Nanocarbonic transparent conductive films

Abstract

This tutorial review discusses the contradictory material properties of electrical conductivity and optical transparency for the examples of graphene films and carbon nanotube networks. It is argued that for homogeneous films both properties are linked by basic laws of physics and that for perfect monoatomic layers conductivity and transparency can be calculated from the fine structure constant. To beat these limitations, inhomogeneous films are required, such as graphene with an array of holes or nanotube networks. An overview is given on literature values of transparency and conductivity, both for graphene films and for nanotube networks.