ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC JET PRINTING: A 3D PRINTING TECHNIQUE FOR SENSOR FABRICATION

Abstract

Electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet, EHD) printing is a candidate technique for maskless MEMS fabrication.It achieves improved spatial resolution compared to inkjet printing, and has a wider range of acceptable inks.This paper presents new results for high viscosity ink, sub 2 µm polymer features, and printed electrodes.We demonstrate submicron precision in droplet-to-droplet positioning with in situ monitoring.Rapid, sub-optical measurement of printed patterns provides a unique method for characterizing e-jet printing performance with specific interest in the applications of liquid resist patterning for nanoimprint lithography and the direct printing of thermally-sinterable conductive lines for sensor and actuator fabrication.Directions for the development of e-jet printing are discussed.