Dry Aerosol Direct Writing for Selective Nanoparticle Deposition

Abstract

Microprocessors, long-lasting batteries, and sensors are a number of examples of nanotechnology revolutionising our daily lives. Nanotechnology is the study, development, and manufacturing of structures and devices which derive unique and novel properties from nanoscale phenomena. To realise such structures and devices, a set of processes summarised under the term ’nanomanufacturing’ (NM) is required to fabricate at the nanoscale. NM includes a wide range of strategies and methods where nanoparticles (NPs) serve as one of the building blocks. Therefore, NP manipulation is essential to addressing the desired applications. Because of their flexibility and efficiency, direct writing (DW) methods have received considerable attention in many studies. With nanoparticle direct writing, patterns and features can be created locally on a surface without the need for lithography processes. Inkjet printing (IJP) and aerosol jet printing (AJP) are widely used DW NP deposition methods for creating patterns with a resolution of less than 100 μm. Both these methods deposit NP from the liquid phase and employ a variety of chemical agents, which can lead to contamination, affecting the properties of the film. Additionally, due to liquid-substrate interaction, high-resolution NP deposition using wet techniques necessitates proper surface modification. Compared to NP liquid-phase-based approaches, dry methods do not involve any chemical agent, thus reducing the possibility of contamination. To use dry-synthesised NPs in a direct-writing method, particles in a gas flow should be focused and deposited on a substrate. The main challenge in fabricating high-resolution patterns employing dry-synthesised NPs is the deposition of fine NPs (<100 nm) from the gas flow onto a defined location or region on the substrate due to their extremely small size and lower relaxation time (time required for a particle to adjust its velocity to a new condition). This dissertation presents a novel, simple, and solvent-free method for selective NP deposition on various substrates, enabling the DW of NPs...