One of the research topics of Prof. Dr. Norbert Willenbacher from the Institute of Mechanical Process Engineering and Mechanics (MVM) at KIT are electrically or thermally highly conductive inks produced on the basis of capillary suspension. The inks require considerably lower particle concentrations without sacrificing conductivity and are suitable for additive manufacturing of electronic components in small quantities as well as for mass production using classical silk-screen printing processes, e.g., of solar modules. These outstanding properties were what attracted the interest of PROTAVIC INTERNATIONAL. The French company designs and develops resins, adhesives and inks for the electronics industry and also for the photovoltaics.

Innovation is firmly enshrined in the corporate culture of PROTAVIC INTERNATIONAL: The company is constantly investing in further development in order to optimize the value chain of industrial processes. Since July 2021, PROTAVIC INTERNATIONAL and KIT are now working together on the development of new Electrically Conductive Adhesives (ECA) based on Prof. Willenbacher's capillary suspension concept within the framework of a technology transfer project. The goal is to improve the electrical conductivity performance of the PROTAVIC INTERNATIONAL products. This "super glue" should be used in the assembly of microelectronic components and in the interconnection of solar cells for the production of photovoltaic modules. The German-French development project is supported by NEULAND Innovation Fund of KIT.

In cooperation to electronic adhesive

Within 14 months, the KIT scientists together with PROTAVIC INTERNATIONAL want to bring the printable, conductive adhesive to market readiness and transfer it to industrial production. The focus of the development work at KIT is on the composition of the adhesive formulation and the design of the industrial production process. The desired product specifications and basic raw materials are provided by the industrial partner, who has a special technology for the production of electrically conductive particles for the electronics industry. Together, the adhesive and a suitable process will be developed to enable reliable production on a commercial scale.

Background information on the capillary suspension developed at KIT is available in technology offer 662.