Editing Indium tin oxide (section)

=== Silver nanoparticle–ITO hybrid ===

ITO has been popularly used as a high-quality flexible substrate to produce flexible electronics.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lu |first1=Nanshu |last2=Lu |first2=Chi |last3=Yang |first3=Shixuan |last4=Rogers |first4=John |title=Highly Sensitive Skin-Mountable Strain Gauges Based Entirely on Elastomers |journal=Advanced Functional Materials |date=10 October 2012 |volume=22 |issue=19 |pages=4044–4050 |doi=10.1002/adfm.201200498 |s2cid=16369286 }}</ref> However, this substrate's flexibility decreases as its conductivity improves. Previous research have indicated that the mechanical properties of ITO can be improved through increasing the degree of [[crystallinity]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=Eun-Hye |last2=Yang |first2=Chan-Woo |last3=Park |first3=Jin-Woo |title=The crystallinity and mechanical properties of indium tin oxide coatings on polymer substrates |journal=Journal of Applied Physics |date=15 February 2011 |volume=109 |issue=4 |pages=043511–043511–8 |doi=10.1063/1.3556452 |bibcode=2011JAP...109d3511K }}</ref> Doping with silver (Ag) can improve this property, but results in a loss of transparency.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yang |first1=Chan-Woo |last2=Park |first2=Jin-Woo |title=The cohesive crack and buckle delamination resistances of indium tin oxide (ITO) films on polymeric substrates with ductile metal interlayers |journal=Surface and Coatings Technology |date=May 2010 |volume=204 |issue=16–17 |pages=2761–2766 |doi=10.1016/j.surfcoat.2010.02.033 }}</ref> An improved method that embeds Ag [[nanoparticles]] (AgNPs) instead of homogeneously to create a hybrid ITO has proven to be effective in compensating for the decrease in transparency. The hybrid ITO consists of domains in one orientation grown on the AgNPs and a matrix of the other orientation. The domains are stronger than the matrix and function as barriers to crack propagation, significantly increasing the flexibility. The change in resistivity with increased bending significantly decreases in the hybrid ITO compared with homogeneous ITO.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Triambulo |first1=Ross E. |last2=Kim |first2=Jung-Hoon |last3=Na |first3=Min-Young |last4=Chang |first4=Hye-Jung |last5=Park |first5=Jin-Woo |title=Highly flexible, hybrid-structured indium tin oxides for transparent electrodes on polymer substrates |journal=Applied Physics Letters |date=17 June 2013 |volume=102 |issue=24 |pages=241913 |doi=10.1063/1.4812187 |bibcode=2013ApPhL.102x1913T }}</ref>