Patent ID: 7881091

Claim:
A method of forming a nanocrystalline film, the method comprising: (a) fabricating a plurality of nanocrystals, the nanocrystals having a core and an outer surface, a plurality of first ligands having a first length being attached to the outer surface; (b) exchanging the plurality of first ligands attached to the outer surface of the nanocrystals for a plurality of second ligands having a second length and having a different chemical composition than the plurality of first ligands; (c) forming a film of ligand-exchanged nanocrystals, wherein at least a portion of the ligand-exchanged nanocrystals are adjacent at least one other ligand-exchanged nanocrystal; (d) removing the second ligands attached to the outer surfaces of the nanocrystals of the film of ligand-exchanged nanocrystals so as to bring the outer surfaces of adjacent nanocrystals into closer proximity; and (e) fusing the cores of adjacent nanocrystals so as to form an electrical network of fused nanocrystals, wherein removing the second ligands comprises volatilizing the second ligands during fusing the cores of adjacent nanocrystals.