A novel series of uniform nanosize silver and silver-palladium (Ag and AgPd) particles with an average diameter of ~65 nm and a high degree of deagglomeration were developed by Dr. D.V. Gioia’s group at Clarkson University using a new chemical precipitation process. These materials can be obtained either as dry powders or as stable dispersions in liquids.

By various deposition techniques such as thermal transfer printing, these powders can be used to assemble the metallic particles onto a desired substrate as well-packed thin deposits, which can then be converted through subsequent sintering into ultrathin continuous metallic layers with a thickness below 200 nm.

After their deposition on a carrier layer by using a suitable deposition technique, these novel metallic nanoparticles are transferred onto a dielectric tape in the desired pattern by applying heat and pressure. This process can be used to build cost effectively multilayer ceramic capacitors or hybrid structures with significantly thinner metallic layers than those obtained by the existing processes based on the use of larger particles dispersed in high viscosity pastes and the conventional screen printing deposition method.

Applications:

The significant reduction in the cost of the precious metals achieved by combining ultrathin electrodes and a lower palladium content in the electrodes, can potentially re-establish precious metal technology as a viable alternative to base metal technology in multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) and hybrid technologies as well as in the deposition of Pd films for hydrogen sensing and other applications.

The nascent portfolio includes:

• Sensors: responsive materials exhibiting modified optical and physical properties in the presence of chemicals or biologically active agents.
• Biocidal Materials: coatings and surfaces that demonstrate antimicrobial responses to viral or bacterial stimuli
• Templating: creation of nanowires by templating metal, semiconductor or ceramic material on bioactive nanotube arrays or singletons that may encapsulate the polymer or have the polymer removed during processing