Methods are disclosed for printing (2-7) multilayer electronic components, and circuits on a surface (2), where at least one of the
layers is formed by a
redox reaction (6) occurring in a deposited solution (4, 5). Electronic components may comprise semiconductors such as in transistors or
diode, or
metal oxide or
electrolyte such as in batteries or
fuel cells, or are capacitors, inductors, and resistors. Preferably, the oxidizer of the
redox reaction is a strong oxidizer, and the
reducer is a strong
reducer (3). Reactions are preferably sufficiently exothermic that they can be initiated (6), rather than driven to completion, by
microwave or other suitable energy sources, and may yield substantially pure
metal or
metal oxide layers. The solution being deposited (5) may have either high concentrations of
particulates, such as 60-80 wt. % of
dry weight, or low concentrations of
particulates, such as ≦5 wt. % or ≦2 wt. %. Low particulate content provides printing of structures having
lateral resolution of ≦10 μm, ≦5 μm, or ≦1 μm.