Direct patterning of copper (Cu) electrodes through a noncontact electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing process is developed to overcome the drawback of printing mechanisms such as high viscosity in inkjet printing.… Click to show full abstract
Direct patterning of copper (Cu) electrodes through a noncontact electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing process is developed to overcome the drawback of printing mechanisms such as high viscosity in inkjet printing. Printed Cu lines with a width of about 40 μm are obtained from Cu paste with a viscosity of 4000 cPs using an additive. The effect of the operating parameters on jetting modes and printed patterns is investigated. The electrical property of the printed Cu layer shows a low resistivity of 8 × 10−4 Ωm after sintering under vacuum compared with air annealing. Solution‐processed zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin‐film transistors (TFTs) with vacuum‐annealed Cu source and drain (S/D) electrodes are fabricated with comparable characteristics, such as an average effective mobility in the saturation region (μ) of 0.50 cm2 V−1 s−1, an on‐to‐off current ratio (Ion/Ioff) of 5.5 × 105, and a subthreshold slope (SS) of 3.35 V decade−1. These results demonstrate the potential of EHD jet‐printed Cu for application in electronic devices.
               
Click one of the above tabs to view related content.