JP6737563B2 - Transparent conductive support, touch sensor, and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

The technical field of the present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a transparent conductive support applicable to applications such as a touch sensor and a display front plate for liquid crystal or organic EL.

Recently, attempts have been made to use a transparent electrode having a metal mesh pattern as a transparent conductive support or a touch sensor that replaces the ITO film. The invention of Patent Document 1 below is an invention of an electromagnetic wave shielding sheet, but after a metal layer is formed on a transparent substrate, a resist layer is provided in a mesh pattern on the metal layer surface, and then is not covered with the resist layer. Disclosed is a manufacturing method in which a mesh pattern is formed by a so-called photolithography method in which a resist layer is removed after a metal layer in a portion is removed by etching.

Then, in the method for producing an electromagnetic wave shielding sheet described in Patent Document 1, the metal layer formed in a mesh shape is copper, and a blackening treatment layer made of copper-cobalt alloy particles is further provided on the surface and the side surface of the metal layer. It is provided to control the gloss of the metal layer and maintain its transparency, which is used for the front plate of displays.

Japanese Patent No. 4346607

However, in the invention of Patent Document 1, 99.9% or more of the formed metal layer is to be removed by etching and discarded, which is a cause of waste and soaring of the metal material. Moreover, since a cobalt alloy, which is a rare metal, is used when the blackening treatment layer is provided, it has been a cause of exhaustion of metal resources. Further, since the blackening process takes time, there is a problem that productivity is low.

Furthermore, the blackening treatment layer suppresses the gloss of the metal layer, but since it is also formed on the side surface of the metal layer, the line width of the metal layer becomes thicker even though the conductivity is hardly improved. The pattern is likely to appear. If copper-cobalt alloy particles having a small particle size are used to suppress the increase in thickness, the effect of suppressing the gloss of the metal layer is reduced. In addition, there is a problem that the metal layer is not uniformly formed on the entire metal layer, but is unevenly formed at the intersections of the mesh patterns. Therefore, the present invention provides a method for producing a transparent conductive support, which can reduce the amount of removal and discard by etching, suppress the gloss of a metal layer and maintain transparency without providing a blackening treatment layer. To aim.

A first embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing a transparent conductive support, in which a transparent conductive film having a fine linear pattern formed on at least a catalyst film layer is composed of a metal film layer, A thick resist layer is formed on the layer, and the resist layer is exposed and developed to form a groove having the fine linear pattern in which a portion of the catalyst film layer is exposed, and the catalyst film of the exposed groove The method for producing a transparent conductive support is characterized in that a thick metal film layer is formed only on the layer.

A second embodiment of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a touch sensor, in which a transparent conductive film including a routing circuit and a fine linear pattern formed on at least a catalyst film layer is a metal film layer, A thick resist layer is formed on the layer, and the resist layer is exposed and developed to form a groove composed of the routing circuit pattern and the fine linear pattern in which a part of the catalyst film layer is exposed, and the exposed In the method of manufacturing a touch sensor, the thick metal film layer is formed only on the catalyst film layer of the groove.

A third embodiment of the present invention is the method for producing the transparent conductive support according to the first embodiment, wherein the metal film layer is an electroless plating film, and the metal film layer is superior in corrosion resistance to the metal film. And a plating film formed on the transparent conductive support.

A fourth embodiment of the present invention is the method of manufacturing the touch sensor according to the second embodiment, wherein the metal film layer is an electroless plating film, and a plating film having a higher corrosion resistance than the metal film is formed on the metal film layer. Is a method of manufacturing a touch sensor.

According to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, in the method for producing a transparent conductive support according to the first embodiment or the third embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the groove of the linear pattern formed by exposure and development is wedge-shaped. And a method for producing a transparent conductive support. In addition, a sixth embodiment of the present invention is the cross-sectional shape of the groove of the linear pattern and the groove of the routing circuit portion formed by exposure and development in the method of manufacturing a touch sensor according to the second embodiment or the fourth embodiment. Is a wedge-shaped manufacturing method.

A seventh embodiment of the present invention is the method for producing a transparent conductive support according to the first embodiment or the third embodiment, wherein the side surface of the groove of the linear pattern formed by exposure and development is formed into fine unevenness. And a method for producing a transparent conductive support. An eighth embodiment of the present invention is the method of manufacturing a touch sensor according to the second embodiment or the fourth embodiment, wherein the side surface of the groove of the linear pattern formed by exposure and development and the groove of the routing circuit portion are formed. It is a method of manufacturing a touch sensor, characterized in that the side surface is made into a fine concavo-convex shape.

