Effect of thermal treatment on optical and electrical properties of Cu0.59(ZrO2)0.41 composite nanoglass film

Cu _0.59(ZrO ₂) _0.41 composite nanoglass, consisting of amorphous ZrO ₂ clusters connected by amorphous Cu-enriched interfacial layers, exhibits the best optical and electrical properties in the Cu-ZrO ₂ nanoglass system. In this work, annealing in the temperature range of 300–500 °C has been conducted on the Cu _0.59(ZrO ₂) _0.41 composite nanoglass film to further optimize its electrical and optical properties. It is indicated that the appropriate annealing induces the widening of Cu-enriched interfacial layers by the diffusion of Cu atoms towards the interface, which indeed enhances the conductivity by increasing the density of charge carriers and continuity of nanonetwork. The optical transparency in the visible light range of the Cu-enriched nanonetwork remains above 60% during annealing. The Cu _0.59(ZrO ₂) _0.41 composite nanoglass remains amorphous at temperatures as high as 400 °C and starts to crystallize at 500 °C. The findings pave the way for the design of thermally stable 2D nano-conducting networks with enhanced electrical conductivity while maintaining good optical transmittance properties.