Novel flexible electrically conductive adhesives from functional epoxy, flexibilizers, micro‐silver flakes and nano‐silver spheres for electronic packaging

In this study, five different flexibilizers were added into a matrix resin to improve the flexibility of electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs). The flexible ECAs were fabricated from the matrix resin and electrically conductive fillers. Their curing was fixed at 150 °C for 30 min. Of the five flexibilizers, 1,3‐propanediol bis(4‐aminobenzoate) (PBA) had the best effect on the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of the ECAs. During curing, PBA reacted with the functional epoxy in the matrix resin. The soft ether segments in PBA were grafted into the crosslinked epoxy network to form an orderly spaced mesh structure. This led to high‐temperature stability, with the pyrolysis temperature being above 350 °C. Flexible ECAs with a 10% weight ratio of PBA in the matrix resin had the best properties. Their viscosity and bulk resistivity were the lowest. Their flexibility and electrical conductivity were the highest. They also had low storage modulus which could effectively dissipate or reduce the residual shear stress generated by the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficient between chip and substrate. Their impact strength was the lowest, and the toughening effect was so significant that the improvement was about 48% compared to ECAs.