Emerging Progress of Inkjet Technology in Printing Optical Materials

Inkjet printing is a noncontact and additive patterning method, which is able to distribute a broad variety of functional materials directly onto a desired substrate with high efficiency. Bypassing many sophisticated processing approaches, inkjet printing affords a facile and low-cost processing platform, and thereby enhances the device cost-effectiveness. This review highlights recent advances in optical devices fabricated by inkjet printing, ranging from imaging to solar cells, photodetectors, anticounterfeiting, sensors, and optical waveguide systems, with detailed descriptions of the appropriate regulation of implementation process including inkjet printing apparatus, ink formulation, and the undertaking substrate, which results in device optimization. Finally, a conclusion and an outlook on future perspectives are proposed.