Molecular dynamics simulations of AgCu core-shell nanoparticle sintered with nanoflake

Nanoscale interconnect materials enable high-power devices to efficiently dissipate heat and serve at high temperatures. AgCu nanoparticles with core-shell structure(Ag shell covering Cu core) not only leverage the cost-effectiveness of Cu materials but also exhibit enhanced resistance to oxidation. This study investigates the sintering of nanoparticle(NP) with nanoflake(NF) and analyzes the potential energy evolution throughout the sintering process. Besides, the sintering performance under different particle sizes and core-shell thickness ratios is investigated. The results reveal that the variation of potential energy occurs in four distinct stages in NP-NF sintering, it has an additional plateau phase compared to that of NP-NP sintering. A reduction in particle size shortens the plateau phase, furthermore, a larger core-shell thickness ratio reduces the centroid distance between NP and NF which facilitates the sintering process.