Mixed-dimension silver nanowires for solution-processed, flexible, transparent and conducting electrodes with improved optical and physical properties

In this work, we present an alternative method for the spray coating of silver nanowire contact electrodes by employing a mixture of short and long nanowires. Mixed silver nanowires are found to give improved optical properties with 2- 5% higher transparency for the same sheet resistance of 25 Omega sq -1 compared to silver nanowires prepared with a single geometry. The figure of merit for the 25 Omega sq -1 sheet resistance electrode is found to be highest for the mixed- composition AgNWs-M1 (mixture of AgNWs-30L and AgNWs-60S) electrodes. The average root mean square surface roughness (R-q) parameter by white light interferometry is found to be lower for mixed-composition silver nanowire electrodes (R-q = 3- 4 nm) compared to individual parent fixeddimension-type silver nanowire electrodes (R-q = 6-8 nm).