Aerosol Printing in Electronics: Bridging Process Science to Practical Implementation

This masterclass will center on translating fundamental principles for aerosol printing to support practical implementation. Drawing on examples from recent literature and our own work, we will briefly describe a framework for understanding the aerosol printing process, and then explore its impact across material and process development. We will specifically focus on key challenges, connecting underlying mechanisms to practical solutions and ongoing development, in four primary areas: process reliability, overspray, process optimization, and conformal patterning. For process reliability, we will discuss drift mechanisms and the development of real-time process monitoring and closed loop control tools. For overspray, we will highlight a key mechanism of overspray related to in-line drying, the broader implications of this for material formulation, and research results demonstrating significant overspray mitigation. On the topic of process optimization, we will highlight ongoing efforts to incorporate theoretical principles in data-driven approaches for efficient process development. Finally, development of motion planning strategies for conformal patterning will highlight opportunities to exploit key advantages of the printing process. Altogether, this will aim to leverage an evolving understanding of process fundamentals to enable more efficient and effective use across various end-use applications of aerosol printing.