Conductive ink composition and method of forming a conductive thick film pattern

A conductive ink comprising 78-86 wt % of powder of at least one conductive metal selected from the group consisting of copper, gold and silver;

• 3-4 wt % of glass frit;
• 0.5-2.0 wt % of at least one transition metal oxide selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, titanium oxide, chromium (III) oxide, cadmium oxide and nickel (II) oxide;
• 0.05-5.0 wt % of a dispersing agent comprising a phosphate of polyoxyethylene alkyl or a phosphate of polyoxyethylene alkylallyl;
• and a vehicle comprising 3-13 wt % of an organic solvent, and 2-15 wt % of an organic binder selected from the group consisting of a copolymer of poly-a-methylstyrene and polyisobutyl methacrylate, a copolymer of poly-.alpha.-methylstyrene, polyisopropyl methacrylate and polymethylmetahacrylate, a copolymer of poly-a-methylstyrene and polyisopropyl methacrylate and a copolymer of poly-a-methylstyrene, polyisobutyl methacrylate and polymethyl methacrylate, wherein the average molecular weight of the organic binder is 1,300 to 100,000.