Composite transparent conductors and methods of forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10244637-B2
Application number	US-201113206279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2011
Priority date	Apr 20, 2007
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Composite transparent conductors are described, which comprise a primary conductive medium based on metal nanowires and a secondary conductive medium based on a continuous conductive film.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A layered composite transparent conductor comprising:
a first layer of a primary conductive medium comprising a first type of electrically conductive nanostructures, wherein:
a plurality of the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures are interconnected to define a network, and
the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures are metal nanowires or metal nanotubes; and

a second layer of a secondary conductive medium contacting the first layer of the primary conductive medium, wherein:
the secondary conductive medium comprises a second type of electrically conductive nanostructures,
the secondary conductive medium forms a conductive layer that is vertically conductive so as to equalize an electrical potential distribution in the layered composite transparent conductor, and
the second type of electrically conductive nanostructures have a different material, dimension, geometry or structure than the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures.

2. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate layer, wherein:
the first layer of the primary conductive medium is positioned on top of the second layer of the secondary conductive medium, and
the second layer of the secondary conductive medium is positioned on top of the substrate layer.

3. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate layer, wherein the first layer of the primary conductive medium is positioned between the second layer of the secondary conductive medium and the substrate layer.

4. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , wherein the first layer of the primary conductive medium and the second layer of the secondary conductive medium are electrically coupled.

5. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , wherein the layered composite transparent conductor has a light transmission higher than 85% and a sheet resistance of less than 1000 Ω/□.

6. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , wherein the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures are silver nanowires and the second type of electrically conductive nanostructures comprise carbon nanotubes.

7. A device comprising a layered composite transparent conductor comprising:
a first layer of a primary conductive medium comprising a first type of electrically conductive nanostructures, wherein:
a plurality of the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures are interconnected to define a network, and
the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures are metal nanowires or metal nanotubes; and

a second layer of a secondary conductive medium contacting the first layer of the primary conductive medium, wherein:
the secondary conductive medium comprises a second type of electrically conductive nanostructure different than the first type of electrically conductive nanostructure, and
the secondary conductive medium forms a conductive layer that is vertically conductive so as to equalize an electrical potential distribution in the layered composite transparent conductor.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures are silver nanowires.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the layered composite transparent conductor forms a first transparent electrode.

10. The device of claim 9 , further comprising a second composite transparent conductor forming a second transparent electrode opposite to the first transparent electrode.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the layered composite transparent conductor has a light transmission higher than 85% and a sheet resistance of less than 1000 Ω/□.

12. The device of claim 7 , wherein the device is a flat panel display, a touch screen, an electromagnetic shielding device, an electromagnetic interference device, an electroluminescent device or a photovoltaic cell.

13. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , wherein the second type of electrically conductive nanostructures comprise a plurality of carbon nanotubes.

14. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 13 , further comprising a third type of electrically conductive nanoparticles, wherein the third type of electrically conductive nanoparticles are metal nanoparticles, carbon black nanoparticles, graphene sheets, or a combination thereof.

15. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures are above an electrical percolation threshold.

16. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , wherein the second type of electrically conductive nanostructures are nanoparticles.

17. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , wherein the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures have a first diameter and the second type of electrically conductive nanostructures have a second diameter different than the first diameter.

18. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 17 , wherein the second diameter is less than the first diameter.

19. The layered composite transparent conductor of claim 1 , wherein the first type of electrically conductive nanostructures have a first aspect ratio and the second type of electrically conductive nanostructures have a second aspect ratio different than the first aspect ratio.

Assignees

• Jones David
• Pschenitzka Florian
• Quan Xina
• Spaid Michael A
• Wolk Jeffrey
• Cambrios Film Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Jones David
• Pschenitzka Florian
• Quan Xina
• Spaid Michael A
• Wolk Jeffrey

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H05K2201/026

  Nanotubes or nanowires · CPC title

• H01L51/0048

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G02F1/13439

  characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title