Process for producing transparent electrode
To provide a process for producing a transparent electrode comprising a tin oxide film which can readily be patterned, which can be realized at a low cost, and which has low resistivity and is excellent in transparency. A process for producing a transparent electrode having a patterned tin oxide film formed on a substrate, which comprises a step of forming a tin oxide film having light absorption characteristics on a substrate, a patterning step of removing part of the tin oxide film having light absorption characteristics, and a step of subjecting the patterned tin oxide film having light absorption characteristics to heat treatment to obtain a tin oxide film.
1 . A process for producing a transparent electrode having a patterned tin oxide film formed on a substrate, which comprises a step of forming a tin oxide film having light absorption characteristics on a substrate, a patterning step of removing part of the tin oxide film having light absorption characteristics, and a step of subjecting the patterned tin oxide film having light absorption characteristics to heat treatment to obtain a tin oxide film.
2 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a tin oxide film having light absorption characteristics is carried out by a sputtering method, and the temperature of the substrate at the time of deposition is at most 150° C.
3 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 2 , wherein in the sputtering method, the deposition is carried out by using an oxide target, and the amount of an oxidizing gas in a sputtering gas is at most 10 vol % of the entire sputtering gas.
4 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 2 , wherein in the sputtering method, the deposition is carried out by using a metal target.
5 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the tin oxide film is a crystalline film.
6 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature at the time of the heat treatment is from 300 to 700° C.
7 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the tin oxide film contains at least one additive metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, niobium, zirconium, antimony, tantalum, tungsten and rhenium.
8 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 7 , wherein the amount of the additive metal is from 0.1 to 30 atomic % to Sn.
9 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the patterning is carried out by dissolving part of the film by an etching liquid.
10 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the patterning is carried out by removing part of the film by a laser beam, and the wavelength of the laser beam is from 350 to 600 nm.
11 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the patterning is carried out by removing part of the film by a laser beam, the wavelength of the laser beam is from 350 to 600 nm, and the absorptivity of the film at the wavelength of the laser beam is at least 5%.
12 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent electrode has a sheet resistivity of from 5 to 5,000 Ω/□.
13 . A transparent electrode film formed by the production process as defined in claim 1 .
14 . A process for producing a transparent electrode having a patterned tin oxide film formed on a substrate, which comprises a step of forming a SnO 2-x (0.3≦x≦1.95) film on a substrate, a patterning step of removing part of the SnO 2-x film, and a step of subjecting the patterned SnO 2-x film to heat treatment to obtain a tin oxide film.
15 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 14 , wherein the step of forming a SO 2-x film is carried out by a sputtering method, and the temperature of the substrate at the time of deposition is at most 150° C.
16 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 15 , wherein in the sputtering method, the deposition is carried out by using an oxide target, and the amount of an oxidizing gas in a sputtering gas is at most 10 vol % of the entire sputtering gas.
17 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 15 , wherein in the sputtering method, the deposition is carried out by using a metal target.
18 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 14 , wherein the tin oxide film is a crystalline film.
19 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 14 , wherein the temperature at the time of the heat treatment is from 300 to 700° C.
20 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 14 , wherein the tin oxide film contains at least one additive metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, niobium, zirconium, antimony, tantalum, tungsten and rhenium.
21 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 20 , wherein the amount of the additive metal is from 0.1 to 30 atomic % to Sn.
22 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 14 , wherein the patterning is carried out by dissolving part of the film by an etching liquid.
23 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 14 , wherein the patterning is carried out by removing part of the film by a laser beam, and the wavelength of the laser beam is from 350 to 600 nm.
24 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 14 , wherein the patterning is carried out by removing part of the film by a laser beam, the wavelength of the laser beam is from 350 to 600 nm, and the absorptivity of the film at the wavelength of the laser beam is at least 5%.
25 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 14 , wherein the transparent electrode has a sheet resistivity of from 5 to 5,000 Ω/□.
26 . A transparent electrode film formed by the production process as defined in claim 14 .
27 . A process for producing a transparent electrode having a patterned tin oxide film formed on a substrate, which comprises a step of forming a tin oxide film having a density of at most 6.5 g/cm 3 on a substrate, a patterning step of removing part of the tin oxide film having a density of at most 6.5 g/cm 3 , and a step of subjecting the patterned tin oxide film having a density of at most 6.5 g/cm 3 to heat treatment to obtain a tin oxide film.
28 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 27 , wherein the step of forming a tin oxide film having a density of at most 6.5 g/cm 3 is carried out by a sputtering method, and the temperature of the substrate at the time of deposition is at most 150° C.
29 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 28 , wherein in the sputtering method, the deposition is carried out by using an oxide, and the amount of an oxidizing gas in a sputtering gas is at most 10 vol % of the entire sputtering gas.
30 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 28 , wherein in the sputtering method, the deposition is carried out by using a metal target.
31 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 27 , wherein the tin oxide film is a crystalline film.
32 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 27 , wherein the temperature at the time of the heat treatment is from 300 to 700° C.
33 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 27 , wherein the tin oxide film contains at least one additive metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, niobium, zirconium, antimony, tantalum, tungsten and rhenium.
34 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 33 , wherein the amount of the additive metal is from 0.1 to 30 atomic % to Sn.
35 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 27 , wherein the patterning is carried out by dissolving part of the film by an etching liquid.
36 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 27 , wherein the patterning is carried out by removing part of the film by a laser beam, and the wavelength of the laser beam is from 350 to 600 nm.
37 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 27 , wherein the patterning is carried out by removing part of the film by a laser beam, the wavelength of the laser beam is from 350 to 600 nm, and the absorptivity of the film at the wavelength of the laser beam is at least 5%.
38 . The process for producing a transparent electrode according to claim 27 , wherein the transparent electrode has a sheet resistivity of from 5 to 5,000 Ω/□.
39 . A transparent electrode film formed by the production process as defined in claim 27 .
40 . A film capable of being patterned and forming a patterned tin oxide film on a substrate, which is a tin oxide film having light absorbing characteristics.
41 . A film capable of being patterned and forming a patterned tin oxide film on a substrate, which is a SnO 2-x (0.3≦x≦1.95) film.
42 . A film capable of being patterned and forming a patterned tin oxide film on a substrate, which is a tin oxide film having a density of at most 6.5 g/cm 3 .