Synthesis and characterizations of silver nanoparticles-based conductive ink for high-frequency electronics

This work presents the synthesis and performance evaluation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs)-based ink for high-frequency applications. Through varying concentrations, ratios of precursors, and reducing agents, three inks having different NP sizes are made and transformed into patterns. Structural, optical, and morphological studies of as-prepared NP-based inks were carried out using different characterization tools. Finally, for feasibility verification, synthesized ink for printed electronics, a prototype fabrication of a micro-strip transmission line and inline patch antenna was made. The simulation was performed by CST Microwave Studio to optimize the parameters of the prototype antenna and transmission line. The optical microscope revealed smooth morphology of the antenna. The return loss of the fabricated transmission line and antenna analyzed by the Vector Network analyzer showed that the silver ink-based prototypes have good efficiency and low loss. Overall, the results highlight the remarkable performance of NPs towards printed radio frequency-based electronics.