Etching a substrate: processes – Forming or treating a sign or material useful in a sign – Sign or material is electroluminescent
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-16
2004-08-10
Powell, William A. (Department: 1765)
Etching a substrate: processes
Forming or treating a sign or material useful in a sign
Sign or material is electroluminescent
C216S024000, C428S103000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06773614
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electrically conductive film used to coat electroluminescent displays.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electroluminescent lamps comprising a transparent conductive base are known in the art. In general, a thin polyester film with an indium-tin oxide (ITO) coating has most often been used for this purpose. These ITO films are manufactured by vacuum sputtering techniques. Screen printing the conductive paste is another method of manufacturing the films.
More recently, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate), sometimes abbreviated PEDT/PPS or PEDOT (manufactured and sold under the trade name Orgacon® by AGFA Gevaert) has been found to be a desirable material for use as a transparent conductive base for electroluminescent lamps. Unlike ITO film, which is easily damaged because the inorganic material is very brittle, the PEDOT polymer transparent conductive coating on a polyester film can be stretched, folded and can tolerate surface damaging before the surface conductivity is affected. For these reasons, PEDOT film is better than ITO in less delicate manufacturing processes such as industrial screen-printing. It is known that the electrical conductivity of PEDOT film can be deactivated in areas where the surface is “painted” with solvent such as 10% NaCIO bleach. It would be desirable to find a way to deactivate very specific points on the PEDOT film surface in a predictable, repeatable manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of patterning an electroluminescent light, comprising the steps of:
printing ink patterns onto an electrically conductive polymer film layer of the electroluminescent light, the electrical conductivity of the film being significantly deactivated where the ink patterns are printed;
conducting voltage through the electroluminescent light to display the patterns formed where the ink patterns deactivate the electrical conductivity on the polymer film layer.
The present invention also relates to an electroluminescent light panel comprising an electrically conductive polymer film layer printed with ink patterns, the electrical conductivity of the film being significantly deactivated where the ink patterns are printed.
The present invention additionally relates to a method of making an electroplated film, comprising the steps of:
printing ink patterns onto an electrically conductive polymer layer web, the electrical conductivity of the film being significantly deactivated where the ink patterns are printed;
plating the printed web to form electrical interconnects by depositing conductive metals.
The present invention further relates to an electroplated film comprising an electrically conductive polymer film layer printed with ink patterns, the electrical conductivity of the film being significantly deactivated where the ink patterns are printed; and electrical interconnects formed on the polymer film layer by deposited conductive metals.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2002/0013013 (2002-01-01), Victor et al.
patent: WO 02/07235 (2002-01-01), None
www.sciencemag.org;“High Resolution Inkjet Printing Of All-Polymer Transistor Circuits”; Science; vol. 290; Dec. 15, 2000; pp: 2123-2126.
http://www.i-components.co.kr/english/products_1.htm; i-components; Agfa Products; Mar. 15, 2002; 3 pages.
http://www.bekaert.com/eng/PRESS/e20000504.htm; Press Release-Agfa And Bekaert Working Together World-Wide To Market New Orgacon Film dated May 4, 2000; Mar. 15, 2002; 2 pages.
http://www.agfa.com/sfc/polymer/el_lamps/; AGFA- EL Lamps; Mar. 15, 2002; 1 page.
http://www.toyobo.co.jp/e/seihin/tcf/hyo.htm; Film Structure-Properties Of Standard ITO Film Products; Mar. 15, 2002; 2 pages.
http://www.catize.com/baytronPspecs.html; Baytron P Product Information; LIGNO-PANI Specifications; Mar. 15, 2002; 4 pages.
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http://www.cpfindusprod.com/ITO/oc.html; The Optical Coated Films Product Line—Optical Coated—ITO; Mar. 15, 2002; 2 pages.
NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Electrochemistry Of Electroactive Polymer Films WEEPF-2000; “The Transition From Metal To Semiconductor In Poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Thin Films”; by: T. Johansson, L.A.A. Pettersson, O. Inganas; Abstract No. 11; 1 page, no date.
http://www.user.tu-cottbus.de/ mikalo/pedot.html; PEDOT Polymer Films; Mar. 15, 2002; 1 page.
AGFA; “Orgacon EL-1500 Transparent Conductive Films For General Applications”; 2 pages, no date.
AGFA; “Orgacon Transparent Electrodes For EL Lamps”; revised May 2001; 2 pages.
AGFA; “Orgacon- Patterning Orgacon Film By Means Of UV Lithography. Guidelines”; Revised May 2001; 3 pages.
Hewlett--Packard Development Company, L.P.
Powell William A.
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