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Touch screens and CNTs - a perfect match?
After a decade or more of searching, have CNTs finally found their breakthrough application? Paul Drzaic, Unidym's chief technology officer, presented a compelling case for the use of transparent CNT films in touch screen electronics and emphasized the firm's focus on scalable processing techniques to win over the display makers.
"We are confident that we'll have an ITO replacement that will save manufacturers money," he commented.
In fact, being able to offer a cheaper transparent electrode material is only part of the story. CNTs have a number of advantages over the use of ITO in displays. Firstly, the CNT films are mechanically more robust and should go a long way to improving the lifetime of touch panels.
Drzaic explained that Unidym is working with double-walled CNTs to preserve the film's electrical properties. The thinking is that if a defect develops in the outer tube, the inner tube can act as a shunt and maintain the electrical pathway.
And there's more - CNTs absorb light compared with ITO, which reflects light. This means that CNT-based displays should be more readable under natural light.
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