Thermal behavior of direct-printed lines of silver nanoparticles

We studied the thermal behavior of direct-printed conductive lines of Ag nanoparticles that were sintered at various times and temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy and an optical profiler were used to analyze the effect of sintering temperature and time on the shape and microstructure evolution of the lines. The measurement results showed that, when sintered at higher temperatures, the structure became denser with grain growth; however, significant central collapse of the lines and large interagglomerate pores increased electrical resistivity. (c) 2006 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.