Transparent, Conductive Films Promising for Developing Flexible Screens

Researchers have demonstrated large-scale fabrication of a new type of transparent conductive electrode film based on nanopatterned silver.

Smartphone touch screens and flat panel televisions use transparent electrodes to detect touch and to quickly switch the color of each pixel. Because silver is less brittle and more chemically resistant than materials currently used to make these electrodes, the new films could offer a high-performance and long-lasting option for use with flexible screens and electronics. The silver-based films could also enable flexible solar cells for installation on windows, roofs and even personal devices.

In the journal Optical Materials Express, the researchers report fabrication of a transparent conducting thin-film on glass discs 10 centimeters in diameter. Based on theoretical estimations that matched closely with experimental measurements, they calculate that the thin-film electrodes could perform significantly better than those used for existing flexible displays and touch screens.

Read more at Optical Society

Image Credit: Jes Linnet, University of Southern Denmark

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