An experimental investigation into the laser sintering process of Cu nanoparticle based ink on polymer substrates for printed electronics

Abstract

The sintering process of nanoparticle based inks is a fundamental step in the manufacture of functional printed electronics for large-area applications on flexible substrates. This paper explores the feasibility of different laser systems to cure printed lines from conductive Cu nanoparticles on Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polyethylene naphtalate (PEN) polymers. Among the laser systems explored are direct diode laser (808 nm), Nd:YAG laser (SH 532 nm) and Ytterbium fibre laser (1070 nm). The sintering process of the Cu nanoparticles was evaluated in terms of the attained resistivity and the speed of the process. The experimental results also highlight the main issues in the sintering process of printed electronics and the challenges for its scalability.The sintering process of nanoparticle based inks is a fundamental step in the manufacture of functional printed electronics for large-area applications on flexible substrates. This paper explores the feasibility of different laser systems to cure printed lines from conductive Cu nanoparticles on Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polyethylene naphtalate (PEN) polymers. Among the laser systems explored are direct diode laser (808 nm), Nd:YAG laser (SH 532 nm) and Ytterbium fibre laser (1070 nm). The sintering process of the Cu nanoparticles was evaluated in terms of the attained resistivity and the speed of the process. The experimental results also highlight the main issues in the sintering process of printed electronics and the challenges for its scalability.