Plasma-assisted electrospray deposition of thin elastomer films

To facilitate the printing of high-viscosity materials on an insulating substrate, electrospray deposition (ESD) with the combinative use of corona discharge has been studied. The poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) solution was sprayed on a glass substrate by applying a high voltage in the range of -10 to +10 kV on the nozzle, and corona or streamer discharge was generated at voltages over +/- 6 kV. Visualization of the plume trajectory revealed that the charge accumulation occurred on the glass surface during the ESD and it can be neutralized by inflow of electrons from the plasma under certain conditions. Thus, the plasma-assisted ESD is a promising approach to overcome the main difficulty of charge build-up during ESD on insulator substrates and enables continuous deposition of PDMS droplets on the glass substrate. (c) 2019 The Japan Society of Applied Physics