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Electrochemically Induced Degradation of Screen-Printed Gold Thick Films

T.J. Rabbow¹, N. Junker², C. Kretzschmar¹, M. Schneider¹, A. Michaelis¹

¹ Fraunhofer Institut für keramische Technologien und Systeme/Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems, Winterbergstrasse 28, 01277 Dresden, Germany
² Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaft/Institute of Materials Science, TU Dresden, Helmholtzstrasse 7, 01069 Dresden, Germany

received June 20, 2012, received in revised form August 28, 2012, accepted October 2, 2012

Vol. 3, No. 4, Pages 199-210   DOI: 10.4416/JCST2012-00023

Abstract

Gold thick films have been characterized by means of cyclic voltammetry in nitric acid and are compared with a pure gold electrode. Surface reconstruction and roughening is found for all electrodes, whereby the pure gold reference sample rapidly exhibits stationary behavior. In contrast, the screen-printed electrodes show a permanent linear increase of the gold surface area as measured by the charge densities for gold oxidation, which is connected with the dissolution of glass-ceramic compounds. Oxides of bismuth and copper and their aluminates are regularly used to adjust the morphology of thick films and to enhance the adhesion of screen-printed layers. Electrochemical reactions of both elements (Bi, Cu) are detected. An in-house produced gold paste free of these oxides was used for comparison and shows a linear increase in oxidation charge density as well. Cu and Bi compounds take part in the electrochemical reaction and accelerate the surface increase. The dissolution of glass-ceramic components from the surface and at the interface between thick film and substrate is revealed in FESEM images of the electrodes and at cross-sections. A model is set up for the electrochemically induced localized degradation of the thick films, which are attacked at the boundary layer to the electrolyte and the glass-ceramic interface between the LTCC substrate and gold layers.

Keywords

LTCC, screen printing gold paste, thick film electrode, electrochemical degradation

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