Exploration of organic matrixes in conductive silver paste: a comprehensive review

Conductive paste is a composite material comprising a conductive filler and an organic vehicle. Compared with the traditional lead tin solder, conductive silver paste does not contain toxic metal lead and is more environmentally friendly. Its preparation process is more straightforward, and it can be applied to materials that cannot be soldered, which provides unique advantages. The filler mainly determines the conductive properties of the paste, and many studies have been conducted on the conductive filler. Further, the organic vehicle affects various factors of the paste such as the printing performance and mechanical properties; therefore, research on organic vehicles is extremely important. Organic vehicles usually contain resins, solvents, and additives. This review summarizes the influence of organic vehicles on diverse characteristics of conductive pastes, such as printability and electrical conductivity. Fully consideration of resin type, molecular weight, selection of solvents, and use of additives will be beneficial to the development of conductive pastes with excellent performance. The incorporation of conductive polymers can improve the tensile and bending resistance of conductive paste. More environmentally friendly and harmless materials will be used in organic carriers in the future.