Oxidation stability of conductive copper paste prepared through electron beam irradiation

Abstract

For producing printed electronics, Cu is an effective material as it overcomes the limitations of traditional noble metals in terms of cost and availability. Hence, this work involved developing a synthesis method for conductive pastes used in printed electronics with electron beam (e-beam) irradiation. Cu nanoparticles with high oxidation stability were prepared by adjusting the absorbed dose of e-beam irradiation. The high stable Cu nanoparticles, even though exposure to air for 75 days, were used for preparing conductive ink pastes. The electrical conductivity of the Cu conductive pastes was studied under different sintering conditions. Among the conductive pastes coated on glass substrates under various heat treatment conditions, the paste prepared under the formic acid atmosphere formed a porous, thin film with well-connected particles. Further, we observed that sheet resistance increased as the Cu2O volume fraction and crystalline domain size increased. Thus, e-beam irradiation is a suitable process for mass production of conductive nanoparticles owing to its simplicity and fast reaction time.