Effect of sonication process and solvent type on ageing of silver ink for aerosol jet printing

Inks for printed electronics developed in the laboratory have several advantages over commercial ones - researchers have full information about the composition and are able to change its properties without the danger of undesirable interactions between the components. The requirement for this type of ink is long term stability in order to utilize its individuals features. Within this paper the difference between freshly created and 3-months old inks was examined to determine the effect of different sonication processes and solvents on the ageing of silver nano-particle ink. Ink was sonicated using a sonotrode and an ultrasonic bath. To examine inks printability in the aerosol jet printing process, their ability to create dense aerosol mist for 1 hour using an ultrasonic atomiser was investigated. Aerosol droplets diameters were measured to compare fresh and 3 months old printable inks.