Transparent Contacts with Metal Nanowire Networks

Orateur : Husnu Emrah UNALAN (Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, METU, Ankara, Turkey)

Figure of merit transparency and sheet resistance values of the metal nanowire networks are very close, if not better, than those of commercially available transparent and conducting thin films, such as indium tin oxide (ITO). In addition, nanowire networks carry the prominent advantage of solution processability. In this presentation, I will talk about our efforts on the utilization of silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) nanowire networks as transparent contacts for polymeric light emitting diodes, solar cells, transparent heaters and electrochromic supercapacitors. Following their synthesis and purification, nanowires are deposited onto various substrates in the form of networks through spray coating. Surface roughness and long-term stability of the networks are carefully monitored, where the latter is a particularly important problem for Cu nanowires. Infiltration of a conducting polymer decreased the roughness associated with the networks so that they can be used as anodes in polymeric light emitting diodes. In order to eliminate the shading losses associated with conventional screen-printed finger electrodes in single crystalline silicon solar cells, networks were utilized as top contacts. When used as transparent heaters, reproducible heating characteristics and uniform temperature distribution was obtained from the networks. Last but not least, high transparency and conductivity of nanowire network current collectors allowed the fabrication of electrochromic supercapacitors and investigation of the spectroelectrochemical properties of conducting polymers ; however, the electrochemical stability of the nanowires are yet to be improved.

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