Silver nanostructure-based optical stacks and touch sensors with UV protection
Disclosed herein are optical stacks that are stable to light exposure by incorporating one or more UV-blocking layers.
1. A touch sensor, comprising:
a first transparent conductor comprising a first substrate and a first plurality of networking silver nanostructures;
a first optically clear adhesive (OCA) layer; and
a second substrate, wherein:
the first OCA layer is UV-blocking and is positioned between the first transparent conductor and the second substrate.
2. The touch sensor of claim 1 , comprising:
a second OCA layer; and
a third substrate, wherein:
the second OCA layer is positioned between the third substrate and the first transparent conductor.
3. The touch sensor of claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of networking silver nanostructures is positioned between the second OCA layer and the first substrate.
4. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is positioned between the first plurality of networking silver nanostructures and the first OCA layer.
5. The touch sensor of claim 1 , comprising:
a light-absorbing element, wherein the second substrate is positioned between the first OCA layer and the light-absorbing element.
6. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of networking silver nanostructures is positioned between the first substrate and the first OCA layer.
7. The touch sensor of claim 1 , comprising:
a second transparent conductor comprising the second substrate and a conductive layer.
8. The touch sensor of claim 7 , wherein the conductive layer is a continuous conductive film.
9. The touch sensor of claim 7 , wherein the conductive layer comprises indium tin oxide.
10. The touch sensor of claim 7 , wherein the conductive layer is positioned between the first OCA layer and the second substrate.
11. The touch sensor of claim 1 , comprising:
a light-absorbing element, wherein the light-absorbing element is positioned between the first transparent conductor and the second substrate.
12. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first OCA layer is configured to block at least 90% of wavelengths below 370 nm.
13. The touch sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first OCA layer is configured to cause a sheet resistance of the first plurality of networking silver nanostructures to change by less than 50% after being exposed to a ultra-violet (UV) portion of incident light for 600 hours.
14. A touch sensor having a visible region and a non-visible region, wherein the non-visible region is defined by a light-absorbing element, the touch sensor comprising:
a first plurality of networking silver nanostructures present in the visible region and in the non-visible region;
a first optically clear adhesive (OCA) layer present in the visible region and in the non-visible region; and
a first substrate, wherein:
the first OCA layer is U V-blocking and is positioned between the first plurality of networking silver nanostructures and the first substrate.
15. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein the first substrate is positioned between the first OCA layer and the light-absorbing element.
16. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein the light-absorbing element is at least one of a deco frame or a black-out mask.
17. The touch sensor of claim 14 , comprising:
a second substrate, wherein the second substrate is positioned between the first plurality of networking silver nanostructures and the first OCA layer.
18. The touch sensor of claim 14 , wherein the light-absorbing element is positioned between the first plurality of networking silver nanostructures and the first substrate.
19. A touch sensor, comprising:
a first transparent conductor comprising a first substrate and a first plurality of networking silver nanostructures; and
a first optically clear adhesive (OCA) layer over the first transparent conductor, wherein:
the first OCA layer is UV-blocking, and
the first OCA layer is positioned between a touch surface of the touch sensor and the first plurality of networking silver nanostructures.
20. The touch sensor of claim 19 , comprising:
a light-absorbing element over a first portion of the first OCA layer and not over a second portion of the first OCA layer.