Temperature influence on Ti3C2Tx lines printed by aerosol jet printing

Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is a promising printing technology for fabricating sensors and electronics, due to its high flexibility in ink and substrate selection. Indeed, inks suitable for AJP can differ in morphology (2D and 3D nanoparticle, nanoflake, nanosheet, etc.), in electrical properties (conductive, semiconductive, insulating, etc.), or in additional advanced features (biocompatibility, stretchability, etc.). Inks can be deposited on planar, or complex 3D surfaces, which can be made of a variety of materials. Ti3C2Tx, a MXene, is a prominent 2D material, and is considered a promising material for energy storage electrodes and sensing elements due to its good stability and electrical conductivity. In this work, we propose a fabrication process based on AJP to print Ti3C2Tx ink on PET-based sheets and we analyze the morphology (width and thickness) and the resistance by changing the number of overlaid printed layers (N-layers) and the pattern. The results from the morphological analysis and resistance measurements indicate uniform deposition and good repeatability using AJP, regardless of N-layers and the geometry of the printed pattern (thin lines, serpentine, long lines). Finally, for the first time, we estimate the temperature effects on the resistance of pure Ti3C2Tx printed lines. For example, in the range - 10-60 degrees C and in the range 20-120 degrees C the resistance of Ti3C2Tx printed on PET-based sheet increases by 13% and 20%, respectively. We also deposit different types of conformal coating to protect the printed layers from oxidation. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is a promising technology for fabricating sensors and electronics due to its flexibility in ink and substrate selection. This study demonstrates the uniform deposition and good repeatability of printing Ti3C2Tx ink on PET-based sheets using AJP, and estimates the temperature effects on resistance. By varying the number of printed layers and patterns, the morphology and resistance can be analyzed effectively.