Electronic devices including transparent conductive coatings including carbon nanotubes and nanowire composites, and methods of making the same

A photovoltaic device, comprising:

• a substrate;
• at least one photovoltaic thin-film layer;
• first and second electrodes;
• and
• first and second transparent, conductive CNT-based layers;
• wherein the first and second CNT-based layers are respectively doped with n- and p-type dopants.

A touch panel subassembly, comprising:

• a glass substrate;
• a first transparent, conductive CNT-based layer provided, directly or indirectly, on the glass substrate;
• a deformable foil, the deformable foil being substantially parallel and in spaced apart relation to the glass substrate;
• and
• a second transparent, conductive CNT-based layer provided, directly or indirectly, on the deformable foil.

A method of making an electronic device, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate;
• forming a CNT-based layer on the substrate;
• doping the CNT-based layer;
• and
• selectively patterning the CNT-based layer by one of:
• ion beam/plasma exposure and etching with H*.

A method of making an article for a refrigeration or freezer unit, the method comprising:

• providing first and second substantially parallel and spaced apart glass substrates, the first substrate being provided for an interior side of the article and the second substrate being provided for an exterior side of the article;
• disposing one or more transparent conductive coatings (TCCs), respectively, on one or more major surfaces of the first and/or second substrates;
• and
• thermally tempering at least the first and second substrates,
• wherein each said TCC includes at least one CNT-inclusive layer.

A rain sensor comprising:

• a sensing circuit comprising at least first and second sensing capacitors that are sensitive to moisture on an external surface of a window, each said sensing capacitor including at least one CNT-based layer;
• the sensing circuit further comprising at least one mimicking capacitor that mimics at least one of charging and discharging of at least one of the first and second sensing capacitors;
• wherein a writing pulse causes at least the first sensing capacitor to be charged, and an erasing pulse causes each of the first sensing capacitor and the mimicking capacitor to substantially discharge;
• wherein presence of rain on the external surface of the window in a sensing field of the first sensing capacitor causes a voltage at an output electrode of the mimicking capacitor to fluctuate in a manner proportional to fluctuation of voltage at an output electrode of the first sensing capacitor, even though the rain is not present in a field of the mimicking capacitor;
• wherein rain is detected based on an output signal from the output electrode of the mimicking capacitor, wherein the output signal is read at least between an end of the writing pulse and a beginning of the erase pulse;
• and
• wherein the mimicking capacitor is physically separated from the sensing capacitors, and wherein the writing pulse causes the first sensing capacitor, but not the second sensing capacitor, to charge and also causes the mimicking capacitor to charge.