Coatable conductive layer

Abstract

The invention relates to a patternable coatable electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein the fluid-coated electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material and a display comprising a substrate, at least one patternable coatable electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein said fluid coated electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material which has a first and a second field-switched stable optical state, and an imaging layer comprising said light modulating material disposed over said at least one patternable fluid-coated electrically conductive layer. The invention also relates to a method for making a coatable electrically conductive layer and a method for making a display with a coatable electrically conductive layer.

1 . A patternable coatable electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein said electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material.  
   
   
       2 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said fluid comprises water.  
   
   
       3 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said fluid comprises organic solvent.  
   
   
       4 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said conductive material comprises particles.  
   
   
       5 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said particles comprise precious metal.  
   
   
       6 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 5  wherein said precious metal particles comprise silver particles.  
   
   
       7 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 6  wherein said silver particles have a diameter of less than 1 micron.  
   
   
       8 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said particles comprise carbon.  
   
   
       9 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said particles comprise metal flakes.  
   
   
       10 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said particles have a diameter of less than 1 micron.  
   
   
       11 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said particles have a diameter of less than 50 nm.  
   
   
       12 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said silver particles are less than 10 cubic microns across the major length.  
   
   
       13 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said particles have a size distribution having 90 percent of the particles less than 2 microns in diameter.  
   
   
       14 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said conductive material comprises organic conductor.  
   
   
       15 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 14  wherein said polypyrrole.  
   
   
       16 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said conductive layer comprises a conductive polymer.  
   
   
       17 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 16  wherein said polythiophene.  
   
   
       18 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  wherein said conductive material has a conductivity of less than 10 4  ohms/sq.  
   
   
       19 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 1  further comprising a binder.  
   
   
       20 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 19  wherein said binder comprises gelatin.  
   
   
       21 . The coatable conductive layer of  claim 19  wherein said binder is water soluble.  
   
   
       22 . A display comprising a substrate; at least one patternable coatable electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein said fluid-coated electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material, and an imaging layer comprising said light modulating material disposed over said at least one patternable fluid-coated electrically conductive layer, wherein said light modulating material has a first and a second field-switched stable optical state.  
   
   
       23 . The display of  claim 22  wherein the imaging layer contains a polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal layer.  
   
   
       24 . The display of  claim 23  wherein said cholesteric liquid crystal layer comprises fluid dispersed domains which have been dried to form said polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal layer.  
   
   
       25 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said at least one fluid-coated conductive layer is applied from an aqueous dispersion dried to form said conductive layer.  
   
   
       26 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said fluid comprises water.  
   
   
       27 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said fluid comprises organic solvent.  
   
   
       28 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said conductive material comprises particles.  
   
   
       29 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said particles comprise precious metal.  
   
   
       30 . The display of  claim 29  wherein said precious metal particles comprise silver particles.  
   
   
       31 . The display of  claim 30  wherein said silver particles have a diameter of less than 1 micron.  
   
   
       32 . The display of  claim 28  wherein said particles comprise carbon.  
   
   
       33 . The display of  claim 28  wherein said particles comprise metal flakes.  
   
   
       34 . The display of  claim 28  wherein said particles have a diameter of less than 1 micron.  
   
   
       35 . The display of  claim 28  wherein said particles have a diameter of less than 50 nm.  
   
   
       36 . The display of  claim 30  wherein said silver particles are less than 10 cubic micron across the major length.  
   
   
       37 . The display of  claim 28  wherein said particles have a size distribution having 90 percent of the particles less than 5 microns in diameter.  
   
   
       38 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said conductive material comprises organic conductor.  
   
   
       39 . The display of  claim 38  wherein said polypyrrole.  
   
   
       40 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said conductive layer comprises a conductive polymer.  
   
   
       41 . The display of  claim 40  wherein said polythiophene.  
   
   
       42 . The display of  claim 22  further comprising a binder.  
   
   
       43 . The display of  claim 42  wherein said binder comprises gelatin.  
   
   
       44 . The display of  claim 42  wherein said binder is water soluble.  
   
   
       45 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said at least one conductive layer is patterned with actinic radiation.  
   
   
       46 . The display of  claim 22  wherein said display further comprises at least a second patternable coatable electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein said fluid-coated electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material.  
   
   
       47 . The display of  claim 22  wherein the imaging layer further comprises a radiation absorbing layer.  
   
   
       48 . A method for making a coatable electrically conductive layer comprising providing a substrate and coating thereon an electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein said fluid-coated electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising coating a light modulating material between said substrate and said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 49  wherein said coating said light modulating material is performed prior to said coating of said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 49  wherein said coating said light modulating material is performed simultaneously to said coating of said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 49  further comprising applying a patterned conductive layer between said substrate and said light modulating material and prior to said coating said liquid crystal layer.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising coating a light modulating material on top of said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 48  wherein said coating comprises slide coating.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 48  wherein said light modulating material comprises a liquid crystal material.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising patterning said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       57 . A method for making a display comprising providing a substrate, applying a patterned conductive layer thereto, coating a light modulating layer onto said conductive layer and coating thereon a coatable electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein said fluid-coated electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 55  further comprising coating a light modulating material between said substrate and said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein said coating said light modulating material is performed prior to said coating of said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 58  wherein said coating said light modulating material is performed simultaneously to said coating of said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 58  further comprising applying a conductive layer between said substrate and said light modulating material and prior to said coating said liquid crystal layer.  
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 57  further comprising coating a light modulating material on top of said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.  
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 57  wherein said coating comprises slide coating.  
   
   
       64 . The method of  claim 57  wherein said light modulating material comprises a liquid crystal material.  
   
   
       65 . The method of  claim 57  further comprising patterning said fluid-coated electrically conductive layer.