Large Pulsed Electron Beam Welded Percolation Networks of Silver Nanowires for Transparent and Flexible Electrodes

Mechanical properties of transparent electrodes, including flexibility, are important in flexible electronics for sustaining electrical conductivity under bending with small radius of curvature. Low contact resistance of junctions in metal nanowire percolation networks is the most important factor to produce electrodes with excellent optical, electrical and mechanical performance. Here, we report the fabrication of welded silver nanowire percolation networks using large pulsed electron beam (LPEB) irradiation as a welding process of silver nanowires (AgNWs). It results in modification of electrical and mechanical properties because of the low contact resistance at welded junctions. Consequently, the flexible and transparent AgNW electrodes fabricated by LPEB irradiation showed lower sheet resistance of 12.63 Ω sq–1 at high transmittance of 93% (at 550 nm), and superb mechanical flexibility, compared with other AgNW electrodes prepared by thermal treatement and without any treatment. Polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) using AgNWs by LPEB irradiation were fabricated to confirm that the AgNW electrode by LPEB irradiation was able to become alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) and they showed good device performance as a maximum luminous efficiency of 7.37 cd A–1, and excellent mechanical flexibility under bending with small radius of curvature.