Method and system for controlling morphology and properties of printed reactive inks
View Patent ↗Methods and devices for controlling a morphology of a printed reactive ink are provided. A substrate may be heated and a volume including at least a portion of the substrate may be saturated with at least one of an active ingredient or an inactive ingredient to a humidity level. Such heating and saturation of the volume forms a controlled printing environment. The reactive ink may then be printed onto the portion of the substrate within the controlled printing environment, wherein the morphology of the printed reactive ink is controlled based on the humidity level of the saturated volume and a temperature of the heated portion of the substrate.
1 . A method of controlling a morphology of a target material formed by printing a reactive ink, comprising:
providing the reactive ink and a substrate;
prior to printing the reactive ink, saturating an atmosphere proximate to a portion of a surface of the substrate with a predetermined substance,
wherein the predetermined substance includes a saturating complexing agent or a catalyst; and
printing the reactive ink onto the portion of the surface of the substrate,
wherein the morphology of the printed reactive ink is controlled based on a concentration of the predetermined substance in the atmosphere.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere is enclosed in an enclosure to form an enclosed printing environment.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined substance is provided in the atmosphere in a vaporized form.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined substance comprises the saturating complexing agent and wherein the reactive ink includes a complexing agent different than the saturating complexing agent of the predetermined substance used to saturate the atmosphere.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined substance comprises the saturating complexing agent and wherein the reactive ink includes a complexing agent that is the same as the saturating complexing agent of the predetermined substance used to saturate the atmosphere.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined substance comprises the saturating complexing agent and wherein the saturating complexing agent comprises at least one of ammonia, one or more amines having 1-15 carbon atoms, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, formic acid, and acetic acid.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined substance comprises the catalyst.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactive ink further comprises chemical precursors to produce a layer of a target material on the substrate, the target material comprising at least one of silver, platinum, gold, nickel, glass, and copper.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the atmosphere is an ambient temperature.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting at least one of the concentration of the predetermined substance in the atmosphere, a temperature of the portion of the substrate, a temperature of the atmosphere, and a pressure of the atmosphere to control the morphology of the printed reactive ink.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere includes an entire surface of the substrate.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere is saturated locally by an injector configured to deliver the predetermined substance to the atmosphere.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the reactive ink is printed in an open printing environment.