Suppression and Utilization of Satellite Droplets for Inkjet Printing: A Review

Abstract

Inkjet printing, initially invented for text and pattern printing, has been extensively used to fabricate electronic, mechanical, and even biological devices. Numerous reviews focused on the mechanisms, development, and application of inkjet printing have been published in recent years. However, a small review has focused on the satellite droplets during inkjet printing. Satellite droplets have long been recognized as an undesirable byproduct in the inkjet community since they potentially blur the printing patterns, polluting the printer and the air. Numerous efforts have been made to avoid or suppress the generation of satellite droplets since the inkjet’s birth. However, recent studies demonstrated the delicately utilizing of the satellite for realizing extremely high printing resolution otherwise impossible for the traditional inkjet printing. In this review, we focus on the formation mechanisms of satellites, efforts made to suppress satellites, and techniques developed to utilize satellites, distinguishing them from the existing inkjet printing reviews.