Shape-engineered silver nanoparticles toward high-strength interconnects in electronic packaging
摘要
The morphology of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) critically governs the densification behavior and mechanical performance of sintered silver joints. In this study, cubic AgNPs demonstrated good self-assembly capabilities, enabling enhanced particle packing and enlarged interparticle contact area. These attribute to the formation of highly dense microstructures and yielded a maximum shear strength of 23.98 MPa, outperforming joints fabricated with quasi-spherical or rod-like AgNPs. Systematic optimization of sintering parameters revealed that increasing the sintering temperature effectively promoted atomic diffusion and neck growth, thereby reinforcing interparticle bonding. Nevertheless, temperatures above 250 °C induced particle agglomeration and grain coarsening, resulting in increased porosity and degraded joint strength. A pressure threshold of 4 MPa was identified, beyond which no further improvements in densification or mechanical strength were observed. These findings underscore the pivotal role of nanoparticle morphology and process optimization in tailoring the microstructure-property relationship of sintered silver joints. The strategy presented here offers a feasible pathway toward high-performance, morphology-engineered silver interconnects for advanced electronic packaging applications.