Rapid Sintering of Copper-Based MOD Inks under Atmospheric Conditions for Conductive Film Applications

In this study, the sintering of copper formate derived MOD inks was investigated under ambient conditions using a hot air gun. The aim was to obtain conductive copper films through a low-cost and easily applicable method. For this purpose, Cuf was individually complexed with n-butylamine and AMP, producing dark-blue solutions that were deposited onto glass and photographic paper by drop-casting. The coated substrates were thermally treated at 100–400 °C for 2 minutes using a hot air gun. The resulting films were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TGA/DTA, and electrical resistivity measurements. The Cuf–AMP complex facilitated the deposition of metallic copper films under ambient conditions, exhibiting lower oxide formation and superior electrical conductivity relative to the butylamine complex. Furthermore, films derived from the AMP-based ink demonstrated significantly lower resistivity, reaching values as low as 30 μΩ·cm. The addition of PVP enhanced film adhesion but slightly reduced electrical conductivity. These findings confirm that hot-air gun sintering under ambient atmosphere is a cost-effective and practical approach for producing conductive copper films for printed electronics applications.