Effective Surface Modification Method of Silver Nanowires with Alkaline Solutions for Enhancing Electrical Property of Silver Transparent Electrode

Abstract Transparent electrodes are usually manufactured by depositing electrical materials (silver, ITO, CNT, etc.) on selective substrates. Since the polymeric capping agent is inevitably using to forming certain morphology during the silver nanowires fabrication, the used polyvinylpyrrolidone (hereinafter, PVP) can be partially remain at the surface in [1 0 0] facet of the conductive materials with high surface energy, even after conducting washing for purpose of removing. The residual PVP adverse effect to electrical conductivity of manufactured transparent electrode due to the decline of the conductive material contact area. Thus, the surface modification process of silver nanowires using an alkaline solution was performed for the purpose of improving the electrical conductivity of the manufactured transparent electrode, and the efficiency of enhancement electrical conductivity was demonstrated by removing residual PVP. Through these studies, the electrical characteristics were improved much better than the electrodes for which the surface improvement process had not progressed, and the efficiency improvement effect of the surface resistance standard of about 99% decrease was demonstrated. This results proved that the residual PVP was efficiently removed by inducing an ion substitution reaction between PVP and silver ions due to the certain chemical difference of the alkaline elements exposed through the surface modification process.