Ink-jet printing of Ag nanoparticle and Ag carboxylate inks on papers

The present study aims at establishing a technology for printing circuit wiring on papers using a low-temperature process. The electrical specifications and microstructural observations of the Ag inks printed on two types of commercial papers, normal and surface coated papers, were examined. When printing circuit wiring on papers, it is necessary to avoid deterioration of the papers (e.g., quality change and warpage) from heat required for curing. For most papers, heating around 150 °C for a short period is the upper limit as the curing temperature. For the Ag carboxylate ink, curing can be possible even at 100 °C for a few min. Comparing with normal papers, the surface coated papers provided the better electrical conductivity and the sound microstructual feature for the printed circuits.