One-step additive LIFT printing of conductive elements

Abstract

The feasibility of printing silver and copper conductive elements on a glass substrate in a one- step through the laser-induced forward transfer method has been successfully demonstrated. The topography of the resulting elements was analyzed, using scanning electron microscopy. Investigation of their chemical composition was conducted by means of energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction, revealing that both silver and copper in their metallic nanocrystalline state. The maximum specific conductivity of ≈6 kS cm−1 was achieved for both silver and copper at the optimal scanning speed of 3800 mm s−1, providing two-pulse printing with the laser transfer by the first pulse and laser annealing by the second one. The proposed method facilitates the technological additive printing process of conductive elements and rises its throughput.