Scatter-limited conduction in printed platinum nanofilms

It is demonstrated that thin platinum films may be deposited onto smooth glass substrates using a materials printer and a propriety organometallic ink. Under opti- mised printing and subsequent thermal curing conditions, excellent film adhesion to the substrates was achieved for thicknesses of about 15 nm. The resistivity of the opti- mised films is observed to be a factor of less than 3 higher than pure bulk platinum at 300 K and exhibits a slightly smaller associated thermal coefficient of resistance. The resistivity parameters are found to be insensitive to the gaseous measurement environment which suggests that intercalated carbon regions within the films following the curing process have been largely eliminated. An analysis of the resistivity data indicates that electronic conduction is consistent with enhanced boundary scattering at granular structures that are introduced during multi-pass printing. A minimum electron mean free path of ~18 nm is deduced from the measured film topography. The presented work will find application in biosensor and fuel cell technologies.