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Gas foil bearings, which are oil-free and exhibit low energy losses, are used in high-speed rotating machinery. Because gas is used as the working fluid, there is a need to improve damping performance using support structures. Additionally, the support structure, which becomes increasingly complex shaft performance, needs to be simplified. This study proposes a new bump mesh foil bearing focusing on the support structure and experimentally verifies its static and dynamic characteristics. The bump metal mesh foil bearing is a simple structure that combines a bump shape and metal mesh. Static load and hammering tests were conducted to evaluate the static characteristics, and the frictional torque and vibration at high-speed rotation were measured to evaluate the dynamic characteristics. The bump metal mesh foil bearing exhibited excellent damping performance owing to the friction damping caused by the bump shape and metal mesh; however, the rigidity of the bump metal mesh foil bearing was reduced. The bump metal mesh foil bearing exhibited the same level of lifting performance as the bump foil bearing, and vibration reduction at high-speed rotation was confirmed. Thus, the combination of the bump foil and metal mesh bearings yielded good results in terms of vibration characteristics.

In response to the poor active support effect of the surface protection components in soft coal roadway and the continuous expansion of the broken range of local exposed surrounding rock, which leads to the failure of anchor rod and cables, a mesh grouting surface type prestressed application technology has been developed. The authors conducted post mesh grouting tests on different specifications and models of metal mesh, and obtained the mechanical response characteristics of the support system during the application of active surface prestressing. Based on this, the post mesh grouting tests on the roof and two sides of the mesh under on-site conditions were carried out, verifying the applicability of post mesh grouting technology. The research results indicate that: ① There is a gap between the metal mesh and the coal wall, which leads to poor active support ability. The continuous expansion of the broken range of the exposed surrounding rock is the main controlling factor for the failure of anchor rod and anchor cable support. Filling the uneven structure around the contact surface between the metal mesh and the coal wall, increasing the active support ability of the protective surface components, and comprehensively sealing the surrounding rock are the technical means to improve the anchor mesh support system; ② Injecting and filling between the metal mesh and the surrounding rock can achieve the application of surface active pre-stress. The trend of surface stress change is mainly divided into: the initial stage of constant surface stress, the stage of increasing surface stress, and the stage of reducing surface stress to stable state; ③ During the process of grouting behind the mesh, the trend of changes in surface stress values is closely related to the grouting pressure and deformation of the metal mesh. During the process of increasing surface stress, the grouting pressure and deformation of the metal mesh also increase accordingly; ④ Grouting behind the mesh can effectively alleviate the stress concentration of the cable tray. During the process of increasing the surface stress value, the pre-tightening force of the cable with stress concentration can show a small decrease trend, while the pre-tightening force of the cable with relatively uniform stress shows a synchronous upward trend during the process of increasing the surface stress value. The technologies developed are expected to become supporting technologies for rock bolt support, providing technical and theoretical references for the treatment of complex and difficult roadway.

The metallic mesh serves as a reflecting surface on deployable reflector antennas for satellites. Electrical properties differ for meshes with different knitting patterns. Also, pattern shapes vary at different tensions due to the elasticity of the mesh. Furthermore, mesh models for electrical performance analysis become more challenging to construct as the mesh knitting patterns become more intricate. A method based on model angles and diagonals is developed in this paper to overcome the aforementioned problems. First, procedures for building a mesh model are described. Then three mesh models of the single Atlas mesh, the single Satin mesh, and the Max mesh are built. The corresponding performance variations are observed and stabilities are compared. Moreover, the wire diameter for the mesh model is determined by measuring the reflectance of the Max mesh and comparing it with simulation results. Afterward, correlations between the reflectivity and incident angles are presented. In addition, the reflectance and transmittance at different incidence angles are measured. Measured results align well with simulated results. It verifies the accuracy of the simulated characteristics and the value of the mesh model in understanding mesh electrical properties.

