Patent ID: 8257795

Claim:
A method for forming an interconnect which performs at least one of mechanically, thermally or electrically connecting a device to a substrate, the method comprising: applying a nanoscale metal paste to the substrate; drying the nanoscale paste by heating for a series of drying periods of time each ranging from 1 to 20 minutes and each drying period of time having a constant holding temperature that is an incremental temperature increase over the constant holding temperature of the previous drying period of time, until a peak drying constant holding temperature is reached; maintaining the peak drying constant holding temperature for a peak drying period of time sufficient to complete drying of the nanoscale metal paste; placing a device in contact with the dried nanoscale metal paste; sintering the nanoscale paste by heating for a series of sintering periods of time each ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes and each sintering period of time having a constant holding temperature that is an incremental temperature increase over the constant holding temperature of the previous sintering period of time, until a peak sintering constant holding temperature is reached; and maintaining the peak sintering constant holding temperature for a peak sintering period of time sufficient to form the electrical interconnect.