Effect of Argon Plasma Treatment On Silver Nanowires

In this study, we report on the effects of argon plasma treatment on Ag nanowires by varying the power and duration. Sheet resistance was found to be significantly reduced to 10 ohm/sq. relative to the value of 21 ohm/sq. for the pristine sample. Such a reduction was found to be associated with welded junctions between Ag nanowires, which results in enhanced current flow. With the optimized plasma treatment conditions, the maximum and average transmittance were 76.8% and 71%, respectively. Finally, we fabricated transparent heating devices based on the methodology, which exhibited superior heating capability.