Highly Stable Inks Based on Silver Nanowires and Nanocelluloses for Transparent Conductive Layers Applications (Printed Electronics USA 2015)

With the growing interest in flexible electronics, development of materials with high electrical conductivity and optical transparency is crucial for various devices such as displays, organic light emitting diode (OLED), and solar cells.

To meet these requirements, Poly-Ink develops conductive and transparent inks based on various materials such as carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires.

This presentation arises in this context and describes the development of new conductive inks based on silver nanowires and bio-based material known as nanocellulose.

Silver nanowires shows an elongated shape will represent an innovative way to fulfill the requirement of printed electronics while being compatible with most of the processes such as inkjet, spray, slot-die coating and screen printing.

Nanocelluloses and especially cellulose microfibrils (MFC) are renewable and bio-degradable material having exceptional properties. The high aspect ratio of MFC allows it to form transparent hydrogel and films once dried.

Poly-Ink have used this innovative material to develop stable conductive ink (> 6 months) based on silver nanowires and MFC. This ink is suitable for process like coating and transparent conductive films have been produced with high opto-electrical properties without any sintering. The obtained films showed an increase adhesion to substrate and resistance to oxidation thanks to the use of MFC.

This presentation will describe the characterization of silver nanowires as well as the strategy to obtain stable suspensions. Finally, the processability of the resulted fluids will be evaluated. All the suspensions and printed films will be characterized by several techniques (AFM, FEG-STEM). Promising results has already been achieved. As for now, a surface resistance of 15 Ohm/sq and a high transparency was reached, which already meet the optoelectronic devices requirements.

Fanny Hoeng is a research engineer with a master degree from the International Engineer School of Paper, Print Media and Biomaterials (Grenoble INP Pagora). She is currently working as a research engineer for Poly-Ink (France). Her current researches are focus in the development of transparent conductive inks.

POLY-INK is a leading and innovative company marketing transparent and conductive inks for the Printed Electronic Market.

The inks are designed for ink jet or slot dye coating systems. No curing needed and excellent transparency rate, compatible with all the print heads on the Market.

To best meet the needs of printed electronics, POLY-INK brings complementary competencies in materials, ink formulation and in printing.

POLY-INK is working worldwide with Industrials on the following applications:

POLY-INK is supporting its client's business by adjusting the ink formulations to the application properties.