Highlights A transparent, conductive, and flexible metal mesh film has been developed by a low-cost, uniform self-forming crackle template and electroplating strategy. The Cu mesh films show an ultra-low sheet resistance (0.18 Ω □−1), high transmittance (85.8%@550 nm), high figure of merit (> 13,000), excellent stretchability and mechanical stability. The metal mesh film can be used as a flexible heater and electromagnetic interference shielding film (40.4 dB at 2.5 μm).

In stealth applications, there is a growing emphasis on the development of radar-absorbing structures that are efficient, flexible, and optically transparent. This study proposes a screen-printed metamaterial absorber (MMA) on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates using indium tin oxide (ITO) as the grounding layer, which achieves both optical transparency and flexibility. These materials and methods enhance the overall flexibility and transparency of MMA. To address the limited transparency caused by the silver nanoparticle ink for the top pattern, a metal mesh was incorporated to reduce the area ratio of the printed patterns, thereby enhancing transparency. By incrementing the fractal order of the structure, we optimized the operating frequency to target the X-band, which is most commonly used in radar detection. The proposed MMA demonstrates remarkable performance, with a measured absorption of 91.99% at 8.85 GHz and an average optical transmittance of 46.70% across the visible light spectrum (450 to 700 nm), indicating its potential for applications in transparent windows or drone stealth.

Objective In revision total hip arthroplasty (THA), reconstruction of severe acetabular bone defect continues to be problematic for orthopedic surgeons. This study reports the mid‐ to long‐term survivorship, radiological outcomes, and complications of impaction bone grafting (IBG) and metal mesh with a cemented acetabular component in the reconstruction of severe acetabular bone defects in revision THA. Methods This retrospective consecutive study included 26 patients (29 hips: type II B, four; type II C, three; type III A, 10; and type III B, 12) who underwent revision THA, which was performed using IBG and metal mesh, between 2007 and 2014 in our institution. All patients were followed up regularly for clinical and radiographical assessments. Migration and loosening of prosthesis graft integration and complications were observed and analyzed. Survival analysis was performed using a Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Results At the time of revision, 75.9% of the hips (22 hips) were classified as type III bone defects. The average follow‐up period was 9.4 ± 2.8 (range, 2.4–14.0) years. Of the 29 hips, four hips (13.8%) were assessed as clinical failures; at the last follow‐up, two had undergone re‐revision THA, and two had not been scheduled for re‐revision THA despite radiological failure of the acetabular component. Among them, three clinical failures (10.3%) were due to aseptic loosening, and one (3.4%) was due to infection. Radiographic evaluation showed bone graft integration in all hips during the follow‐up. The Kaplan–Meier survivorship analysis revealed an acetabular reconstruction survival rate of 86.5% (95% confidence interval, 61.4%–95.7%) at 10 years. Conclusion IBG and metal mesh with a cemented acetabular component for revision THA is an effective technique for treating severe acetabular bone defects, with effective mid‐ to long‐term outcomes due to the solid reconstruction of the acetabular bone defect and restoration of the hip rotation center.

Abstract Background This study compared the re-revision rate and radiographic outcomes of revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) using a Kerboull-type acetabular reinforcement device (KT plate) with bulk structural allograft and metal mesh with impaction bone grafting (IBG). Methods Ninety-one hips of 81 patients underwent revision THA for American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) classification type III defects from 2008 to 2018. Of these, seven hips of five patients and 15 hips of 13 patients were excluded due to insufficient follow-up information (

Electrodeposited Ag mesh transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) based on self-cracking templates can achieve high optical transmittances and low sheet resistances by controlling the shape of the self-cracking templates and electrodeposition duration. The surface coverage of the mesh is mainly determined by the surface shape of the self-cracking template. Electrodeposition of Ag can adjust the thickness of the mesh, significantly reducing the sheet resistance while maintaining the high optical transmittance of the TCEs. The TCE electrodeposited for 30 s exhibited an optical transmittance as high as 88.4% and a sheet resistance as low as 2.24 Ω/□. Here we provide the microstructural and optoelectronic performance data of the electrodeposited Ag mesh TCEs.

