Make your own pushbutton controls with an inkjet printer

Researchers from Leti, Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne, and Gemalto recently produced a smartcard pushbutton on a flexible material (PET) using inkjet printing. The technique differs from screen printing in that it does not require the use of masks. The researchers presented their results at the 2013 IEEE Holm Conference, where Daniele Sette, Ph.D. candidate and co-author of the paper on this promising research, won the Young Investigators Award.
The pushbutton, which is just 300–400 microns thick, was printed with regular commercial ink to which 50-nm silver nanoparticles had been added. Once the ink is deposited on the material it is annealed to ensure consolidation. The process offers considerable potential for research and development, especially for rapid prototyping. A demonstrator will be unveiled in March.

Contact: christophe.poulain@cea.fr

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