Optimization of Novacentrix Silver Nanoflake Inks for Aerosol Jet Printing

Aerosol jet printing is a recent innovation that allows for non- contact and maskless printing, capable of producing features as small as 10 micrometers. Aerosol jet printing is especially attractive since it will enable conformal patterning over existing structures and deposition onto a variety of substrates, including those used for flexible electronics. In this study, we will investigate the use of silver ink which is commonly used in printed electronics research. Silver ink has been selected due to its excellent electrical and mechanical properties. Our investigation will allow for a newly acquired silver ink to be used with the aerosol jet printer in the Advanced Nanomaterials and Manufacturing Lab. A number of factors can impact the quality of the lines printed with any precursor material. These variables include the: (1) flow rate of the ink, (2) flow rate of sheath gas, and (3) speed of printing. We examined each of these variables for our silver nanoparticle ink to determine the impact on quality and for printing a capacitive strain gauge, a potential application for this research