Printing processes dedicated for the mass production of ceramic based microelectronic devices
This work demonstrates the printing processes potential for manufacturing ceramic based electronic devices. Several printing techniques were studied: screen printing, flexography, rotogravure and inkjet. Ceramic tapes surface properties were characterised: surface pore size, roughness and surface energy. These analyses allowed the selection of the inks raw materials adapted to the substrates and the printing processes. Water-based silver inks were formulated. Inks properties, rheology and surface tension, were analysed and their effect on line properties was investigated. Printed substrates were afterwards sintered. Resistivity values close to that of bulk silver were reached (2 to 12x10-8 Ohm.m). These work novelties are mainly the formulation of water-based environmentally friendly screen printing pastes and the flexography printing of silver inks onto ceramic substrates. This study offers new perspectives for the industrialisation and the mass production of electronic components on flexible ceramic substrates.