Printing materials for electronic devices

Printing technology offers the potential for the rapid and inexpensive, large scale manufacture of electronic devices, especially organic and hybrid organic/inorganic devices. A variety of printing techniques, including gravure, flexography and ink-jet printing have been utilized for the fabrication of electronic devices. An overview is given of the types of printing used, the advantages of each technique, the materials requirements for successful printing, and the types of materials, including organic polymers and inorganic nanoparticles, that can be printed. Examples are given of how printing can be used to successfully print the active and inactive layers, including electrodes and dielectrics, of devices such as LEDs, solar cells and transistors, and the relative performance of devices made by different techniques is compared. The limitations and advantages of current technologies are discussed.