Abstract: A method for directly writing metal traces on a wide range of substrate materials is disclosed. The method includes writing a pattern of particle-free metal-salt-based ink on the substrate followed by a plasma-based treatment to remove the non-metallic components of the ink and decompose its metal salt into pure metal. The ink is based on a multi-part solvent whose components differ in at least one of evaporation rate, surface tension, and viscosity, which improves the manner in which the ink is converted into its metal constituent via the plasma treatment. In some embodiments, a microplasma is used for post-treatment of the deposited ink, where the plasma properties are controlled to provide different material properties, such as porosity and effective resistivity, in different regions of the metal pattern.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 13, 2018
Date of Patent:
January 25, 2022
Assignees:
Case Western Reserve University, THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AS REPRESENTED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Inventors:
Christopher J. Miller, Souvik Ghosh, Yongkun Sui, R. Mohan Sankaran, Christian A. Zorman