Crack formation and substrate effects on electrical resistivity of inkjet-printed Ag lines

We investigated electrical properties of inkjet-printed Ag lines by varying the substrate, dimension of lines and sintering temperature. The effect of cracks developed in the lines during drying and sintering was also examined. The results show clear evidence of a strong crack and substrate effect on electrical properties of printed Ag lines. The crack formation is clearly dependent on the dimension of lines. Crack network occurs and becomes more pronounced for wider and thicker lines. Even without the crack formation, the resistance and resistivity of lines on glass are higher than those on polyimide due to residual thermal stresses.