Study on the Technology and Properties of Green Laser Sintering Nano-Copper Paste Ink

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Glass substrates offer excellent stability, transparency, and signal integrity for electronic circuits.
• Inkjet printing is a viable method for fabricating functional electronic circuits on various substrates.
• Laser sintering is employed to enhance the conductivity of printed conductive materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between laser sintering parameters and the microstructure of inkjet-printed copper lines on glass.
• To determine the optimal laser sintering conditions for maximizing the conductivity of printed electronic circuits.
• To analyze the impact of laser power, scanning speed, and sintering iterations on resistivity and porosity.

Main Methods:

• Copper ink was inkjet-printed onto glass substrates.
• Laser sintering was performed using a 532 nm continuous green laser.
• Resistivity and microstructure were analyzed under varying laser intensities, scanning speeds, and iteration counts.

Main Results:

• Conductivity of sintered copper lines initially increased and then decreased with rising laser power and scanning speed.
• Multiple sintering runs at lower scanning speeds increased porosity, reducing conductivity.
• Exceeding optimal scanning speed minimized the impact of multiple sintering runs on porosity and conductivity.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing laser power and scanning speed is critical for achieving high conductivity in inkjet-printed copper circuits.
• Controlling sintering parameters prevents increased porosity and maintains signal integrity.
• This study provides insights into fabricating high-performance printed electronics on glass substrates.