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Scalable Solution-processed Fabrication Strategy for High-performance, Flexible, Transparent Electrodes with Embedded Metal Mesh
Published on: June 23, 2017
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Flexible transparent conductive films combining flexographic printed silver grids with CNT coating
1Beijing Engineering Research Center of Printed Electronics, Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Beijing 102600, People's Republic of China.
Nanotechnology
|January 14, 2016
Summary
A novel transparent conductive film (TCF) combines silver grids and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for enhanced conductivity and flexibility. This ITO-free film shows improved performance in polymer solar cells, offering a promising alternative for flexible electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Energy
Background:
- Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is a standard transparent conductive film (TCF) but suffers from brittleness and high cost.
- Developing flexible, high-performance, and cost-effective TCFs is crucial for next-generation electronics, particularly flexible solar cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-performance, ITO-free transparent conductive film (TCF) by hybridizing silver (Ag) grids with carbon nanotube (CNT) coatings.
- To evaluate the electrical, optical, mechanical, and flexibility properties of the Ag grid/CNT hybrid film.
- To assess the performance of the hybrid film as an anode in polymer solar cells (PSCs).
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Ag grids using flexography with a 20 μm line width and 400 μm interval.
- Coating the Ag grids with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to create a hybrid film.
- Characterization of sheet resistance, light transmittance, flexibility, and mechanical strength.
- Fabrication and testing of polymer solar cells (PSCs) using the hybrid film as an anode.
Main Results:
- The Ag grid/CNT hybrid film achieved a sheet resistance of 14.8 Ω/□ and 82.6% light transmittance.
- Compared to pure Ag grids, the hybrid film showed a 23.98% reduction in sheet resistance and only a 2.52% loss in transmittance.
- The hybrid film demonstrated superior flexibility and mechanical strength compared to ITO films.
- Polymer solar cells (PSCs) utilizing the Ag grid/CNT hybrid anode achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.61%, a 24.5% improvement over PSCs with pure Ag grids (0.49% PCE).
Conclusions:
- The Ag grid/CNT hybrid film offers a high-performance, ITO-free transparent conductive solution with excellent conductivity, optical transparency, flexibility, and mechanical robustness.
- The improved conductivity is attributed to CNTs filling inter-grid areas and interconnecting silver nanoparticles.
- This hybrid film shows significant potential for applications in flexible electronics, particularly as an anode in polymer solar cells, with ongoing research to further enhance performance.
