Optical and electrical properties of BaSnO_(3) and In_2O_(3) mixed transparent conductive films deposited by filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique at room temperature

For the crystalline temperature of BaSnO_(3)(BTO)was above 650℃,the transparent conductive BTO-based films were always deposited above this temperature on epitaxy substrates by pulsed laser deposition or molecular beam epitaxy till now which limited there application in low temperature device process.In the article,the microstructure,optical and electrical of BTO and In_(2)O_(3) mixed transparent conductive BaInSnO_(x)(BITO)film deposited by filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique(FCVA)on glass substrate at room temperature were firstly reported.The BITO film with thickness of 300 nm had mainly In_(2)O_(3) polycrystalline phase,and minor polycrystalline BTO phase with(001),(011),(111),(002),(222)crystal faces which were first deposited at room temperature on amorphous glass.The transmittance was 70%–80%in the visible light region with linear refractive index of 1.94 and extinction coefficient of 0.004 at 550-nm wavelength.The basic optical properties included the real and imaginary parts,high frequency dielectric constants,the absorption coefficient,the Urbach energy,the indirect and direct band gaps,the oscillator and dispersion energies,the static refractive index and dielectric constant,the average oscillator wavelength,oscillator length strength,the linear and the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities,and the nonlinear refractive index were all calculated.The film was the n-type conductor with sheet resistance of 704.7Ω/□,resistivity of 0.02Ω⋅cm,mobility of 18.9 cm2/V⋅s,and carrier electron concentration of 1.6×10^(19) cm^(−3) at room temperature.The results suggested that the BITO film deposited by FCVA had potential application in transparent conductive films-based low temperature device process.

Emerging Flexible Thermally Conductive Films:Mechanism,Fabrication,Application

Effective thermal management is quite urgent for electronics owing to their ever-growing integration degree,operation frequency and power density,and the main strategy of thermal management is to remove excess energy from electronics to outside by thermal conductive materials.Compared to the conventional thermal management materials,flexible thermally conductive films with high in-plane thermal conductivity,as emerging candidates,have aroused greater interest in the last decade,which show great potential in thermal management applications of next-generation devices.However,a comprehensive review of flexible thermally conductive films is rarely reported.Thus,we review recent advances of both intrinsic polymer films and polymer-based composite films with ultrahigh in-plane thermal conductivity,with deep understandings of heat transfer mechanism,processing methods to enhance thermal conductivity,optimization strategies to reduce interface thermal resistance and their potential applications.Lastly,challenges and opportunities for the future development of flexible thermally conductive films are also discussed.

Preparation and characterization of ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conductive films

ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conductive thin films were prepared by RF sputtering deposition of ZnO target and DC sputtering deposition of Cu target on n-type （001） Si and glass substrates at room temperature. The mor- phology, structure, optical, and electrical properties of the multilayer films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope （FESEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, UV/Vis spectrophotometer, and Hall effect mea- surement system. The influence of Cu layer thickness and the oxygen pressure in sputtering atmosphere on the film properties were studied. ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conduc- tive film fabricated in pure Ar atmosphere with 10 nm Cu layer thickness has the best performance： resistivity of 2.3 × 10^-4 Ω.cm, carrier concentration of 6.44 × 10^16 cm-2, mobility of 4.51 cm2.（V.s）-1, and acceptable aver- age transmittance of 80 % in the visible range. The trans- mittance and conductivity of the films fabricated with oxygen are lower than those of the films fabricated without oxygen, which indicates that oxygen atmosphere does not improve the optical and electrical properties of ZnO/Cu/ ZnO films.

