Abstract
Solution-based printing approaches permit digital designs to be converted into physical objects by depositing materials in a layer-by-layer additive fashion from microscale to nanoscale resolution. The extraordinary adaptability of this technology to different inks and substrates has received substantial interest in the recent literature. In such a context, this review specifically focuses on the realization of inks for the deposition of ZnO, a well-known wide bandgap semiconductor inorganic material showing an impressive number of applications in electronic, optoelectronic, and piezoelectric devices. Herein, we present an updated review of the latest advancements on the ink formulations and printing techniques for ZnO-based nanocrystalline inks, as well as of the major applications which have been demonstrated. The most relevant ink-processing conditions so far explored will be correlated with the resulting film morphologies, showing the possibility to tune the ZnO ink composition to achieve facile, versatile, and scalable fabrication of devices of different natures.
Highlights
The fabrication of electronic devices can be significantly boosted by the development of efficient, rational, high-throughput, and potentially scalable processing techniques
Taking advantage of the superior features offered by inkjet printing, Roh et al [144] demonstrated how the use of an inkjet-printed ZnO NP thin film as electron injection layer in an all-solution processed n-type organic field-effect transistor (OFET) could overcome these challenges; 2 wt% in density, ~1 cPs in viscosity ZnO NP ink was inkjet-printed onto Ag source and drain electrodes, followed by annealing at 100 ◦ C in N2 atmosphere
This ZnO-based gas sensor showed that the resistance measurement in this kind of setup is importantly affected by the relative humidity, a fundamental aspect to take into account for real life application [153]
Summary
The fabrication of electronic devices can be significantly boosted by the development of efficient, rational, high-throughput, and potentially scalable processing techniques. Process [5], and does not require the use of masks or other costly and time-consuming processing In this scenario, the formulation of inks containing conductive or semiconductive nanomaterials, equipment that are typical of conventional silicon-based photolithographic manufacturing techniques. The development of inorganic inks is still a matter of nanomaterials, in the last decades, ZnO has established itself as one of the most important and intense research, especially considering the upscaling for industrial purposes. ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) have found immense applications in the sector of chemical sensors [26], due hybrids have demonstrated to be effective nanocatalyst, with enhanced catalytic performance in to their extremely large surface/area ratio, and are reported as cytotoxic [27]. ZnO-based (nano)crystalline inks could be an important step for the integration of this material in the world of printed electronics devices [37].
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