Photocurable adhesive composition and use of the same

1. A photocurable adhesive composition, said adhesive composition comprises, based on 100 parts by weight of the adhesive composition:

component A: from 70 to 99 parts by weight of one or more polymers carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group;

component B: from 0.1 to 20 parts by weight of one or more (meth)acrylates monomers;

component C: from 0.5 to 10 parts by weight of at least one UV photoinitiator; and

component D: from 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of antioxidant;

wherein said polymers carrying a (meth)acryloxyl groups of component A are selected from polybutadiene carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group, polyisoprene carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group, butadiene-styrene copolymer carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group, polyisobutylene carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group, butyl rubber carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group, bromoisobutylene-isoprene copolymer carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group, chloroiso butylene-isoprene copolymer carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group, and combinations thereof and have a Tg value of from −100° C. to 20° C., and an average functionality of the (meth)acryloxyl group of more than 0 and ≦3;

wherein said UV photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of 2,2-dimethoxy-1,2-diphenylethan-1-one, trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, 1-hydroxycyclohexyl benzophenone, 2-methyl-1-[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one, ethyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphenylphosphinate, and combinations thereof, and

wherein the hardness of the cured adhesive composition when cured by exposure to radiation at one or more energy levels, determined according to ASTM D2240 is from sh00 30 to sh00 70, and wherein the cured adhesive composition can withstand processing temperatures of 160° C. to 260° C.

2. The adhesive composition according to claim 1 , wherein said component A is present in an amount of from 80 to 99 parts by weight.

3. The adhesive composition according to claim 1 , wherein the hardness of the cured adhesive composition is from sh00 40 to sh00 70.

4. The adhesive composition according to claim 1 , wherein the Tg value of component A is from −70° C. to −20° C.

5. The adhesive composition according to claim 1 , wherein said polymers carrying a (meth)acryloxyl group have an average functionality of the (meth)acryloxyl group of from 0.5 to 3.

6. The adhesive composition according to claim 1 , wherein said component B is selected from alkyl (meth)acrylate, alkenyl (meth)acrylate, and heterocyclo (meth)acrylate; said alkyl is an alkyl group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, which may have one or more substituents; said alkenyl is an alkenyl group having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, which may have one or more substituents; and said heterocyclo is a heterocyclo group having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and having a hetero atom selected from nitrogen and oxygen, which may have one or more substituents; said one or more substituents may be selected from an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an aryloxyl group having from 6 to 10 carbon atoms, a cycloxyl group having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and hydroxyl.

7. The adhesive composition according to claim 1 , wherein said component B is selected from methyl (meth)acrylate, ethyl (meth)acrylate, butyl (methyl)acrylate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy) ethyl acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl (meth)acrylate, lauryl acrylate, isooctyl acrylate, isodecyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylate, isobornyl (meth)acrylate, dicyclopentenyloxyethyl (meth)acrylate, dicyclopentadienyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxybutyl (meth)acrylate, caprolactone acrylate, morpholine (meth)acrylate, hexanediol di(meth)acrylate, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetrahydrofuranacrylate and combinations thereof.

8. A process of using the adhesive composition according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of

Providing a patterned ITO substrate for temporarily bonding a substrate with a temporary carrier,

Providing the adhesive composition to at least one of the substrate or the temporary carrier, and

Exposing the adhesive composition to processing temperatures of equal to or higher than 160° C.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein said temperature is within a range of from 160° C. to 260° C.

10. A method of producing a patterned ITO substrate, said method comprises the steps of:

a. applying the adhesive composition according to any one of claims 1 - 5 , 6 - 7 between a temporary carrier and a substrate;

b. curing the adhesive composition by irradiation with UV light;

c. subjecting the cured adhesive composition to a process of producing a patterned ITO at a high temperature of equal to or higher than 160° C.; and

d. physically separating the temporary carrier and the substrate, and washing off the cured adhesive composition from the substrate using an organic solvent that can dissolve the cured adhesive composition.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said substrate is a glass substrate.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said temporary carrier is a glass temporary carrier.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said high temperature is within a range of from 160° C. to 260° C.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said organic solvent is isopropanol, acetone or butanone.