Characteristics Improvement of PEDOT:PSS Transparent Conductive Film Prepared by Ink-Jet Printing

Recently, a high-performance and low-priced transparent conductive film has been expected to be developed because flexible devices produced using organic materials have been actively studied. An indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film, which has been generally used as a material for a transparent conductive film, has problems, such as fragility to bending stress and depletion of the resource. The present study used poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), an organic electroconductive material, and examined the improvement in the resistance value and visible light transmittance of a transparent conductive film produced using the ink-jet method. In previous studies, we reported that, to improve the resistance value and visible light transmittance of a thin film, it was effective to clean the film substrate with ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O3) treatment, anneal the film after it was deposited on the substance, and dip the annealed film into a polar solvent. Focusing on the thin film processing between printing operations, the present study improved resistance value and visible light transmittance by examining both the application methods of a polar solvent and the annealing time between printing operations. As a result, the resistance value and visible light transmittance of a PEDOT:PSS thin film were 390.4 Ω and 86.6%, respectively. This film was obtained by applying a polar solvent and performing annealing for 30 min between printing operations. The printing was performed three times.

Flexible, Transparent and Conductive Metal Mesh Films with Ultra‑High FoM for Stretchable Heating and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Despite the growing demand for transparent conductive films in smart and wearable electronics for electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding,achieving a flexible EMI shielding film,while maintaining a high transmittance remains a significant challenge.Herein,a flexible,transparent,and conductive copper(Cu)metal mesh film for EMI shielding is fabricated by self-forming crackle template method and electroplating technique.The Cu mesh film shows an ultra-low sheet resistance(0.18Ω□^(-1)),high transmittance(85.8%@550 nm),and ultra-high figure of merit(>13,000).It also has satisfactory stretchability and mechanical stability,with a resistance increases of only 1.3%after 1,000 bending cycles.As a stretchable heater(ε>30%),the saturation temperature of the film can reach over 110°C within 60 s at 1.00 V applied voltage.Moreover,the metal mesh film exhibits outstanding average EMI shielding effectiveness of 40.4 dB in the X-band at the thickness of 2.5μm.As a demonstration,it is used as a transparent window for shielding the wireless communication electromagnetic waves.Therefore,the flexible and transparent conductive Cu mesh film proposed in this work provides a promising candidate for the next-generation EMI shielding applications.

Fluorine,chlorine,and gallium co-doped zinc oxide transparent conductive films fabricated using the sol-gel spin method

Transparent conductive films(TCFs)are crucial components of solar cells.In this study,F,Cl,and Ga codoped ZnO(FCGZO)TCFs were deposited onto a glass substrate using the sol-gel spin-coating method and rapid thermal annealing.The effects of F-doping content on the structural,morphological,electrical,and optical properties of FCGZO films were examined by XRD,TEM,FE-SEM,PL spectroscopy,XPS,Hall effects testing,and UVeviseNIR spectroscopy.All prepared ZnO films exhibited a hexagonal wurtzite structure and preferentially grew along the c axis perpendicular to the substrate.Changes in the doping concentration of F changed the interplanar crystal spacing and O vacancies in the film.At a doping ratio of 2%(in mole),the F,Cl,and Ga co-doped ZnO film exhibited the best photoelectric performance,with a carrier concentration of 2.62×10^(20)cm^(-3),mobility of 14.56 cm^(2)/(V·s),and resistivity of 1.64×10^(-3)Ucm.The average transmittance(AT)in the 380-1600 nm region nearly 90%with air as the reference,and the optical band gap was 3.52 eV.

Flexible Transparent Conductive Films on the Basis of Ag Nanowires:Design and Applications:A Review

Transparent conductive films are used ubiquitously in optoelectronic devices.The properties of transparent films are extremely important for device performance,and the specifications vary according to types of devices.Over the past few years,various types of transparent conductive films on the basis of nanomaterials have emerged,and among these materials,silver nanowire networks show promising performance and represent a viable alternative to the commonly used,scarce and brittle indium tin oxide.In this paper,the working principle and the design protocol of Ag nanowire network flexible transparent conductive films are reviewed,and the applications of Ag nanowircs transparent conductive film are also briefly introduced.Concluding remarks are provided to propose future research in this field towards real-world applications.

