EPSRC Reference: |
EP/M507775/1 |
Title: |
G-Sense |
Principal Investigator: |
Dalton, Professor AB |
Other Investigators: |
|
Researcher Co-Investigators: |
|
Project Partners: |
|
Department: |
Physics |
Organisation: |
University of Surrey |
Scheme: |
Technology Programme |
Starts: |
11 May 2015 |
Ends: |
10 May 2016 |
Value (£): |
59,337
|
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
Materials Processing |
Materials Synthesis & Growth |
|
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
|
Related Grants: |
|
Panel History: |
|
Summary on Grant Application Form |
The project consortium: M-Solv (a process developer), Thomas Swan (a graphene manufacturer), Printed Electronics Ltd
(an inkjet ink formulator) and the University of Surrey, aims to bring innovations to capacitive touch sensor (CTS)
manufacture. In a typical consumer device, CTS comprises of structured transparent conductors (TC), which sense the
capacitance variations when fingers approach. Conventional CTS are made of indium tin oxide (ITO). However, indium is
known to be scarce and hence expensive in the near future. This project will explore the use of silver nanowire (AgNW),
together with graphene to replace ITO for fabricating CTS at a much lower cost. We have developed optimised silver
AgNW films and made functional CTS based on such coatings. We also have recently filed a patent for depositing
graphene platelets (GP) onto networks of very low density AgNW to change its sheet resistance by orders of magnitude
from Mohm/sq to less than hundreds ohm/sq. The project takes the idea further and aims to revolutionise the technical
approach of CTS manufacture by printing GP onto AgNW networks to directly form electrodes for CTS, while the industry is
currently manufacturing CTS by depositing large area of transparent conduct and subsequent patterning to structure
electrodes. Two printing techniques, inkjet printing and relief printing, are chosen to demonstrate the idea of the project; the
low cost AgNW/graphene structured film, the material-on-demand approach, and the rapid selective deposition techniques
can provide massive cost advantage (~10x) to CTS manufacture.
|
Key Findings |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
Potential use in non-academic contexts |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
Impacts |
Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
Summary |
|
Date Materialised |
|
|
Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
Project URL: |
|
Further Information: |
|
Organisation Website: |
http://www.surrey.ac.uk |