Direct fabrication and morphology of metallic micropatterns by pulsed jet nanoelectrospraying of silver nano-ink

作者：Wang Ke^*; Stark John P W

来源：JCT Research, 2012, 9(3): 317-322.

DOI：10.1007/s11998-011-9370-x

• Nanoelectrospray technique
• Flexible jet printing
• Freeform prototyping
• Microfabrication
• Surface encapsulation

A pulsed jet nanoelectrospray technique was applied to direct fabrication of silver micropatterns. The deposition of a commercial organic silver nano-ink was performed in a fully voltage-controlled fashion by voltage pulses ranging from 550 to 800 V with variable durations. By using 15 mu m nozzles, patterns with 100-mu m-sized features were locally freeformed on a silicon substrate with a spraying distance of 250 mu m. An energy-dispersive X-ray spectrum confirmed metallic silver was developed in all the patterns after heat treatment at 220A degrees C. The size and microstructural evolution of silver films was observed to strongly depend on the deposition volume and material flow over substrate surface. A good linear relationship between the deposition volume and pulse duration was exhibited over the applied voltage range in the cone-jet mode, demonstrating a drop-on-demand capability. By fitting, the deposition volume rate was estimated to be in the range of 0.38-0.59 pL/ms and was shown to increase with the applied voltage.

• 出版日期2012-5