Drop-on-demand lift-off patterning of compliant electrodes

Sahan Jayatissa; Jared Pickery-Jordan; Iain A. Anderson; Samuel Rosset

doi:10.1117/12.2513986

13 March 2019 Drop-on-demand lift-off patterning of compliant electrodes

Sahan Jayatissa, Jared Pickery-Jordan, Iain A. Anderson, Samuel Rosset

Proceedings Volume 10966, Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) XXI; 109662S (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2513986
Event: SPIE Smart Structures + Nondestructive Evaluation, 2019, Denver, Colorado, United States

Abstract

We present a method for the patterning of compliant electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) using drop-on-demand (DoD) printing and a lift-off process. DoD is a very appealing method for the patterning of electrodes, due to its high resolution, and the design versatility brought by printing from computer files. However, it has very narrow requirements regarding the viscosity, surface tension, and agglomeration size of the solution to be printed, and a new jetting waveform must be developed for each ink. This makes experimenting with new compliant electrode formulations difficult and time-consuming. Our approach consists in printing a watersoluble sacrificial layer on the elastomer, which serves as a mask selectively protecting portions of the membrane. Compliant electrodes can then be applied on the mask by different means (brush, spray coating, stamping etc.), and the mask can subsequently be dissolved to wash away the excess of ink and reveal the pattern, similar to a lift-off process. The inkjet printing process must only be developed and optimized for a single solution (the sacrificial layer), whereas many different electrodes formulations can then rapidly be patterned and tested, without having to meet the requirements of the printer regarding viscosity, surface tension or agglomeration size. We demonstrate the method by patterning an Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) mask. We then use an airbrush to apply a carbon black/silicone mixture over the whole membrane. Finally, we wash away the mask to reveal the compliant electrodes.

Citation Download Citation

Sahan Jayatissa, Jared Pickery-Jordan, Iain A. Anderson, and Samuel Rosset "Drop-on-demand lift-off patterning of compliant electrodes", Proc. SPIE 10966, Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) XXI, 109662S (13 March 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2513986

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KEYWORDS

Printing

Electrodes

Inkjet technology

Carbon

Optical lithography

Dielectric elastomer actuators

Rapid manufacturing

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