Nov 5 2014
Molecular Imprints Inc. (MII), the market and technology leader for nanopatterning solutions, today announced it has demonstrated a low cost fabrication process for high performance touch sensors for the display market using an innovative metal mesh structure.
Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) transparent conductive films are used to produce the majority of today's touch sensors but have become a significant limiting factor in improving touch screen display performance due to insufficient conductivity, transparency and flexibility. Other alternative technologies such as silver nanowires and carbon nanotubes have demonstrated some performance enhancement benefits compared to ITO sensors but have not shown the level of combined performance in transmission (>95%), conductivity (10 ohms/sq) and haze (2%) that Molecular Imprints' has achieved with its low cost metal mesh grid structures. Molecular Imprints improved all three of these key performance metrics concurrently using its unique nanoimprinting capability. Another benefit of MII's J-FIL metal mesh technology is its ability to remove design restrictions associated with line width, height, and pattern layout while facilitating low cost metallization methods. This new freedom in touch sensor design and subsequent low cost fabrication is expected to accelerate adoption of metal mesh in the display market.
The display industry continues to pursue new technologies that enhance the end-user experience while reducing costs. "Future displays must be thinner and consume less power while providing a sharper and brighter image," said David Gino, President and CEO of Molecular Imprints. "In addition, whole new categories of displays that are wearable or flexible are beginning to emerge requiring novel fabrication technologies. MII is in a great position to enable and support the display industry in these areas by applying our J-FIL technology to a number of the critical display components such as, metal mesh touch sensors, wire grid polarizers, light wave guides, and plasmonic color filters. I would like to congratulate our team of very talented nanopatterning engineers in reaching the world class metal mesh performance levels noted earlier in a little over three months of focused effort. This is a testament to the depth and breadth of our technology and team."
In addition to metal mesh touch sensors Molecular Imprints J-FIL technology has fabricated world leading reflective wire grid polarizers (99.99% polarization efficiency with 44% linear transmissivity), anti-reflective films (i.e., 99% transmissivity of polycarbonate films) precise micron or nanoscale light waveguides and highly uniform diffusive backlight plates.