Solution-Processed Metal Nanowire Mesh Transparent Electrodes

TLDR

Transparent conductive electrodes are essential for thin‑film solar cells, LEDs, and displays, yet conventional doped metal‑oxide films suffer from limited transparency, brittleness, high cost, and the need for high‑temperature processing. Solution‑processed metal‑nanowire mesh electrodes deliver optical transparency equal to or better than metal‑oxide films at the same sheet resistance, and organic solar cells fabricated on them match the performance of devices using conventional metal‑oxide electrodes.

Abstract

Transparent conductive electrodes are important components of thin-film solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and many display technologies. Doped metal oxides are commonly used, but their optical transparency is limited for films with a low sheet resistance. Furthermore, they are prone to cracking when deposited on flexible substrates, are costly, and require a high-temperature step for the best performance. We demonstrate solution-processed transparent electrodes consisting of random meshes of metal nanowires that exhibit an optical transparency equivalent to or better than that of metal-oxide thin films for the same sheet resistance. Organic solar cells deposited on these electrodes show a performance equivalent to that of devices based on a conventional metal-oxide transparent electrode.