Anomalous deformation behavior of Ag nanowires on Au electrode in low-temperature environments

Abstract

We discovered that Ag nanowires (AgNWs) on an Au electrode exhibited an anomalous deformation behavior despite a low-temperature environment of 65 °C. Most AgNWs on the Au electrode were deformed after heating. By contrast, AgNWs on the Cr and Ag electrode exhibited a few changes and maintained their initial shapes. The deformation behaviors of AgNWs on metal electrodes have not yet been reported and are currently difficult to explain using known processes such as diffusion and alloying. Nonetheless, they evidently depend on the electrode material. The findings of this study are crucial for the design of AgNW-based electronic devices.