Transparent electrode refers to the electrode with high transmittance and low resistivity simultaneously, which, as an essential component in modern electronics, is widely used in the fields of optoelectronic displays, solar cells and so on. The current global market size has reached more than 3 billion US dollars, with the dominant product being the expensive ITO film.
The metal-based transparent electrode in this project, developed by a Michigan team, has the advantages of superb transmittance (> 95%), low square resistance (<10ohm/sq) and low haze (<0.1%), suitable for large-scale flexible production using a roll-to-roll process. The product, with superior performance and lower cost, can be used to replace ITO in displays, touch screens, solar cells, electrochromic glass and etc., even in flexible wearable electronics. This technology, benefiting from its easy manufacture and compatibility with existing equipment, demonstrates cost advantages in large-scale production when compared with other emerging transparent electrode technologies. A startup company, Zenith Nano, was formed in 2019 to commercialize the technology. Its current valuation is around $70M.