Optical Coatings With Narrow Conductive Lines

Abstract

Conductive micro traces (64) are formed on a coated or uncoated substrate (28) in order to achieve a combination of target optical properties and target electrical capabilities. For the coated substrate, the coating (100) may be formed before or after the conductive micro traces. The coating may be designed for providing IR filtering or reductions in reflected light and color shift, while the conductive micro traces may be used for EMI shielding or to provide current-carrying capability, such as when used as heaters. In another embodiment, the conductive micro traces are formed on an uncoated flexible transparent substrate and have a width of less than 25 microns, such that the conductive micro traces are capable of achieving their intended purpose while maintaining a high visible light transmissivity. The conductive micro traces may be formed using various approaches, such as the use of electroplating techniques or the use of inkjet printing techniques.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.