Synthesis and characterization of silver nanowires as a transparent conductive electrode
Date
2012
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Silver nanowire meshes have been proven to show a high electrical conductivity with high optical transmittance. This special characteristic is desirable in transparent conductive electrodes in optoelectronic applications, such as solar cells, light emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays, and touch screens, among others. In this document, we report the synthesis of silver nanowires by the polyol process and the characterization of their morphology. We also prepared uniform thin films of commercially available silver nanowires on glass substrate using a dip-coating technique. The samples were further treated with heat to improve their electrical conductivity. Additionally, we characterized the optical and electrical properties of the samples analyzing the influence of the nanowire length in the overall performance of the film as a transparent conductive electrode. Two figures of merit were used to measure the quality of the films and to compare the silver nanowire networks with metal oxides.