A ninth embodiment of the present invention is the linear pattern formed by the method for producing a transparent conductive support according to the seventh embodiment, wherein the resist layer contains fine particles, and the presence of the particles exposes and develops the fine particles. The method for producing a transparent conductive support is characterized in that the side surface of the groove is formed into a fine concavo-convex shape. A tenth embodiment of the present invention is the method of manufacturing a touch sensor according to the eighth embodiment, wherein the resist layer contains fine particles, and a linear pattern formed by exposure and development due to the presence of the particles is used. It is a method for manufacturing a touch sensor, characterized in that the side surface of the groove and the side surface of the groove of the routing circuit section are formed into fine irregularities.

An eleventh embodiment of the present invention is a transparent conductive support, in which a transparent conductive film having a fine linear pattern formed on a catalyst film layer is composed of a metal film layer, and the transparent conductive support is formed on the catalyst film layer. A transparent conductive support comprising a metal film layer and a resist layer arranged in parallel. A twelfth embodiment of the present invention is a touch sensor in which a transparent conductive film having a fine linear pattern formed on a catalyst film layer and a routing circuit are formed of a metal film layer, and In the touch sensor, the metal film layer and the resist layer are arranged in parallel.

A thirteenth embodiment of the present invention is that the metal film layer of the eleventh embodiment is formed by electroless plating, and a plating layer having higher corrosion resistance than the metal film layer is laminated on the metal film layer. It is a characteristic transparent conductive support. In addition, in a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention, the metal film layer of the twelfth embodiment is formed by electroless plating, and a plating layer having higher corrosion resistance than the metal film layer is laminated on the metal film layer. It is a touch sensor characterized in that.

The 15th embodiment of the present invention is the transparent conductive support, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the metal film layer formed by the electroless plating of the 13th embodiment is wedge-shaped. A sixteenth embodiment of the present invention is a touch sensor characterized in that a metal film layer formed by electroless plating according to the fourteenth embodiment has a wedge-shaped cross section.

The 17th embodiment of the present invention is the transparent conductive support, wherein the side surface of the metal film layer of the 11th embodiment or the like has fine irregularities. An eighteenth embodiment of the present invention is a touch sensor according to the twelfth embodiment or the like, in which the side surface of the metal film layer has a fine concavo-convex shape.

In the method for producing a transparent conductive support according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a groove having the fine linear pattern in which a part of the catalyst film layer is exposed is formed, and the exposed groove is formed only on the catalyst film layer. Since the thick metal film layer is formed by electroless plating or the like, the transparent conductive support according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured. Therefore, there is an effect that the consumption amount of the metal material used for electroless plating or the like can be minimized. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a transparent conductive support that is environmentally friendly and has excellent cost performance.

The method of manufacturing the touch sensor according to the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the routing circuit portion is formed at the same time as the transparent conductive film portion. Therefore, the touch sensor according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention is produced. can do. Therefore, the process is shortened, and the alignment between the pattern of the transparent conductive film and the pattern of the routing circuit is not required, which has the effect of significantly improving the productivity and reducing the cost.

In the method for manufacturing a transparent conductive support according to the third embodiment of the present invention or the method for manufacturing a touch sensor according to the fourth embodiment, the metal film layer is an electroless plating film, and a metal film is formed on the metal film layer by a metal film. Is characterized by forming a plated film having excellent corrosion resistance to manufacture a transparent conductive support as in the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention or a touch sensor as in the fourteenth embodiment. Therefore, there is an effect that the metal film layer is covered with the plating film and the corrosion of the surface of the metal film layer can be prevented. Since the gloss of the surface of the metal film layer is suppressed, there is an effect that the pattern appearance of the transparent conductive film having a fine linear pattern which is visually recognized due to the gloss can be reduced. Further, since the plating film is formed only on the metal film layer, the amount of the material of the plating film used is small, and the plating film is not formed on the side surface of the metal film layer. The line width of the pattern is not thicker than the plating film. Therefore, the aperture ratio of the fine linear pattern of the transparent conductive film is maintained as it is, and the transparent conductive film and the touch sensor having excellent transparency can be manufactured.

