Towards understanding the difference of optoelectronic performance between micro- and nanoscale metallic layers

Optoelectronic performance of nano-/microscale porous and wired silver (Ag) and aluminum (Al) layers was theoretically studied. Within the nanoscale region, Ag porous and wired layers – possessing stronger surface plasmon response over the whole visible spectrum –demonstrate up to a 20% higher average transmittance in comparison to identic Al design. In the microscale region, difference in the average transmittance between the above mentioned metallic layers decreases to 5%. Moreover, the microscale Ag and Al layers exhibit up to a 5% higher average transmittance. The obtained results allow deeper analysis of the pattern scale of metallic transparent conductive layers for various optoelectronic applications, such as displays, solar cells, light-emitting diodes, touch screens and smart windows.