Eye Current: Nanotubes about ready for Prime Time

Monday, July 30, 2007

Nanotubes about ready for Prime Time

Transparent conductive and semiconductive films is what makes LCD and touchscreens work nanotubes hold promice to be transparent but stronger and flexible than current technologies. It looks like touchscreens and LCDs just may be the first widespread commercial product for carbon nanotubes.

"With our combined facilities in Houston and Menlo Park [Calif.], we are developing a variety of carbon nanotube-based films for the electronics industry," said Jon Miller, vice president of business development at Unidym.
The company's first product is a transparent film produced at room temperature using inexpensive roll-to-roll manufacturing techniques to replace the vacuum chamber sputtering process required for the transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes used today in flat-panel displays, touch screens, solar cells, and solid-state lighting.
Unidym recently announced a joint-development agreement with Touch Panel Laboratories (Tokyo), under which the two companies will perfect tough carbon-nanotube-based films that can function as well as the ITO-based panels made today, but be much more durable. Nanotubes are stronger than steel and yet extremely lightweight, making their films an almost ideal combination of strength and light weight.
"We are working toward a more durable touch panel for Nintendo with Touch Panel Laboratories," said Miller.

Yup, thats right the first widespread product just might be the Gameboy