Neil Chilton | Printed Electronics Ltd: How does Electro Hydrodynamic Jetting defy conventional fluid dynamics to print 3D structures mid-air?
00:09:23 - 00:10:54
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How does Electro Hydrodynamic Jetting defy conventional fluid dynamics to print 3D structures mid-air?
Traditional inkjet deposition faces limitations in droplet size and solvent evaporation control, often restricted by the physical properties of piezo or thermal printheads. Superfine inkjet (SIJ) technology bypasses these boundaries by utilizing electro hydrodynamics (EHD) to trigger droplet ejection, resulting in dramatically smaller droplet sizes and accelerated emission rates compared to conventional processes.
The true magic of EHD jetting lies in the physical behavior of sub-micron and low-picoliter droplets. Because the droplet size is so small, the surface-area-to-volume ratio increases exponentially, making the droplet mostly surface; this allows the solvent to evaporate rapidly during flight, even when using high-boiling-point solvents such as those rated up to 254 degrees Celsius.
This rapid in-flight drying mechanism alters how the material behaves upon hitting the substrate. Instead of forming a spreading liquid pool that requires post-cure stabilization, the partially dried nanomaterial stacks predictably, enabling the high-precision printing of 2.5D and fully 3D microscopic features such as vertical pillars and fine conductive lines.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The core mechanics of Electro Hydrodynamic (EHD) jetting versus piezo and thermal printheads.
* How high surface-area-to-volume ratios in micro-droplets enable rapid in-flight solvent evaporation.
* Techniques for utilizing pre-dried droplets to construct micro-scale 2.5D and 3D structures.
๐ **Clip Abstract** This clip explains the physics behind Superfine Inkjet (SIJ) technology and its use of electro hydrodynamics to achieve sub-picoliter droplet volumes. It highlights how rapid in-flight solvent evaporation allows developers to print complex 3D microstructures directly onto non-absorbent substrates.
#ElectrohydrodynamicJetting, #SuperfineInkjet, #InFlightEvaporation, #Micro3DPrinting, #PrintedElectronics, #MicroLEDManufacturing
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00:14:14 - 00:16:15
Can Electro Hydrodynamic printing scale up from single-nozzle R&D to high-throughput Quantum Dot display manufacturing?
Can Electro Hydrodynamic printing scale up from single-nozzle R&D to high-throughput Quantum Dot display manufacturing?
While electro hydrodynamic jetting is highly effective for micro-scale printing, transitioning the process from single-nozzle academic systems to industrial production has historically been a significant bottleneck. Addressing this scale-up challenge requires moving beyond single or dual nozzle arrays into massively parallel architectures designed for industrial high-volume applications.
The development of a multi-nozzle EHD head represents a major leap forward for display manufacturing, particularly in high-precision quantum dot patterning for color conversion layers. By integrating hundreds or potentially thousands of parallel nozzles, the system can rapidly deposit sub-20 micron droplets across a precise grid array in a single pass.
Operating with a stable pitch, such as 168 microns, this multi-nozzle configuration offers positioning accuracy and drop size control that conventional inkjet printing cannot replicate. This advancement bridges the gap between ultra-fine digital deposition and high-throughput semiconductor or display packaging lines.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The engineering hurdles of scaling up electro hydrodynamic jetting from R&D to mass production.
* How multi-nozzle arrays achieve high-throughput quantum dot patterning for advanced display color conversion.
* The spatial and volumetric advantages of EHD multi-nozzle systems over traditional industrial inkjet heads.
๐ **Clip Abstract** This clip details the industrial scale-up of Superfine Inkjet (SIJ) technology using advanced multi-nozzle printing heads. It focuses on the strategic deployment of these multi-nozzle arrays for high-speed quantum dot patterning in display manufacturing.
#ElectrohydrodynamicPrinting, #MultiNozzleArrays, #QuantumDotPatterning, #SuperfineInkjet, #PrintedElectronics, #MicroLEDDisplays
00:04:24.600 - 00:06:26.084
Why does desktop printing work flawlessly while printed electronics struggles with ink drying and curing?
