Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
University of Victoria
$102,600.00
Developing high performance, low cost, transparent electrodes for large area touchscreens
FY 2021-22
Summary
Small touchscreens on smartphones are commonplace. Extending touch screen capability to blackboard-sized screens is useful for discussions allowing input from multiple presenters. This capability can enhance global meetings enabled by internet links, for the use of education, industry and government. Flexible screens are sought in healthcare and automotive industries. Companies and investors now see the area as a competitive international market space. We aim to develop new materials, designs and cost-competitive manufacturing methods scalable for mass production of electronic blackboards, sensitive to finger or stylus touch. Transparent electrodes (TEs) are a required component, not only for touch screens, but also for solar cells and smart windows, used for improved energy management in buildings. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the best-known TE material with its unique of high conductivity and transparency, but its price volatility, high material and manufacturing cost for large panels, as well as brittle behavior, motivate work towards alternate materials. Our industry partner is engaged in developing and bringing large touch screen devices competitively to market. In our work together, using support from NSERC through two small six-month engagement grants, we have demonstrated an alternative manufacturing method for TEs using electric-field-directed chaining of metallic nanowires on inexpensive glass and flexible substrates. This method provides the required balance of transparency and conductivity at reduced cost. We have successfully demonstrated a scale-up in electrode area by a factor of 100 through this preliminary work. This proposal seeks funding for a research program to design and synthesize new materials for TEs with low electrical resistance, high transparency and long-lasting properties. We will create methods to extend our technique to cost-competitive mass-production of TEs over metre-scale areas. We will propose and test new configurations to enable enhanced touch sensitivity.
Program
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Recipient
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
538308-2018
Name nom
Bhiladvala, Rustom
Department département
Mechanical Engineering
Organization id
7
Institution établissement
University of Victoria
Province en
British Columbia
Province fr
Colombie-Britannique
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2021
Competition year année de concours
2018
Award amount
102600
Program id
CRDPJ
Program name en
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Program name fr
Subventions de recherche et développement coopérative
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
1207
Area of application group en
Advancement of knowledge
Area of application group fr
Avancement des connaissances
Area of application en
Information, computer and communication technologies
Area of application fr
Technologie de l'information, des ordinateurs et des réseaux de communications
Research subject code
2000
Research subject group en
Materials science and technology
Research subject group fr
Science et technologie des matériaux
Research subject en
Materials science and technology
Research subject fr
Science et technologie des matériaux
Installment
inst:3
Partie
1
Nb partie
4
Application title
Developing high performance, low cost, transparent electrodes for large area touchscreens
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
Small touchscreens on smartphones are commonplace. Extending touch screen capability to blackboard-sized screens is useful for discussions allowing input from multiple presenters. This capability can enhance global meetings enabled by internet links, for the use of education, industry and government. Flexible screens are sought in healthcare and automotive industries. Companies and investors now see the area as a competitive international market space. We aim to develop new materials, designs and cost-competitive manufacturing methods scalable for mass production of electronic blackboards, sensitive to finger or stylus touch. Transparent electrodes (TEs) are a required component, not only for touch screens, but also for solar cells and smart windows, used for improved energy management in buildings. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the best-known TE material with its unique of high conductivity and transparency, but its price volatility, high material and manufacturing cost for large panels, as well as brittle behavior, motivate work towards alternate materials. Our industry partner is engaged in developing and bringing large touch screen devices competitively to market. In our work together, using support from NSERC through two small six-month engagement grants, we have demonstrated an alternative manufacturing method for TEs using electric-field-directed chaining of metallic nanowires on inexpensive glass and flexible substrates. This method provides the required balance of transparency and conductivity at reduced cost. We have successfully demonstrated a scale-up in electrode area by a factor of 100 through this preliminary work. This proposal seeks funding for a research program to design and synthesize new materials for TEs with low electrical resistance, high transparency and long-lasting properties. We will create methods to extend our technique to cost-competitive mass-production of TEs over metre-scale areas. We will propose and test new configurations to enable enhanced touch sensitivity.
