Embedded Oxidized Ag–Pd–Cu Ultrathin Metal Alloy Film Prepared at Low Temperature with Excellent Electronic, Optical, and Mechanical Properties

Abstract

Most transparent conducting materials are based on Sn:In 2 O 3 (ITO). When applied onto flexible substrates, ITO can be prepared in an oxide−metal−oxide (OMO) configuration, typically ITO/Ag/ITO, where the ductility of the embedded metal layer is intended to reduce the mechanical brittleness and improve the electrical conductivity of the OMO multilayer. Hitherto, the lower limit of the thickness of the Ag layer has been limited by the percolation threshold, which limits the Ag layer to be thicker than ∼10 nm to avoid agglomeration and to ensure conductivity and structural stability. Metal layers of thicknesses below 10 nm are, however, desirable for obtaining OMO coatings with better optical properties. It is known that agglomeration of the metal layer can, to some extent, be suppressed when substituting Ag by an Ag−Pd−Cu (APC) alloy. APC-based OMO films exhibit excellent optical and electrical properties, but still continuous APC films well below 10 nm thickness cannot be achieved. In this work we demonstrate that controlled oxidation of APC results in smooth, ultrathin APC:O continuous coatings (of thickness ∼5 nm) on ITO-coated PET substrates. Moderate oxidation yields superficial PdO x formation, which suppresses Ag agglomeration, while still maintaining excellent conductivity. On the other hand, extensive oxidation of APC leads to extensive Pd oxide nucleation deteriorating the conductivity of the film. The ITO/APC:O/ITO films exhibit low resistivity, attributed to a high Hall mobility associated with suppressed agglomeration, good stability in high humidity/temperature environments, superior transmittance in the visible and infrared region, and excellent mechanical bending properties, thus providing new opportunities for fabricating superior transparent conducting coatings on polymer substrates.

Ultraviolet-Induced Gas Sensing Performance of Ag/WO3/rGO Nanocomposites for H2S Gas Sensors

“…This leads to the formation of a potential barrier between WO 3 and rGO, which increases the intrinsic impedance of the composite. The Ag/WO 3 surface can adsorb more oxygen molecules through an overflow-type mechanism, reducing the oxygen vacancy concentration and thus increasing the baseline resistance, as shown in Figure a. When Ag is added to the WO 3 /rGO surface, the composites form richer active centers, ,, which improve the adsorption capacity for gas molecules.…”

“…The inclusion of noble metals as catalysts can modify the specific surface area, activation energy, and resistance of metal oxides, leading to enhanced gas sensing capabilities . Ag has advantageous physical properties as it is less toxic and more cost-effective compared to other noble metals . Additionally, the addition of Ag can create numerous active centers on metal oxide surfaces, which can enhance the selective absorption of reaction gases .…”

“…18 Ag has advantageous physical properties as it is less toxic and more cost-effective compared to other noble metals. 19 Additionally, the addition of Ag can create numerous active centers on metal oxide surfaces, which can enhance the selective absorption of reaction gases. 20 This ultimately results in an overall enhancement of material performance, including improved selectivity for gas sensing, reduced activation energy for reactions, lower operating temperatures, and faster response/ recovery time.…”

Investigation of Structural, Optical and Mechanical Properties of Poly (methyl methacrylate) / Zirconium oxide (PMMA/ZrO2 ) Nanocomposite Films

“…An increase of nano ller concentration results in a decrease of interface energy and a stronger interaction. This accelerates the agglomeration rate of nanocomposite lms, facilitating the growth of continuous layers and possibly reducing the surface roughness of nanocomposite lms [41]. The FTIR spectra of samples P 0, P 1 , P 2 and P 3 are displayed in Fig.…”

Photoelectrochemical Behavior of Simple Synthesized Cl-GQDs/In2O3

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Many advantages of In 2 O 3 , such as excellent optoelectronic properties, high electrical conductivity, tunable band gap and light absorption ability, had made it attracted widespread attention. [6][7][8][9] Essential for optical semiconductor devices was the ability to absorb visible light and the rapid separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. 10 However, the high charge carrier recombination rate of In 2 O 3 limited its further application in optoelectronics.…”