IWhat is a Transparent Conductive Film?

Transparent conductive films have the function of transmitting both electricity and visible light. ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) has been widely used as a transparent electrode for various applications, such as touch displays or solar battery cells.

IFrom ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) to Metal Mesh

ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) typically has a resistance of tens to hundreds of ohms per square. ITO must be applied in thicker layers to meet the increasing demand for lower resistance in recent years.
However, this thickness can reduce transmissivity and color changes, such as yellowing. To address these challenges, there is a push for developing and using alternative materials to ITO.
One such alternative is themetal mesh, which Panasonic has developed.

IMetal Mesh: Conventional Etching Method

Etching methods are generally used to produce metal meshes, but it is difficult to achieve both low resistance and fine wiring. When large size is required, transmissivity is sacrificed by the increased line width in order to lower the resistance.
In addition, metal remainder at the cross point, which tends to happen in the metal mesh produced by etching process, causes deterioration of appearance.

IMetal Mesh: Panasonic’s proprietary Roll-to-Roll Process

IMetal Mesh: Fundamental Specifications Comparison