Beyond Flexibility: Transparent Silver Nanowire Electrodes on Patterned Surfaces for Reconfigurable Devices

Silver nanowire (AgNW) emerges as a next-generation transparent electrode material, offering enhanced flexibility and ease of fabrication compared to traditional transparent electrode materials, such as metallic oxides. In the previous research, the uniform deposition of AgNWs on flat surfaces is demonstrated, exhibiting high conductivity, flexibility, and excellent transmittance. However, the evolution of nano-electronics technology necessitates the fabrication of transparent electrodes on non-flat surfaces, such as those found in zenithal bistable devices and reconfigurable Fresnel lenses. In this study, a method is proposed to deposit AgNW material on uneven surfaces using the Mylar-bar-coating method, with a polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based Fresnel lens serving as the target surface. Additionally, the impact of varying AgNW suspension concentrations on transmittance and sheet resistance is investigated. To further reduce sheet resistance, a layer of conductive polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), is deposited on the AgNWs. The measurements reveal that a 2 mg mL-1 sample exhibits a sheet resistance of 187.83 W W-1 with 87.4% transmittance at 550 nm. After the PEDOT:PSS process, the sheet resistance decreases to 122.84 W W-1 with 84.4% transmittance. In this research, a solution is offered for the uniform deposition of AgNWs on patterned surfaces, paving the way for the next generation of optical devices. Herein, silver nanowire deposition on a patterned polyvinyl-chloride-based Fresnel lens is visualized using the Mylar bar-coating method. Highlighted are applications in reconfigurable Fresnel lenses and zenithal bistable devices. The process enhances transmittance and reduces sheet resistance, advancing optical device fabrication.image (c) 2023 WILEY-VCH GmbH