Cu fine–particle paste is a promising material to form a low–cost interconnect for flexible electronics devices. It has been reported that
Cu particles can be sintered at low temperature (well below the half of the melting point) through two–step heat treatment processes of
oxidation and reduction. However, the mechanism of the low temperature sintering is not clear yet. In this study, we investigated the oxidation
sintering process of Cu fine particles by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) in the temperature range of 200–300ÿ, X–ray diffraction (XRD),
and microstructural observation. It was found from TGA that the oxidation process was initially rate–controlled by surface reaction and then by
Cu diffusion at grain boundaries of Cu2O. Transmission electron microscopy observation revealed the formation of a core (Cu)–shell (Cu2O)
structure during the oxidation process. The adjacent Cu2O shells were bonded to each other resulting in a cross–linked structure. The
subsequent reduction process led to the formation of a porous structure by oxygen removal, but the cross–linked structure was maintained,
which would make the low–temperature sintered Cu body as robust as solidified solder and sintered Ag paste.