4 - Microelectronics packaging by metal nanoparticle pastes

Abstract

This chapter discusses the applications of nanoparticles in microelectronics packaging. Conductive paste technique is usually used in microelectronics packaging for the formation of various electronic components such as conductive circuits, electrodes, resistors, and dielectrics. Metal nanoparticles have become the developing materials in the field of microelectronics packaging. Much attention has been paid to metal nanoparticle pastes including metal nanoparticles with several nanometers to dozens of nanometer size as a new technology available for down-sizing and flexibility of the electronic components. A variety of metal nanoparticle pastes, for example, silver nanoparticle pastes, have been developed in order to prepare fine electronic circuit pattern by screen printing. Taking the advantage of superior dispersion property of silver nanoparticles, they have been applied to inkjet printing technique to form much more fine patterning. The application of silver nanoparticle pastes as joining materials has been proposed as the new type of lead-free solder materials in the field of microelectronics packaging.