NANOWEB® Thin, Transparent, Conductive Film
NANOWEB® is an extremely thin, transparent, conductive film that consists of an invisible, nanostructured metal mesh fabricated onto a glass or plastic surface. With its unrivaled transparency, conductivity, and flexibility, this patented functional film holds immense potential for both passive and powered use cases, with applications including electromagnetic interference shielding, antennas, 5G/6G redirection systems for the elimination of dead spots, and deicing/defogging devices for vehicle windows and eyewear.
Comprising a precisely arranged mesh of invisible submicron metal wires formed on a glass or plastic substrate, NANOWEB® offers superior electrical and optical properties compared to conventional transparent conductor films.
NANOWEB®’s transparency is determined by its nanostructured wire mesh geometric spacing and submicron dimensions. As a result, NANOWEB® can be manufactured from almost any metal, including but not limited to silver, aluminum, nickel, copper, and platinum, all to deliver expansive specifications and capabilities, while maintaining exceptional visibility.
Another key advantage that differentiates NANOWEB® from conventional solutions is its flexible mesh pattern design that can be customized and optimized to satisfy various application requirements. It is often impossible to cost-effectively pattern (etch) ITO much less than 20 µm in thickness, whereas NANOWEB® is printed from its roll-to-roll manufacturing line (not requiring any post-patterning etch step) with submicron features.
Condensation occurs when water droplets form as warm air comes in contact with a cold surface. This phenomenon is particularly problematic for masks and eyewear as it drastically reduces visibility. Heating can effectively address this problem by eliminating the temperature gradient between the mask/eyewear lenses and the surrounding air. Compared to other film-based heating solutions (e.g., ITO), NANOWEB® is more efficient at defogging due to a heat density as high as over 10,000 W/m2, while maintaining high transparency.
In addition, the use of automotive RADAR sensors is completely blocked by conventional ITO heaters, whereas NANOWEB® linear one-dimensional nanowire arrays are polarized, allowing 100% RADAR transmission. These arrays are impossible to be patterned on ITO invisibly. For LIDAR, the high optical transmission afforded by NANOWEB® results in significant signal-to-noise real-world detection, building a higher-resolution point cloud and realizing environmental detection.
For more information refer to https://metamaterial.com/products/nanoweb/.
