Abstract
To obtain low sheet resistance, high optical transmittance, small open spaces in conductive networks, and enhanced adhesion of flexible transparent conductive films, a carbon nanotube (CNT)/silver nanowire (AgNW)-PET hybrid film was fabricated by mechanical pressing-transfer process at room temperature. The morphology and structure were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM), the optical transmittance and sheet resistance were tested by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) spectrophotometer and four-point probe technique, and the adhesion was also measured by 3M sticky tape. The results indicate that in this hybrid nanostructure, AgNWs form the main conductive networks and CNTs as assistant conductive networks are filled in the open spaces of AgNWs networks. The sheet resistance of the hybrid films can reach approximately 20.9 to 53.9 Ω/□ with the optical transmittance of approximately 84% to 91%. The second mechanical pressing step can greatly reduce the surface roughness of the hybrid film and enhance the adhesion force between CNTs, AgNWs, and PET substrate. This process is hopeful for large-scale production of high-end flexible transparent conductive films.
Highlights
Flexible transparent conductive films (FTCFs) have received much attention because of their electrical and optical properties and their feasibility in bending, folding, and mounting to a surface, which have a great potential to be applied in a large-area display, touch screen, lightemitting diode, solar cell, semiconductor sensor, etc. [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Whereafter, the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane bearing the carbon nanotube (CNT)/ AgNWs is pressed against the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate at a moderate pressure of 3 MPa, because we found that in our experiments the sheet resistance of AgNW film has little change when pressed at a pressure of more than 3 MPa, so 3 MPa is enough for a AgNW film to reduce resistance
When the pressure is released after a few seconds and the PVDF membrane is peeled off slowly from the substrate, the CNT/AgNW film is entirely transferred onto the substrate
Summary
Flexible transparent conductive films (FTCFs) have received much attention because of their electrical and optical properties and their feasibility in bending, folding, and mounting to a surface, which have a great potential to be applied in a large-area display, touch screen, lightemitting diode, solar cell, semiconductor sensor, etc. [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Indium tin oxide (ITO) as a traditional transparent conductive material has been widely used for organic solar cells and light-emitting diodes; it cannot meet the market demand of FTCF due to its rising cost and brittleness and it has limited applicability in flexible electronic devices [8,9,10]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [11,12], graphene [13,14], or a hybrid of them [15] have attracted significant interest and have been successfully used as transparent conductive materials on flexible substrates in organic light-emitting diodes and researchers found that MNW films have electrically nonconductive open spaces (approximately 200 to 1,000 μm), and the open spaces become bigger for sparser networks [31,32], and some applications require continuously conductive or low nonconductive regions. Significant improvement is needed for new materials or processes which can bring cost-effective and reliable transparent conductive films
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