Effect of Print Masks on the Functional Performance of Inkjet Printed Pd Hexadecanethiolate in Toluene

Abstract

For more than a decade studies have shown that print masks can be designed to alleviate print artifacts in inkjet printed images by using the ability to independently address multiple nozzles within a print-head. With the increase in applications of inkjet functional printing in recent years, the higher throughput associated with multiple nozzle arrays is necessary for large scale production. This provides the motivation for designing print masks that can maximize the quality of inkjet printed devices rather than minimize the number of print artifacts detectable by the human eye. Four separate print masks are selected and employed for printing a rectangle onto Silicon and a six-contact bridge-type pattern onto oxidized Silicon using a Pd ink. The resulting printed rectangles are compared via image quality metrics while the sixcontact bridge-type patterns were characterized electrically and compared via sheet resistance. The results show a clear trend. The print masks showing better performance via image quality metrics also showed better performance in terms of sheet resistance.