New manufacturing method makes copper an ITO alternative

26 Sep 2011

Students at Duke University have developed a technique to organise copper wire atoms to form long nanowires for use in conductive films.

The technique requires the atoms to be organised in water, forming long, thin, non-clumped nanowires, which are then transformed into the films and coated onto glass or plastic. They have the same properties as those currently used in electronic devices and solar cells, but are less expensive to manufacture. The new film could prove a cheaper alternative to ITO, reports Duke Today.

Copper is a thousand times more abundant than indium or silver, another potential ITO alternative, and about 100 times less expensive, costing only $9 (€6.70) per kilogram.