Patent ID: 7746681

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 nano crystals so as to form an electrical network of fused nanocrystals.