In the method for manufacturing a transparent conductive support according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention or the method for manufacturing a touch sensor according to the sixth embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the linear pattern groove formed by exposure and development is wedge-shaped. Characterize. Therefore, the side surface of the metal film layer formed by the manufacturing method has a hidden shape like the transparent conductive support of the fifteenth embodiment or the touch sensor of the sixteenth embodiment, and thus the side surface of the metal film layer. Even if the layer has gloss, the gloss is hard to be visually recognized, and therefore, the pattern appearance of the transparent conductive film having a fine linear pattern can be reduced.

In the method for manufacturing a transparent conductive support according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention or the method for manufacturing a touch sensor according to the eighth embodiment, the side surface of the groove of the linear pattern formed by exposure and development has fine irregularities. It is characterized by Therefore, the side surface of the metal film layer formed by the manufacturing method becomes a fine concavo-convex shape like the transparent conductive support of the seventeenth embodiment or the touch sensor of the eighteenth embodiment, and the fine concavo-convex shape causes Since the gloss of the side surface is also suppressed, there is an effect that it is possible to further reduce the appearance of the pattern of the transparent conductive film having a fine linear pattern which is visually recognized by the gloss of the side surface.

The method for manufacturing a transparent conductive support according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention and the method for manufacturing a touch sensor according to the tenth embodiment include a resist layer containing fine particles, which are formed by exposure and development due to the presence of the particles. It is characterized in that the side surface of the groove of the linear pattern having a fine pattern is formed into fine irregularities. Therefore, the side surface of the groove of the linear pattern can be easily made into a fine concavo-convex shape, which has the effect of improving productivity.

It is sectional drawing which shows all the process examples of the manufacturing method of the transparent conductive support body of 1st embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the touch sensor 300 of 10th embodiment manufactured by the manufacturing method etc. of the touch sensor of 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of process example of the manufacturing method of the transparent conductive support body of 3rd embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the laminated film 30 formed in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of process example of the manufacturing method of the transparent conductive support body of 9th embodiment of this invention. It is a profile of the fine uneven shape 11.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of all steps of the method for producing a transparent conductive support according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which a catalyst film layer 10 containing a catalyst 5 is formed on the surface of a transparent support 40 ( 1(a)), a thick resist layer 50 is formed on the catalyst film layer 10 (FIG. 1(b)), and the resist layer 50 is exposed and developed to partially remove the catalyst film layer 10. The exposed groove 1 having the fine linear pattern is formed (FIG. 1C), and the thick metal film layer 20 is formed only on the catalyst film layer 10 of the exposed groove 1 by electroless plating or the like. (Fig. 1(d)). The catalyst film layer 10 can be eliminated by incorporating the catalyst 5 into the transparent support 40, and the configuration is also included in the present invention.

In the transparent conductive support 400 obtained by this manufacturing method, the catalyst film layer 10 is formed on the surface of the transparent support 40, and the transparent conductive film 100 is formed on the catalyst film layer 10. Is composed of a metal film layer 20 having a fine linear pattern. The fine linear pattern of the transparent conductive film 100 may be a mesh or honeycomb pattern having a line width of 0.5 to 10 μm and a line spacing of 10 to 1000 times the line width.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the touch sensor 300 of the tenth embodiment manufactured by the method of manufacturing the touch sensor of the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the metal film layer 20 is formed on the catalyst film layer 10. The routing circuit 200 and the transparent conductive film 100 having a fine linear pattern are formed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a process example of the method for producing a transparent conductive support according to the third embodiment of the present invention, in which a thick electrolytic plating film is formed only on the exposed catalyst film layer 10 of the groove 1. After forming the metal film layer 20 made of (FIG. 3A), a plating layer 25 having a higher corrosion resistance than the metal film layer is further formed on the metal film layer (FIG. 3B). Therefore, the transparent conductive film 100 obtained by this manufacturing method is composed of a laminated film 30 having a fine linear pattern and a metal film layer 20 and a plated layer 25 having excellent corrosion resistance.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the laminated film 30 formed in FIG. 3B, in which the metal film layer 20 is formed by increasing the exposure time in the step of forming the groove 1 having a linear pattern by exposure and development. Shows that the cross section has a wedge shape 32. By having the shape 32, the side surface of the metal film layer 20 is covered with the plating layer 25 having higher corrosion resistance than the metal film layer, and thus the line width of the fine linear pattern of the transparent conductive film does not become thick, Further, even if the side surface of the metal film layer 20 has a gloss, the gloss is less visible to the outside, so that the pattern appearance of a fine linear pattern is reduced.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a process example of the method for producing a transparent conductive support according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention, in which the resist layer 50 contains fine particles 55 (FIG. 5(a)). The side surface of the groove 1 of the linear pattern formed by exposure and development due to the presence of the fine particles 55 has a fine concavo-convex shape 11 (FIG. 5(b)), and the metal film layer 20 manufactured thereby is formed. The side surface is in a matte state with suppressed gloss, and the pattern appearance of fine linear patterns is reduced.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a profile of the fine concavo-convex shape 11 of FIG. 5, and the reference point is the intersection 51 of the surface of the resist layer 50 and the groove 1. The horizontal axis shows the distance from the reference point in the depth direction of the groove 1, and the vertical axis shows the position of the side surface at each depth. The plus side shows a state protruding beyond the reference point, and the minus side shows a state recessed from the reference point.

