XTPL’s technology has many analogies with the traditional printing process. The first step is the preparation of ink, i.e. particles in liquid. This process is performed in nanoscale, which means that the particles are measured in billionth fractions of one metre. Depending on our needs, we use various materials, including silver and gold nanoparticles as well as new generation materials such as semiconductor quantum dots. Each type of material has different physical properties. The possibility to use our process for such diverse classes of materials is a significant advantage of this technology.
Printing is the key stage. Our in-house designed printer allows to apply the nanoink onto the surface in a precise manner. Nanoparticles in the ink are distributed randomly at first, but when an external electric field starts acting upon them, they form electrically conductive lines. The thickness and length of individual lines as well as the distance between the lines depend on the particular application.
The printing process is related to numerous physical phenomena, including electrostatics, electrodynamics, fluid dynamics and molecular dynamics. To understand them, we create comprehensive numerical models and we use advanced specification of our inks and printed lines. Numerical simulations support the experimental work, while the measurement results allow us to improve numerical models and perform more precise calculations. In consequence, we can fully control and continuously optimise our technology as well as adapt the XTPL process to individual applications.