Super-fine ink-jet printing: toward the minimal manufacturing system

We have developed an ink-jet system which allows arrangements of dots with a submicron minimum size. Using an ultra-fine silver paste, we achieved the direct print of metallic wires of only a few micrometers in width without any pre-patterning treatment of the substrate, hydrophobic/hydrophilic patterning, bank patterning etc. We also propose an application, such as direct printing of ultra-fine redistribution wiring for a build-up board and/or package. Since all of these processes can be carried out at atmospheric pressure on the desktop without special treatment of the substrate. The direct fabrication process using ink-jet printing can be expected to be a powerful tool for both nanotechnology research and applications such as micro electronics, etc.