Manufacture of complex pattern flexible copper microcircuits based on silver seeds through chemical growth welding

Flexible microcircuits are developing rapidly with the trends of miniaturization and foldability in modern electronic products. The chemical growth welding technique of silver seeds offers several advantages, including compatibility with a wide range of substrates, ease of operation, and room temperature growth, making it a promising method for use in the manufacturing of flexible electronics. In this paper, we demonstrated a feasible solution based on silver seeds and the chemical welding process of copper at near room temperature. The growth of copper microcircuits was directly determined by the size and distribution of silver seeds. Seeding parameters for preparing long copper microcircuits were optimized, and two types of possible defects in the as-prepared copper microcircuits were analyzed. Based on the optimized parameters, patterned fine copper microcircuits and large-area copper wires were prepared, and the conductivity and fatigue resistance were verified.