Flexible transparent conductive heater using multiwalled carbon nanotube sheet

• Published in: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Vol. 32; no. 4
• Main Authors: Jung, Daewoong, Han, Maeum, Lee, Gil S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.07.2014
• ISSN: 2166-2746; 1520-8567; 2166-2754
• DOI: 10.1116/1.4876127

This paper reports highly flexible, transparent, conducting heaters based on multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) sheets. The MWCNT sheets were spun directly from a well-aligned MWCNT forest. The fabrication of the MWCNT sheet heater was quite simple and suitable for mass production, requiring only a one-step transferring process, in which the MWCNT sheet is drawn onto the target substrates. This study examined the parameters that affect the heat generation of the MWCNT sheet-based heater; input power, surface area, and thermal conductivity of the substrate. In particular, more effort was focused on how to increase the surface area and contact points between the individual MWCNTs; simple acid treatment and added metal nanoparticles increased the heat performance of the heater dramatically. Moreover, the heaters exhibited durability and flexibility against many bending cycles. Therefore, the MWCNT sheet-based heater can be used for versatile applications requiring transparency, conduction, and flexibility.