Polymer inkjet printing: Construction of three-dimensional structures at micro-scale by repeated lamination

Abstract

Solution-based, direct-write patterning by an automated, computer-controlled, inkjet technique is of particular interest in a wide variety of industrial fields. We report the construction of three-dimensional (3D), micropatterned structures by polymer inkjet printing. A piezoelectric, drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet printing system and a common polymer, PVA (poly(vinyl alcohol)), were explored for 3D construction. After a systematic preliminary study with different solvent systems, a mixture of water and DMSO was chosen as an appropriate solvent for PVA inks. The use of water as a single solvent resulted in frequent PVA clogging when the nozzles were undisturbed. Among the tested polymer ink compositions, the PVA inks in a water/DMSO mixture (4/1 v/v) with concentrations of 3 to 5 g/dL proved to be appropriate for piezoelectric DOD inkjet printing because they were well within the proper viscosity and surface tension range. When a dot was printed, the so-called 'coffee-ring effect' was significant, but its appearance was not prominent in line printing. The optimal polymer inkjet printing process was repeated slice after slice up to 200 times, which produced a well-defined, 3D micro-patterned surface. The overall results implied that piezoelectric DOD polymer inkjet printing could be a powerful, solid-freeform, fabrication technology to create a controlled 3D architecture.

Latest advances in the manufacturing of 3D rechargeable lithium microbatteries

“…So far, very few information is available on polymer printing in the field of microbatteries, probably due to some limitations related to the low viscosity requirements of the jetting process. The feasibility of a polymer ink-jet printing technique for the construction of 3D micro-patterned structures was systematically investigated, but without any specific application in mind [87]. The laser-direct write printing process was used to fabricate a ceramic-solid polymer ionic liquid nanocomposite, a LiCoO2 cathode and a carbon anode to obtain a complete microbattery after sequentially stacking all the components [88].…”

Inkjet‐Printing: A New Fabrication Technology for Organic Transistors

“…Inkjet‐printing of an ink is possible only if its surface tension is within a correct range: too low values of surface tension result in spontaneous ink dripping from the nozzles while too high values make droplet ejection impossible . Ideal surface tension values are usually between 30 and 70 mN m −1 . The dynamic viscosity of an ink is a physical parameter describing its resistance to the application of a shear stress; it is caused by internal friction between the molecules composing the ink .…”

Patterned Immobilization of Antibodies within Roll-to-Roll Hot Embossed Polymeric Microfluidic Channels

“…Therefore, the PEI ink was optimized by monitoring its viscosity and surface tension at various PEI concentrations to insure stable drop formation. The ink viscosity should be below 20 cps at least and ideally below 10 cps, in piezoelectric inkjet printing systems [32], [33]. At higher viscosities, ink drop formation can be hindered because the force generated by a piezoelectric inkjet printer is limited [34].…”