Transparent, electrically conductive layer, a process for producing the layer and its use

1. An amorphous transparent, electrically conductive layer comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of

and mixtures thereof.

2. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is tri(tert-butoxy)indium stannite (In(O t Bu) 3 Sn).

3. A product comprising a solid substrate having applied thereon the transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 1 , wherein the solid substrate comprises glass, quartz glass, metal, stone, wood, concrete, paper, textile or plastic.

4. A product according to claim 3 , wherein the substrate is cooled.

5. A product according to claim 3 , wherein the solid substrate comprises plastic, which is polyester, polyamide, polyamide, polyacrylate, polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulphone (PES), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM) or a mixture of these polymers.

6. A product according to claim 5 , wherein the plastic is polyester, which is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) or a mixture of these polyesters.

7. A product according to claim 5 , wherein the plastic is polyamide, which is polyamide 6, polyamide 6.6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12 or a mixture of these polyamides.

8. A product according to claim 5 , wherein the plastic is polyacrylate, which is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

9. A product according to claim 3 , wherein the compound is applied by flexographic printing, inkjet printing, offset printing, screenprinting, spraying, pad printing, thermal transfer printing, laser printing, spin-coating, dipping, flow-coating, knife-coating or casting.

10. A product according to claim 3 , wherein the compound is applied to the substrate in the form of a plurality of layers in succession.

11. A product according to claim 3 , wherein a plurality of layers which have identical or different compositions are applied successively to the substrate.

12. A product according to claim 11 , wherein the composition is consolidated after each application.

13. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according claim 1 , wherein the layer has a dry layer thickness of 10 nm to 100 μm.

14. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 1 , wherein the layer has a specific resistance of at most 100 Ω·cm.

15. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 1 , wherein the layer has a transmission of at least 50%.

16. An electronic component having a layer according to claim 1 .

17. An article comprising the electronic component according to claim 16 , which article is a display, illumination module, photovoltaic element, touch-sensitive screen, resistance heating element, infrared protective film, antistatic casing, chemical sensor, or electromagnetic sensor.

18. The amorphous transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 1 , having a roughness of 2 nm RMS a thickness of 500 nm or greater and a specific resistance of below 0.5 Ω·cm.

19. The transparent, electrically conductive layer of claim 1 , which is between two other, different layers.

20. The transparent, electrically conductive layer of claim 1 , having an electrical conductivity that is from 2 to 3 times the electrical conductivity of an ITO layer having the same thickness.

21. The transparent, electrically conductive layer of claim 1 , which further comprises indium tin oxide.

22. An amorphous transparent, electrically conductive layer, obtained by

A) applying a solution comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of

and, optionally, one or more solvents or carriers, from a liquid solution or from the gas phase to a substrate to form an initial layer:

B) optionally, removing the solvent by energy input, then

C) aftertreating the initial layer by energy input to form the amorphous transparent, electrically conductive layer.

23. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 22 , wherein the compound is tri(tert-butoxy)indium stannite (In(O t Bu) 3 Sn).

24. A product comprising a solid substrate having applied thereon the transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 22 .

25. A product comprising a solid substrate having applied thereon the transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 24 , wherein the solid substrate comprises glass, quartz glass, metal, stone, wood, concrete, paper, textile or plastic.

26. A product according to claim 25 , wherein the substrate is cooled.

27. A product according to claim 25 , wherein the solid substrate comprises plastic, which is polyester, polyamide, polyamide, polyacrylate, polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulphone (PES), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM) or a mixture of these polymers.

28. A product according to claim 27 , wherein the plastic is polyester, which is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) or a mixture of these polyesters.

29. A product according to claim 27 , wherein the plastic is polyamide, which is polyamide 6, polyamide 6.6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12 or a mixture of these polyamides.

30. A product according to claim 27 , wherein the plastic is polyacrylate, which is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

31. A product according to claim 27 , wherein the compound is applied by flexographic printing, inkjet printing, offset printing, screenprinting, spraying, pad printing, thermal transfer printing, laser printing, spin-coating, dipping, flow-coating, knife-coating or casting.

32. A product according to claim 27 , wherein the compound is applied to the substrate in the form of a plurality of layers in succession.

33. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 22 , wherein the initial layer is flowed over by a gas at least during part of the duration of the aftertreatment C).

34. A product according to claim 25 , wherein a plurality of layers which have identical or different compositions are applied successively to the substrate.

35. A product according to claim 34 , wherein the composition is consolidated after each application.

36. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according claim 22 , wherein the transparent, electrically conductive layer has a dry layer thickness of 10 nm to 100 μm.

37. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 22 , wherein the transparent, electrically conductive layer has a specific resistance of at most 100 Ω·cm.

38. A transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 22 , wherein the transparent, electrically conductive layer has a transmission of at least 50%.

39. An electronic component having the transparent, electrically conductive layer according to claim 22 .

40. An article comprising the electronic component according to claim 39 , which article is a display, illumination module, photovoltaic element, touch-sensitive screen, resistance heating element, infrared protective film, antistatic casing, chemical sensor, or electromagnetic sensor.

41. The process of claim 22 , wherein the aftertreating includes exposing the initial layer to an oxidizing gas to remove organic constituents from the initial layer.

42. The transparent, electrically conductive layer of claim 22 , having an electrical conductivity that is from 2 to 3 times the electrical conductivity of an ITO layer having the same thickness.

43. The transparent, electrically conductive layer of claim 22 , which further comprises indium tin oxide.