Fabrication of a Silver-Based Thermistor on Flexible, Temperature-Sensitive Substrates Using a Low-Temperature Inkjet...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Inkjet printing offers a cost-effective route for sensor fabrication on polymeric substrates.
• Conventional inkjet inks require high annealing temperatures, limiting substrate choices.
• Polymeric materials like polyethylene and cellophane are not typically compatible with standard inkjet printing due to thermal limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for fabricating inkjet-printed thermistors on thermally incompatible polymeric substrates.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using a novel plasma-based postprint treatment for low-temperature sensor fabrication.
• To evaluate the performance of inkjet-printed thermistors fabricated on polyethylene and cellophane.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of thermistors using inkjet printing on polyethylene and cellophane substrates.
• Application of a novel plasma-based postprint treatment to cure the ink at substrate temperatures below 50 °C.
• Characterization of the temperature sensitivity of the fabricated thermistors.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of inkjet-printed thermistors on polyethylene and cellophane.
• The plasma postprint treatment enabled printing on temperature-sensitive substrates without thermal degradation.
• The fabricated thermistors demonstrated a consistent temperature sensitivity of 0.25 Ω°C^-1, irrespective of the substrate material.
• The process was validated by creating thermistors suitable for indoor and outdoor environmental monitoring.

Conclusions:

• A novel, low-temperature plasma postprint treatment facilitates inkjet printing of thermistors on thermally sensitive polymers.
• This technique expands the range of printable substrates for low-cost sensor fabrication.
• The developed method provides a versatile platform for creating reliable sensors for various applications.