Application Cases

[Overview]

In this study, an Aigtek ATA-7025 high-voltage amplifier was used to build an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing experimental platform, providing reliable process parameter references and experimental support for the subsequent fabrication of interdigitated electrodes for flexible pressure sensors.

Experiment Name: Experimental Study on Process Parameters of Electrohydrodynamic Printing

Research Directions: Construction and debugging of an EHD printing experimental platform; single-factor influence study of key process parameters on printed line formation; orthogonal experimental study on multi-parameter interactions; verification and application of optimal process parameters.

Experiment Objective: With the optimization of process parameters for EHD printing technology as the core objective, this study first builds a high-resolution EHD printing experimental platform and establishes a standardized printing procedure. Then, single-factor experiments on voltage amplitude, printing height, printing speed, and liquid supply rate are conducted using the control variable method to investigate the influence of each parameter on the quality and linewidth of copper paste printed lines, while verifying the correctness of previous simulation results. Subsequently, an orthogonal experiment is designed to analyze the interactions among multiple parameters and clarify the significance of each parameter's influence on printed linewidth. Finally, the optimal process parameter combination is screened out and verified, achieving high-precision printed line structures, thereby providing reliable process parameter references and experimental support for the subsequent fabrication of interdigitated electrodes for flexible pressure sensors.

Test Equipment: Stepper motor, flow pump, arbitrary waveform generator, high-voltage amplifier (Aigtek ATA-7025), host computer, industrial camera, ultra-depth-of-field microscope, syringe, stainless steel nozzle.

Experiment Procedure:

An EHD printing experimental platform was first built, composed of voltage, motion control, pressure, and visual monitoring modules along with integrated control software. A standardized procedure from substrate pretreatment, equipment calibration, and parameter setting to printing was established. Micron-sized copper paste conductive ink was prepared, and PET substrates with fixed-specification stainless steel needles were selected for experiments. Single-factor experiments on voltage amplitude, printing height, printing speed, and liquid supply rate were first completed using the control variable method to investigate the influence of each parameter on printed line quality and linewidth and to verify previous simulation results. Then, an L16(4⁴) orthogonal experiment with four factors and four levels was designed, and range and variance analyses were performed to clarify the significance and interactions of each parameter's influence on printed linewidth. Finally, based on the orthogonal experiment results, the optimal process parameter combination was determined, and verification printing experiments were conducted to fabricate high-precision line structures and validate parameter effectiveness.

Figure 1. Schematic design of the electrohydrodynamic printing device

Figure 2. Physical photo of the experimental platform

Experiment Results:

1. The single-factor experiments verified the correctness of previous simulation results and clarified the specific influence patterns of voltage amplitude, printing height, printing speed, and liquid supply rate on the quality and linewidth of copper paste printed lines, as well as the parameter ranges for stable printing.

2. Range and variance analyses of the orthogonal experiment determined the significance ranking of each process parameter's influence on printed linewidth as: printing speed > liquid supply rate > voltage amplitude > printing height. Among these, printing speed was an extremely significant factor, liquid supply rate and voltage amplitude were significant factors, and printing height had no significant influence.

3. The optimal process parameter combination screened out by the orthogonal experiment was: voltage amplitude 2300 V, printing height 0.4 mm, printing speed 1.3 mm/s, liquid supply rate 0.2 μL/min.

4. The optimal process parameter verification experiment successfully fabricated high-precision line structures, with a measured minimum linewidth of 196 μm for straight lines and 290 μm for arcs, which were smaller than those before optimization, verifying the effectiveness of this parameter combination.

Figure 3. Analysis of orthogonal experiment results

Product Advantages of Aigtek Amplifiers in This Application:

1. Ultra-high voltage output capability — Provides decisive electric field force for high-concentration copper paste printing.

2. Digitally controlled gain adjustment and fine tuning — Supports precise sensitivity analysis of voltage amplitude as a single factor in orthogonal experiments.

3. Low ripple and high output stability — Ensures jet stability and consistency during long-duration continuous printing.

[Recommended Product]: ATA-7025 High-Voltage Amplifier

Figure: Specifications of the ATA-7025 High-Voltage Amplifier

The experimental materials in this article were compiled and published by Xi'an Aigtek Electronics. Aigtek has become an instrumentation supplier with a broad product portfolio and considerable scale in the industry; demonstration units are available with free trial support. Xi'an Aigtek Electronics is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of electronic test instruments including power amplifiers, high-voltage amplifiers, power signal sources, preamplifier/miniature signal amplifiers, high-precision voltage sources, and high-precision current sources.