Regulation of Laser-Deposited Silver Microstructures on Ceramic Surfaces and Their Effects on Electrical Conductivity

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Fabricating conductive structures on ceramic substrates is crucial for electronic applications.
• Traditional methods often require harsh conditions or complex processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel laser-induced deposition method for creating silver conductive structures on alumina ceramic substrates.
• To optimize process parameters for enhanced morphology, conductivity, and adhesion.

Main Methods:

• Selective laser irradiation of silver nitrate precursor using a 355 nm Nd:YAG nanosecond laser.
• Analysis using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), contact angle, resistance, and tape-peeling tests.
• Investigated effects of laser energy density, scan number, precursor concentration, plasma pretreatment, and PVP-30 addition.

Main Results:

• Metallic silver (Ag) formation confirmed by XRD in laser-scanned regions.
• Optimized laser energy density (12.03 J/cm²) and scan number (1000 cycles) achieved structural integrity and conductivity.
• Plasma pretreatment and PVP-30 addition improved deposit continuity and uniformity.
• Achieved high adhesion with >98% conductivity retention after five tape-peeling cycles.

Conclusions:

• Laser-induced deposition is a viable, controllable method for fabricating conductive silver structures on alumina ceramics.
• Optimized parameters yield silver films with excellent electrical conductivity and adhesion.
• This technique offers a promising route for advanced electronic component manufacturing.