This work aims to enhance the polymeric composite properties by adding Iron wire mesh (Fe) and aluminum wire mesh (Al) as reinforcement materials with various ratios. A polymer blend of the [epoxy (EP)+ polyester (UPS)] as matrix material has been utilized. The hand layup approach has been utilized for manufacturing castings. Epoxy and polyester have been mixed with different volume ratios, involving (95:5,90:10, 85:15,80:20, and 75:25 Vol.%) of (epoxy: polyester). The blend was be reinforced with metal mesh with volume fractions (5,10,15, and 20%). The results show the best ratios of ultimate tensile strength are (95% epoxy + 5% unsaturated polyester), and tensile strength and young modulus increase with increased volume fraction of metal mesh. The best compressive strength (CS) value was obtained for a sample of (95% epoxy +5% unsaturated polyester). The compressive strength increased with increased volume fraction of iron mesh but reduced with used aluminum wire mesh. Also water absorption increased with increased unsaturated polyester, iron mesh, and aluminum mesh percentage.

Glass laminate aluminum reinforced epoxy (GLARE) mixes an extremely thin ply of aluminum wire mesh layers with epoxy strengthened with fibers to create a hybrid composite laminates. During this investigation, plain E-glass fiber/epoxy specimens in addition to specimens with epoxy laminates reinforced with both E-glass/fiber, and wire meshes of aluminum were created. Meshes made of aluminum wire were used to increase the toughness of the E-glass fiber/epoxy combination. Tensile, bending, and hardness tests were performed to see how inserting Al wire meshes through thickness of the specimen in place of glass fiber layers affected the material mechanical characteristics. According to the outcomes from results, an influence on strength, toughness, and ductility of laminates due to using Al wire mesh instead of glass fiber. The characteristics of the generated hybrid laminates were greatly influenced by the varying position and the orienting direction of the aluminum wire mesh ply. Inclusion of Al wire mesh in the outer layers significantly made deterioration in material tensile strength and bending strength. The tensile strain also bending strain, on the other hand, were improved by 16.95 percent and 117 percent, respectively.

Abstract Thickness-controlled transparent conducting films (TCFs) were fabricated by transfer printing a 100 nm thick Cu micromesh structure onto poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) substrates of different thicknesses (~ 50, ~ 80, and ~ 120 μm) to develop a lightweight transparent wearable heater with short response time. The Cu mesh-based TCF fabricated on a ~ 50 µm thick PVA substrate exhibited excellent optical and electrical properties with a light transmittance of 86.7% at 550 nm, sheet resistance of ~ 10.8 Ω/sq, and figure-of-merit of approximately 236, which are comparable to commercial indium tin oxide film-based transparent conductors. The remarkable flexibility of the Cu mesh-based TCF was demonstrated through cyclic mechanical bending tests. In addition, the Cu mesh-based TCF with ~ 50 μm thick PVA substrate demonstrated a fast Joule heating performance with a thermal response time of ~ 18.0 s and a ramping rate of ~ 3.0 ℃/s under a driving voltage of 2.5 V. Lastly, the reliable response and recovery characteristics of the Cu mesh/PVA film-based transparent heater were confirmed through the cyclic power test. We believe that the results of this study is useful in the development of flexible transparent heaters, including lightweight deicing/defogging films, wearable sensors/actuators, and medical thermotherapy pads.

Introduction: Acetabular bone defect encountered during complex primary or revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) could be reconstructed using various options. Case presentation: We present a male patient, 36 years old, presented with an iatrogenic acetabular defect, Paprosky type 2C; reconstructed using metal mesh, femoral head bulk allograft, and a cemented cup. After proper exposure, a fresh frozen femoral head allograft was prepared to produce a monobloc graft shell of four mm thickness which was impacted inside a metal mesh adapted according to the acetabulum size, the graft-mesh unit was impacted inside the acetabulum to reconstruct the medial defect, and a cemented cup was placed. After three years, the patient obtained an excellent functional outcome according to Harris Hip Score. The radiograph showed maintenance of implant position and hip center of rotation restoration. Conclusion: Acetabular defect reconstruction using bone graft, metal mesh, and a cemented cup restored the hip center of rotation with an excellent functional outcome.

