A meshfree phase-field model for simulating the sintering process of metallic particles for printed electronics

Printed electronics are widely used in wearable tech, IoT, and medical devices, and reliable sintering methods are essential for achieving optimal electrode conductivity. However, existing sintering models are often based on trial-and-error or past experience, highlighting the need for a reliable numerical model to improve the process. Traditional phase-field sintering models are limited by factors such as small mesh size requirements, high computational expenses for large-scale simulations, and high mesh sensitivity. In this article, we introduce a new meshfree phase field model based on the recent hot optimal transform meshfree (HOTM) method to simulate nanoparticle sintering processes efficiently and accurately. We use the Galerkin method to develop variational forms for the Cahn–Hillard and the Allen–Chan equation of the phase-field model. In addition, we apply the Local maximum entropy (LEM) shape function to construct a Node-Material Point framework. Finally, we present two efficiency improvement schemes and MPI parallel computation that enable the model to perform large-scale simulations. After several performance tests, we demonstrate its efficiency and accuracy by presenting both 2D and 3D simulation cases in comparison to actual sintering behaviors of the nanoparticles.