Influence of Surface Propertiesof Coated Papers onPrinted Electronics.

Thin and narrow conductive patterns of metal (silver)and organicpolymer (polyaniline) were printed on various coated paper samples.A detailed characterization of the physical properties (i.e., shortlength scale roughness, surface energy, and air permeability) of thepaper samples was conducted. These properties were correlated withprint quality (print resolution and edge waviness) and electricalperformance (resistance) of the printed wires. A plastic film wasused as a reference substrate. The print resolution and the magnitudeof the edge waviness were affected by the complex interplay of differentphysical properties of both the substrate and the ink. On the otherhand, the resistance of the printed wires was found to correlate linearlywith the short length scale roughness of the print substrate. Theelectrical performance of the paper substrates showing the highestconductivity for the printed patterns was comparable to that of theplastic film. The paper substrate on which the printed wires showedthe best electrical performance was used as a substrate for fabricationof an organic transistor with low operating voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]