This work aims to enhance the polymeric composite properties by adding Iron wire mesh (Fe) and aluminum wire mesh (Al) as reinforcement materials with various ratios. A polymer blend of the [epoxy (EP)+ polyester (UPS)] as matrix material has been utilized. The hand layup approach has been utilized for manufacturing castings. Epoxy and polyester have been mixed with different volume ratios, involving (95:5,90:10, 85:15,80:20, and 75:25 Vol.%) of (epoxy: polyester). The blend was reinforced with metal mesh with volume fractions (5,10,15, and 20%). The results show the best ratios of ultimate tensile strength are (95% epoxy + 5% unsaturated polyester), and tensile strength and young modulus increase with increased volume fraction of metal mesh. The best compressive strength (CS) value was obtained for a sample of (95% epoxy +5% unsaturated polyester). The compressive strength increased with the increased volume fraction of iron mesh but reduced with the used aluminum wire mesh. Also, water absorption increased with increased unsaturated polyester, iron mesh, and aluminum mesh percentage.

Abstract Flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) with embedded metal meshes play an indispensable role in many optoelectronic devices due to their excellent mechanical stability and environmental adaptability. However, low‐cost, simple, efficient, and environmental friendly integrated manufacturing of high‐performance embedded metal meshes remains a huge challenge. Here, a facile and novel fabrication method is proposed for FTEs with an embedded metal mesh via liquid substrateelectric‐field‐driven microscale 3D printing process. This direct printing strategy avoids tedious processes and offers low‐cost and high‐volume production, enabling the fabrication of high‐resolution, high‐aspect ratio embedded metal meshes without sacrificing transparency. The final manufactured FTEs with 80 mm × 80 mm embedded metal mesh offers excellent optoelectronic performance with a sheet resistance (Rs) of 6 Ω sq−1 and a transmittance (T) of 85.79%. The embedded metal structure still has excellent mechanical stability and good environmental suitability under different harsh working conditions. The practical feasibility of the FTEs is successfully demonstrated with a thermally driven 4D printing structure and a resistive transparent strain sensor. This method can be used to manufacture large areas with facile, high‐efficiency, low‐cost, and high‐performance FTEs.

Metal mesh films have been shown to be a promising strategy to effectively mitigate the growing issue of electromagnetic interference (EMI) in optoelectronic systems. To achieve superior shielding effectiveness, it is common to increase the thickness of the mesh film. However, mesh-based shielding materials have frequency-dependent shielding effectiveness that decreases as the frequency increases. Simply increasing the thickness of the mesh cannot effectively enhance the EMI shielding effectiveness at high frequencies. This will further lead to challenges such as increased processing difficulties and higher costs. In this paper, we present an infrared transparent electromagnetic shielding window based on metal mesh with irregular patterns and proper thickness. The mesh coating is fabricated on a sapphire substrate using ultraviolet photolithography technology and exhibits an efficient electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of more than 20 dB over the wide frequency range of 1.7–18 GHz while maintaining high infrared optical transparency. More importantly, there is no distinct variation in shielding effectiveness between low and high frequency ranges, demonstrating a balanced shielding characteristic across a broad frequency band. This work could be crucial in designing cost-effective and efficient EMI shielding windows for optoelectronic systems.

