SBIR Phase I: Efficient manufacturing of nanostructured flexible transparent conducting electrodes

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop efficient manufacturing of nanostructured flexible transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) with low resistivity and high durability. Flexible nanostructured TCEs will be produced by using the proprietary surface-embedding technology in flexible transparent polymers. It is anticipated to demonstrate superior flexibility, conductivity, and comparable transparency to the current technologies. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide a highly conductive and highly transparent conducting electrode that is flexible, durable, and inexpensive for applications in flexible thin-film photovoltaics (TFPVs). Existing TCEs, including other transparent conducting oxides, either are relatively inflexible and brittle, or if flexible, do not offer high conductivity and transparency, which has limited the adoption of many flexible TFPV technologies. Advances made through this project will have a significant long-term commercial impact by enabling the widespread adoption of flexible TFPVs.