Aerosol Jet Printing of Copper Nanoparticles Ink by Controlling the Wetness of Aerosols

Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is one of the advanced 3D printing methods for electronics. Generation of tiny aerosols from nanoparticles ink and deposition of aerosols are the key to achieving high resolution and precise printing. The effect of aerosol properties on the printing performance needs to be understood for designing the ink and printing conditions. This paper quantified the wetness and sizes of aerosols deposited by AJP of copper nanoparticles ink and investigated approaches to control the wetness of aerosols through printing conditions and ink composition. The printing processes and film properties could be effectively bridged with the knowledge on controlling aerosol characteristics and their effect on printed structures. By including less volatile solvent in the ink formulation, this study fabricated continuous and conductive micro-scale copper path.