High-performance single-wall carbon nanotube transparent conductive films

A single-wall carbon nanotube(SWCNT)has superior optical,electrical,and mechanical properties due to its unique structure and is therefore expected to be able to form flexible high-performance transparent conductive films(TCFs).However,the optoelectronic performance of these films needs to be improved to meet the requirements of many devices.The electrical resistivity of SWCNTTCFs is mainly determined by the intrinsic resistivity of individual SWCNTs and their junction resistance in networks.We analyze these key factors and focus on the optimization of SWCNTs and their networks,which include the diameter,length,crystallinity and electrical type of the SWCNTs,and the bundle size and interconnects in networks,as well as chemical doping and microgrid design.We conclude that isolated/small-bundle,heavily doped metallic or semiconducting SWCNTs with a large diameter,long length and high crystallinity are necessary to fabricate high-performance SWCNTTCFs.A simple,controllable way to construct macroscopic SWCNT networks with Y-type connections,welded junctions or microgrid design is important in achieving a low resistivity.Finally,some insights into the key challenges in the manufacture and use of SWCNT TCFs and their prospects are presented,hoping to shed light on promoting the practical application of SWCNT TCFs in future flexible and stretchable optoelectronics.

Silk Fibroin Based Conductive Film for Multifunctional Sensing and Energy Harvesting

Development of biomaterial based flexible electronics has got intensive attention owing to the potential applications in the wearable and epidermal devices.Silk fibroin,as a natural textile material with excellent performance,has been widely concerned by industry and academy.However,the property of electrical insulation limits his development in the field of flexible electronics.In this paper,a regenerated silk fibroin/carbon nanotube(RSF/CNT)conductive film has been successfully fabricated and applied in flexible capacitive-type pressure sensor and wearable triboelectric nanogenerator by a facile method.The electrical conductivity and mechanical property of RSF/CNT film was optimized by investigating with different composite ratio from 10 to 90%(W_(RSF)/W_(CNT)).The RSF/CNT film has a good photothermal response and electric heating performance.We furtherly demonstrated that the RSF/CNT based sensor can be used as epidermal self-powered sensor for multifunction human motion monitoring and Morse code compilation.The observed research results have shown that the RSF/CNT film has a wide range of potential application prospects in the wearable electronics field.

The effect of grid shape on the properties of transparent conductive films based on flexographic printing

The effect of grid shape on the properties of transparent conductive films(TCFs) is theoretically analyzed and experimentally verified. The light transmittance by three types of grid shapes: triangle, square and hexagon have been theoretically calculated and simulated. It was found that hexagonal grid unit has the highest light transmittance limit under the practical lattice parameters and its decrease in light transmittance caused by the increase of line width in printing process is the least. The grid of three different shapes with same theoretical transmittance is fabricated through flexographic printing. The result shows that the actual light transmittance of the printed TCFs is lower than its theoretical value because of the inevitable width increase of printed grid lines, with slight difference between the three shapes. However, it is greatly different in terms of conductivity, leading to variation in the quality factor Q(defined as the ratio of light transmittance to total resistance) which represents the performance of TCFs. The Q of hexagonal grid(6.04) is the highest, which is 21% higher than that of the square grid.

Fabrication of high-quality silver nanowire conductive film and its application for transparent film heaters

Here,we report a facile method to produce pure silver nanowires(Ag NWs)with high yield.A highly conductive dispersant was used to ensure uniform dispersion of the Ag NWs.Without any posttreatment,the Ag NW networks,deposited on flexible substrates,showed excellent optoelectrical performance owing to minimal junction resistance between the Ag NWs.To explore their potential in flexible optoelectronic devices,a transparent film heater was constructed based on the present Ag NW networks.The heater could achieve rapid response at low input voltage and reach a relatively high temperature in a short response time.Since this high-quality Ag NW film exhibits relatively low production costs and fast production time,it may have value for future electronic industry applications.

