Silver Nanoink
Silver Nanoink Applications
An alternative to silver paste
C-INK silver nanoink has the largest mass production record in Japan. The majority of applications for C-INK silver nanoink are as a silver paste substitute for touch panel peripheral wiring, circuit substrates such as membrane switches, and multilayer ceramic devices, while other special cases include use in catalyst layers under plating. Below are three advantages of using C-INK.
C-INK Advantages of silver nanoink
1
Reduced silver usage, thinning
C-INK silver nanoink has a volume resistivity 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than silver paste after sintering. Using the correct process can significantly reduce the amount of silver used. With the prices of precious metal continuing to skyrocket in recent years, and short supply due to tight global demand, C-INK silver nanoink will contribute to your production process for years to come by reducing the amount of silver used.
The graph below depicts an example of the sintering temperature, time, and volume resistivity of C-INK silver nanoink. The higher the processing temperature and the longer the heating time, the lower the volume resistivity. Heating at 200°C gives a volume resistivity of 5.9 μΩ-cm after 120 minutes of processing, which is about 1/10 of the volume resistivity of typical silver paste. In other words, using this sort of process means that only 1/10th of the amount of silver is needed to achieve the same resistivity, thus greatly reducing costs.
*Coating films were prepared on MAS-coated glass slides using a #10 bar coater, pre-dried at 100°C for 30 min., and then fired.
2
High reliability
The size of the silver ultrafine particles (nanoparticles) in C-INK silver nanoink is about 20 nm in diameter. These fine nanoparticles fuse with each other after sintering to form a continuous metallic coating film. In contrast to silver paste, which is made to conduct through contact between silver fillers, C-INK metallic nanoink coating film forms a metallic bond through fusion, giving it properties similar to those of metallic foil. While the resistance of silver paste deteriorates over time, coating film formed with C-INK silver nanoink does not degrade in resistance.
3
On-demand production with inkjet printing
Silver paste requires a screen stencil for each image to be printed. Most often, the production of screen stencils is outsourced, which is time-consuming. That is why more and more customers with mass production processes are considering replacing their screen stencils with C-INK silver nanoink to achieve immediate production. C-INK silver nanoink is guaranteed for 6 months in refrigerated storage and this outstanding ink stability provides the long-term stability that is essential for mass production inkjet printing.
Advanced research case studies using C-INK silver nanoink
C-INK silver nanoink is also used in cutting-edge research, including in the field of printed electronics. The examples below show a plasma actuator fabricated by printing C-INK silver nanoink. Since prototyping is a continuous process in the research field, inkjet printing of C-INK silver nanoink, which enables on-demand prototyping, is a very useful option.
