A highly efficient indium tin oxide nanoparticles (ITO-NPs) transparent heater based on solution-process optimized with oxygen vacancy control

A highly efficient transparent heater was intensively studied by optimizing a solution-processed indium tin oxide nanoparticles (ITO-NPs) film with oxygen vacancy control. To control the oxygen vacancy, ITO-NPs layers coated onto glass substrates was annealed under various atmospheric conditions such as vacuum, air, and argon (Ar). In result, all the solution-processed ITO films achieved high transparency of more than 96% in the visible range (500-730 nm) with respect to the glass substrate. As well, sheet resistance (R-s) decreased with increasing temperature and the lowest R-s (309.4 ohm)/rectangle) was achieved by annealing at 600 degrees C under Ar atmosphere. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed that the highest concentration of oxygen vacancies occurred under Ar atmosphere resulting in the highest carrier mobility and lowest Rs. Furthermore, application of the ITO-NPs films to transparent heater was attempted. In result, when applying 15 V, ITO-NPs film annealed under Ar atmosphere, showing the lowest R-s, exhibited the highest temperature (215.1 degrees C) among the samples. Also, highly thermal efficiency of 162.9 degrees C/(W/cm(2)) were achieved from the optimized sample. Thus, we suggest that the optimized ITO-NPs film was applicable to highly efficient transparent heater. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.