Scientists from the Institute of Thermal Physics SB RAS are the first in the world to obtain a continuous conductive gold film about 3 nanometers thick. This thickness is considered extremely small but the material still retains its electrical conductivity. This development could be used to create transparent and flexible electrodes for touchscreens and flexible displays.
When gold is deposited on a surface, the metal often forms individual nanoparticles that are not connected to each other. To form a single conductive film, these areas must fuse. The minimum thickness at which this occurs is called the permeability threshold. The lower it is, the more transparent and thinner the electrode is.
The researchers were able to control this parameter by varying the area of the laser spot on the target during the deposition process. This affects the energy distribution and flow of gold atoms, allowing the particles to coalesce at smaller thicknesses.
Experiments and simulations confirmed that the 3 nm film has low resistance and high transparency.
