Whether for photovoltaics, flexible electronics, or medical applications, it is necessary to develop electrodes that are both transparent and conductive. The most conductive materials, metals, are not transparent when they are solid, but become so when formed into a network based on nanowires.

Silver nanowire networks have particularly attractive properties in terms of transparency, conductivity, and biocompatibility. However, there is still significant residual electrical resistance due to the interconnections between the nanowires. To achieve better conductivity, the industry uses post-treatment processes for the electrodes, such as high-temperature annealing to weld the nanowires together. But this post-treatment is incompatible with the fragile materials used in flexible electronics: organic substrates deteriorate at high temperatures.

In this context, a process is proposed, namely capillary-induced cold welding, which consists of spraying water onto the nanowire networks. Improved conductivity is observed during evaporation. This effect has been attributed to a local pressure effect that fuses the nanowires at the junctions.