Flexible, Transparent and Conductive Metal Mesh Films with Ultra-High FoM for Stretchable Heating and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Despite the growing demand for transparent conductive films in smart and wearable electronics for electromagnetic interference(EMI) shielding, achieving a flexible EMI shielding film, while maintaining a high transmittance remains a significant challenge. Herein, a flexible,transparent, and conductive copper(Cu) metal mesh film for EMI shielding is fabricated by self-forming crackle template method and electroplating technique. The Cu mesh film shows an ultra-low sheet resistance(0.18 Ω□-1), high transmittance(85.8%@550 nm), and ultra-high figure of merit(> 13,000). It also has satisfactory stretchability and mechanical stability,with a resistance increases of only 1.3% after 1,000 bending cycles. As a stretchable heater(ε > 30%), the saturation temperature of the film can reach over 110 °C within 60 s at 1.00 V applied voltage. Moreover, the metal mesh film exhibits outstanding average EMI shielding effectiveness of 40.4 dB in the X-band at the thickness of 2.5 μm. As a demonstration, it is used as a transparent window for shielding the wireless communication electromagnetic waves. Therefore, the flexible and transparent conductive Cu mesh film proposed in this work provides a promising candidate for the next-generation EMI shielding applications.