Recently, semiconductor wastewater treatment has received much attention due to the emergence of environmental issues. Acid-resistant coatings are essential for metal prefilters used in semiconductor wastewater treatment. Perfluoroalkoxy alkane is mainly used as an acid-resistant coating agent, since PFA has inherent superhydrophobicity, water permeability is lowered. To solve this problem, the surface of the PFA-coated metal mesh was treated via an oxyfluorination method in which an injected mixed gas of fluorine and oxygen reacted with the surface functional groups. Surface analysis, water contact angle measurement, and water permeability tests were performed on the surface-treated PFA-coated mesh. Consequently, the superhydrophobic surface was effectively converted to a hydrophobic surface as the PFA coating layer was surface-modified with C-O-OH functional groups via the oxyfluorination reaction. As a result of using simulation solutions that float silica particles of various sizes, the permeability and particle removal rate of the surface-modified PFA-coated stainless-steel mesh were improved compared to those before surface modification. Therefore, the oxyfluorination treatment used in this study was suitable for improving the filtration performance of SiO2 microparticles in the PFA-coated stainless-steel mesh.

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a major threat to the structural integrity of insulated pipes and vessels. Pulsed eddy-current testing (PECT) is well known in the industry for detecting CUI, but its readings can be easily influenced by nearby conductive objects, including the insulation supporting metal mesh. As a sequel to our previous study, this paper focuses on the surface distribution of eddy currents at the time of the turning off of the driving voltage instead of examining the overall process of eddy current diffusion. Based on the fact that CUI takes place on the outside of the insulated specimen, the probe footprint was calculated only on the specimen surface. The corrosion depth was regarded as an increment to the probe lift-off, whose information was carried in the early PECT signal. Finite element simulations were performed to facilitate the calculation of the probe footprint and predict the signal behavior. The peak value, which appeared in the early phase of the differential PECT signal, was found to be well correlated with the corrosion depth. Further studies revealed that the mild steel mesh could result in the enlargement of the probe footprint and a decrease in the change rate of the peak value in relation to the corrosion depth. Finally, experiments were conducted to verify the simulation results. The presented findings are consistent with the previously reported results and provide a potential alternative to evaluate CUI in specific scenarios where the insulation has a fixed and uniform thickness.

In order to study the inhibition effect of metal mesh on gas explosion, the explosion suppression test device of cylindrical metal mesh in pipeline was designed. The suppression effect of metal mesh on shock wave was studied by comparing the variation of shock wave overpressure under the condition of air-tube experiment and explosion suppression device. The experimental results show that the ratio of length to diameter of cylindrical metal mesh has a great influence on shock wave, and the suppression rate of shock wave is positively correlated with the ratio of length to diameter of cylindrical metal mesh. When the ratio of length to diameter of cylindrical metal mesh is 1/0.2, the increase of elastic potential energy of metal mesh plays a leading role in suppression, and the increase of energy in metal mesh plays a leading role in suppression when the ratio of length to diameter is 2/0.2, 3/0.2.

Carbon / epoxy composites are widely used in aviation due to their high strength, fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance. Aiming at the damage of carbon / epoxy composites during aircraft lightning strikes, a three-dimensional finite element model of carbon / epoxy composite laminates protected by copper mesh and aluminum mesh was established, and the lightning ablative element of composite structure was treated by element deletion method. The lightning protection effect of copper mesh and aluminum mesh was verified under different current peaks and different grid spacing, and the relationship between the weight change of the metal mesh and the lightning protection effect was studied. The test results show that the ablation area and damage depth of the composite laminate with metal mesh protection are significantly reduced. The denser the grid spacing is, the better the lightning protection effect is. The copper mesh composite laminate has better protection effect than the aluminum mesh. With the weight of the metal mesh increases, the degree of lightning damage to the composite laminate decreases.

This study provides information on the transfer efficiency of four-plate-structured copper plate and metal mesh sheet couplers, the cause of null-power point. The couplers are compared based on the equivalent circuit model analysis, experimental results of fabricated couplers, and simulation results of the High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) tool. It was confirmed that the metal mesh material exhibits the same performance as the existing copper plate and can be fully used as a coupler material for the electrical resonance wireless power transfer system. In addition, the null-power point phenomenon is only determined by the main coupling and cross coupling between the transmitter and receiver, which are most dominantly affected by the coupler structure.

