Screen printable MWCNT inks for printed electronics

Abstract

Development of oxidation resistant conductive inks with low curing temperatures is a challenging problem in printed electronics. The present work introduces a newly formulated room temperature curable conducting ink using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for printable electronic application. The organic vehicle composition of the ink is meticulously controlled based on their rheological characteristics. The ink was screen printed on different flexible substrates like paper, Mylar®, photopaper, cellulose acetate sheets and silicone rubber. A morphological study of the printed pattern was also performed using SEM and AFM. The electrical characterization of the ink printed on flexible substrates was studied and a sheet resistance of 0.5–13 Ω sq⁻¹ for three strokes was reported.