For the exposure, a predetermined pattern mask may be attached, and an exposure light beam such as ultraviolet rays may be applied onto the mask. In normal exposure, when the negative-type resist layer 50 is used and the exposure light beam is irradiated for too long, the exposure light beam wraps around and cures, and the resist layer 50 after development has a trapezoidal shape like an inverted wedge shape. However, in the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the resist layer 50 is intentionally made into such an inverted wedge shape, and accordingly, the cross-sectional shape of the metal film layer 20 is changed to the wedge-shaped shape 32. If it can be manufactured and the cross-sectional shape is the wedge shape 32, even if the side surface of the metal film layer 20 has gloss, the gloss is not visually recognized from the outside and the pattern appearance of a fine linear pattern is reduced. I am trying.

The transparent support 40 is made of a thermoplastic resin, a curable resin that is cured by heat, ultraviolet rays, electron beams, radiation, or the like, as well as glass, ceramics, an inorganic material, or the like. Examples of the transparent thermoplastic resin include olefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene and cyclic polyolefin, vinyl resins such as polyvinyl chloride, polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene, cellulose resins such as nitrocellulose and triacetyl cellulose, polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate. , Ester resins such as polydimethylcyclohexane terephthalate and aromatic polyesters, ABS resins, copolymer resins of these resins, and mixed resins of these resins. Examples of the transparent curable resin include epoxy resin and polyimide resin.

The metal film layer 20 may be a metal film of copper, silver, nickel, aluminum or the like formed by electroless plating, or may be an electroplated film of aluminum or copper as long as direct current can be used. Further, a conductive metal oxide film such as titanium oxide, a metal-containing conductive coating film containing metal nanowires, metal particles, or the like may be used. Among these, a metal film formed by electroless plating is particularly preferable in consideration of efficiency. The metal film layer 20 may be a laminated film made of a plurality of materials.

Among electroless plating, a copper electroless plating film having a self-catalytic property is particularly preferable in consideration of efficiency of electrolytic plating, versatility of materials, and cost. In order to obtain a copper electroless plating film, it is an essential condition that the plating solution contains a copper ion source and a reducing agent such as formaldehyde that supplies electrons. Further, buffering agents such as monocarboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid and oxycarboxylic acid, complexing agents such as tartaric acid and EDTA, etc. may be added. The film thickness is preferably about 0.5 to 30 μm. If the film thickness is less than 0.5, the conductivity tends to be insufficient, and if the film thickness exceeds 30 μm, the strength of the film may decrease.

The catalyst film layer 10 is a layer containing the catalyst 5, and the reduced copper or the like is deposited on the catalyst nuclei of the catalyst 5 exposed on the surface to form the metal film layer 20 . Examples of the catalyst 5 include catalytic metals such as palladium, copper, silver, nickel, cobalt and gold. Among them, palladium is most preferable because it has high catalytic activity and is hardly oxidized. The catalyst 5 may be contained in a resin binder or the like, and the surface of the catalyst film layer 10 may be kept in a high catalytic activity state by a method such as a sensitizing method or a catalyst method.

The plating film 25 may be formed by either electroplating or electroless plating, but it is required that it has better corrosion resistance than the metal film layer 20, and that it has less coloring or saturation and less matte luster. It is preferable to form a toned film. Examples of such a plating film include a nickel plating film, a tin plating film, a rhodium plating film, a palladium plating film, and a copper-tin-zinc alloy plating film.