This paper proposes a dual-band transparent antenna using frame-structured metal mesh conductive film (MMCF). The frame-structured metal mesh conductive film is based on the conductive-coated thin film and forms a narrow strip surrounding the edge of the antenna. The frame-structured metal mesh conductive film can resist considerable current leakage on the edge of the conductive strip to improve the antenna’s efficiency by 51% at 2.1 GHz and 53% at 3.6 GHz. As a result, the transparent dual-band antenna has an operating bandwidth of 1.9–2.4 GHz and 3.2–4.1 GHz with a high transparency of 80%, which make it valuable to the applications of biomedical electronic components, wearable devices, and automobile vehicles.

Airway foreign bodies are a medical emergency in children, as airway obstruction results in immediate respiratory distress. Common ingested foreign bodies differ among children from different social backgrounds, and metal foreign bodies, such as pins, coins, and dental appliances, are widely reported. Herein, we present the first case of a broken metal mesh foreign body ingested by an infant. An 11-month-old boy was found to be licking and biting the mesh cover of an electric lint remover. Part of the broken mesh was found in his mouth, but his mother could not remove it. The patient was referred to our hospital that same day. Although flexible laryngoscopy revealed no foreign bodies in the upper airway, computed tomography scan revealed high density foreign bodies in the left oropharynx. Two pieces of metal mesh that were buried in the left tonsillar fossa were removed under general anesthesia. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged the following day. This case suggests that thin metal mesh may be broken by infants with erupting deciduous teeth and become a pharyngeal foreign body.

The hot-pressing process of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is one of the research hotspots in the field of the fuel cell. To obtain suitable titanium mesh-based MEA hot pressing process parameters, titanium mesh was used as electrode substrate material. The anode and cathode of MEA were prepared by the drip-coated method, and the titanium mesh-based MEA was prepared under different hot-pressing pressure and temperature, respectively. The performance of titanium mesh-based MEA was studied by morphological observation, elemental analysis, thickness measurement, single cell test and numerical fitting analysis. The results demonstrated that: with increasing hot-pressing pressure from 0 MPa to 10 MPa, the forming thickness of titanium mesh-based MEA is getting thin gradually, and the peak power density of titanium mesh-based MEA first increased and then gradually decreased; with increasing hot-pressing temperature from 115 °C to 155 °C, the peak power density of titanium mesh-based MEA enhanced at the beginning and then also gradually decreased. Under the premise of a hot-pressing time of 180 s and the optimal operating temperature of DMFC of 60 °C, the appropriate hot-pressing process conditions of titanium mesh-based MEA are a hot-pressing pressure of 5 MPa and a hot-pressing temperature of 135 °C. The results can provide a technological reference for the preparation of titanium mesh MEA for DMFC.

Super-wettability Cu mesh(200PPI) was successfully fabricated by direct oxidation, liquid deposition and vapor deposition in order to expand its application ranges and enhance microstructure effect. The structure, morphology and wettability of Cu mesh were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), X-ray diffraction, contact angle instrument and high speed video, and the optimum preparation process of film layer was obtained. The copper mesh with a layer of knife-like flower film shows super-hydrophilic wettability on which the spread velocity of water is 3.5m/s; moreover, the super-hydrophilic mesh with hybrid structures can be switched into super-hydrophobic material (>150°) by liquid deposition and vapor deposition methods; the optimum fabrication conditions to achieve super-hydrophobic performance >150° are oxidation time of 15min, oxidation temperature of 96℃, liquid deposition time of 30min and the treat temperature of 180℃ for 20min. Meantime, hybrid gaps of knife-like flowers are considered as the main reason of the super-wettability of meshes.

