# US 2018/0025804 A1 · Scratch Resistant Flexible Transparent Electrodes and Methods for Fabricating Ultrathin Metal Files as Electrodes

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- Number: US 2018/0025804 A1
- Document ID: US20180025804A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/547,033
- Filed: 2016-02-10
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-10
- Assignees: University of Houston System
- Applicants: University of Houston System
- Inventors: Zhifeng Ren; Chuanfei Guo; Yuan Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025804A1

## CPC

- H01B 1/16: the conductive material comprising metals or alloys
- G03C 1/00: Photosensitive materials (photosensitive materials for multicolour processes G03C7/00; for diffusion transfer processes G03C8/00; photosensitive glass C03C4/04)
- H01B 1/02: mainly consisting of metals or alloys
- H01B 1/023: {Alloys based on aluminium}
- H01B 1/026: {Alloys based on copper}
- H01B 1/22: the conductive material comprising metals or alloys
- H01B 3/08: quartz; glass; glass wool; slag wool; vitreous enamels
- H01B 13/0036: {Details}
- H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K})
- G03C: PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIALS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PURPOSES (for photomechanical purposes G03F); PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES, e.g. CINE, X-RAY, COLOUR, STEREO-PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES; AUXILIARY PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY (photographic processes characterised by the use or manipulation of apparatus classifiable per se in subclass G03B, see G03B; photomechanical production of textured or patterned surfaces G03F; electrophotography, magnetography G03G)

## Abstract

Systems and methods of fabricating electrodes, including thin metallic films, include depositing a first metallic layer on a substrate and passivating the deposited layer. The processes of deposition and passivation may be done sequentially. In some embodiments, a plurality of substrates may be coated with a metallic layer and further processed at a later time, including passivation and disposal of additional layers as discussed herein.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of fabricating an electrode comprising:
depositing a first metallic layer on a substrate;
forming a first film on the first metallic layer;
depositing a second metallic layer in contact with the first film; and
forming a second film on the second metallic layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises glass, silicone, polyethylene terephthalate, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or carbon film.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is flexible.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is optically transparent.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first metallic layer comprises silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or combinations thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first metallic layer and a thickness of the second metallic layer are from about 0.5 nm to about 3.0 nm, and wherein the first and the second films are each less than about 0.05 nm thick.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of a thickness of the first metallic layer and a composition of the first metallic layer is different than the thickness of the second metallic layer and the composition of the second metallic layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming the first film comprises exposing the first metallic layer to air or oxygen gas from about 1 second to about 60 seconds.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the first metallic layer and depositing the second metallic layer comprises using a vacuum deposition method of magnetron sputtering, electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, or ion sputtering.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, straining the substrate up to about 30% prior to depositing the first metallic layer on the substrate.

### Claim 11

An electrode comprising:
a plurality of metallic layers deposited on a substrate; and
an oxide layer between each adjacent pair of metallic layers, wherein the electrode comprises an optical transmittance of up to about 89%.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The electrode of claim 11, further comprising an anti-reflective layer disposed comprising a conducting transparent polymer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The electrode of claim 11, wherein the electrode comprises a thickness of less than about 15 nm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer each comprise a plurality of grains, wherein an average diameter of each plurality of the pluralities of grains is less than about 50 nm.

### Claim 15

An electrode comprising:
a plurality of metallic layers deposited on a substrate; and
a plurality of passivated layers, wherein each passivated layer of the plurality is in between each adjacent pair of metal layers deposited on the substrate,
wherein the electrode comprises an optical transmittance of up to about 89%.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The electrode of claim 15, further comprising a conducting transparent polymer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The electrode of claim 15, wherein the electrode comprises a thickness of less than about 15 nm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The electrode of claim 15, wherein each metallic layer of the plurality of metallic layers is less than about 0.05 nm thick.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The electrode of claim 15, further comprising at least three metallic layers and at least two passivated layers.