Synthesis and characterization of copper ink and direct printing of copper patterns by inkjet printing for electronic devices

Abstract

Among the conventional metallic inks used in the printing process, silver exhibits high conductivity and thermal stability. Nevertheless, due to the high cost of silver, it cannot be extensively used for the fabrication of inks. As a competitive alternative, copper can be considered as a substitute for silver; however, copper ink oxidizes under certain atmospheric conditions. To meet these shortcomings, a cost effective, highly conductive, and oxidation-free copper-based ink has been synthesized in this study, wherein, oxidation of the copper particles in the copper-based ink was prevented by using copper complexes. The copper ink thus fabricated was printed on chemically treated Si/SiO2 substrates followed by the characterization of the printed copper films. The results of this study confirmed that the synthesized copper ink exhibited properties suitable for its use in the inkjet printing process for fabrication of various electronic devices.