Séminaire LMGP - 30/01/2018- Alexandra Madeira

Alexandra MADEIRA, PhD student
Bordeaux & Waterloo University

Abstract
Transparent electrodes are used in a variety of optoelectrical devices including solar cells, flat panel displays, touch screens and transparent heaters. Indium tin oxide is the most commonly used transparent electrode material, however, the need for material cost reduction, mechanical flexibility and low cost/temperature fabrication techniques have recently oriented research toward alternative materials. Among them, random networks of solution-synthesized silver nanowires present optical and electrical properties approaching those of ITO, while being much more flexible and inexpensive. As with all transparent electrode materials, the conductivity should be maximized for a given transparency. In this work, the strategy to achieve this is to employ three silver nanostructures: ultra-long, robust and branched nanowires. Both these nanostructures reduce the number of high resistance junctions in the nanowire network and thus lower the overall sheet resistance of the electrode. I will show how these nanostructures can be produced in colloidal suspension, how they grow and what impact they have on the electrode properties.