Hannover Messe 2018

••• 16••• Innovationen New inkjet process for exible touchscreens Leibniz Institute scientists to print recently developed nanoparticle inks on thin plastic foils The transparent lines and pat- terns are obtained by inkjet printing or alternatively by di- rect gravure printing, which are electrically conductive even after bending. Thus, a one-step-print- ing process for cost-efficient elec- trode patterns is enabled. Special surface properties Conductive coatings with TCOs are usually applied by means of high vacuum techniques such as sputtering. For patterning of the TCO coatings additional cost-in- tensive process steps are neces- sary, for example photolithogra- phy and etching. “We produce TCO nanoparticles with special surface properties,” explains Pe- ter William de Oliveira, Head of the Optical Materials Program Division. “The TCO ink is then cre- ated by adding a solvent and a special binder to these TCO parti- cles,” he stresses. “The binder performs several tasks here: it not only makes the TCO nanoparticles adhere well on the substrate; but it also increas- es the flexibility of the TCO coat- ing: in this way, the conductivity is maintained even when the films are bent. Using an adapted elec- trode pattern, flexible capacitive touch screen sensors with high sensitivity and resolution is print- ed in a simple process.” After curing under UV light at low temperatures less than 130 de- grees centigrade, the touchscreen is completed. Transparent, elec- tronically conductive inks allow conductor tracks to be produced easily even on classic reel-to-reel processes. Initial trials at INM have been promising. The researchers all agree that in the future the use of structured rollers will allow structured, conductive surfaces to be printed with a high through- put at low cost. There is no doubt: Wearable technology is the new trend. New materials are being developed and devices adapted to yield the anatomical forms adopt- ed by the users. It is no longer any secret that the big players in the industry are working on flexible electronics. INM shows, how they might become reality in the near future: The institute presents suit- able flexible electronic structures from cost-efficient inkjet process- es in Hall 2, stand B46. At this year’s Hannover Messe, INM presents suitable flexible elect- ronic structures from cost-efficient inkjet processes. Photo: INM Continued from page 1 Wir schaffen Verbindungen. Sicher. Schnell. Flexibel. Wir sind Erfinder der sicheren elektrischen Verbindungstechnik und bis heute einer der führenden An- bieter für Sicherheits- und Automatisierungstechnik. Wir bieten Ihnen mehr als nur smarte Lösungen für Applikationen im Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, in Conveyor- oder Windkraftanlagen. Wir schaffen Verbindungen mit Mehrwert – für Sie und Ihre Anlagen. HALLO LÖSUNG. + VERBINDUNGSTECHNIK + SICHERHEITSTECHNIK + AUTOMATISIERUNGSTECHNIK 23.– 27.4.2018 Hannover Messe HALLE 9 . STAND F69 NICE TO MEET U !