IP Library Granted Patent US 12686778
Granted Patent B2
US 12686778 · App. 18/666,078 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Transparent conductive oxide particles and methods related thereto

Inventors: Steven Crouch-Baker (Palo Alto, CA); Brian Slovick (San Mateo, CA); Albert Hirschon (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: SRI International
C09D7/61C01G19/02C09D5/004C09D5/24C09D133/12C01P2004/62C01P2006/40C08K2003/2231C08K2201/001C08K2201/003
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686778
App. No.
18/666,078
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Examples are directed a plurality of particles comprising transparent conductive oxide particles. Example transparent conductive oxide particles have a median diameter of about 200 nanometer (nm) to about 500 nm in the particle size distribution, and a plasma wavelength of about less than 2000 nm. Additionally, the transparent conductive oxide particles may comprise a primary component and about 2 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of a secondary component. Also disclosed are methods of producing a plurality of particles comprising transparent conductive oxide particles and compositions comprising a plurality of particles comprising transparent conductive oxide particles and a binder.

Claims (45)

1 . A plurality of particles comprising:

transparent conductive oxide particles, wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles have:

a median diameter of about 200 nanometers (nm) to about 500 nm in the particle size distribution; and

a plasma wavelength of about less than 2000 nm, and

wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles comprise:

a primary component; and

about 2 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of a secondary component, and

wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles have a refractive index of about 1.3 to about 2.2.

2 . The plurality of particles of claim 1 , wherein:

the primary component comprises indium or zinc; and

the secondary component comprises tin, aluminum, gallium, antimony, or fluorine.

3 . The plurality of particles of claim 1 , wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles are selected from:

indium tin oxide particles, antimony tin oxide particles, fluorine tin oxide particles, aluminum zinc oxide particles, gallium zinc oxide particles, indium zinc oxide particles, and a combination thereof.

4 . The plurality of particles of claim 1 , wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles are reflective in the infrared wavelength range and exhibit dielectric properties in the visible wavelength range.

5 . The plurality of particles of claim 1 , wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles have a plasma wavelength of about 1500 nm to about 1550 nm.

6 . A method of producing a plurality of particles comprising transparent conductive oxide particles, the method comprising:

reacting base transparent conductive oxide particles with a reducing gas to produce reductively tailored transparent conductive oxide particles; and

annealing the reductively tailored transparent conductive oxide particles in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of about 700 degrees Celsius (C) to about 1300° C. to produce the plurality of particles comprising transparent conductive oxide particles, wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles have:

a median diameter of about 200 nanometers (nm) to about 500 nm in the particle size distribution;

a plasma wavelength of about less than 2000 nm; and

a refractive index of about 1.3 to about 2.2; and

wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles comprise:

a primary component; and

about 2 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of a secondary component.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles are formed from a metal oxide including the primary component.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the reducing gas comprises carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrazine, H 2 , or a combination thereof.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the reducing gas further comprises an inert gas selected from nitrogen, argon, helium, xenon, krypton, and a combination thereof.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein reacting the base transparent conductive oxide particles with the reducing gas comprises removing oxygen using the reducing gas for about 20 minutes to about 3 hours.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the base transparent conductive oxide particles are selected from:

indium tin oxide particles, antimony tin oxide particles, fluorine tin oxide particles, aluminum zinc oxide particles, gallium zinc oxide particles, indium zinc oxide particles, and a combination thereof.

12 . The method of claim 6 , wherein annealing the reductively tailored transparent conductive oxide particles comprises increasing from about room temperature to the temperature of about 700° C. to about 1300° C. and over a time period of about two hours to about five hours.

13 . The method of claim 6 , wherein annealing the reductively tailored transparent conductive oxide particles comprises holding at the temperature for about 0.5 hours to about 4 hours.

14 . The method of claim 6 , comprising annealing the transparent conductive oxide particles at the temperature of about 850° C. to about 1250° C.

15 . A composition comprising:

a plurality of transparent conductive oxide particles, wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles have:

a mean diameter of about 200 nanometers (nm) to 500 nm in the particle size distribution; and

a plasma wavelength of about less than 2000 nm,

wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles comprise:

a primary component; and

about 2 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of a secondary component,

wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles have a refractive index of about 1.3 to about 2.2; and

a binder.

16 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles are reflective in the infrared wavelength range and exhibit dielectric properties in the visible wavelength range.

17 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the transparent conductive oxide particles and the binder have about the same refractive index.

18 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of transparent conductive oxide particles comprise about 0.1 volume percent to 1.0 volume percent of a total composition volume.