Product Code: ICA12_N502

An Experimental Investigation into the Laser Sintering Process of Cu Nanoparticle Based Ink on Polymer Substrates for Printed Electronics
Authors:
Juan Carlos Hernandez-Castaneda, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology; Singapore Singapore
Gary Ka Lai Ng, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology; Singapore Singapore
Lok Boon Keng, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology; Singapore Singapore
H.Y. Zheng, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology; -
Presented at ICALEO 2012

The sintering process of nanoparticle based inks is a fundamental step in the manufacture of functional printed electronics for large-area applications on flexible substrates. This paper explores the feasibility of different laser systems to sinter printed lines from conductive Cu nanoparticles on Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polyethylene naphtalate (PEN) polymers. Among the laser systems explored are direct diode laser (808 nm), Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm & SH 532 nm) and Ytterbium fibre laser (1070 nm). The sintering process of the Cu nanoparticles was evaluated in terms of the attained resistivity and the speed of the process. The experimental results also highlight the main issues in the sintering process of printed electronics and the challenges for its scalability.