Low thermal budget photonic processing of highly conductive Cu interconnects based on CuO nanoinks. Potential for flexible printed electronics

Rager, Matthew S.; Aytug, Tolga; Veith, Gabriel M.; Joshi, Pooran C.

doi:10.1021/acsami.5b12156

Low thermal budget photonic processing of highly conductive Cu interconnects based on CuO nanoinks. Potential for flexible printed electronics

Journal Article · Thu Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 2015 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5b12156· OSTI ID:1237154

Rager, Matthew S. ^[1]; Aytug, Tolga ^[2]; Veith, Gabriel M. ^[1]; Joshi, Pooran C. ^[1]

Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

The developing field of printed electronics nanoparticle based inks such as CuO show great promise as a low-cost alternative to other metal-based counterparts (e.g., silver). In particular, CuO inks significantly eliminate the issue of particle oxidation, before and during the sintering process, that is prevalent in Cu-based formulations. We report here the scalable and low-thermal budget photonic fabrication of Cu interconnects employing a roll-to-roll compatible pulse-thermal-processing (PTP) technique that enables phase reduction and subsequent sintering of inkjet-printed CuO patterns onto flexible polymer templates. Detailed investigations of curing and sintering conditions were performed to understand the impact of PTP system conditions on the electrical performance of the Cu patterns. Specifically, the impact of energy and power of photonic pulses on print conductivity was systematically studied by varying the following key processing parameters: pulse intensity, duration and sequence. Through optimization of such parameters, highly conductive prints in < 1 s with resistivity values as low as 100 n m has been achieved. We also observed that the introduction of an initial ink-drying step in ambient atmosphere, after the printing and before sintering, leads to significant improvements in mechanical integrity and electrical performance of the printed Cu patterns. Moreover, the viability of CuO reactive inks, coupled with the PTP technology and pre ink-drying protocols, has also been demonstrated for the additive integration of a low-cost Cu temperature sensor onto a flexible polymer substrate.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1237154

Journal Information:: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 8; ISSN 1944-8244

Publisher:: American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Selective photonic sintering of Ag flakes embedded in silicone elastomers to fabricate stretchable conductors Oh, Youngsu; Yoon, In Seon; Lee, Chihak Journal of Materials Chemistry C, Vol. 5, Issue 45 https://doi.org/10.1039/c7tc03828c	journal	January 2017
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Back-irradiation photonic sintering for defect-free high-conductivity metal patterns on transparent plastic Kwak, Ji Hye; Chun, Su Jin; Shon, Chae-Hwa Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 112, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5022847	journal	April 2018
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Selective Photonic Sintering of Ag Flakes Embedded in Silicone Elastomers to Fabricate Stretchable Conductors Oh, Youngsu; Yoon, In Seon; Lee, Chihak figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5080681	text	January 2017
Selective Photonic Sintering of Ag Flakes Embedded in Silicone Elastomers to Fabricate Stretchable Conductors Oh, Youngsu; Yoon, In Seon; Lee, Chihak figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5080681.v1	text	January 2017

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77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CuO nanoparticle
conductive ink
flexible substrates
ink-jet printing
photonic sintering
printed electronics
pulsed thermal processing
sensor

Low thermal budget photonic processing of highly conductive Cu interconnects based on CuO nanoinks. Potential for flexible printed electronics

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