Fabrication of Flexible Thin Film with Pattern Structure and Macroporous Array Consisting of Nanoparticles by Electrophoretic Deposition

Abstract

The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) possessing a low working temperature is used to fabricate functional thin films with microstructures onto a flexible substrate. We easily fabricate a flexible thin film in A4 size consisting of TiO2 nanoparticles onto an indium–tin-oxide/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (ITO/PET). The nanoparticle behavior during the EPD process is described and discussed according to different deposition time. The functional thin film can be applied as a flexible electrode layer of electrochromic displays and dye-sensitized solar cells. Furthermore, owing to the controllable deposition region of EPD, a pattern layer consisting of CdSe nanoparticles can be formed onto the flexible substrate within 1 min by EPD. Finally, by colloidal-template-mediated EPD, a nanostructure of a macroporous array onto flexible substrate can also be obtained. The result shows that the fabrication of nanostructures onto a flexible substrate is easy by EPD.