Time-resolved monitoring of electroless copper deposition on woven cellulose fabrics

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of electroless copper deposition on woven cellulose fabrics. Silver seeds were printed in a straight line of defined dimensions on the fabrics, which were then subjected to electroless copper deposition. Varying the deposition time allowed to study the evolution of the layer formation on the coated fabrics and their conductivity. With increasing deposition time, an initial rapid reduction of electrical resistance could be observed, which was followed by a plateau after 120 min. The initially high strain sensitivity of 105 found after 30 min deposition decreased significantly as the deposition time increased. Percolation efficiencies were calculated from empirically measured and theoretically calculated resistance values. Microscopic imaging showed that feature of the substrate construction, e.g. yarn crossings, exert a strong influence on overall conductive performance and percolation efficiency of the coated fabrics.