Recently, there has been significant research focus on the design of high functional density electronic systems, especially for 5G applications. In parallel, to address accurate, high-quality, fine-resolution circuit geometry requirements, increased research into additive manufacturing (AM) printing techniques, such as aerosol jet printing (AJP), has emerged. The issues are complicated by low-loss flexible substrates, such as liquid crystal polymers (LCPs), which are commonly used in the design of high-frequency circuits and systems. These substrates cannot be taken through high sintering temperature processes that are commonly required for silver inks. To avoid permanent damage, it is essential that the sintering temperature remains below the glass transition temperature (T g ) of the substrates. Recent work on LCP substrates has demonstrated 10%-20% bulk silver (Ag) conductivity by using low-temperature thermal sintering techniques. This article investigates the use of a rapid ultraviolet (UV) flash annealing technique to achieve high conductivity of Ag on LCP for use in high-frequency circuits while maintaining the integrity of the substrate. Results are compared against thermally sintered films. The resulting conductivity was studied as a function of UV exposure time and energy, printed film thickness, surface roughness of the substrate, and multilayer deposition.

中文翻译：

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用于微波电路应用的气溶胶喷射印刷银导体的紫外闪速烧结


最近，高功能密度电子系统的设计受到广泛关注，特别是 5G 应用。与此同时，为了满足精确、高质量、高分辨率的电路几何形状要求，人们对增材制造 (AM) 打印技术（例如气溶胶喷射打印 (AJP)）的研究不断增加。低损耗柔性基板（例如常用于高频电路和系统设计的液晶聚合物（LCP））使问题变得更加复杂。这些基材无法通过银油墨通常所需的高温烧结工艺。为了避免永久性损坏，烧结温度必须保持低于基材的玻璃化转变温度 (T g )。最近对 LCP 基板的研究表明，通过使用低温热烧结技术，块体银 (Ag) 的电导率达到 10%-20%。本文研究了如何使用快速紫外 (UV) 闪光退火技术来实现 LCP 上银的高导电性，以用于高频电路，同时保持基板的完整性。将结果与热烧结薄膜进行比较。研究了所得电导率与紫外线曝光时间和能量、印刷薄膜厚度、基材表面粗糙度和多层沉积的函数关系。