Method of controlling the sintering of metal particles

摘要

Sintering of metal particles at their normal sintering temperature is inhibited by coating the metal particles with an organic material such as polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl formvar, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylonitrile epoxies, urethanes and cross-linked polyvinyl butyral. The organic coating serves as a barrier preventing physical contact between metal particles during the initial phase of the sintering cycle and degrades into a carbonaceous coating followed by volatilization during the intermediate phase of the cycle permitting coalescence of the metal particles into a dense mass along with the coalescence of the glass-ceramic particles. Co-sintering of the metal particles and the glass-ceramic particles with the aid of the organic coating results in a hermetic multi-layer glass ceramic substrate free of dimensional stability problems without deleteriously affecting the electrical conductivity of the metal conductor pattern.