Are your screen-printed conductive features limited by legacy process assumptions?
The foundational physics of printed electronics relies heavily on the fluid dynamics of advanced functional inks. Achieving high-fidelity pattern transfer requires formulation strategies that exploit shear thinning, rheology adaptation, and thixotropy. This time-dependent structural recovery is critical for maintaining line definition immediately post-deposition, preventing slump while ensuring the ink flows smoothly through the mesh during the squeegee stroke.
While early industry roadmaps predicted the obsolescence of screen printing, it remains the dominant manufacturing workhorse due to its unmatched throughput and scalability. Utilizing high-capability, camera-aligned printing systems from specialized Japanese manufacturers like Microtech and Newlong, developers can pattern a third of a square meter of functional circuitry in mere seconds. This combination of high-speed throughput and precise optical alignment makes the process indispensable for modern electronic device fabrication.
The rapid evolution of screen printing has been heavily accelerated by the photovoltaic sector's demand for ultra-fine frontside electrodes. This commercial push has driven conductive line widths down from historical limits to sub-20-micron scales, catalyzing the development of high-performance inks and advanced emulsion meshes. Today, while 50-micron features are highly repeatable and 30-micron lines are achievable, pushing below these limits requires careful optimization of ink rheology and substrate surface energy.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How shear thinning, rheology adaptation, and thixotropic recovery govern the behavior and resolution of advanced conductive inks.
* Why screen printing remains a dominant, high-throughput manufacturing method capable of patterning large areas in seconds using camera-aligned systems.
* How the scaling demands of the photovoltaic industry have driven screen-printed feature sizes down toward the sub-20-micron regime.
๐ **Clip Abstract** The speaker discusses the critical role of ink rheology, including shear thinning and thixotropy, in achieving high-resolution screen printing. He explains how the technological demands of the photovoltaic industry have driven screen printing capabilities down to ultra-fine line widths using robust, camera-aligned manufacturing equipment.
๐ค Speaker: Neil Chilton
๐ข Company: Printed Electronics Limited
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Event: Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA 2026
๐ Location: Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA
๐ Learn more at the next TechBlick event: https://www.techblick.com
#LiquidPhaseManufacturing, #MarangoniFlows, #DryingKinetics, #WettingEnvelopes, #PrintedElectronics, #AdditiveElectronics
00:04:40 - 00:06:10
Why does low-tech screen printing remain the high-yield king of industrial printed electronics over digital inkjet?
Why does low-tech screen printing remain the high-yield king of industrial printed electronics over digital inkjet?
In the printed electronics landscape, choosing the correct deposition method requires balancing throughput, substrate compatibility, and material viscosity. While digital methods like inkjet receive significant attention, industrial production lines still heavily rely on traditional screen printing as their primary daily workhorse.
Screen printing excels in mass production because it accommodates high-viscosity pastes with highly predictable, well-characterized substrate interactions. This allows manufacturers to control wet-out behaviors and construct high-value, highly complex non-consumer components without the wetting and pooling risks associated with low-viscosity inkjets.
Even as technology pushes toward sub-micron features, modern screen printing systems can reliably deliver features down to 30 microns, with 200 microns being highly repeatable in daily production. It remains the most commercially viable starting point for high-reliability medical, sensor, and industrial electronic components.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The strategic criteria for selecting screen printing over flexographic, gravure, or digital inkjet methods.
* How utilizing high-viscosity pastes stabilizes substrate interactions to prevent trace deformation.
* The resolution limits of modern production-scale screen printing for complex, high-value components.
๐ **Clip Abstract** This clip analyzes why screen printing remains the dominant manufacturing method in commercial printed electronics despite the rise of digital alternatives. It discusses the critical relationship between ink viscosity, substrate interaction, and long-term production reliability.
#IndustrialScreenPrinting, #HighViscosityPastes, #SubstrateWetting, #FineLinePrinting, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics