Electrically conductive properties of Ag/Si composite nanoparticle assembled films prepared with a plasma-gas-condensation cluster source

Ag₁-_x/Si_x composite nanoparticle assembled films were prepared using a plasma-gas-condensation cluster beam deposition apparatus. The electrical conductivity σ and Hall coefficient |R_H| of Ag₁-_x/Si_x nanoparticle assembled films obey a power law of the volume fraction of Ag p_Ag. The marked change at around p_Ag = p_c indicates that the percolation of Ag nanoparticles takes place at the threshold value p_c. Moreover, we found that the |R_H| at T = 5 K of the Ag₁-_x/Si_x nanoparticle assembled film with the closest p_Ag to p_c is 20 times higher than that of the bulk Ag.