1.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
; 6(5): 3099-104, 2014 Mar 12.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24556018
ABSTRACT
We describe a direct-write process for producing electrically conductive metal patterns at the surface of polymers. Thin films of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) loaded with Ag ions are reduced by a scanning, atmospheric-pressure microplasma to form crystalline Ag features with a line width of 300 µm. Materials analysis reveals that the metallization occurs in a thin layer of â¼5 µm near the film surface, suggesting that the Ag ions diffuse to the surface. Sheet resistances of 1-10 Ω/sq are obtained independent of film thickness and Ag volume concentration, which is desirable for producing surface conductivity on polymers while minimizing metal loading.