What is the most promising alternatives to ITO as a flexible transparent electrode? There are many substitutes to ITO as flexible transparent electrodes such as conducting polymers, SWCNTs, graphene, and silver nanowires. Each has its own merits. In terms of the transparency, conductivity, smoothly surface and stability, none of them can be comparable to the ITO. Now it seems more work to focus on very thin metal composites layer or thin metal grids for flexible electrodes. The question is how stable it is if using them as a flexible electrode to make electronic devices such as flexible OLEDs or solar cells? Much appreciated if any one could contribute to his thoughts.
Dear Xuhua,welcome,
The transparent conductive electrode has two main functions: an electrical function serving as a cathode or anode to the optoelectronic device and optical function where it has to allow the passage of light through it with the minimum losses. Also it has also mechanical requirement where it must be durable and strong. In addition it has environmental requirement such that it must possess high resistance against the environmental effects.
The electrical requirement:
-The sheet resistance must be very small ideally zero
- It must make ohmic contacts with the contacted solar cell materials
The optical characteristics:
- Very low reflectance
- very low absorption
Mechanical properties:
-Mechanically durable and strong
Environmental properties:
-Insensitive to environmental variations withstanding the environmental effects for long time
It remains the manufacturability
- Easy to manufacture and test.
So one can make a comparison table according to above proposed criteria.
Best wishes
Dear Xuhua,welcome,
The transparent conductive electrode has two main functions: an electrical function serving as a cathode or anode to the optoelectronic device and optical function where it has to allow the passage of light through it with the minimum losses. Also it has also mechanical requirement where it must be durable and strong. In addition it has environmental requirement such that it must possess high resistance against the environmental effects.
The electrical requirement:
-The sheet resistance must be very small ideally zero
- It must make ohmic contacts with the contacted solar cell materials
The optical characteristics:
- Very low reflectance
- very low absorption
Mechanical properties:
-Mechanically durable and strong
Environmental properties:
-Insensitive to environmental variations withstanding the environmental effects for long time
It remains the manufacturability
- Easy to manufacture and test.
So one can make a comparison table according to above proposed criteria.
Best wishes
I like the list of properties for a comparison table, suggested by @Abdelhalim Zekry for transparent conductive films (TCF). May I propose small corrections and additions to it?
- TCF should be recyclable or cheap and safe to dispose in wastes
- instead of ohmic contact, a diode contact of correct polarity and negligible potential drop for direct current might be good
- the film itself might be a part of the electronic device, in which case the contact properties are predefined
- TCF might be not mechanically strong but durable, e.g. self-healing (hardly the term mechanically strong is appropriate for liquid electrolyte, as example)
- reflectance and absorbance outside of the useful spectrum is good (prevent heating and bleaching)
- higher heat conductivity is preferred
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