Abstract
In this paper we report for the first time a method for the production of transparent computer generated holograms by desktop inkjet printing. Here we demonstrate a methodology suitable for the development of a practical approach towards fabrication of diffraction patterns using a desktop inkjet printer and nonocrystalline sol-gel ink. In particular, the reported inkjet printing method can be used to generate transparent diffraction structures on supports such as those widely applied in security technologies. Transparent highly refractive layers were deposited with a high precision via a wet-to-dry printing method based on the sol-gel transition phenomenon. With this approach we were able to print a diffraction pattern by TiO2 xerogel, with which a transparent computer generated hologram was created. We argue that this new technology can form the foundation for a new generation of commercial protective coating technologies applied by industrial inkjet printing.
Highlights
The development of additive technologies and materials for security printing holds a great promise for a wide range of industrial applications well beyond the modern printing industry
In this paper we report for the first time a method for the production of transparent computer generated holograms by desktop inkjet printing
The reported inkjet printing method can be used to generate transparent diffraction structures on supports such as those widely applied in security technologies
Summary
The development of additive technologies and materials for security printing holds a great promise for a wide range of industrial applications well beyond the modern printing industry. More advanced approaches based on the layering of materials have recently extended the capabilities of such techniques to the diffraction limit of about 1 micron This limitation can be in principle overcome by using technologies based on a much more established 1D printing technology. Besides the well-known household and print-industry applications, the inkjet printing method is a well-established technique for the nanofabrication of various structures attracting a great attention from different technological areas including for example the production biosensors [4]. The advantage of this technology is the high accuracy of positioning of the printed structures along with the clear economic advantages associated among others with the intrinsically low consumption of expensive reagents
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