Electrical conductivity enhancement of transparent silver nanowire films on temperature-sensitive flexible substrates using intense pulsed ion beam

Silver nanowire (AgNW) networks have attracted particular attention as transparent conductive films (TCF) due to their high conductivity, flexibility, transparency, and large scale processing compatible synthesis. As-prepared AgNW percolating networks typically suffer from high contact resistance, requiring additional post-synthetic processing. In this report, large area irradiation with 200 ns short intense pulsed ion beam (IPIB) was used to anneal and enhance the conductivity of AgNW network, deposited on temperature-sensitive polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. A TCF sheet resistance shows irradiation dose dependence, decreasing by four orders of magnitude and reaching a value of 70 Ω/sq without damaging the polymer substrate, which retained a transparency of 94%. The IPIB irradiation fused AgNW network into the PET substrate, resulting in a great adhesion enhancement. Heat transfer simulations show that the heat originates at the near-surface layer of the TCF and lasts an ultra-short period of time. Obtained experimental and simulation results indicate that the irradiation with IPIBs opens new perspectives in the low-temperature annealing of nanomaterials deposited on temperature-sensitive substrates.