Fabrication of Silver Patterns on Polyimide Films Based on Solid-Phase Electrochemical Constructive Lithography Using Ion-Exchangeable Precursor Layers

Abstract

We report a fully additive-based electrochemical approach to the site-selective deposition of silver on a polyimide substrate. Using a cathode coated with ion-doped precursor polyimide layers, patterns of metal masks used as anodes were successfully reproduced at the cathode-precursor interface through electrochemical and ion-exchange reactions, which resulted in the generation of silver patterns on the polyimide films after subsequent annealing and removal from the substrate. Excellent interfacial adhesion was achieved through metal nanostructures consisting of interconnecting silver nanoparticles at the metal-polymer interface, which are electrochemically grown "in" the precursor layer. This approach is a resist- and etch-free process and thus provides an effective methodology toward lower-cost and high-throughput microfabrication.

A Rapid Photopatterning Method for Selective Plating of 2D and 3D Microcircuitry on Polyetherimide

“…The photopatterning has also been replaced by selective surface modification using directed ink‐jet droplets; this however places limitations on manufacturing flexibility. Electric fields have also been utilized to assist the metallization process . Selective site chemical reduction by dimethylamine borane solution has shown a fast reduction, but introduces new resist‐based processing steps.…”

Direct Fabrication of Metal Patterns on Resin Substrate by Combining Imprint and Electrochemical Lithography

“…2 a. It was observed that the regular trench structure of silicon template was successfully transferred on the surface of poly (amic acid) film. The silver thin film can be deposited on poly (amic acid) by applying voltage, through the reduction of silver ions at cathode surface and exchange reaction of doped ions bound to carboxylate anions in the precursor film 4) . Oxidation of water to generate oxygen gas occurred at anode surface.…”

“…2 d. The deposited silver and copper thin films were remained on the precursor surface (not on ITO surface) , indicating strong adhesion of the metals with underlying precursor substrate through nanoscale granular structure at the interface 5) . Importantly, subsequent acid treatment using HCl followed by heat treatment for the precursors with deposited metals caused extraction of remaining silver ions from PAA films and dehydration of the poly (amic acid) to form imide rings 4) , respectively, providing polyimide films with highly adhesive metal circuit patterns.…”

“…Therefore, the development of new methods that ensure miniaturization and higher adhesion between metals and substrate is challenging. In this study, we report a new patterning method to fabricate metal patterns on polyimide substrate with trench structure by imprint lithography combined with electrochemical lithography 4) . Using an ion-doped precursor polyimide films with trench structure prepared by imprint lithography, metal thin films can be successfully deposited at convex portion of trench structure, which resulted in the generation of metal patterns on polyimide films.…”

Fabrication and characterization of polyimide/Al2O3 composite films via surface modification and ion exchange technique

“…This method has other advantages, such as processing simplicity, low cost and environment friendly (Mu et al, 2010b). Using this method, many PI/metal or PI/metal oxide composites have been prepared, including PI/Ag (Han et al, 2012;Lin et al, 2012;Qi et al, 2006Qi et al, , 2008Qi et al, , 2007aAkamatsu et al, 2011;Akamatsu et al, 2003a;Han et al, 2013aHan et al, , 2013bQi et al, 2007b), PI/ZnO (Mu et al, 2011;Ding et al, 2013), PI/ CuO (Zhan et al, 2012;Akamatsu et al, 2003b), PI/Co 3 O 4 (Mu et al, 2010a(Mu et al, , 2010b, PI/NiO (Mu et al, 2009) and PI/SnO 2 (Cui et al, 2011). The aim of this study was to prepare PI/Al 2 O 3 composite films via a surface modification and ion-exchange techniques and examine their properties.…”