Abstract
Transparent conductive films are used in a wide variety of devices. While solar cell top electrodes as well as tablet and mobile phone screens require high optical transparency and low sheet resistance (>80% and <10 Ω/□) to maximize power efficiency; other, less demanding applications, such as those in capacitive touch panels and antistatic coatings, in which only small currents are involved, can be managed with coatings of moderate conductivity. In this paper, we show that area-selective argon plasma treated polyethylene terephthalate surfaces are suitable for localized deposition of carbon nanotubes from their aqueous dispersions by a simple dip coating and subsequent drying processes. The as-deposited carbon nanotubes form entangled networks in microscopic patterns over the plasma-treated surface areas with sheet resistance of <1 kΩ/□ and optical transparency of ~75%. Based on this process, we demonstrate grid-type transparent conductive thin films of carbon nanotubes as capacitive touch sensors. Since each process step is robust, easy to up and downscale, and may be implemented even in roll-to-roll and sheet-to-sheet fabrication, the demonstrated technology is promising to produce grid-type structures even at an industrial scale in the future.
Highlights
IntroductionTransparent conductive metal oxides (mainly indium-doped tin oxide, ITO and fluorine-doped tin oxide, FTO and aluminum-doped zinc oxide, AZO), with their excellent optical and electrical properties have been the benchmark for many applications for decades [1]
Transparent conductive metal oxides, with their excellent optical and electrical properties have been the benchmark for many applications for decades [1]
10.8 mg of the SWCNTCOOH was sonicated for 3 h in a solution of 300 ml of distilled water and 3 ml of NH4OH, the dispersion was centrifuged for 30 min at 3000 rpm and the supernatant was collected
Summary
Transparent conductive metal oxides (mainly indium-doped tin oxide, ITO and fluorine-doped tin oxide, FTO and aluminum-doped zinc oxide, AZO), with their excellent optical and electrical properties have been the benchmark for many applications for decades [1]. The mechanical brittleness, increasing price and prognosis of indium becoming potentially scarce (without proper recycling if the current pace of its usage continues) have pushed industry to seek alternatives to these materials, bringing several challengers to the scene [2] Among these materials, conductive polymers [3], carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [4, 5], graphene [6], metal nanowires [7] and their composites [8, 9] have been the most prominent ones to brake the hegemony of inorganic oxide based transparent conductive films. Difficulties related to oxidation and consequent formation of tunneling barriers between the nanowires in the network can be circumvented by passivating/protecting the surface of nanowires [14, 15]
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