Laser Processing of Printed Transparent Conductor Made of Metal Oxide and Silver Nanowires Film
A novel laser heating process creates superior, cost-effective transparent conducting films from silver nanowire composites on flexible substrates for displays and touch screens.
Transparent conducting film (TCF) is a critical component in displays including touch panel displays. Currently, there has been considerable research in using a printable technology for indium tin oxide (ITO) or aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films, but low sheet resistance has been unattainable.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a laser heating of composite TCF composed of silver nanowires (AgNws). This technology will form a high quality TCF on a flexible substrate without melting the substrate at high temperatures. It will target laser assisted printing of a new nanocomposite material for TCF, resulting in a higher quality than current technologies in both properties and cost.
Advantages:
-Abundant materials
-Superior performance
-Low cost
-Robust reliability and lifetime
Potential Applications:
-Touch screens
-Displays
-Laser Assisted Printing
TRL: 4
Intellectual Property:
Provisional-Patent, 2015-02-26, United States | Utility Patent, 2016-03-25, United States
Keywords: Transparent conducting film, TCF, silver nanowires, AgNws, laser heating, flexible substrate, nanocomposite material, touch screens, displays, laser assisted printing