High density, addressable electrohydrodynamic printhead made of a silicon plate and polymer nozzle structure

Abstract

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing is a promising micro/nanofabrication technique, due to its ultra-high resolution and wide material applicability. However, it suffers from low printing efficiency which urgently calls for a high density and addressable nozzle array. This paper presents a nozzle array chip made of a silicon plate and polymer nozzle structure, where the large silicon plate is conducive to a uniform spatial electric field distribution, and the polymer SU8 nozzle can inhibit tip discharge due to its insulating character and liquid flooding as SU8 is hydrophobic. By carefully designing the nozzle array structure via simulation, and fabricating it through MEMS technology, a high-density nozzle array chip has been achieved which can generate very uniform dots without crosstalk. Meanwhile, by adding extractors underneath the nozzle array, and utilizing a digital switch array to tune their on/off state, addressable printing has been realized. This novel printhead design has solved the discharge, liquid flooding, and crosstalk behavior in EHD nozzle arrays, and is compatible with traditional silicon-based MEMS technology, which will promote the practical applications of EHD printing in micro/nanoelectronics, biomedical/energy devices, etc.