Nanomaterials-Enabled Transparent Conductive Film

The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking the development of an advanced transparent conductive film for solid-state lighting, especially for organic light emitting diode (OLED) anode applications. Currently, the most dominant choice is indium tin oxide (ITO) based transparent conductive film (TCF). However, these films suffer from high cost, high processing temperature, low stability and poor flexibility and cannot satisfy the fast growth of OLED SSL. During the proposed project, the company will develop a Nanomaterials-Enabled Transparent Conductive Film based on a composite structure of carbon nanomaterials and inorganic nanoparticles. Overall, the proposed film will have low sheet resistance, high transmittance, excellent mechanical strength and flexibility, good stability for long term operation and compatibility with industrial manufacture processes. It will not only address DOE’s need and replace ITO as the OLED anode for SSL applications, but also promote other areas of DOE interest, such as OLED displays, organic photovoltaics, touch screens, and wearable devices. In Phase I, we will: (1) develop the composite materials; (2) fabricate and characterize the film, and demonstrate its feasibility for OLED anode applications; and (3) preliminarily assess the technical and economic feasibility of this nanomaterial-based transparent conductive film for meeting DOE final goals.