The resist layer 50 is a positive type in which the portion exposed to the exposure light beam is decomposed and dissolved in the developing solution to be removed, and the portion exposed to the exposure light beam becomes insoluble in the developing solution due to polymerization and is removed in the negative portion to remove the exposure light ray. It can be any type. However, in the negative resist layer 50, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 1 can be made into a trapezoidal shape like an inverted wedge shape by irradiating the exposure light for a long time as described above, and finally a fine linear pattern is formed. A negative resist is preferable because it has the advantage of reducing the appearance of patterns.

As the material of the resist layer 50, a simple resin such as an olefin resin, a vinyl resin, an acrylic resin, a urethane resin, a styrene resin, a cellulose resin, a polyester resin, an epoxy resin, an alkyd resin, or a mixed resin or a copolymer resin of these resins is used. And so on. In particular, urethane acrylate resin and cyanoacrylate resin are preferable. The film thickness may be appropriately set to about 5 to 200 μm. The forming method includes various general-purpose printing methods, as well as a coater, painting, dipping, and the like.

The fine particles 55 contained in the resist layer 50 are olefin-based, vinyl-based, acrylic-based, urethane-based, styrene-based, cellulose-based, polyester-based, epoxy-based, alkyd-based cured or uncured resin particles, and alumina. -Inorganic fine particles such as zinc oxide, titanium oxide, and silicon oxide are included. These fine particles 55 may be of a type that dissolves in a developing solution in the developing process to form the side surface of the resist layer 50 into the fine irregularities 11, or may not dissolve in the developing solution and the inside of the resist layer 50. It may be of a type in which the side surface of the resist layer 50 is formed into the fine irregularities 11 while remaining.

The fine concavo-convex shape 11 on the side surface of the groove 1 may be any concavo-convex shape as long as the side surface of the metal film layer 20 can be finally rendered matte, but numerically in FIG. In the profile, it is preferable that the arithmetic mean roughness Ra is about 0.3 to 2 μm. For that purpose, it is preferable that the fine particles 55 have an average particle diameter of about 0.1 to 5 μm. If the average particle diameter is outside this range, the uneven shape 51 is too fine or too rough, and finally the side surface of the metal film layer 20 is glossy. May occur, and it may be difficult to reduce the pattern appearance of the transparent conductive film. The shape of the fine particles 55 may be spherical or scaly.

Note that the resist layer 50 may be left as it is or may be peeled and removed. However, in the case of peeling and removing, there is a step difference in thickness with the metal film layer 20 as a convex portion with respect to the transparent support 40, and the side surface of the metal film layer 20 is in a state in which the metal is easily exposed to rust. Therefore, for the purpose of flattening by reducing the step and rust prevention of the side surface of the metal film layer 20 , it is necessary to immediately fill another concave portion in which the metal film layer 20 is not formed with another transparent resin layer. is necessary.

1 groove of linear pattern 10 catalyst film layer 11 fine uneven shape 20 metal film layer 25 plating layer 30 laminated film 32 wedge shape of metal film layer side cross section 40 transparent support 50 resist layer 51 reference point 55 fine particles 100 transparent conductivity Membrane 200 Routing circuit 300 Touch sensor 400 Transparent conductive support

Claims (3)

On the catalyst film layer of the transparent support having a catalyst film layer formed on the surface, or on a transparent support containing a catalyst, an electroless plating film layer made of any one of copper, silver and aluminum, and an average. A resist layer containing fine particles having a particle diameter of 0.1 to 5 μm and having fine irregularities with the arithmetic average roughness Ra of 0.3 to 2 μm on the entire side surface is formed in parallel and is formed on the electroless plating film layer. A conductive support, on which a plated film made of any one of nickel, tin, rhodium, palladium, and copper-tin-zinc alloy is formed. The electroless plating film layer is a transparent conductive film having a line width of 0.5 to 10 μm and a space between lines having a fine mesh-like or honeycomb-like linear pattern having a line width of 10 to 1000 times the line width. 1. The conductive support according to 1. On the catalyst film layer of the transparent support having a catalyst film layer formed on the surface, or on a transparent support containing a catalyst, an electroless plating film layer made of any one of copper, silver and aluminum, and an average. After forming in parallel with a resist layer containing fine particles having a particle diameter of 0.1 to 5 μm and having a fine irregular shape with an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 0.3 to 2 μm on the entire side surface, the resist layer is left without peeling. A method for producing a conductive support, wherein a plating film made of any one of nickel, tin, rhodium, palladium, and a copper-tin-zinc alloy is formed only on the electroless plating film layer as it is.

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