Zinc oxide nanofluid ink for printed electronics

K. S. Suganthi, K. Harish, and P. Swaminathan*Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT – Madras, Chennai 600036

Email: swamnthn@iitm.ac.in

MOTIVATION

• Employment of colloidal dispersions of functional nanomaterials has gained importance in printed electronics

• The colloidal dispersions of solid nanoparticles (diameter < 100 nm) in liquids are known as nanofluids

• By appropriate choice of nanomaterial and surface functionalization, these nanofluids can be employed in printed electronics

• The primary challenge is to prepare stable dispersions of oxide nanoparticles (nanofluids)

Synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles

Two step method Ethylene glycol as base fluid No dispersant Bath ultrasonication

Formulation of ZnO nanofluid

Bandgap:

3.23 ± 0.75 eV

Direct writing

Custom made direct writer, CFI, IITM

ZnO-EG printed on glass slide

Direct writer

Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 6Pass 3

40 °C 50 °C 60 °C

40 °C 50 °C 60 °C

Effect of number of passes

Effect of substrate temperature

ZnO-EG printed on photopaper

Effect of substrate temperature

CONCLUSIONS: ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using chemical precipitation

method ZnO-ethylene glycol nanoink prepared using bath ultrasonicaiton ZnO nanoink printed over different substrates using direct writer Single and double passes resulted in continuous patterns Higher substrate temperature helped in faster drying of the

printed lines Printed patterns will be further investigated for their electrical

performance

REFERENCES:

1. A. Kamyshny, J. Steinke and S. Magdassi, The Open Applied PhysicsJournal, 4 (2011) 192. S.U.S. Choi, in Developments and Applications of Non- Newtonian Flows,edited by D.A. Singer and H.P. Wang, American Society of MechanicalEngineers , Fluids Engineering Division (Publication) FED, San Francisco,USA, (1995) 993. J. Perelaer, P.J. Smith, D. Mager, D. Soltman, S.K. Volkman,V. Subramanian, J.G. Korvink and U.S. Schubert, Journal of MaterialsChemistry, 20 (2010) 8446

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:This research work has been supported by Institute postdoctoral fellowship, Indian institute of Technology Madras, Chennai.

Crystallite size:

32 ± 3 nm

3223 NaNO2OHZnNaOH2NOZn

OHZnOOHZn 22

300 mm 50 mm 10 mm

40 °C 50 °C 60 °C