Conductive Pattern Manufacturing with White Receiving Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preparing conductive patterns on various substrates face challenges with adhesion, NIR sintering efficiency, and printing resolution, particularly on transparent and thermally unstable substrates, requiring higher temperatures and longer sintering times due to organic components and substrate deformation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the application of a white receiving layer with specific roughness between 1 and 75 μm, applied via inkjet printing, which improves adhesion and NIR sintering efficiency, allowing for higher conductivity and reduced curing temperatures, while protecting the substrate from heat during NIR curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a metallic nanoparticle dispersion with organic components (polymeric dispersants) is used, then the dispersion stability is improved, but the sintering efficiency decreases and higher sintering temperatures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes polymeric dispersants from the metallic nanoparticle dispersion formulation. By using alternative stabilizing mechanisms or inorganic dispersants, the patent eliminates the organic components that interfere with sintering, allowing for lower sintering temperatures while maintaining dispersion stability during storage and handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the dispersion medium and stabilizing agents. By substituting polymeric dispersants with different chemical entities (such as small molecule surfactants or inorganic stabilizers), the patent achieves both dispersion stability and sintering compatibility, resolving the contradiction between stability and sintering efficiency.
2Reliability
If higher sintering temperatures are applied to decompose organic components, then the conductivity of applied patterns is improved, but substrate deformation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
By removing polymeric dispersants from the formulation, the invention eliminates the need for high-temperature decomposition steps. The metallic nanoparticles can be sintered at lower temperatures without organic residue interference, preserving substrate shape while achieving adequate conductivity through optimized particle packing and sintering protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the sintering temperature parameter from high (required for organic component decomposition) to low (sufficient for metal particle sintering without organic interference). This parameter change, enabled by formulation modification, simultaneously achieves conductivity improvement and prevents substrate deformation.
3Productivity
If NIR sintering is used to increase conductivity, then the sintering efficiency is improved, but the printing resolution decreases and substrate deformation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the dispersion formulation to enable lower temperature sintering processes. This parameter change allows the use of more precise, lower-energy sintering methods that maintain printing resolution while achieving adequate conductivity, avoiding the substrate deformation and resolution loss associated with high-power NIR sintering.
4Device complexity
If metallic nanoparticle dispersion is applied directly without additional ingredients, then the process simplicity is improved, but the adhesion to various substrates becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the dispersion medium to include adhesion-promoting components. By modifying the formulation with specific surfactants, coupling agents, or surface-active compounds, the patent achieves sufficient adhesion to various substrates while maintaining process simplicity and avoiding complex multi-step adhesion treatments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves high conductivity, sufficient adhesion, and improved printing resolution on diverse substrates, including those that cannot withstand high temperatures, by enhancing NIR curing efficiency and preventing substrate deformation.
Implementation Method 1
Near Infrared (NIR) sintering of, for example, silver layers or patterns typically increases the conductivity of such layers or patterns
Implementation Method 2
Adhesion of the conductive patterns towards the substrate is often a problem
Implementation Method 3
substrate deformation could occur when the substrate's glass transition temperature (Tg) is lower than the temperature achieved during NIR sintering
Data Source
AI summary
A method of preparing a conductive pattern on a substrate includes the steps of applying a receiving layer on a substrate, applying a metallic nanoparticle dispersion on the white receiving layer thereby forming a metallic pattern, and sintering the metallic pattern, characterized in that the receiving layer has a roughness Rz between 1 and 75.