Low viscosity precursor compositions and methods for the deposition of conductive electronic features
A precursor composition for the deposition and formation of an electrical feature such as a conductive feature. The precursor composition advantageously has a low viscosity enabling deposition using direct-write tools. The precursor composition also has a low conversion temperature, enabling the deposition and conversion to an electrical feature on low temperature substrates. A particularly preferred precursor composition includes silver metal for the formation of highly conductive silver features.
1 . A process for forming a flat panel display conductive feature, comprising:
(a) direct printing a precursor composition onto a substrate, wherein the precursor composition comprises metallic particles and metal oxide particles; and
(b) heating the precursor composition to form the flat panel display conductive feature on the substrate, the flat panel display conductive feature having a minimum feature size of not greater than 100 μm.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the direct printing comprises syringe printing.
3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the direct printing comprises aerosol jet deposition.
4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the direct printing comprises ink jet printing.
5 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the direct printing comprises directing droplets of the precursor composition toward a surface of the substrate, the droplets having an average droplet size not greater than about 10 μm.
6 . The process of claim 5 , wherein the average droplet size is not greater than about 5 μm.
7 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the ink jet printing comprises depositing droplets onto the substrate at a rate of 1000 drops per second or higher.
8 . The process of claim 7 , wherein each droplet comprise from about 25 to 100 picoliters of the precursor composition.
9 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the minimum feature size is not greater than 75 μm.
10 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the minimum feature size is not greater than 50 μm.
11 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the minimum feature size is not greater than 25 μm.
12 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the process further comprises surface modifying a surface of the substrate prior to the direct printing.
13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the surface modifying comprises laser patterning.
14 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the surface modifying comprises forming trenches in the surface by chemical etching or photochemical means.
15 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise metal oxide nanoparticles.
16 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of In 2 O 3 , indium-tin oxide (ITO), antimony-tin oxide (ATO), pyrogenous silica, surface modified silica, copper oxide, and aluminum oxide.
17 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise glass particles.
18 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the metallic particles comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum and nickel.
19 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the metallic particles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 100 nm.
20 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the metallic particles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 0.3 μm.
21 . The process of claim 20 , wherein the metallic particles comprise a cap or coating thereon.
22 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an inorganic cap or coating.
23 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises silica.
24 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises glass.
25 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an organic cap or coating.
26 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises a polymer.
27 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer, a sulfonated perfluorohydrocarbon polymer, polystyrene, polystyrene/methacrylate, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate, tetra-n-octyl-ammonium bromide or an alkane thiolate.
28 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises PVP.
29 . The process of claim 20 , wherein at least 80 volume percent of the metallic particles are not larger than twice the average particle size.
30 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the heating comprises heating in air at from about 450° C. to 600° C.
31 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the substrate comprises glass.
32 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymer.
33 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises an electrode.
34 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises a bus line.
35 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises a transparent conductive feature.
36 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises indium-tin oxide or antimony-tin oxide.
37 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature has a thickness greater than 1 μm.
38 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature has a thickness greater than 5 μm.
39 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises a metal-glass composition.
40 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the process further comprises high shear mixing the precursor composition.
41 . A process for forming a flat panel display conductive feature, the process comprising heating an ink jet printed precursor composition to form the flat panel display conductive feature on a substrate, wherein the precursor composition comprises metallic particles and metal oxide particles, and wherein the flat panel display conductive feature has a width of not greater than 100 μm.
42 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the direct printing comprises directing droplets of the precursor composition toward a surface of the substrate, the droplets having an average droplet size not greater than about 10 μm.
43 . The process of claim 42 , wherein the average droplet size is not greater than about 5 μm.
44 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the ink jet printing comprises depositing droplets onto the substrate at a rate of 1000 drops per second or higher.
45 . The process of claim 44 , wherein each droplet comprise from about 25 to 100 picoliters of the precursor composition.
46 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the minimum feature size is not greater than 75 μm.
47 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the minimum feature size is not greater than 50 μm.
48 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the minimum feature size is not greater than 25 μm.
49 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the a surface of the substrate is surface modified.
50 . The process of claim 49 , wherein the surface modifying comprises forming trenches in the surface by chemical etching or photochemical means.
51 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise metal oxide nanoparticles.
52 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of In 2 O 3 , indium-tin oxide (ITO), antimony-tin oxide (ATO), pyrogenous silica, surface modified silica, copper oxide, and aluminum oxide.
53 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise glass particles.
54 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the metallic particles comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum and nickel.
55 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the metallic particles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 100 nm.
56 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the metallic particles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 0.3 μm.
57 . The process of claim 56 , wherein the metallic particles comprise a cap or coating thereon.
58 . The process of claim 57 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an inorganic cap or coating.
59 . The process of claim 57 , wherein the cap or coating comprises silica.
60 . The process of claim 57 , wherein the cap or coating comprises glass.
61 . The process of claim 57 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an organic cap or coating.
62 . The process of claim 57 , wherein the cap or coating comprises a polymer.
63 . The process of claim 57 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer, a sulfonated perfluorohydrocarbon polymer, polystyrene, polystyrene/methacrylate, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate, tetra-n-octyl-ammonium bromide or an alkane thiolate.
64 . The process of claim 57 , wherein the cap or coating comprises PVP.
65 . The process of claim 56 , wherein at least 80 volume percent of the metallic particles are not larger than twice the average particle size.
66 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the heating comprises heating in air at from about 450° C. to 600° C.
67 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the substrate comprises glass.
68 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymer.
69 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises an electrode.
70 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises a bus line.
71 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises a transparent conductive feature.
72 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises indium-tin oxide or antimony-tin oxide.
73 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature has a thickness greater than 1 μm.
74 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature has a thickness greater than 5 μm.
75 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the flat panel display conductive feature comprises a metal-glass composition.