Electrical contacts in layered structures
View Patent ↗Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to structures comprising a nanostructure layer that includes a plurality of transparent conductors and coating layer formed on a surface thereof. In some embodiments, the coating layer includes one or more conductive plugs having outer and inner surfaces. The inner surface the plug is placed in electrical communication with the nanostructure layer and the outer surface forms conductive surface contacts proximate an outer surface of the coating layer. In some embodiments, the structure includes a polarizer and is used as a shielding layer in flat panel electrochromic displays, such as liquid crystal displays, touch panels, and the like.
1. A layered structure comprising:
a nanostructure layer having opposite first and second surfaces, the nanostructure layer comprising a plurality of nanostructures, at least two nanostructures of the plurality of nanostructures physically contacting each other; and
a coating layer having opposite inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface of the coating layer overlying the second surface of the nanostructure layer, the coating layer having a plurality of conductive plugs, at least one conductive plug of the plurality of conductive plugs extending from the inner surface of the coating layer to beyond the outer surface of the coating layer, the at least one conductive plug configured to be placed in electrical communication with the nanostructure layer,
wherein the layered structure has a center portion and a perimeter portion, and the plurality of conductive plugs are only distributed along the perimeter portion.
2. The layered structure of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer comprises a plurality of contact areas and the plurality of conductive plugs are formed in each contact area of the plurality of contact areas.
3. The layered structure of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the contact areas of the plurality of contact areas is greater than 1 mm 2 .
4. The layered structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive plug is a paste or epoxy comprising at least one of silver, copper, graphite, or carbon.
5. The layered structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive plug comprises one or more nanoparticles.
6. The layered structure of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the coating layer adheres to the second surface of the nanostructure layer.
7. The layered structure of claim 6 , wherein the coating layer comprises a reflowable polymer.
8. The layered structure of claim 7 , wherein the reflowable polymer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate), a dissolved powder coating resin, a copolymer of methyl methacrylate, a hydroxyl functional monomer, a carboxylate functional monomer, an amine monomer, and an epoxy monomer.
9. The layered structure of claim 7 , wherein the coating layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a UV curable resin, a blocked isocyanate, and a melamine based cross-linker.
10. The layered structure of claim 7 , wherein the reflowable polymer is a polymer or copolymer comprising acrylate monomers represented by the following formula:
wherein, R 1 is hydrogen or alkyl,
L is a direct bond, an alkylene chain, or an alkylene oxide chain, and
R 2 is hydrogen, hydroxyl, amino (including mono-, di-substituted amino), glycidyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aryl.
11. A display comprising:
a nanostructure layer having opposite first and second surfaces, the nanostructure layer comprising a plurality of nanostructures, at least two nanostructures of the plurality of nanostructures physically contacting each other;
a coating layer having opposite inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface of the coating layer overlying the second surface of the nanostructure layer, the coating layer having a plurality of conductive plugs therein, at least one conductive plug of the plurality of conductive plugs having a first end configured to be placed in electrical communication with the nanostructure layer and a second end extending beyond the outer surface of the coating layer, wherein the display has a center portion and a perimeter portion, and the plurality of conductive plugs are only distributed along the perimeter portion; and
a substrate proximate the first surface of the nanostructure layer.
12. The display of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of conductive plugs comprises one or more nanoparticles.
13. The display of claim 11 , wherein the coating layer comprises a plurality of contact areas, and wherein the plurality of conductive plugs are located in each contact area of the plurality of contact areas.
14. The display of claim 11 , wherein the inner surface of the coating layer adheres to the second surface of the nanostructure layer.
15. The display of claim 14 , wherein the coating layer comprises a reflowable polymer.
16. The display of claim 15 , wherein the coating layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a UV curable resin, a blocked isocyanate, and a melamine based cross-linker.
17. The layered structure of claim 2 , wherein the at least one conductive plug is a void filled with a conductive material, the second surface of the nanostructure layer is exposed through the void, and an area of the second surface of the nanostructure layer that is exposed through the void is less than 1% of each of the contact areas.
18. The layered structure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive plug is connected to ground.
19. The display of claim 11 , wherein the second end is connected to ground.