Role of ZnO Capping Layer for Stability in Silver-nanowire-based Functional Heater Arrays

Abstract

Communication technology has evolved continuously throughout human history, especially recently, for overcoming physical distancing. In addition to visual and auditory senses, the transmission of tactile sensations through the human skin holds significant potential as a novel communication method. In this paper, we propose a flexible heating device that can convey warmth at distances. A pixelated heater was developed by depositing Ag nanowires (NWs) patterned on a thin polyimide substrate. The thermal and mechanical durabilities of the Ag NWs were effectively enhanced using a ZnO film as the capping layer. In addition, we created a multifunctional heater by depositing a flexible thermochromic liquid crystal polydimethylsiloxane film on the heater, providing visual feedback on temperature changes. The resistance variations and thermal characteristics of the multifunctional heater were examined under bending to demonstrate its performance as a flexible heater. The results of this study are expected to extend the applications of this technology from simple wearable devices to multifunctional metaverse devices in various fields.