Performance differences of copper paste in different types of composite resin systems during IPL sintering
摘要
The fabrication of highly conductive copper paste via IPL sintering in ambient air is a widely adopted approach and has been extensively investigated. However, existing studies on IPL sintering of copper pastes primarily focus on the optimization of sintering process parameters and the surface modification of copper particles, while the role of the molecular structure of the binder resin in governing the thixotropic properties and sintering behavior of the paste has not yet received adequate attention. In this study, a vinyl chloride copolymer resin was employed as the base binder. By physically blending it separately with a thermosetting resin and a thermoplastic resin, the influence of the resin chain segment structure and functional groups on the thixotropy and IPL sintering performance of copper paste was systematically investigated, and the underlying mechanism was elucidated. The results demonstrate that the chain segment flexibility, type of polar functional groups, and thermophysical response behavior of the resin not only significantly modulate the viscosity and thixotropic recovery characteristics of the paste, but also directly influence the formation efficiency of diffusion channels between copper particles and the growth of sintering necks during the photon irradiation stage. Finally, the IPL-sinterable copper paste with both favorable thixotropic properties and high electrical conductivity was obtained, exhibiting a standard sheet resistance of 34.2 mΩ/sq.