Directly Printed Embedded Metal Mesh for Flexible Transparent Electrode via Liquid Substrate Electric‐Field‐Driven Jet

Abstract

Flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) with embedded metal meshes play an indispensable role in many optoelectronic devices due to their excellent mechanical stability and environmental adaptability. However, low‐cost, simple, efficient, and environmental friendly integrated manufacturing of high‐performance embedded metal meshes remains a huge challenge. Here, a facile and novel fabrication method is proposed for FTEs with an embedded metal mesh via liquid substrateelectric‐field‐driven microscale 3D printing process. This direct printing strategy avoids tedious processes and offers low‐cost and high‐volume production, enabling the fabrication of high‐resolution, high‐aspect ratio embedded metal meshes without sacrificing transparency. The final manufactured FTEs with 80 mm × 80 mm embedded metal mesh offers excellent optoelectronic performance with a sheet resistance ( R _s) of 6 Ω sq ⁻¹ and a transmittance ( T) of 85.79%. The embedded metal structure still has excellent mechanical stability and good environmental suitability under different harsh working conditions. The practical feasibility of the FTEs is successfully demonstrated with a thermally driven 4D printing structure and a resistive transparent strain sensor. This method can be used to manufacture large areas with facile, high‐efficiency, low‐cost, and high‐performance FTEs.

Abstract

A facile fabrication method for flexible transaprent electrodes (FTEs) with embedded metal mesh is proposed by using liquid substrate electric‐field‐driven (LS‐EFD) microscale 3D printing process. The fabricated FTEs exhibit excellent photoelectric properties, remarkable mechanical stability and environmental adaptability. The practical feasibility of the FTEs is successfully demonstrated with a thermal‐driven 4D printing structure and a resistive transparent strain sensor.