Document Inkjet printing of silver nanowire networks

Abstract

The development of printed electronics will require the ability to deposit a wide range of nano-materials using printing techniques. Here we demonstrate the controlled deposition of networks of silver nanowires in well-defined patterns by inkjet printing from an optimized isopropanol-diethylene glycol dispersion. We find that great care must be taken while producing the ink and during solvent evaporation. The resultant networks have good electrical properties, displaying sheet resistances as low as 8 / and conductivities as high as 105 S/m. Such optimised performances was achieved for line widths of 1-10 mm, and network thicknesses of 0.5-2 m deposited from ~10-20 passes while using processing temperatures of no more than 110 oC. Thin networks are semi-transparent with DC to optical conductivities of ~40.