Uniform copper nanowires from ultrasonic embossing at low temperature

Abstract

Copper nanowires have wide applications in transparent electrodes for display, catalysis for chemical and biological reactions, and sensing components for sensors. There are many methods of lithography in the manufacturing industry that can produce copper nanowires over a long period of time. However, most of them are operating at high temperatures as the materials used have high melting points. The results of the nanowires can be significantly impacted by the presence of oxidation. This is due to the formation of copper oxide. High temperatures may also result in the nanowires being not uniform. Nanoimprinting of copper nanowires at low temperatures is very challenging due to the high mechanical strength of copper metal. Hence, ultrasonic embossing is being introduced to overcome the problem. The use of lithography has become less favored due to its high energy consumption and long cycle time. Instead, this project focuses on creating copper nanowires using ultrasonic nanoimprinting at low temperatures. The objective is to produce copper nanowires that are uniform in length and size. To achieve this goal, various parameters and external methods were used in the experiment. A report detailing all the steps and parameters will be provided. The findings of this report will serve as a reference and guide for improving the accuracy and outcomes of the low-temperature nanoimprinting process.