Electrical conductivity of nanoring-based transparent conductive films: A mean-field approach

TL;DR

This study investigates the electrical conductivity of nanoring-based transparent conductive films, introducing a mean-field approach to predict conductivity based on key parameters, and compares it with direct computations across different resistance regimes.

Contribution

The paper proposes a mean-field model for estimating conductivity in nanoring films, highlighting its applicability and limitations depending on resistance dominance.

Findings

Linear conductivity dependence on ring density when wire resistance dominates

Quadratic dependence when junction resistance dominates

Mean-field approach overestimates conductivity in high junction resistance regime

Abstract

We have studied the electrical conductivity of nanoring-based, transparent conductive films, these being promising elements for flexible electronic devices. Both the wire resistance and the junction resistance were taken into account. We have calculated the dependency of the electrical conductivity on the number density of the rings. We have proposed a mean-field approach to estimate the dependency of the electrical conductivity on the main parameters. Comparison of direct computations of the electrical conductivity and the estimates provided by the mean-field approach evidenced the applicability of this approach for those cases where the wire resistance dominates over the junction resistance and where both resistances are of the same order. For these two cases, both the direct computations and the mean-field approach evidenced a linear dependence of the electrical conductivity of the films on the number density of the conductive rings. By contrast, the dependence of the electrical conductivity on the number density of the conductive rings is a quadratic when the junction resistance dominates over the wire resistance. In this case, the mean-field approach significantly overestimates the electrical conductivity, since the main assumptions underlying this approach are no longer fulfilled.