Inkjet printing of palladium alkanethiolates for facile fabrication of metal interconnects and surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates

Pd hexadecanethiolate and Pd butanethiolate precursors were patterned using inkjet printing techniques to form metallic Pd interconnects upon thermolysis. Patterns with lateral dimensions of similar to 50 mu m were produced. The surface morphology of the Pd interconnects was examined using scanning electron microscopy. By printing four-probe patterns, the resistance as a function of the precursor concentration was determined, allowing estimates for the resistivity of the printed interconnects. To demonstrate the utility of this fabrication approach, an electronic circuit consisting of single-wall carbon nanotubes was inkjet printed and then contacted with Pd pads. These printed patterns have also been applied as surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates that exhibit high sensitivity.