Ultra-thin doped noble metal films for optoelectronics and photonics applications

A method of making an assembly comprising an electrically conductive thin film for a device, the method comprising:

• co-depositing silver (Ag) and a conductive metal comprising aluminum (Al) directly onto a substrate to form a continuous thin film comprising silver (Ag) at greater than or equal to about 90 atomic % of the total composition of the thin film and the conductive metal at greater than 2 atomic % to less than or equal to about 10 atomic % of the total composition of the thin film, wherein the thin film has a thickness of greater than or equal to about 6 nm to less than or equal to about 11, is electrically conductive having a sheet resistance of greater than or equal to about 10 Ohm/square to less than or equal to about 75 Ohm/square, has a smooth surface with a root mean squared (RMS) surface roughness that is less than or equal to about 1 nm so that the thin film is above a percolation threshold and is transparent to electromagnetic light in a visible spectral range and an ultraviolet spectral range.

A device comprising an assembly that comprises:

• a substrate;
• and
• an electrically conductive transparent thin film consisting essentially of silver (Ag) at greater than or equal to about 90 atomic % of the total composition of the thin film and aluminum (Al) present at greater than 2 atomic % to less than or equal to about 10 atomic % of the total composition of the electrically conductive transparent thin film disposed directly on the substrate and having a thickness of greater than or equal to about 6 nm to less than or equal to about 11 nm and a smooth surface with a root mean squared (RMS) surface roughness that is less than or equal to about 1 nm, so that the electrically conductive thin film is above a percolation threshold, has a sheet resistance of greater than or equal to about 10 Ohm/square to less than or equal to about 75 Ohm/square, and is transparent to electromagnetic light in a visible spectral range and an ultraviolet spectral range.

A device comprising an assembly that comprises:

• a substrate;
• and
• an electrically conductive transparent thin film comprising silver (Ag) at greater than or equal to about 90 atomic % of the total composition of the thin film and a conductive metal comprising aluminum (Al) present at greater than 2 atomic % to less than or equal to about 10 atomic % of the total composition of the thin film disposed directly on the substrate, the electrically conductive transparent thin film having a thickness of greater than or equal to about 6 nm to less than or equal to about 11 nm with a smooth surface having a root mean squared (RMS) surface roughness that is less than or equal to about 1 nm, so that the electrically conductive thin film is above a percolation threshold, has a sheet resistance of greater than or equal to about 30 Ohm/square to less than or equal to about 75 Ohm/square, and is transparent to electromagnetic light in a visible spectral range and an ultraviolet spectral range.