Scaling and Optimization of Gravure-Printed Silver Nanoparticle Lines for Printed Electronics

Printed electronics promises to enable new applications such as RFID tags, displays and various types of sensors. Critical to the development of printed electronics is the establishment of a manufacturable printing technique with high resolution and throughput. Gravure is a high-speed roll-to-roll printing technique that has many of the characteristics necessary for a viable printed electronics process. We present the first systematic study on the scaling and optimization of conductive lines for printed electronics, especially with high viscosity nanoparticle inks. We demonstrate gravure-printed nanoparticle lines, which are potentially suitable for use in thin-film transistor (TFT) based circuits as well as passive components. We present several trends observed by varying cell and ink parameters, and compare two different techniques for printing lines. We examine current limits to scaling printed lines and demonstrate the potential viability and scalability of gravure for printed electronics.