Uniform and Ordered Copper Nanomeshes by Microsphere Lithography for Transparent Electrodes

• Published in: Nano letters 2014-04, Vol.14 (4), p.2105-2110
• Main Authors: Gao, Tongchuan, Wang, Baomin, Ding, Bo, Lee, Jung-kun, Leu, Paul W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COMPUTER SIMULATION; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Conductors; Copper; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; ELECTRODES; Electron states and collective excitations in thin films, multilayers, quantum wells, mesoscopic and nanoscale systems; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Lithography; Low-dimensional structures (superlattices, quantum well structures, multilayers): structure, and nonelectronic properties; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Microspheres; MICROSTRUCTURES; Nanolithography; Nanostructure; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; PARTICLES; Physics; POLYETHYLENE; QUARTZ; Self assembly; Simulation; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl5003075

We report a comprehensive simulation and experimental study on the optical and electronic properties of uniform and ordered copper nanomeshes (Cu NMs) to determine their performance for transparent conductors. Our study includes simulations to determine the role of propagating modes in transmission and experiments that demonstrate a scalable, facile microsphere-based method to fabricate NMs on rigid quartz and flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates. The fabrication method allows for precise control over NM morphology with near-perfect uniformity and long-range order over large areas on rigid substrates. Our Cu NMs demonstrate 80% diffuse transmission at 17 Ω/square on quartz, which is comparable to indium tin oxide. We also performed durability experiments that demonstrate these Cu NMs are robust from bending, heating, and abrasion.