Synthesis of 10 nm Ag nanoparticle polymer composite pastes for low temperature production of high conductivity films

The conversion of silver nanoparticle (NP) paste films into highly conductive films at low sintering temperature is an important requirement for the developing areas of additive fabrication and printed electronics. Ag NPs with a diameter of ∼10 nm were prepared via an improved chemical process to produce viscous paste with a high wt%. The paste consisted of as-prepared Ag NP and an organic vehicle of ethylcellulose that was deposited on glass and Si substrates using a contact lithographic technique. The morphology and conductivity of the imprinted paste film were measured as a function of sintering temperature, sintering time and the percentage ratio of Ag NP and ethylcellulose. The morphology and conductivity were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a two-point probe electrical conductivity measurement. The results show that the imprinted films were efficiently converted into conducting states when exposed to sintering temperature in the range of 200-240 °C, this temperature is lower than the previously reported values for Ag paste. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of an organic field effect transistor using nano imprinting of Ag inks and semiconducting polymers

A simple and cheap procedure for flexible electronics fabrication was demonstrated by imprinting metallic nanoparticles (NPs) on flexible substrates. Silver NPs with an average diameter of 10 nm were prepared via an improved chemical approach and Ag Np ink was produced in α-terpineol with a concentration up to 15%. Silver micro/nanostructures with a dimension varying from nanometres to microns were produced on a flexible substrate (polyimide) by imprinting the as-prepared silver ink. The fine fluidic properties of an Ag NP/α-terpineol solution and low melting temperatures of silver nanoparticles render a low pressure and low temperature procedure, which is well suited for flexible electronics fabrication. The effects of sintering and mechanical bending on the conductivity of imprinted silver contacts were also investigated. Large area organic field effect transistors (OFET) on flexible substrates were fabricated using an imprinted silver electrode and semiconducting polymer. The OFET with silver electrodes imprinted from our prepared oleic acid stabilized Ag nanoparticle ink show an ideal ohmic contact; therefore, the OFET exhibit high performance (Ion/Ioff ratio: 1 × 103; mobility: 0.071 cm2 V-1 s-1). © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Observation of the ordered growth of coronene on Ag(111): a scanning tunnelling microscopy study of vacuum deposited molecules

The molecular ordering of coronene (C24H12) obtained by vacuum-deposition onto predominantly Ag(111) on mica has been investigated using the scanning tunnelling microscope. Real-space topographic images reveal that in certain regions we obtain layer-by-layer ordered growth of the molecules on this substrate which agrees with previous indirect measurements (the growth did not display this ordering in other regions). In our experiments on the ordered regions, we observe the best imaging contrast at a voltage bias of -0.28 V which may correspond to a resonant tunnelling process through the molecules. © 1995.