Embedded nanopattern for selectively suppressed thermal conductivity and enhanced transparency in a transparent conducting oxide film

Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin films are cornerstones in many optoelectronic applications including displays, photovoltaics and touchscreens. In these devices, thin films with simultaneous high optical transparency and electrical conductivity are needed. Ideally, heat generated during normal device operation must ideally be compensated for to achieve optimum functionality. One possible way to address the thermal management problem is adding thermoelectric (TE) properties to TCO films. However, improving TE properties while maintaining optimal electrical conductivity and optical transparency is challenging: thermal and electrical transport properties are deeply intertwined. Here, we demonstrate an approach allowing for independent optimization of optical transparency, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. An embedded nanopattern structure is filled with indium tin oxide (ITO) and sandwiched between two ITO layers. The resulting triple-layered structure exhibits reduced thermal conductivity and excellent electrical conductivity. This is made possible by electron channels in the embedded ITO nanopattern that electrically connect top and bottom layers, while at the same time limiting phonon-mediated heat conduction. The filling fraction and thickness of the nanopattern are adjusted to improve optical transmission, achieving transparency higher than bare ITO film. The result is a transparent TCO triple layer film with simultaneous high TCO and thermoelectric figures of merit.