We evaluated the filtration performance of microporous metal membranes fabricated by the rolling process. Metal wire meshes were rolled with thickness reduction ratios of 10, 20, and 30%. The pore size of the metal wire mesh membrane decreased with increasing rolling ratio, whereas the removal efficiency of the suspended solids and turbidity showed a very slight increase compared to that of an unrolled mesh membrane. The metal powder was dispersed on the surface of the rolled metal wire mesh membrane and bound with polyvinyl alcohol, then dried at 100°C for 1 h, and finally sintered at 1,000°C for 3 h. The mean pore size, suspended solids, and turbidity of the metal powder membrane at a rolling ratio of 30% were approximately 0.7 μm, 84% and 83%, respectively. Therefore, microporous metal membranes successfully fabricated by the rolling process were also sufficiently permeable filters.

The electrical efficiency and durability of a photovoltaic (PV) cell degrades as its temperature increases. Accordingly, there have been continued efforts to control the cell temperature by cooling the PV module. Generally, passive PV cooling using heat sinks attached on the back of the PV module can improve the electrical efficiency. However, few experimental studies have evaluated the effect of the heat sink shape on PV cooling. Therefore, this study proposed a passive cooling technology using meshes made of iron and aluminum, and performed indoor tests using a solar simulator to analyze the cooling performance. The experimental results demonstrated that iron and aluminum meshes reduced the PV module temperature by approximately 4.35 °C and 6.56 °C, respectively. Additionally, numerical studies were performed using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to compare the cooling fins and meshes. The numerical results showed that the cooling fins exhibited a better cooling performance than the metal mesh. However, meshes can be mass-produced and have a high structural stability against wind loads. Meshes are more likely be applied to PV systems than cooling fins if adhesion were improved.

Indium thin oxide (ITO)-free planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) were fabricated at a low temperature (150 °C) in this work based on the transparent electrode of photolithography processed nickel/gold (Ni/Au) mesh and the high conductivity polymer, PH1000. Ultrathin Au was introduced to increase the conductivity of metal mesh, and the optimal hexagonal Ni (30 nm)/Au (10 nm) mesh (line width of 5 μm) shows a transmittance close to 80% in the visible light region and a sheet resistance lower than 16.9 Ω/sq. The conductive polymer PH1000 not only smooths the raised surface of the metal mesh but also enhances the charge collection ability of metal mesh. The fabricated PSCs have the typical planar structure (glass/Ni-Au mesh/PH1000/PEDOT:PSS/MAyFA1−yPbIxCl3−x/PCBM/BCP/Ag) and the champion PSC (0.09 cm2) obtains a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.88%, negligible current hysteresis, steady current density and PCE outputs, and good process repeatability. Its photovoltaic performance and stability are comparable to the reference PSC based on the ITO electrodes (PCE = 15.70%), which demonstrates that the Ni/Au mesh transparent electrodes are a promising ITO alternative to fabricate efficient PSCs. The relatively lower performance of Ni/Au based PSC results from the relatively slower charge extraction and stronger charge recombination than the ITO based PSC. Further, we tried to fabricate the large area (1 cm2) device and achieve a PCE over 6% with negligible hysteresis and steady current density and PCE outputs. The improvements of perovskite film quality and interface modification should be an effective approach to further enhance the device performance of Ni/Au based PSCs, and the Ni/Au mesh electrode may find wider applications in PSCs and flexible devices.

Transparent conducting electrode film is highly desirable for application in touch screen panels (TSPs), flexible and wearable displays, sensors, and actuators. A sputtered film of indium tin oxide (ITO) shows high transmittance (90%) at low sheet resistance (50 Ω/cm2). However, ITO films lack mechanical flexibility, especially under bending stress, and have limitation in application to large-area TSPs (over 15 inches) due to the trade-off in high transmittance and low sheet resistance properties. One promising solution is to use metal mesh-type transparent conducting film, especially for touch panel application. In this work, we investigated such inter-related issues as UV imprinting process to make a trench layer pattern, the synthesis of core-shell-type Ag and Cu@Ag composite nanoparticles and their paste formulation, the filling of Ag and Cu@Ag mixture nanoparticle paste to the trench layer, and touch panel fabrication processes.