, the first conductive region) having the above-mentioned specific structure by yellow light etching, which can improve the production efficiency of the conductive film and is suitable for large-scale batch production.

It should be noted that the above description of the method for preparing the conductive film is only for illustration and description, and does not limit the scope of application of the present application. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and changes can be made to the method for preparing the conductive film under the guidance of the present application. However, these modifications and changes are still within the scope of the present application.

One of the embodiments of the present specification also provides a touch electrode. The touch electrode includes the aforementioned conductive film. In some embodiments, the touch electrode may include a touch pattern and a lead. The touch pattern may be formed in the first conductive region of the aforementioned conductive film, and the lead may be formed in the second conductive region of the conductive film. Since the first conductive region of the conductive film has relatively excellent optical properties, the touch electrode also has relatively excellent optical properties accordingly.

One of the embodiments of this specification also provides a method for preparing a touch electrode using the aforementioned conductive film. The method may include: preparing a touch pattern of the touch electrode by laser etching in the first conductive region; and preparing a lead of the touch electrode by laser etching in the second conductive region. The embodiment of this specification uses laser etching to complete the preparation of the touch pattern and lead of the touch electrode at one time, without the need for traditional operations such as screen printing of silver paste, which can simplify the production process of the touch electrode and improve the preparation efficiency of the touch electrode.

In some embodiments, the visible light transmittance of the touch electrode may be 80%-92%.

In some embodiments, the haze of the touch electrode may be 0.8% to 4.0%.

It should be noted that the above description of the touch electrode and the method for preparing the same is only for illustration and description, and does not limit the scope of application of the present application. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and changes can be made to the touch electrode and the method for preparing the same under the guidance of the present application. However, these modifications and changes are still within the scope of the present application.

Table 1 shows the experimental data of the conductive film prepared according to the above preparation method. It should be noted that Table 1 does not list all the relevant parameters.

Table 1 Comparison table of Examples 1 to 5 and comparative examples

Table 1 Comparison table of Examples 1 to 5 and comparative examples (continued)

It can be seen from Table 1 that the transmittance of the first conductive region of the conductive film prepared according to the conductive film preparation method (yellow light etching) in the above embodiment can reach more than 88%, and the haze of the first conductive region can reach less than 3.2%. It should be noted that the parameters in the above table are only parameter records of single experimental data, and it does not mean that all of the above parameters must be used to achieve the effect of improving the transmittance and haze of the first conductive region of the conductive film. For example, when the resistance of the base film and the conductive layer without yellow light etching is different from the parameters recorded in Examples 1-3 in the above table, the transmittance of the first conductive region of the conductive film prepared according to the conductive film preparation method described above can also reach more than 85%, and the haze can also be lower than 3.2%.

The beneficial effects that may be brought about by the embodiments of the present application include but are not limited to: (1) the first conductive region of the conductive film can be used to prepare the touch pattern of the touch electrode, and the second conductive region can be used to prepare the lead of the touch electrode, which can facilitate the preparation of the touch electrode. At the same time, laser etching can be used to complete the preparation of the touch pattern and the lead of the touch electrode at one time, without the need for traditional operations such as silk-screen silver paste, which can simplify the production process of the touch electrode and improve the preparation efficiency of the touch electrode. (2) The first conductive region of the conductive film has excellent optical properties, wherein the visible light transmittance can be 80%-92% and the haze is 0.8%-4.0%; (3) Compared with laser etching, the embodiment of the present specification prepares a conductive film with a specific structure (for example, the first conductive region) by yellow light etching, which can improve the production efficiency of the conductive film and is suitable for large-scale batch production; (4) The touch electrode made using the above-mentioned conductive film has excellent optical properties, wherein the transmittance is 80%-92% and the haze is 0.8%-4.0%; It should be noted that different embodiments may produce different beneficial effects. In different embodiments, the beneficial effects that may be produced may be any one or a combination of the above, or any other possible beneficial effects.

The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above detailed disclosure is only for example and does not constitute a limitation of this specification. Although not explicitly stated here, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements and corrections to this specification. Such modifications, improvements and corrections are suggested in this specification, so such modifications, improvements and corrections still belong to the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this specification.

