Electrically conductive and optically transparent polyethylene terephthalate films coated with gold and silver by thermionic vacuum arc

This study shows the morphology, physical, mechanical, and optical properties of conductive and transparent Ag and Au coated on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by thermionic vacuum arc (TVA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used for the morphology investigation. To determine the mechanical and physical properties, hardness, scratch resistance, adhesion tests, and friction coefficient were measured. Friction coefficients were determined to be 0.141, 0.233, and 0.245 for uncoated PET, Gold (Au)-coated PET and Silver (Ag)-coated PET, respectively. Electrical resistivity measurements were performed using the two-probe technique. Au was 40 Omega and Ag 7 Omega versus uncoated PET, which is nonconductive with electrical surface resistance value in the order of 10(14)-10(18)Omega. The Au- and Ag-coated PETs reflectance was approximately 50% at 550 nm. Transmittance values of the Au- and Ag-coated PET films were approximately 70% and 20% at 550 nm.