Fabrication of Flexible Transparent Conductive Films with Silver Nanowire by Vacuum Filtration and PET Mold Transfer

The flexible transparent conductive films （FrCFs） of silver nanowire-polyethylene terephthalate （AgNW- PET） were prepared by a facile method including vacuum filtration and mold transferring. The effect of silver nanowire weight density on the optical and electrical properties of films, as well as the electrical percolation was investigated. The obtained typical AgNW-PET film exhibited high figure of merit of 31.3 × 10^-3 Ω^-1 with low sheet resistance of 4.95 D sq^-1 and high transparency at 550 nm of 83.0% （excluding PET substrate）. The resulting FTCFs based on PET substrate with high transmittance and low sheet resistance have a great potential in the application of high-performance flexible electronics and photovoltaic devices.

Conductive Polyaniline/Cellulose/Graphite Composite Films with High Thermal Stability and Antibacterial Activity

Functional composite films were successfully prepared from cellulose, graphite(GP), and polyaniline(PANI) using a combination of physical and chemical processes. Cellulosewasdissolved in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide monohydrate(NMMO) and regenerated in water to form the matrix. GP was dispersed in the NMMO solvent prior to the dissolution of the cellulose, and PANI was deposited on the surfaces of the cellulose/GP films by in situ chemical polymerization. The structures of the PANI/cellusose/GP composite films were investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and SEM/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The mechanical strengths, thermal stabilities, conductivities, and antibacterial activities of the films were studied in detail. The results showed that GP formed a multilayered structure in the cellulose matrix and that the PANI nanoparticles were tightly wrapped on the film surface. The film thickness increased from 40 mm to 100 mm after the addition of GP and PANI. The tensile strength of the composite films was 80~107 MPa, with the elongation at break being 3%~10%. The final residual weight of the composite films was as high as 65%, and the conductivity of the composite films reached 14.36 S/m. The cellulose matrix ensured that the films were flexible and exhibited desirable mechanical properties, while the GP filler significantly improved the thermal stability of the films. The PANI coating acted as a protective layer during burning and provided good electrical conductivity and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli; both of these characteristics were slightly enhanced by the incorporation of GP. These PANI/cellulose/GP composite films should be suitable for use in electronics, antistatic packing, and numerous other applications.

Development on transparent conductive ZnO thin films doped with various impurity elements

A general review of recent research progress in fabricating transparent conductive ZnO thin films by means of intentional doping and codoping with In, Ga, A1, Mg, Li, F, H, N, and P, divided into metals and nonmetals, is presented in this article. The main emphasis is placed on introducing and discussing the recent research achievements on the mechanisms of the incorporation of these impurities, and their effects on the electrical and optical properties. Lastly, this article concludes with a summary of the present state of investigations on doping elements in fabricating functional ZnO thin films for photoelectric applications, and with our personal view of the perspective of future studies on doped ZnO thin films.

High performance flexible metal oxide/silver nanowire based transparent conductive films by a scalable lamination-assisted solution method

Flexible MoO_(3)/silver nanowire(AgNW)/MoO_(3)/TiO_(2)/Epoxy electrodes with comparable performance to ITO were fabricated by a scalable solution-processed method with lamination assistance for transparent and conductive applications.Silver nanoparticle-based electrodes were also prepared for comparison.Using a simple spin-coating and lamination-assisted planarization method,a full solution-based approach allows preparation of AgNW-based composite electrodes at temperatures as low as 140℃.The resulting flexible AgNW-based electrodes exhibit higher transmittance of 82%at 550 nm and lower sheet resistance about 12-15Ωsq^(-1),in comparison with the values of 68%and 22-25Ωsq^(-1) separately for AgNP based electrodes.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and Atomic force microscopy(AFM)reveals that the multi-stacked metal-oxide layers embedded with the AgNWs possess lower surface roughness(<15 nm).The AgNW/MoO_(3) composite network could enhance the charge transport and collection efficiency by broadening the lateral conduction range due to the built of an efficient charge transport network with long-sized nanowire.In consideration of the manufacturing cost,the laminationassisted solution-processed method is cost-effective and scalable,which is desire for large-area fabrication.While in view of the materials cost and comparable performance,this AgNW-based transparent and conductive electrodes is potential as an alternative to ITO for various optoelectronic applications.

