Effect of firing atmosphere on air-fireable glass-free electrically conductive thick film

The firing atmosphere (air, oxygen, and argon) was found to affect the electrical and mechanical properties of an air-fireable electrically conductive glass-free silver-based thick film. For the optimum firing temperature of 930°C, air results in the lowest resistivity, but a minor amount of pinholes; oxygen results in the largest thickness, the smoothest surface, and no pinhole; and argon results in the highest resistivity, large pinholes, the smallest thickness, vanishing of macroscopic parts of the film, and the poorest scratch resistance. Argon gives higher resistivity than air or oxygen at essentially all firing temperatures.