표면 플라즈마 처리된 Cu nanoparticle (NPs)로 제작된 Organic photovoltaic (OPV)소자는 일잔 OPV 소자보 다 높은 효율성을 보여준다. Nps는 다양한 합성법으로 제조되어 29 nm의 지름을 가진 입자형태를 갖추었다. 이러한 Nps는 P3HT:PCBM과 결합하여 OPV 활성층으로 사용되었는데 적층방법으로 spin과 bar 코팅 방식을 사용하였다. 제작된 소자의 효율 평가에서 스핀코팅으로 제작된 P3HT:PCBM과 Nps가 결합된 P3HT:PCBM 이 각각 1.01과 4.39%로 Np의 효과로 인한 효율 증가를 볼 수 있었다. 바코팅 프로세스를 (8, 20, 50 um 갭)를 사용하였을 경우 20 um 갭의 바코터에서 스핀코터와 같은 두께의 활성층 두께를 보였다. 제작된 활성층은 바코터 그루브 특성으로 인해 트렌치 패턴이 형성되어 빛 흡수를 약화시켜 효율성을 저하시켰다.

A sintering process for copper based films using a rapid thermal process with infrared lamps is proposed to improve the electrical properties. Compared with films produced by conventional thermal sintering, the microstructure of the copper based films contained fewer internal and interfacial pores and larger grains after the rapid thermal process. This high-density microstructure is due to the high heating rate, which causes the abrupt decomposition of the organic shell at higher temperatures than is the case for the low heating rate; the high heating rate also induces densification of the copper based films. In order to confirm the effect of the rapid thermal process on copper nanoink, copper based films were prepared under varying of conditions such as the sintering temperature, time, and heating rate. As a result, the resistivity of the copper based films showed no significant changes at high temperature (300 oC) according to the sintering conditions. On the other hand, at low temperatures, the resistivity of the copper based films depended on the heating rate of the rapid thermal process.

For a decade, solution-processed functional materials and various printing technologies have attracted increasingly the significant interest in realizing low-cost flexible electronics. In this study, Cu nanoparticles are synthesized via the chemical reduction of Cu ions under inert atmosphere. To prevent interparticle agglomeration and surface oxidation, oleic acid is incorporated as a surface capping molecule and hydrazine is used as a reducing agent. To endow water-compatibility, the surface of synthesized Cu nanoparticles is modified by a mixture of carboxyl-terminated anionic polyelectrolyte and polyoxylethylene oleylamine ether. For reducing the surface tension and the evaporation rate of aqueous Cu nanoparticle inks, the solvent composition of Cu nanoparticle ink is designed as DI water:2-methoxy ethanol:glycerol:ethylene glycol = 50:20:5:25 wt%. The effects of poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) as an adhesion promoter(AP) on rheology of aqueous Cu nanoparticle inks and adhesion of Cu pattern printed on polyimid films are investigated. The 40 wt% aqueous Cu nanoparticle inks with 0.5 wt% of Poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) show the “Newtonian flow” and has a low viscosity under 10 mPa·S, which is applicable to inkjet printing. The Cu patterns with a linewidth of 50~60 μm are successfully fabricated. With the addition of Poly(styrene-co-maleic acid), the adhesion of printed Cu patterns on polyimid films is superior to those of patterns prepared from Poly(styrene-comaleic acid)-free inks. The resistivities of Cu films are measured to be 10~15 μΩ·cm at annealing temperature of 300 ˚C.