TOPSIS optimization of solvent modulated pressureless submicron sintered silver for power electronics

Abstract

Pressureless sintered silver pastes composed of submicron particles represent a promising, cost-effective interconnect solution for power electronics. While epoxy additives are often introduced to modify solvent behavior and enhance mechanical integrity, they can simultaneously degrade electrical and thermal performance, leading to critical trade-offs. In this work, five custom-formulated pastes with varying epoxy contents (0–4 wt%) and two commercial benchmarks were systematically evaluated in terms of shear strength, resistivity, thermal conductivity, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). To optimize across multiple criteria, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was employed. The paste containing 2 wt% epoxy achieved the highest composite score, offering a favorable combination of mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Long-term reliability was further validated through high-temperature storage and thermal cycling tests. These results highlight that epoxy modulation, when integrated with an optimization framework, offers a viable strategy for tailoring high-performance, reliable sintered silver joints for next-generation power electronic packaging.