Effect of pulse overlapping on temperature field and physical characteristics in pulsed laser sintering of inkjet-printed silver nanoparticles

•We calculated three-dimensional temperature field induced by pulsed laser scanning sintering process.•We updated thermal conductivity affected by previous laser pulse via a new algorithm.•The relationship among temperature, scanning parameters, surface morphology, and resistivity are discussed. Pulsed laser sintering of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been studied owing to its minimal impact on heat-sensitive zones. The characteristic effects of pulse overlapping during pulsed laser sintering of metal NPs on metal NP surface morphology and electrical properties have not been reported to date. We therefore investigated millisecond pulsed laser sintering of inkjet-printed silver (Ag) NP lines at 30, 50, 70, 80, and 90% pulse overlaps (POs). We then assessed the thermal, electrical, and surface-morphological characteristics for each PO case. The temperature history was investigated via numerical analysis using a designed algorithm for treating thermal conductivity. The 70% PO produced the lowest Ag NP line resistivity with the highest degree of consistency as a result of the uniform temperature distribution and relatively continuous surface morphology with minimal porosity. The results of this study can guide the understanding of the thermal response, electrical performance, and surface morphology of Ag NPs corresponding to pulse overlapping during a pulsed laser sintering operation.