Search

International audience; The authors have investigated if silver nanoparticles can possibly be used for direct writing of conductive patterns. In this paper, a colloidal suspension based on 80 nm silver nanoparticles has been printed with an automated drop-on-demand prototype printer. Prior to any printing of patterns, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is investigated as a mean to follow the sintering activation phenomenon according thermal treatment. DSC experiments have thus been performed jointly with SEM observations to optimize the curing behaviour of ink by activating coalescence mechanisms. Printed test vehicles have been tested to validate previous DSC/SEM results. Features as fine as 90 μm wide and 250 nm thick have been successfully printed on silicon nitride substrate. Thermal treatment entailed evident microstructural evolution – with final grain size up to 5 μm – coupled with great reduction of electrical resistivity down to 8 μOhm.cm (i.e. five times the bulk resistivity of silver).