Technological basis of the formation of micromesh transparent electrodes by means of a self-organized template and the study of their properties

This Letter presents the results of a study of the physical properties of micromesh transparent electrodes on a flexible substrate, obtained using a template in the form of silica layers subjected to controlled cracking. For the first time, a combined approach to the control of parameters of a micromesh structure (crack width and cell size) by varying the pH and the thickness of the sol layer is proposed. Using this approach, transparent electrodes with a surface resistance of 4.1 $\Omega$/sq with a transparency of 85.7% were obtained. Micromesh electrodes are characterized by linear optical transmission in the visible and IR ranges, which opens up prospects for their use in optoelectronics.