Patent ID: 6395149
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: H01B

Abstract:
A method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a plurality of core particles wherein each particle independently comprises a material selected from the group consisting of inorganic materials and polymeric materials and wherein each particle has a major particle dimension of less than 1000 microns; (b) applying a conductive coating comprising a conductive metal oxide selected from the group consisting of indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, antimony tin oxide, zinc aluminum oxide, chlorine doped tin oxide, and fluorine doped tin oxide on each particle by physical vapor deposition sputter coating process such that the conductive oxide coating is adhered to each core particle, in order to form a composition comprising a plurality of coated particles, wherein the coated particles have a &Dgr;Ew* value; and (c) optionally heating the composition in an atmosphere comprising oxygen to decrease the &Dgr;Ew* value of the coated particles; wherein it is required that upon completion of step (b) or step (c), if step (c) is included, that the coated particles have a volume resistivity of greater than 0.1 ohm-cm and less than 1000 ohm-cm; and wherein at least one of the following of (I) and (II) is true: (I) wherein the coated particles after step (b) have a &Dgr;Ew* value of less than 50; (II) wherein the coated particles after step (c), if included, have a &Dgr;Ew* value of less than 50.