A Further Study on the Microstructure of Glass-Bonded Ag Thick-Film Conductors

The sintering and microstructure development of glassbonded Ag thick-film conductors have been studied with special emphasis on the effects of glass-Ag ratio, film thickness, and substrate material. Techniques employed are dilatometry, microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The variation of surface silver concentration has been well correlated with the microstructure, and the experimental results have been interpreted successfully in terms of the behavior of glass phase during firing.