iPV Limited

Company information

iPV focuses on the development of conductive paste for photovoltaic applications. We developed copper based conductive paste to replace silver paste in the market, as copper gets a conductivity similar to that of silver, but much cheaper than silver.

Company short description

We are a group of researchers from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. We worked on nanomaterial synthesis and applications for many years. Among that, we developed nano-copper based conductive paste for use in photovoltaic applications. Our copper paste gets excellent electrical conductivity and its formulation can be adjusted for use in various applications.

Nature of business

Research and development on conductive paste for photovoltaic application.

Business model

We provide nano-copper based conductive paste to photovoltaic module manufacturers.

Marketing opportunities

The demand of photovoltaic silver paste is expected to reach 2,000 tons per year in the next decade. In China, 70% of the PV pastes are based on import. As the price of our copper paste is only half of that of a silver paste, we target to replace part of the silver paste market in China.

Invention name

Nano-copper based conductive paste for photovoltaic application

Invention description

Our copper paste contains ultra-fine and nano-sized (<100 nm) powders for achieving excellent electrical conductivity. The copper concentration is high enough for use in printed circuits. In order to prevent the formation of an oxide layer, the nano-copper particles are surface-modified to resist oxidation.

Highlight of the technology

Based on our unique formulation, our copper paste has an excellent stability (6 months), which is longer than the typical shelf life of a conductive paste. As screen printing or ink jet printing are conducted under ambient air, the use of passivation technology to protect the nano-copper particles leads to a copper paste with high conductivity after sintering. Compared to silver paste, copper paste does not have the problem of electromigration, thus providing a long term reliability of the product.

Office address

Room 3614, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong