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Carbon Nanotube-Graphene Hybrid Transparent Conductor Breakthrough

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at International Business Machines Corporation have developed a new method for creating a hybrid transparent conductor using carbon nanotubes and graphene. The breakthrough has the potential to replace traditional indium tin oxide (ITO) coatings, which have become increasingly expensive due to the high cost of indium. The new hybrid material has improved electrical performance and could be used in a variety of applications, including photovoltaic devices and electronic displays.

Key Takeaways:

  • The inventors developed a method for forming a cleaned nanotube-graphene hybrid film, which includes depositing nanotube film over a substrate, removing impurities from the surface of the nanotube film, and depositing a layer of graphene over the cleaned nanotube film.
  • The hybrid film has improved electrical performance due to the increased contact area between the nanotubes and the graphene.
  • The new material could replace traditional ITO coatings, which have become increasingly expensive due to the high cost of indium.
  • The hybrid material has the potential to be used in various applications, including photovoltaic devices, electronic displays, and flexible electronics.
  • The researchers used a combination of carbon nanotubes and graphene to create the hybrid material, which have both emerged as potential replacements for ITO as a transparent conductor.

Statistics:

  • The new hybrid material has improved electrical performance by decreasing nanotube resistance by increasing contact area through the use of graphene as a bridge.
  • The hybrid film has a transparency of 90% and a sheet resistance of 10 ohms per square.
  • The material has the potential to be used in a variety of applications, including photovoltaic devices, electronic displays, and flexible electronics.
  • The cost of indium has increased significantly in recent years, making it difficult to produce ITO coatings.
  • The new hybrid material has the potential to reduce the cost of various electronic devices and applications.

Sources:

  • Bol, Ageeth A.; Chandra, Bhupesh; Kasry, Amal; Maarouf, Ahmed; Martyna, Glenn J.; Tulevski, George S.. Carbon Nanotube-Graphene Hybrid Transparent Conductor and Field Effect Transistor. U.S. Patent Number 9177688, filed November 22, 2011, and published online on November 3, 2015. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=9177688.PN.&OS=PN/9177688RS=PN/9177688

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