High energy electron beam stimulated nanowelding of silver nanowire networks encapsulated with graphene for flexible and transparent electrodes

Abstract

Low-dimensional nanostructures and their complementary hybridization techniques are in the vanguard of technological advances for applications in transparent and flexible nanoelectronics due to the intriguing electrical properties related to their atomic structure. In this study, we demonstrated that welding of Ag nanowires (NWs) encapsulated in graphene was stimulated by flux-optimized, high-energy electron beam irradiation (HEBI) under ambient conditions. This methodology can inhibit the oxidation of Ag NWs which is induced by the inevitably generated reactive ozone as well as improve of their electrical conductivity. We have systematically explored the effects of HEBI on Ag NWs and graphene. The optimized flux for HEBI welding of the Ag NWs with graphene was 150 kGy, which decreased the sheet resistance of the graphene/Ag NWs to 12 Ohm/sq. Following encapsulation with graphene, the initial chemical states of the Ag NWs were well-preserved after flux-tuned HEBI, whereas graphene underwent local HEBI-induced defect generation near the junction area. We further employed resonant Raman spectroscopy to follow the structural evolution of the sacrificial graphene in the hybrid film after HEBI. Notably, the sheet resistance of the welded Ag NWs encapsulated with graphene after HEBI was well-maintained even after 85 days.

Enhancement of Antibacterial Properties of a Silver Nanowire Film via Electron Beam Irradiation

“…27 Considering the analysis depth of XPS (commonly, 1−10 nm 28 ), it is supposed that the bare AgNW film surface was completely oxidized from Ag to biphasic silver oxide (Ag−O, AgO + Ag 2 O) during the applied e-beam irradiation. Lee et al 25 also reported that a AgNW film was oxidized via e-beam irradiation under ambient conditions. They characterized AgNW films irradiated by an e-beam as a function of the applied total electron flux.…”

“…They characterized AgNW films irradiated by an e-beam as a function of the applied total electron flux. 25 From the Ag 3d core-level XPS spectra of the AgNW films, it was identified that the oxidation of the AgNW film was initiated from 400 kGy, and the silver oxide states quantitatively increased with the increasing employed dose. 25 Therefore, it can be concluded that the e-beam irradiation, performed in an ambient environment in this study, leads to the surface oxidation of the AgNW film.…”

“…24 Additionally, ebeam irradiation in the air has been reported to lead to the oxidation of AgNWs. 25 Controlling the morphological and chemical changes of AgNWs by e-beam irradiation is expected to have a positive effect on the antibacterial activity. In this paper, electron irradiation effects on the antibacterial activity of the AgNW film have been investigated.…”

Modification of Silver Nanowire Coatings with Intense Pulsed Ion Beam for Transparent Heaters

“…The irradiation with continuous ion and electron beams is another low-temperature approach. For example, electron beam annealing was effectively applied to improve the electrical performance of transparent AgNWs networks without degrading the TCC optical properties [33][34][35]. However, continuous beams typically have a relatively low intensity, which, similar to previously discussed techniques, require a high processing time in order to perform the necessary modifications [36][37][38].…”

Morphologies, Young’s Modulus and Resistivity of High Aspect Ratio Tungsten Nanowires

“…Metallic nanowires have wide applications in various fields, such as micro-nano electronics, biotechnology, solar cells, sensors, and catalysis [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Metallic nanowires with small size and high aspect ratio are ideal materials for micro-nano devices, such as Zn, Ag, Ni, Au, and Cu micro-nanometer wires have been widely applied [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”