Extending field-directed nanowire assembly to create large-area transparent conducting layered sandwich for new company-proposed product

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Solar photovoltaics, displays and touch screens are examples of common products that require transparent, conductive electrodes (TCEs). Familiar transparent materials, such as glass and plastics are typically not good conductors of electricity. Specially formulated materials, such as indium tin oxide provide both high transparency and high electrical conductivity, but these materials are expensive and prone to damage. Both drawbacks are especially strong when the application demands large TCE area. Conducting nanometer scale grids on non-conducting materials like glass, have been created using electron beam lithography, to demonstrate high conductivity with minimal loss of transparency, but are prohibitively expensive for devices with large area, of interest to our industry partner. Our laboratory is particularly well-matched to this problem, having recently published results demonstrating the creation of multiple chained networks of conducting nanowires on substrate. This was achieved by controlling the deposition of inexpensively synthesized nanowires, from a suspending fluid, by controlling applied electric fields. In this project with our industry partner, we will use this method to develop economical TCE-like layers on flexible transparent substrate layers for the company-specific application.