Effect of viscosity of silver nanoparticle suspension on conductive line patterned by electrohydrodynamic jet printing

The generation of a fine pattern of metallic materials from suspensions is gaining interest because it is the key to the fabrication of displays and printed circuit boards. We tested the patterns formed by two silver nanoparticle suspensions of different viscosities using electrohydrodynamic jet printing ( EHDP) in the cone- jet mode. In order to produce a higher viscous suspension, we suspended silver nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm in DI water to which polyvinyl alcohol was added. The pattern width of the higher viscous suspension at the onset voltage of the cone- jet mode was thinner than that of the inviscid suspension. In the case of the higher viscous suspension, the sheet resistance dropped significantly ( about 95%) after the thermal curing process at 200. degrees C for one hour. The average sheet resistance after the thermal curing process was 0.037 Omega/square, which is twice that of bulk silver.