An Electrohydrodynamic Jet Printing System With Metal Nanoparticle-Based Ink: Experimental Evaluation

Abstract

This paper proposes a new inkjet printing system based on the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) method, and its performances are experimentally evaluated using the copper nano-sized particles ink. After briefly explaining the working principle of the proposed printing system, both static and dynamic characteristics of the frame structures are investigated to ensure structural stability. Then, principal components such as the laser sensor are calibrated to reduce the printing position error. Subsequently, the metal inks featuring the copper particles are prepared using both the ultrasonic homogenizer and the planetary centrifugal mixer to make homogeneously dispersed state. It is shown that the printing results are excellent with proper operating conditions of the operating frequency up to 500 Hz. The superiority of the proposed system is demonstrated through evaluations of the printing resolution and measurements of width and thickness of the printed line.