To achieve the fabrication of high-quality Ag-coated Cu particles through a wet chemical process, we reported herein pretreatment conditions using an ammonium-based mixed solvent for the removal of a Cu2O layer on Cu particles that were oxidized in air for 1 hr at 200 oC or for 3 days at room temperature. Furthermore, we discussed the results of post-Ag plating with respect to removal level of the oxide layer. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the removal rate of the oxide layer is directly proportional to the concentration of the pretreatment solvent. With the results of Auger electron spectroscopy using oxidized Cu plates, the concentrations required to completely remove 50-nm-thick and 2-nm-thick oxides within 5 min were determined to be X2.5 and X0.13. However, the optimal concentrations in an actual Ag plating process using Cu powder increased to X0.4 and X0.5, respectively, because the oxidation in powder may be accelerated and the complete removal of oxide should be tuned to the thickest oxide layer among all the particles. Back-scattered electron images showed the formation of pure fine Ag particles instead of a uniform and smooth Ag coating in the Ag plating performed after incomplete removal of the oxide layer, indicating that the remaining oxide layer obstructs heterogeneous nucleation and plating by reduced Ag atoms.

To elucidate the effects of a pretreatment process on the uniformity of Ag electroless plating on Cu flakes, pretreatment time was mainly considered with a mixed solution of 0.15 M ammonium hydroxide and 0.0375 M ammonium sulphate. Optical inspection of Ag-coated Cu flakes determined that the optimal pretreatment time is 120 s. Repetition of the sequence in which Ag plating was done immediately after the pretreatment of 120 s clearly enhanced the plating uniformity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that holes were formed irregularly on some Cu flakes during the period from the asdropping of an Ag precursor solution to 5 min. The hole formation was judged to be due to continuous removal of Cu on the local surfaces by the repetitive formation and elimination of Cu2O or Cu(OH)2 layers. However, the increase of the amount of Ag coating suppressed the hole creation and increasingly enhanced the antioxidant property.

Ag spot-coated Cu nanopowders were synthesized by a hydrothermal-attachment method (HA) using oleic acid capped Ag hydrosol. Cu nano powders were synthesized by pulsed wire exploding method using 0.4 mm in diameter of Cu wire (purity 99.9%). Synthesized Cu nano powders are seen with comparatively spherical shape having range in 50 nm to 150 nm in diameter. The oleic acid capped Ag hydrosol was synthesized by the precipitation-redispersion method. Oleic acid capped Ag nano particles showed the narrow size distribution and their particle size were less than 20 nm in diameter. In the case of nano Ag-spot coated Cu powders, nanosized Ag particles were adhered in the copper surface by HAA method. The components of C, O and Ag were distributed on the surface of copper powder.

Conductive pastes consist of conductive fillers( Au, Ag, Ni, Cu etc.), organic binders, solvents and additives. Meanwhile, there are some metal powders such as copper, nickel etc that are used for pastes which have serious surface corrosion problems. This problem leads to change of the color and decrease in conductivity and affect storage stability of conductive pastes. By using silane coupling agent and dispersion agent, we can ensure both the corrosion stability and long term storage stability, and enhance the high performance electrical and mechanical properties of EMI shielding silicone sealant.

The brazing adhesion properties of Ag coated W-Ag electric contact on the Cu substrate have been investigated in therms of microstructure, phase equilibrium and adhesion strength. Precoating of Ag layer ( in thickness) on the contact material was done by electro-plating method. Subsequently the brazing treatment was conducted by inserting BCuP-5 filler metal (Ag-Cu-P alloy) layer between Ag coated W-Ag and Cu substrate and annealing at in atmosphere. The optimum brazing temperature of was semi-empirically calculated on the basis of the Cu atomic diffusion profile in Ag layer of commercial electric contact produced by the same brazing process. As a mechanical test of the electric contact after brazing treatment the adhesion strength between the electric contact and Cu substrate was measured using Instron. The microstructure and phase equilibrium study revealed that the sound interlayer structure was formed by relatively low brazing treatment at . Thin Ag electro-plated layer precoated on the electric contact ( in thickness) is thought to be enough for high adhesion strength arid sound microstructure in interface layer.