Method And Apparatus For Producing Conductive Material

Patent Publication Number: US 8268400 B2

Title: Method and apparatus for producing conductive material

Filing Date: September 5, 2014

Priority Date: September 28, 2007

Inventor(s): Shinichi Nakahira, Kentaro Okazaki, Yasuaki MIYAUCHI

Original Assignee / Applicant(s): Fujifilm Corporation

Link to Patent: US8268400B2

Summary:

This invention discloses a method for producing a photosensitive conductive film that has both light transmittability and conductivity and can be used as an electromagnetic shielding film for blocking electromagnetic waves from display devices such as PDPs (plasma display panels) and liquid crystal displays, touch panels, etc. The method involves coating a surface of a transparent base material with a dispersion of a silver halide in gelatin; exposure treatment of the silver halide layer to form a mesh pattern, wherein portions of the silver halide layer are converted into metallic silver (light reflective portions) while the portions in between still comprise of silver halide and gelatin; removal of silver halide through fixation treatment leaving only the portions containing gelatin (light transmittable portions) interspersed between the metallic silver portions; electrifying the treated base material in a metal (iron, nickel, copper, silver, cobalt, zinc or tin) ion-containing solution using the metallic silver portion as a cathode and subjecting the electrification-treated base material to electroless plating treatment, whereby a plated layer of metal (iron, nickel, copper, silver, cobalt, zinc or tin) is deposited only on the metallic silver portions. The process of electrification, according to this invention, involves passing and compressing the treated base material through two rollers before it is lead in to an electrifying bath containing the anode and the activation solution. The aforementioned step of compressing the treated base material between the rollers (one of which is supplied with electricity) causes the metallic silver portions on the base material to act as the cathode. It is disclosed that the pressure exerted by the rollers, in the electrification step, is measured using Fujifilm Prescale® (extremely-ultralow-pressure).