New Transparent Metal Could Make Smartphones Cheaper

As smartphones get smaller, cheaper and faster, one essential component remains costly: the screen.
Almost 90 percent of smartphone touchscreens utilize a rare and expensive compound called indium tin oxide, which has kept the price of such screens high. Now, researchers at Pennsylvania State University have developed a new material, called strontium vanadate, that shares the transparent and conductive properties of indium tin oxide at a fraction of the cost.