Alternative Sintering Processes and Their Influence on the Electrical Resistance of Printed Ag Nanoparticle Conductive Networks

The effectiveness of postprinting treatment processes, particularly sintering, is essential in optimizing the functionality of printed electronics. However, evaluating various sintering techniques has largely been qualitative, while a comprehensive analysis of their impacts in the context of flexible electronics is missing. Using Ag-based nanoparticle ink as a case study, this work systematically examines four distinct sintering methods, thermal, vacuum, chemical, and photonic (using nonthermal ultraviolet light), to quantitatively evaluate their performance and feasibility in the large-scale fabrication of printed electronics. In particular, we studied chemical sintering by quantifying the role of chemical agents in the device’s conductivity. While this work does not intend to cover all existing sintering methods for printed electronics, our findings offer a detailed evaluation of several postprinting treatment processes, shedding light on how different sintering approaches affect the performance of printed electronic components and architecture.