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Conductivity and Stretchability of Inkjet-Printed Silver Nanoparticle Patterns: Effect of the Number of Printed Layers

Jumana Abu-Khalaf 1, Loiy Al-Ghussain 1,2, Ahmad Nadi, 1, and Ala’aldeen Al-Halhouli 1,3,4,
1. Department of Mechatronics Engineering/Nano Lab, School of Applied Technical Sciences, German Jordanian University, Amman 11180, Jordan
2. Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
3. Institute of Microtechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, German
4. Faculty of Engineering, Middle East University, Amman 11831, Jordan

Abstract— The development and fabrication of stretchable printed electronics have been thoroughly investigated in several research studies; as they present an attractive solution for low-cost electronics. A special interest has been given to the implementation of these electronics in healthcare applications. This is due to their ability to sustain relatively high strain. Inkjet printing is an emerging technique which is used for the fabrication of printed electronics. Several research efforts have been invested in investigating the effect of varying several inkjet printing parameters on the performance of the fabricated stretchable circuits. In this paper, we particularly investigate the effect of the number of inkjet-printed silver nanoparticle layers on the axial breakdown strain of the stretchable circuits. That is the strain at which the circuit loses its electrical conductivity. Moreover, this study investigates the effect of the shape of the conductive pattern on the correlation between the number of layers and the breakdown strain. Two common shapes are examined: straight-line and horseshoe patterns. Results indicate that increasing the number of layers has an inverse effect on the maximum strain that the stretchable circuit can sustain. The same result is obtained for both investigated patterns. 

Index Terms— stretchable circuits, inkjet printing, silver nanoparticles, thin film, silicon rubber

Cite: Jumana Abu-Khalaf, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Ahmad Nadi, and Ala’aldeen Al-Halhouli, "Conductivity and Stretchability of Inkjet-Printed Silver Nanoparticle Patterns: Effect of the Number of Printed Layers" International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 528-534, April 2020. DOI: 10.18178/ijmerr.9.4.528-534

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