An Overview of Metallic Nanowire Networks, Promising Building Blocks for Next Generation Transparent Conductors: Emergence, Fundamentals and Challenges

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials Vol. 46; no. 8; pp. 4707 - 4715
• Main Authors: Pirsalami, Sedigheh, Zebarjad, Seyed Mojtaba, Daneshmanesh, Habib
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aspect ratio; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Conductors; Electronic devices; Electronics and Microelectronics; Emergence; Instrumentation; Materials Science; Nanowires; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optoelectronic devices; Solid State Physics; Synthesis; next generation; metallic nanowire networks; Transparent conductors
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-017-5467-z

Transparent conductors (TCs) have a wide range of applications in numerous electronic and optoelectronic devices. This review provides an overview of the emergence of metallic nanowire networks (MNNs) as promising building blocks for the next generation transparent conductors. The fundamental aspects, structure–property relations, fabrication techniques and the corresponding challenges are reviewed. Theoretical and experimental researches suggest that nanowires with smaller diameter, longer length and higher aspect ratio have higher performance. Yet, the development of an efficient synthesis technique for the production of MNNs has remained a challenge. The synthesis method is also crucial to the scalability and the commercial potential of these emerging TCs. The most promising techniques for the synthesis together with their advantages, limitations and the recent findings are here discussed. Finally, we will try to show the promising future research trends in MNNs to have an approach to design the next generation TCs.