Laser-based, direct formation of thin copper–nickel alloy films with low thermal coefficient of resistivity

Abstract

The growing market of printed electronics requires the development of new materials and processing technologies that enable the design of smart wearables, integrated sensors, and next-generation electronics. Against the backdrop of increasing material scarcity, these approaches must be resource-conserving and, at the same time, competitive with conventional technologies. As an alternative to nanoparticle-based inks currently used in printed electronics, another technology has been emerging in the last years that utilizes metal organic decomposition (MOD) inks, which are easy to fabricate and have a long shelf life. In this study, a method is presented that allows the direct formation of thin copper-nickel alloy films from a MOD ink. These alloys are preferably used for sensors like strain gauges as they exhibit a low thermal coefficient of resistivity (TCR). 250 nm thin alloy films are coated on glass substrates and thermally functionalized. In a conventional hot plate heat treatment under a nitrogen atmosphere, 10.2% bulk conductivity for a Cu55Ni45 alloy with a TCR of 8.3 × 10−5 K−1 is reached. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the formation of a mixed crystal composed of nickel and copper atoms. A laser-based functionalization process is developed that allows the processing of Cu55Ni45 alloy films under ambient conditions without the formation of copper or nickel oxides. Laser-functionalized films exhibit 5.3% of the conductivity of bulk material. This study shows that metal alloy films can be fabricated directly from amine-based MOD inks.