The Morphology of Patterning with Pseudoplastic Metal Nanoparticle Fluids during Heat Treatment

A pseudoplastic metal nanoparticle fluid (PMNF) is used in nanoimprint to fabricate semiconductors and functional devices. The evaporation of the solvent and the sintering of the Au PMNF are investigated. The key parameters, which influence the morphology of patterning, such as the radius of metal particles, the concentration of metal particles, the Hamaker constant of the solvent, viscosity of the fluids and the evaporation velocity, are analyzed. Based on a two-sphere sintering model, the equations are derived, which represent the relationships between the relative shrinkage and radius of the metal particles, sintering temperature and time. The optimal parameters for the heat treatment are provided in nanoimprint.