Printing and Patterning of Quantum Dots using Thermal Inkjet Techniques

Abstract

The merging of traditional non-contact printing methods with recent and rapid advances in the development and synthesis of novel inorganic and organic materials is emerging as an important and versatile research and manufacturing method enabling a wide range of applications. Specifically, the capability to rapidly dispense small, precisely controlled droplets of functional materials with remarkable placement accuracy is accelerating research and discovery in all areas of chemistry, biology, physics and engineering. Furthermore, rapid patterning, accurate drop placement and the sparing usage of costly materials provide an important tool in manufacturing and production. In this paper, we focus on one such application - the use of thermal inkjet printing to deposit and pattern quantum dots. We outline the development and characterization of quantum dot-based inks and discuss the unique challenges that we addressed in fine tuning the ink formulation and chemistry for thermal inkjet deposition. Additionally, we provide an example of how these new quantum dot-based inks and thermal inkjet printing methods can be used to enable new applications.