Surface modification and sintering activity of PVP-coated silver nanoparticles

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is commonly used as a coating for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), while its high boiling point and decomposition temperature limit the particles’ applications at low temperatures. In this work, octadecylamine (ODA) was employed to modify the surface of PVP-coated AgNPs synthesized via an improved polyol method. The paste prepared from the modified AgNPs was heated at 200 °C in an air atmosphere and 20 MPa for 10 min, resulting in the sintered joints with an average shear strength of 150.3 MPa and the silver sintered bodies with an average resistivity of 3.16 μΩ·cm. ODA modification significantly enhances the low-temperature sintering activity of the PVP-coated AgNPs, due to ODA's low boiling point and decomposition temperature. This surface modification approach provides a novel solution for the low-temperature application of AgNPs in electronic packaging materials.