Fabrication strategies for metallic nanowire flexible transparent electrodes with high uniformity

Flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) have become a vital component of many devices such as heaters, solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and smart windows. Recently, great endeavors have been undertaken to develop new-generation FTE materials as an alternative to conventional rigid indium tin oxide (ITO). Owing to their outstanding conductivity and flexibility, metallic nanowires have been considered as one of the most potential candidates for FTEs. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the relationship among the dispersion uniformity of metallic nanowires, the optical and electrical properties of metallic nanowire FTEs, and the stability of devices based on metallic nanowire FTEs. Based on the importance of uniformity in FTE properties, this progress report presents strategies to enhance the uniformity of metallic nanowires for a high-performance FTE. Representative devices based on metallic nanowire FTEs with high stability and reliability are presented. Recent strategies for improving the uniformity of metallic nanowire-based flexible transparent electrodes for application in highly reliable flexible devices are reviewed.