At the same time, this specification uses specific words to describe the embodiments of this specification. For example, "one embodiment", "an embodiment", and/or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of this specification. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different positions in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures or characteristics in one or more embodiments of this specification can be appropriately combined.

Similarly, it should be noted that in order to simplify the description disclosed in this specification and thus help understand one or more embodiments of the invention, in the above description of the embodiments of this specification, multiple features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, figure or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the features required by the subject matter of this specification are more than the features mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of the embodiments are less than all the features of the single embodiment disclosed above.

Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification are only used to illustrate the principles of the embodiments of this specification. Other variations may also fall within the scope of this specification. Therefore, as an example and not a limitation, alternative configurations of the embodiments of this specification may be considered consistent with the teachings of this specification. Accordingly, the embodiments of this specification are not limited to the embodiments explicitly introduced and described in this specification.

Claims (10)

1. A conductive film, characterized in that the conductive film comprises a base film and a conductive layer, wherein the conductive layer covers the base film, The conductive layer includes a first conductive region and a second conductive region, wherein: The number of the first conductive regions is at least two, and there is a second conductive region between two adjacent first conductive regions; The minimum distance between two adjacent first conductive areas is 200 mm to 350 mm; The first conductive region includes a conductive grid structure; the conductive grid structure includes a plurality of hollow spaces and conductive grid lines; The second conductive area is arranged around the first conductive area, and the second conductive area is connected to the conductive grid line; The surface resistance of the first conductive region is greater than the surface resistance of the second conductive region; The visible light transmittance of the first conductive region is greater than the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region. 2. The conductive film according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least two first conductive regions are arranged in an array; The first conductive area is in a circular or polygonal shape. 3. The conductive film according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductive layer comprises a conductive nanolayer, and the conductive nanolayer comprises at least one of a nanometal layer or a nanometal wire layer, wherein: The nanometal layer comprises at least one of nanogold, nanosilver, nanocopper, nanoplatinum, nanopalladium, nanoaluminum, nanotin, nanolead or nanotitanium; The nanometal wire layer includes at least one of nanosilver wire, nanogold wire, nanocopper wire, nanoplatinum wire, nanoaluminum wire, nanotitanium wire or nanotin wire. 4. The conductive film according to claim 1, characterized in that The ratio of the surface resistance of the first conductive region to the surface resistance of the second conductive region is not less than 5; The surface resistance of the first conductive region is 5Ω/□-150Ω/□, and the surface resistance of the second conductive region is 0.1Ω/□-10Ω/□. 5. The conductive film according to claim 1, characterized in that The visible light transmittance of the first conductive region is 80%-92%, and the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region is 20%-85%. 6. The conductive film according to claim 1, characterized in that The conductive grid structure is formed by etching the conductive layer through photolithography. 7. A method for preparing a conductive film, characterized in that the method comprises: preparing a conductive layer on the base film; and The conductive layer is etched to obtain the conductive film, wherein: The conductive layer includes a first conductive region that is etched to form a conductive grid structure, and a second conductive region that is not etched; wherein, The number of the first conductive regions is at least two, and there is a second conductive region between two adjacent first conductive regions; The minimum distance between two adjacent first conductive areas is 200 mm to 350 mm; The conductive grid structure includes a plurality of hollow spaces and conductive grid lines; The second conductive area surrounds the first conductive area, and the second conductive area is connected to the conductive grid line; The surface resistance of the first conductive region is greater than the surface resistance of the second conductive region; The visible light transmittance of the first conductive region is greater than the visible light transmittance of the second conductive region. 8. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that etching the conductive layer comprises: The first conductive region including the conductive grid structure is formed on the conductive layer by photolithography. 9. A touch electrode, characterized in that it comprises the conductive film according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the touch electrode comprises a touch pattern and a lead, wherein: The touch pattern is formed in the first conductive area; The lead is formed in the second conductive area. 10. A method for preparing a touch electrode, characterized in that the conductive film according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is used, and the method comprises: Forming a touch pattern of the touch electrode in the first conductive area by laser etching; and The leads of the touch electrodes are prepared in the second conductive area by laser etching.