Ion beam-induced joining and nanoparticle formation in silver nanowires: Pathways to advanced transparent and flexible devices

Abstract Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are promising building blocks for transparent electrodes, flexible electronics, and plasmonic devices owing to their high electrical conductivity, optical transparency, and mechanical flexibility. However, their practical applications are limited by weak interconnections and high contact resistance at junction points. In this work, we demonstrate ion beam irradiation as an effective route to tailor the structural and functional properties of AgNW networks across