Conductivity and radio frequency performance data for silver nanoparticle inks deposited via aerosol jet deposition and processed under varying conditions

In fabricating electronic components or devices via Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) there are numerous options for commercially available Metal NanoParticle (MNP) inks. Regardless of the MNP ink selected, the electrical properties of the final product are not commensurate to those of the bulk metal due to the inherent porosity and impurity-infused composition that is characteristic of these heterogeneous feedstock. Hence, choosing the best MNP ink for a particular application can be difficult, even among those based on the same metal, as each ink formulation can yield different performance metrics depending on the specific formulation and the conditions under which it is processed. In this article, the DC conductivity of AJP pads and the Radio Frequency (RF) transmission loss of AJP Coplanar Waveguides (CPWs) are presented for three different, commercially available silver MNP inks; Advanced Nano Products (ANP) Silverjet DGP 40LT-15C, Clariant Prelect TPS 50 G2, and UT Dots UTDAg40X. We determined conductivity values by measuring the printed pad thicknesses using stylus profilometry and measuring sheet resistances using a co-linear 4-point probe. Additionally, we collected RF spectra using a performance network analyzer over the 10 MHz – 40 GHz range. A complete description of the preparation, AJP procedure, and sintering is provided. Conductivity and RF data are presented for several scenarios including sintering temperatures, sintering atmospheres, and un-sintered storage conditions. We anticipate this dataset will serve as a useful reference for benchmarking electrical performance and troubleshooting pre- and post-processing steps for Ag nanoparticle based AJP inks.