Fabrication of nano-scale conductors by selective femtosecond laser sintering of metal nanoparticles

For various applications in electronic devices, metal nanopatterns fabrication on various substrates, such as glass and flexible polymers has become important. Recently, selective laser sintering of nanomaterials has emerged as a promising approach to the fabrication of precise metal nanopatterns without using any conventional vacuum deposition or photolithography. In this study, we present the experimental results on the fabrication of subwavelength scale silver nanopatterns using a femtosecond laser for the first time. By applying a femtosecond laser for the selective sintering of metal nanoparticles on a heat sensitive substrate, the heat-affected zone during the laser sintering process can be minimized. Through this work, metal conductors with nanometer features and a high conductivity were successfully fabricated.