Additive electronics manufacturing via droplet jetting technologies: Materials, methods, applications, and opportunities

Abstract

Droplet jetting technologies offer a versatile, digital platform to fabricate functional devices from nanomaterial building blocks. Inkjet, aerosol jet, and electrohydrodynamic jet printing constitute three distinct technologies for precise patterning of functional materials in an additive, digital, and noncontact manner. While the unique physical mechanism of each technology endows it with specific advantages and disadvantages, commonalities in materials compatibility, patterning capabilities, and application domains motivate a holistic assessment of nanomaterial integration with these methods. This report will highlight progress across ink formulation, process design, and application development from recent years, with an emphasis on emerging materials and practical applications in this evolving field of research. This includes an overview of the three printing technologies, a survey of ink formulation and printing efforts across conductive, insulating, and semiconducting materials, an examination of compelling application demonstrations in electronics, sensing, and energy, as well as discussion of key emerging themes related to artificial intelligence, multimaterial printing, and nonplanar patterning.