Dov Henry Phillips | IDS: Can saturating sheath gas with solvent solve the clogging and overspray issues of classic aerosol jet printing?
00:03:40 - 00:05:33
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Can saturating sheath gas with solvent solve the clogging and overspray issues of classic aerosol jet printing?
Traditional aerosol printing systems often suffer from line overspray, satellite deposition, and nozzle clogging due to solvent evaporation and uncontrolled particle transport. To solve this, a novel aerodynamic and hydrodynamic focusing mechanism utilizes a sheath gas stream saturated with the ink's carrier solvent. This unique saturation prevents evaporation during transit, dramatically improving surface wetting and deposition stability on the target substrate.
By placing the ultrasonic atomizer directly on the print head, the transport length of the aerosol stream is minimized. Shorter travel distances prevent larger particles from falling out of collation, which is the primary cause of nozzle clogging and broad particle-size distributions. A two-lens focusing system accelerates and concentrates the dense aerosol cloud into a collimated stream before it exits the nozzle.
This robust focusing configuration enables non-planar printing with a remarkably high standoff distance of up to 10 millimeters from the substrate. This extended work envelope allows developers to maintain narrow trace widths and sharp line-edge definitions without the risk of physical head-to-substrate collisions on complex 3D topologies.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How saturating the sheath gas stream with solvent prevents ink evaporation and enhances substrate wetting.
* Why minimizing the travel distance from the atomizer to the nozzle eliminates clogging and particle fallout.
* The design of a dual-lens focusing system that maintains a highly collimated stream over long standoff distances.
š **Clip Abstract** [This segment details the fundamental physics and design behind NanoJet's aerodynamic and hydrodynamic aerosol focusing. By saturating the sheath gas and shortening the transport path, the system eliminates traditional overspray and achieves stable printing with up to a 10 mm standoff distance.]
#AerosolJetPrinting, #SheathGasSaturation, #AerodynamicFocusing, #HighStandoffPrinting, #PrintedElectronics, #AdditiveElectronics
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00:09:19 - 00:11:39
How can we print high-index polymers directly on curved optics without inducing optical scatter or defects?
How can we print high-index polymers directly on curved optics without inducing optical scatter or defects?
Depositing optical-grade materials onto curved lens surfaces has traditionally been constrained by complex multi-step processes and micro-droplet overspray. In near-eye display applications like AR/VR, even minor satellite deposits or overspray near the user's field of view cause unacceptable optical scattering. Direct-write aerosol printing overcomes these boundaries by delivering single-step, highly localized deposition of refractive-index-matching polymers.
Using a polymer ink with a refractive index of 1.60, this system demonstrates precise line-width control ranging from 30 microns up to 400 microns in a single pass. The aerodynamic focusing prevents any satellite deposition, ensuring that the printed boundaries are sharp and optically clean. Furthermore, multiple layers of these high-index polymers can be stacked vertically without the splattering or edge-spreading common in inkjet systems.
This single-step additive approach completely bypasses the need for subtractive patterning or complex masking steps on delicate optical substrates. Integrated thermal and UV-curing capabilities enable rapid solidification of the polymer directly after deposition, preserving the high aspect ratio and design profile of the printed optical microstructures.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The challenges of traditional deposition on curved lens features and why overspray is critical in near-eye displays.
* How to deposit 1.60 refractive index-matching polymers with trace widths from 30 to 400 microns.
* The processing advantages of multi-layer polymer stacking combined with integrated in-line UV and thermal curing.
š **Clip Abstract** [This video explains how precision aerosol jet printing enables direct-write deposition of 1.60 high-index matching polymers on optical surfaces. By eliminating satellite defects and utilizing multi-layer stacking, this technique simplifies the manufacturing of near-eye displays and advanced optical lenses.]
#AerosolJetPrinting, #HighIndexPolymers, #CurvedOptics, #DirectWritePrinting, #NearEyeDisplays, #AugmentedRealityOptics
00:12:22 - 00:15:02
Can aerosol-printed 3D interconnects replace wire bonding to slash high-frequency RF losses by over 60%?
Can aerosol-printed 3D interconnects replace wire bonding to slash high-frequency RF losses by over 60%?
Traditional wire bonding introduces parasitic inductance and signal reflection, which significantly degrade high-frequency RF performance in advanced microelectronic packages. As an alternative, aerosol jet systems can print planar and vertical interconnects directly over non-conforming 3D features without requiring Z-axis movement. This allows designers to bridge 3D steps and interconnect dies with smooth, continuous conductive traces.
To solve the step-coverage issue where conductors thin out over sharp 90-degree edges, the system prints a customized dielectric ramp, such as a polyester ramp, prior to metallization. Then, a particle-free silver ink is printed over this ramp, creating a robust, continuous conductive pathway. This ramp profile can elevate more than 100 microns over a distance of less than a millimeter while maintaining trace widths as narrow as 20 microns.
This additive packaging approach yields massive electrical performance benefits at high frequencies, particularly above 100 GHz. Experimental data shows that replacing traditional gold wire bonds with aerosol-printed interconnects drops signal attenuation from 9 dB down to less than 3 dB. This direct-write technique is highly beneficial for prototype packaging, protecting intellectual property, and high-performance RF designs.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Why traditional wire bonds cause high signal loss and how printed 3D ramps mitigate step-coverage thinning.
* The materials and geometries used to print dielectric ramps and silver traces over 80-micron packaging steps.
* How aerosol-printed vertical interconnects reduce high-frequency RF signal loss at 100 GHz and beyond.
š **Clip Abstract** [This segment explores the application of aerosol jet printing for 3D packaging and high-frequency vertical interconnects. By utilizing printed dielectric ramps and particle-free silver ink, this technology replaces wire bonding, dropping RF transmission losses from 9 dB to under 3 dB.]
#AerosolJetPrinting, #3DInterconnects, #ParticleFreeSilverInk, #DielectricRamps, #AdvancedPackaging, #RFPackaging