A new type of electrically conductive and transparent metal has been developed by US researchers that is significantly cheaper than the cost that it takes to make today’s smartphone displays.

Current screens are based on indium tin oxide (ITO). And over the past 10 years, the cost of ITO has varied. It went from $200/kg to $1000/kg. Now, it has settled at its current price of $750/kg. Ultimately, this means that phones (and other devices that require the material) are rather high in price and vary greatly based on the whims of the market. Ultimately, this is because ITO contributes to the about 40 percent of the production cost of a smartphone or tablet. The rest of the price can be attributed to the cost of memory chips and processors, the latter of which has continued to drop.

To that end, scientists from the Pennsylvania State University began working on an alternative to ITO that can potentially match the optical transparency, electrical conductivity, and efficiency that traditional materials in use provide.

Source: New Transparent Metal Developed for Smartphones and Other Displays – Futurism