Ultraclean contact transfer of patterned Ag electrodes by thermal release tape for transparent conductive electrode

Silver grid electrode is a promising candidate for transparent conductive film because of its outstanding electrical, thermal, and optical properties, which can be easily tuned by changing the line width, spacing, and thickness of the metal pattern. Here, we presented the fabrication method of transparent Ag electrode with line-pattern using contact transfer technique with thermal release tape (TRT) that is easy to adhere and/or release to the substrate. To fabricate a line-patterned Ag electrode, the following efficient processes were developed: 1) preparation of line-patterned recess using thermal-roll imprinting, 2) surface modification by the anti-adhesion layer coating, 3) Ag infilling into the line-patterned recess using a doctor blade, 4) transfer of Ag electrode to the target substrate using TRT. As a result, the Ag line-patterned film with low sheet resistance (17.94 Ω/sq) and high transparency (90.28% at 550 nm) was obtained. This film can be tailored on requirement for various electronic applications.