Your seat at the Additive Manufacturing Advantage awaits! Register free for AMA: Automotive & Mobility.
Particle-free metal ink producer Electroninks has partnered with Manz Asia introducing a silver ink formulation for digital inkjet printing in semiconductor packaging.
Curing under LED-UV light at 365 nanometers, the material is designed for 2.5D and 3D structures where precision and efficiency are difficult to achieve. Having removed masking from the process, it reduces production steps, improves alignment between layers, and streamlines manufacturing while preserving accuracy.
The formulation targets selective metallization in applications such as electromagnetic interference shielding and antenna on package. It adheres to epoxy molding compounds, silicon, and other common surfaces while maintaining conductivity and reliability, making it suitable for complex geometries in advanced packaging.
In September, Electroninks showcased the material at SEMICON Taiwan, with demonstrations highlighting its ability to handle irregular surfaces and serve as an alternative to conventional metallization techniques.
“By integrating EI’s Silver MOD Ink with Manz Asia’s in-situ LED-UV curing inkjet printing platform, we eliminate the need for thermal curing and streamline the production process. This delivers strong adhesion, excellent conductivity for EMI shielding, and enhanced precision in complex 2.5D and 3D printing applications,” stated by Robert Lin, CEO of Manz Asia.
Building on particle-free ink expertise
Established in 2013, Electroninks built its expertise on developing particle-free conductive inks, positioning them as alternatives to nanoparticle- and flake-based materials. Over time, the company expanded its portfolio to include particle-free silver, gold, platinum, nickel, and copper formulations, which were adopted in applications ranging from displays and interconnects to wearable devices.
In 2021, Electroninks announced an investment from In-Q-Tel, the strategic investment arm of the U.S. intelligence community, to support scaling production of its inks for government and commercial customers. Around the same period, the company introduced an enhanced silver ink tailored for aerosol jet printing (AJP), capable of sub-20 µm features at low curing temperatures, with conductivity exceeding bulk silver.
That product underscored the company’s ability to deliver inks suited to high-precision applications such as semiconductor packaging, sensors, and displays, providing the foundation for later collaborations like the Manz Asia project.
“Listening to our Customers, we hear the need for selective metallization at wafer and package level, especially for extreme 2.5/3D structures. This is very challenging both on materials and equipment development, and working with tooling partners like Manz Asia is essential to provide total solutions to customers,” stated Melbs LeMieux, President at Electroninks.
Broader momentum in conductive ink development
Electroninks’ work formed part of a wider trend in conductive ink innovation. A decade ago, global consumer electronics company Apple filed a patent describing an inkjet 3D printer capable of depositing conductive ink onto three-dimensional objects. Instead of relying on robotic arms to follow surface contours, the design rotated and tilted the object itself so each nonplanar surface could face the printhead.
A fixture held components such as circuit boards, while tilt and rotation mechanisms adjusted their position to expose multiple sides for printing. The approach suggested potential use in manufacturing curved smart devices and pointed toward longer-term possibilities of integrating conductive materials into 3D printed structures.
Elsewhere, electronics 3D printer manufacturer Nano Dimension filed a U.S. patent for a synthesis process that produced silver nanoparticles as small as 4 nanometers, creating a new class of nanometric conductive inks. By controlling particle size and surface properties, the approach was expected to lower melting temperatures, improve sintering, and raise conductivity in printed features.
The ink was developed to boost the performance of the company’s DragonFly 2020 3D printer, with the potential to accelerate printing speeds and reduce material use in manufacturing multilayer circuit boards, antennas, and other electronic components.
Help choose the 2025 3D Printing Industry Awards winners – sign up for the Expert Committee now!
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn.
While you’re here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays.
Featured image shows mage print on 2.5D/3D shape. Image via Electroninks.
