New metal-based inks enable cost-efficient production of flexible antennas for RFID tags

The benefits of additive manufacturing compared with aluminum etching are the efficient use of raw materials and the lower environmental impact. The new CypoPrint® inks replace the expensive, conductive printing pastes previously used in the additive process and substantially reduce the manufacturing costs of RFID antennas. This makes the additive manufacturing process commercially viable for the first time thanks to CypoPrint.

The non-conductive CypoPrint inks developed by BASF are applied to polyester films using a standard printing process and then given a conductive metallic coating in an electroplating system for flexible electronics. Because the CypoPrint inks are converted and made conductive in the electroplating stage, we refer to them as 'seeder' inks. CypoPrint is the 'seed' that we apply to the object where we later want to 'grow' copper conductor structures, explains Dr. Christoffer Kieburg, Project Manager in BASF's metal systems business. Another customer benefit is the variable layer thickness and conductivity of the antennas, which can be easily adapted to the various memory chips during electroplating.

In addition to the CypoPrint seeder inks, BASF's portfolio also includes a primer to achieve even better adhesion of the antenna structures formed on the film.

RFID tags, consisting of a flexible antenna and a chip, are mainly used for ticketing systems, baggage tracking at airports, and logistics. Around 3 billion tags are manufactured globally each year, and demand is continuing to rise.