Silver nanowire (AgNW) has been studied as an important material for next-generation wearable devices due to its high flexibility, high electrical conductivity and high optical transmittance. However, the inherently high surface roughness of AgNWs and low adhesion to the substrate still need to be resolved for various device applications. In this study, an embedded two-dimensional (2D) Ag nanomesh was fabricated by mechanical press welding of AgNW networks with a three-dimensional (3D) fabric shape into a nanomesh shape, and by embedding the Ag nanomesh in a flexible substrate. The effect of the embedded AgNWs on the physical and electrical properties of a flexible transparent electrode was investigated. By forming embedded nanomesh-type AgNWs from AgNW networks, improvements in physical and electrical properties, such as a 43% decrease in haziness, 63% decrease in sheet resistance, and 26% increase in flexibility, as well as improved adhesion to the substrate and low surface roughness, were observed.
Keywords: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); silver nanowire; transparent conductive film; wearable conductive film; welding.