Ag grid/ITO hybrid transparent electrodes prepared by inkjet printing

An Ag grid/indium tin oxide (ITO) hybrid transparent electrode was developed for printable optoelectronic devices using inkjet printing. By inserting an inkjet-printed Ag grid between inkjet-printed ITO electrodes, the sheet resistance of the inkjet-printed ITO electrode was significantly reduced from 6.5 to 0.54 Omega/square. However, the optical transmittance of the Ag grid/indium tin oxide (ITO) hybrid electrode gradually decreased with decreasing Ag grid separation distance due to the scattering of light on the Ag grid lines. From the figure of merit values of the Ag grid/ITO hybrid transparent electrodes, the optimized Ag grid width for the hybrid electrodes was determined to be 3 mm, which is consistent with the calculated results. The low sheet resistance and fairly high optical transmittance of the Ag grid/ITO hybrid transparent electrode suggests its use as a transparent electrode for inkjet printing-based printable optoelectronic devices. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.