Effects of Atomic Oxygen Irradiation on Transparent Conductive Oxide Thin Films

Transparent conductive oxide （TCO） thin film is a kind of functional material which has potential applications in solar cells and atomic oxygen （AO） resisting systems in spacecrafts. Of TCO, ZnO：Al （ZAO） and In2O3：Sn （ITO） thin films have been widely used and investigated. In this study, ZAO and ITO thin films were irradiated by AO with different amounts of fluence. The as-deposited samples and irradiated ones were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and Hall-effect measurement to investigate the dependence of the structure, morphology and electrical properties of ZAO or ITO on the amount of fluence of AO irradiation. It is noticed that AO has erosion effects on the surface of ZAO without evident influences upon its structure and conductive properties. Moreover, as the amount of AO fluence rises, the carrier concentration of ITO decreases causing the resistivity to increase by at most 21.7%.

Properties of doped ZnO transparent conductive thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering using a series of high quality ceramic targets

To obtain high transmittance and low resistivity ZnO transparent conductive thin films,a series of ZnO ceramic targets（ZnO：Al,ZnO：（Al,Dy）,ZnO：（Al,Gd）,ZnO：（Al,Zr）,ZnO：（Al,Nb）,and ZnO：（Al,W）） were fabricated and used to deposit thin films onto glass substrates by radio frequency（RF） magnetron sputtering.X-ray diffraction（XRD） analysis shows that the films are polycrystalline fitting well with hexagonal wurtzite structure and have a preferred orientation of the（002） plane.The transmittance of above 86% as well as the lowest resistivity of 8.43 × 10^-3 Ω·cm was obtained.

A Novel Method of Fabricating Flexible Transparent Conductive Large Area Graphene Film

We fabricate flexible conductive and transparent graphene films on position-emission-tomography substrates and prepare large area graphene films by graphite oxide sheets with the new technical process. The multi-layer graphene oxide sheets can be chemically reduced by HNO3 and HI to form a highly conductive graphene film on a substrate at lower temperature. The reduced graphene oxide sheets show a high conductivity sheet with resistance of 476Ω/sq and transmittance of 76% at 550nm （6 layers）. The technique used to produce the transparent conductive graphene thin film is facile, inexpensive, and can be tunable for a large area production applied for electronics or touch screens.

Preparation and Characterization of Transparent Conductive Zinc Doped Tin Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Radio-frequency Magnetron Sputtering

High transparent and conductive thin films of zinc doped tin oxide （ZTO） were deposited on quartz substrates by the radio-frequency （RF） magnetron sputtering using a 12 wt% ZnO doped with 88 wt% SnO2 ceramic target.The effect of substrate temperature on the structural,electrical and optical performances of ZTO films has been studied.X-ray diffraction （XRD） results show that ZTO films possess tetragonal rutile structure with the preferred orientation of （101）.The surface morphology and roughness of the films was investigated by the atomic force microscope （AFM）.The electrical characteristic （including carrier concentration,Hall mobility and resistivity） and optical transmittance were studied by the Hall tester and UV- VIS,respectively.The highest carrier concentration of -1.144×1020 cm-3 and the Hall mobility of 7.018 cm2（V ·sec）-1 for the film with an average transmittance of about 80.0% in the visible region and the lowest resistivity of 1.116×10-2 Ω·cm were obtained when the ZTO films deposited at 250 oC.

Effect of Oxygen Concentration and Annealing Theatment on the Optical Properties of the Transparent Conductive CdIn_2O_4 Thin Films

Transparent conductive cadmium indium oxide films (CdIn2O4) were prepared by r.f. reactive sputtering from Cd-In alloy targets under an Ar-O2 atmosphere. Electrical conductivity of the order of 105Ω-1.m-1 and the optical transmission as high as 94% are easily attained by postdeposition annealing treatment. The effects of oxygen concentration in the reactive gas mixture and post-deposition annealing treatment on the optical transmittance as well as optical parameters, such as refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k), real part (ε') and imaginary part (ε') of the dielectric constant, were studied in the visible and near-infrared region. The highfrequency dielectric constant ε∞ the plasma frequency ωP, and the conduction band effective mass mc of different samples were also investigated