Optically transparent nanostructured electrical conductors
First Claim
1. A electrically conductive patterned film comprising carbon nanotubes wherein said film has a transparency and an electrical resistivity.
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Abstract
The invention is directed to compositions and methods for forming highly transparent and electrically conductive coatings/films by exploiting self patterning nanostructures composed of electrically conductive materials. The resulting layer is suitable for conducting electricity in applications where a transparent electrode is required. Typical applications include, but are not limited to; LC displays, touch screens, EMI shielding windows, and architectural windows. In one embodiment, carbon nanotubes are applied to an insulating substrate to form an electrically conductive network of nanotubes with controlled porosity in the network. The open area, between the networks of nanotubes, increases the optical transparency in the visible spectrum while the continuous nanotube phase provides electrical conductivity across the entire surface or patterned area. Through the controlled application of this self assembled network of nanotubes of by means of printing or spraying, patterned areas can be formed to function as electrodes in devices. The use of printing technology to form these electrodes obviates the need for more expensive process such as vacuum deposition and photolithography typically employed today during the formation of ITO coatings.
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Citations
34 Claims
- 1. A electrically conductive patterned film comprising carbon nanotubes wherein said film has a transparency and an electrical resistivity.
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16. A transparent, electrically conductive film comprising:
a pattern of carbon nanotubes within said film, wherein said pattern provides an electrical resistivity of less than 103 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 75%. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method of forming a transparent film of patterned electrically conductive carbon nanotubes comprising:
patterning a fluid containing carbon nanotubes on a transparent surface to allow for electrical conductivity across at least a portion of said surface and a visible transparency. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A electrically conductive patterned layer with enhanced transparency comprising:
a pattern of conductive material with a combination of a thickness and a pattern, said combination determined by computing an electrical conductivity and a visible absorption coefficient against a plurality of degrees of patterning and a plurality of material thicknesses. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of forming a patterned layer with enhanced transparency comprising:
patterning a conductive material on a substrate at a combination of a thickness and a pattern, said combination determined by;
computing an electrical conductivity and a visible absorption coefficient against a plurality of degrees of patterning and a plurality of material thicknesses. - View Dependent Claims (34)
Specification