MIT researchers have improved on their initial version of a transparent, conductive coating material for solar cells and touch screens, producing a tenfold gain in its electrical conductivity.
The high-performing, flexible material, an organic polymer known as PEDOT, is deposited in an ultrathin layer just a few nm thick, using an oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) process. This process results in a layer where the structure of the tiny crystals that form the polymer are perfectly aligned horizontally, enabling the material to be highly conductive. Additionally, the oCVD method can decrease the stacking distance between polymer chains within the crystallites, which also enhances electrical conductivity.