Fabrication of aligned ultra-thin transparent conductive films of single-walled carbon nanotubes by a compression/sliding method

We demonstrate a novel, simple and scalable method for the fabrication of aligned ultra-thin transparent conductive films of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Pressing and sliding a thin liquid film of surfactant-stabilized SWNTs or SWNT–polymer complex ink between two parallel flat glass substrates provided a high order of directional alignment of nanotubes in the plane of the substrate along the sliding direction. The films showed high optical transmittances in the range of 95–98% at 550 nm and corresponding electrical resistances of 700–800 Ω □−1.