Ultrathin Ag Film of Transparent Electrode for Flexible Schottky Photodetection and Enhanced Charge Transport

作者：Sanh Vo Thi, Malkeshkumar Patel, Thanh Tai Nguyen, Sourov Hossain, Seoyoung Lim, Ngoc Le Trinh, Han‐Bo‐Ram Lee, Dongwook Kim, Joondong Kim · 发表于：ACS Applied Electronic Materials · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1021/acsaelm.5c00498 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies、ZnO doping and properties、Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials

Silver nanowire (AgNW)-based flexible devices with excellent transparency represent promising advancements for next-generation optoelectronic applications. Despite the inherently high conductivity of AgNW, open voids between nanowires often limit efficient charge collection, affecting overall device performance. This study addresses these limitations by introducing a highly conductive hybrid design comprising AgNW/Ag(O)/Al-doped ZnO (AZO). Compared with standalone AgNW, the addition of oxygen promotes the development of a continuous ultrathin Ag(O) layer (6 nm) inside the AgNW network’s macro-voids, resulting in 16 times greater mobility and improved thermal stability. This significant mobility improvement contributes to a 72% reduction in sheet resistance, a critical factor for optimizing device efficiency. Furthermore, Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) analysis confirms the development of a Schottky junction at the Ag(O)/ZnO interface, which enhances charge generation, separation, and collection. This contributes to polyethylene terephthalate(PET)/ITO/ZnO/AgNW/Ag(O)/AZO-based photodetectors (PDs) achieving an impressive 21.5% increase in photocurrent efficiency compared to standalone AgNW-based PDs. The AZO layer also plays a crucial role by preserving the devices’ structural integrity and transparency, ensuring stable performance during prolonged operation and enabling the device to withstand various bending cycles. The device also demonstrates wide-band and wide-field-...