Transparent and flexible high frequency transmission lines based on composite structure comprising silver nanowires and polyvinyl butyral

Publication date: 3 May 2018 Source:Composites Science and Technology, Volume 159 Author(s): Sang-Woo Kim, Kwangho Kim, Wansoo Nah, Cheul-Ro Lee, Seung-Boo Jung, Jong-Woong Kim Percolated networks of silver nanowires (AgNWs) have attracted intensive attention because of their remarkable mechanical stability, along with their excellent optical and electrical performance for the fabrication of flexible transparent electrodes. Most prior research has mainly focused on fabricating transparent electrodes that can be used in optoelectronic devices such as touch sensors, light emitting diodes, and photovoltaics. However, fabrication of transparent and flexible transmission lines designed to conduct alternating current of high frequency has not been reported so far. Herein, we developed highly transparent, mechanically stable transmission line by employing inverted layer processing (ILP) in order to embed the AgNWs just below the surface of a free-standing transparent polymer. For this, we synthesized polyvinyl butyral (PVB), which can be prepared from polyvinyl alcohol by reaction with butyraldehyde, for AgNW support. AgNWs deposited on a preliminary substrate (glass) were plasmonically sintered to significantly enhance their conductivity, and then transferred to the surface of the cured PVB film by the ILP. Measurements and simulation of specially designed coplanar waveguide circuits comprising AgNWs and PVB revealed that the fabricated electrode can simultaneously provide ...
Source: Composites Science and Technology - Category: Science Source Type: research