L2-4469 Advanced materials and technologies for the sustainable printed electronics on glass (MATEST)
Partners: JSI, KI and RC eNeM
Leader: Prof. Danjela Kuščer
Period: 1. 10. 2022 – 30. 9. 2025
Transparent electronic devices rely on a transparent conductive material (TCM) to function. The growing demand for such devices is driving the growth of the TCM segment. The market¢s state-of-the-art TCM is indium tin oxide (ITO) with a sheet resistance of ∼10 W/sq and an optical transmittance ~ 90 %. Sputtering is the most commonly used process for ITO in commercial applications. However, the scarcity, toxicity, and high cost of indium oxide, as well as the expensive vacuum-based physical deposition methods, make it necessary to replace indium oxide in mass production with a more economical material and processing method. In the field of glass packaging, there is an urgent need for indium-free materials and solution-based technologies for economic TCM processing on industrial glass products and in mass production.
In the proposed project we will realise an electrode with high optical transmission and low sheet resistance, similar to the conventional ITO, on an industrial glass product for next-generation transparent electronics. The realisation of indium-free TCM from solutions on industrial glass is a breakthrough in transparent electronics: it is a low-cost, environmentally friendly industrial process that enables the integration of electronics directly into industrial glass products. It represents a new paradigm for smart glass packaging that significantly increases the company’s competitiveness in the global market and attracts new customers.
The objectives of the project are:
1) Lab-scale fabrication of TCM on flat and smooth glass from solutions by spin coating, screen printing and inkjet printing and post-deposition curing. The goal is to process TCM with a high optical transmission over 90 % and a low Rs<500 W/sq;
2) Pre-treatment of industrial glass products with the objective of achieving surface dimensional homogeny under 2 % and surface roughness below 50 nm;
3) Deposition of TCM solution on industrial glass in an industry–relevant environment and validation of TCM thin films within the electrochromic test device.