Developing advanced inks to replace the use of ITO in in-mould printing electronics

Our world is facing huge environmental challenges. In order to tackle them, solutions to replace non-eco-friendly materials or to lower the consumption of critical ones are highly demanded.

ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is the transparent conducting material used in most TCE (Transparent Conductive Electrodes) applications (displays, touch screens, photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, etc.). While ITO has fantastic conductivity and transparency properties, it has some limitations: it is a scarce material, shows limited flexibility and requires a heavy vacuum method for deposition. Moreover, among the top 3 Indium producing countries there is none European (China, Canada and Japan represent about 75% of the production). Therefore, it has been identified as one of the 14 key raw materials by the EU.

The EU-funded MADRAS project aims at boosting the production of organic and large-area electronics (OLAE) by establishing a high-speed manufacturing methodology with new materials with improved conductivity, charge mobility and transparency.

In MADRAS, GenesInk is leading the advance of materials performance by developing advanced inks that will be implemented as Transparent Conductive Electrodes (TCE). These new materials are meant to be the European alternative for ITO in flexible and hybrid in-mould printed electronics, allowing the development of devices by printing techniques with increased robustness, while reducing their cost and environmental impact.

GenesInk is happy to announce that our new range of product TranDuctive® Screen is now commercially available in our portfolio! This is our solution to make directly patterned transparent conductive films by additive manufacturing in 1 single step using screen-printing technique. We thus process propose a greener process with waste, accident and pollution prevention, safer process and products and renewable feedstocks.

Within the framework of MADRAS project, GenesInk is now launching the new range of product TranDuctive® Screen (CS22241) based on Ag NWs (silver nanowires). This product is suitable for screen-printing to directly make patterned homogeneous TCE by additive manufacturing with very low temperature curing process (< 100°C) and excellent printing reproducibility over multiple prints. You can also tune the haze and the sheet resistance of the conductive layer by tuning your wet thickness to get your best compromise. The advantages of this nanosolution are numerous:

• Designed by additive manufacturing
• High transparency – 95%
• High conductivity – 50 Ohm/sq sheet resistance
• High flexibility – bending radius 2 mm
• Very smooth surface – roughness < 10 nm (key criterion for multilayer deposits)
• Adhesion 5B onto PET substrate (ASTM D3359)
• Shelf life of the ink > 6 months (at 4°C)
• Easy to process – cleaning with water

GenesInk is offering to the market nanoparticles-based inks. With nanoparticles, low temperature processed flexible substrates, such as polymers, cellulose and papers, can be considered for electronic applications. Our nanoinks, produced at industrial scale, are designed with combined mechanical and optical functionalities at the core – flexibility, stretchability, high resolution, and transparency. We design ultra-power efficient (conductive) nanoinks: up to 5x times more conductive than market leaders with around 10 times less materials used. We design all our nanoinks from synthesis, formulation and production to be sustainable and respectful of humans and the environment.

Nowadays, GenesInk enables consumer electronics that previously were not thought to be possible:

• Thinner coating for EMI shielding in IC packaging by additive manufacturing.
• Smaller, lightweight and connected wearables such as eyeglasses or biosensors.
• Flexible, stretchable and foldable electronic devices like screens, smartphones or active packaging.
• Transparent and flexible layers for photovoltaics, lighting, and large display applications.

GenesInk is facilitating end-to end-processes: not only we do develop nanomaterials and formulate inks; but we also help our customers to set up printing processes and implement new printed components into their end-devices. By doing this, we are not selling the inks, we are selling new functionalities.