Copper Nanoparticle Inks and Applied Nanotech

As to copper inks (which I understand will be Applied Nanotech's future, making and salvation) I can find nothing in the literature about it, the Japanese partner or what is so valuable.

I did find this:
Nanosolar:
What is claimed is:
1. A method for fabricating coated nanoparticles, comprising the steps of: obtaining core nanoparticles containing one or more elements from group IB and/or IIIA and/or VIA and coating the core nanoparticles with one or more layers of metal from group IB, IIIA or an element from group VIA in a controlled fashion such that the resulting coated nanoparticles have a desired stoichiometric ratio of elements, wherein the core nanoparticles contain copper.
Source

And this - the Holy Grail - printing ICs:
The holy grail is a copper based ink, which has been available for some time, but not used because in the cure process the copper oxide layer that forms on the surface is not conductive. This then makes it difficult to achieve a good connection with the other components, and it is so unreliable that silver had been preferred as overall it offers better yield and reliability due to the interconnections involved.
Source

The cure processes:
1)
However, the Novacentrix PulseForge cures the copper ink so quickly that it does not have time for an oxide layer to form.
http://www.novacentrix.com/products/photonic.php

2)
M3D - Optomec another APNT cohort using a laser to sinter the copper:
Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition (M3D) System
http://www.novacentrix.com/images/Characterization%20of%20Soft%20Magnetic%20Nano-Material%20Deposited%20with%20M3D%20Technology%20-%20ppt.pdf

And Cima NanoTech:
Technology Pioneer 2008 - Jon Brodd (Cima Nanotech)

YouTube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqnf9foDdi0

Interesting!

A competitor?

Ref:
Nano Materials in Printed Electronics: Bill Faulkner1; 1Cima Nanotech
The Global Electronics Industry is seeking next generation manufacturing methods to produce cheaper, smaller, and more flexible components. Industry leaders are ramping up significant development projects to eliminate the high capital costs, expensive processing, and environmentally damaging lithographic etching of electronics. Functionalized nano-materials are emerging a key component to meeting these goals. Printing technologies such as ink jet, gravure, flexo, and other graphic arts based systems are being optimized to achieve the higher resolution and operational demands of electronics. In many cases, the unique properties of nano materials are the necessary components in inks and coatings for these systems. The multi-billion dollar market opportunity includes components for flat panel displays, EMI shielding films, solar cells, printed thin film transistors, and RFID tags.Cima NanoTech is manufacturing & commercializing nano metal-based coatings and inks that enable self-assembling random patterns and direct printing of electronic circuits and films. The venture capital backed company is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota with R&D facilities in Caesarea, Israel, and toll manufacturing in Japan.
http://www.tms.org/Meetings/Specialty/nano06/PrelimTechProg.pdf

Cima NanoTech:
http://www.cimananotech.com/

NovaReady:
APNT is a customer of theirs for copper nanoparticles.

Japanese chemical cohort:
Unknown name.

All very interesting and VERY frustrating cause I have no idea whatsoever where APNT fits in and what they bring to the table.

Nano-Proprietary, Inc. and NanoReady Ltd. Announce Strategic Alliance to Commercialize Metallic Nanoparticles

Marketwire
May 15, 2008: 09:05 AM EST

Nano-Proprietary, Inc. (OTCBB: NNPP), through its subsidiary, Applied Nanotech, Inc. (ANI), and NanoReady Ltd. of Israel announced a strategic alliance for the manufacturing in volume metallic nanoparticles using NanoReady's wet chemistry process.

The initial focus of the strategic alliance will be volume production of copper nanoparticles to be utilized on a worldwide exclusive basis by ANI and its partner in Japan (a leading industrial chemical products company, see the press release of October 1, 2007) for producing inkjettable copper inks for the flexible electronics, solar cell, digital printed circuit board (PCB) and many other industries.

The current agreement with NanoReady is highly important due to ANI's fast progress in developing inkjettable copper inks. Based on this progress ANI and its partner in Japan decided that it would be important to secure volume production of copper nanoparticles and, in the future, other metallic nanoparticles for their metallic ink products.

"We are very pleased to cooperate with NanoReady and develop our products based on their proprietary wet chemistry process that is inducible to high volume production of copper nanoparticles required for our ink products," said Dr. Zvi Yaniv, president and CEO of ANI.

Ronen Frish, NanoReady's CEO, adds: "The cooperation of our two companies opens a broad range of new opportunities within the ink industry and will lead to opportunities in additional industries."

ABOUT NANO-PROPRIETARY, INC.

Nano-Proprietary, Inc. is a holding company consisting of two wholly owned operating subsidiaries. Applied Nanotech, Inc. is a premier research and commercialization organization dedicated to developing applications for nanotechnology with an extremely strong position in the fields of electron emission applications from carbon film/nanotubes, sensors, functionalized nanomaterials, and nanoelectronics. Electronic Billboard Technology, Inc. (EBT) possesses technology related to electronic digitized sign technology. The Companies have over 250 patents or patents pending. Nano-Proprietary's business model is to license its technology to partners that will manufacture and distribute products using the technology. Nano-Proprietary's website is www.nano-proprietary.com.

COMPANY CONTACT
Doug Baker
Chief Financial Officer
Nano-Proprietary, Inc.
248.391.0612
Email Contact
MEDIA CONTACT
William J. Spina
781.378.2000
Email Contact

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NanoReady Collaborative, Fast-track Improvement of Products

NanoReady is dedicated to enhancing specific characteristics of a selected element while maintaining its physical dimensions, thus enabling manufacturers to improve products and save process time and costs.

NanoReady Service is designed for manufacturers and product developers who have not yet explored the capabilities of Nanotechnology and wish to improve their products, as well as those who have nanotechnology know-how, and wish to further improve the characteristics of their products. A Nanotechnology project with NanoReady scientist will commonly be completed in the time range of 2-6 months.

Business Model

We have established a proven, effective working process for implementing a nanotechnology project with NanoReady’s scientists and industrial production experts:

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5. Joint performance testing at your production site (stress or other tests, as appropriate)
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Typically, the above process can be completed in 2- 6 months, enabling a fast time to market.

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