Nanoparticle deposition process

Abstract

A process including: (a) solution depositing a composition composed of a liquid and a plurality of metal nanoparticles with a stabilizer on a substrate to result in a deposited composition; and (b) heating the deposited composition to cause the metal nanoparticles to form an electrically conductive layer of an electronic device, wherein one or more of the liquid, the stabilizer, and a decomposed stabilizer is optionally part of the electrically conductive layer but if present is in a residual amount.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The proper deposition and patterning of electrically conductive materials as for instance electrodes and interconnects are important in circuit fabrication for electronic devices. Electrodes of electronic devices such as thin film transistors can be fabricated, for example, by vacuum deposition of a metal through a shadow mask, or by vacuum deposition of a metal and subsequent patterning with photolithography technique. However, vacuum deposition and photolithography are costly techniques. They are not suitable for use in manufacturing low-cost large-area electronics, particularly plastic electronics. Manufacturing cost can be significantly reduced if the electrodes and interconnects could be directly deposited and patterned by solution depositing. In addition, although organic electrically conductive materials such as polystyrene sulfonate-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (“PSS-PEDOT”) are solution processable, metal is preferred over organi...

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