Transparent aluminium nanowire electrodes with optical and electrical anisotropic response fabricated by defocused ion beam sputtering

Self-organized Al nanowire (NW) electrodes have been obtained by defocused Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) of polycrystalline Al films grown by sputter deposition. The electrical sheet resistance of the electrode has been acquired in situ during ion bombardment of the samples, evidencing an increase of the electronic transport anisotropy as a function of ion fluence between the two directions parallel and orthogonal to the NWs axis. Optical spectra in transmission also show a large dichroism between the two directions, suggesting the role of localized plasmons in the UV spectral range. The results show that Al NW electrodes, prepared under experimental conditions which are compatible with those of conventional industrial coaters and implanters, could represent a low cost alternative to the transparent conductive oxides employed in optoelectronic devices.