Dependence of electrical resistivity on sintering conditions of silver layers printed by InkJet printing technology

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find optimal sintering conditions of silver-based nano-inks for achieving the high electrical conductivity of the deposited layers applied on polyimide foils as well as the influence of ageing on the electrical conductivity. Therefore, the investigation in the field of silver layers deposited by inkjet printing technology is presented in this paper. Design/methodology/approach The four-point resistance measurements were realized for a detailed and precise analysis of the resistance of two different silver layers under different sintering conditions depending on the type of nano-ink varied about the recommended values. Highly accelerated stress tests (HASTs) were also applied as an ageing method for confirmation of the high electrical stability of the silver layers. Findings The results prove the strong influence of the temperature and the time of the sintering process on the sheet resistance of the investigated silver-based layers deposited by inkjet printing technology on polyimide foils. The HASTs caused significant changes in the electrical conductivity for both nano-inks presented in this paper. The existence of noticeable dependence among the resistivity, thermal treatment and ageing was proved. Originality/value The main benefit lays in the optimization of sintering conditions to improve the electrical conductivity of the silver layers. The paper also presents a new approach for a stability analysis of the silver layers by HASTs.