Flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol jet printing method

Abstract

The invention provides a flat top distribution multi-scale aerosol jet printing method. According to the method, on the basis of anisotropic nozzle structure design of fluid dynamics, wide aerosol jet flow with the specific width and stable collimation is generated, the near-Gaussian deposition mode of traditional cylindrical aerosol jet flow is broken through, and high-flux and multi-scale flat-top deposition is achieved. According to the method, processes such as a programmable scanning path, multi-material in-situ mixing and deposition, dynamic regulation and control of jet flow resolution, curved surface conformal printing and the like are combined, so that aerosol deposition has high flexibility and adaptability in the aspects of multi-scale structure construction, composite material distribution regulation and control and complex three-dimensional surface in-situ forming; and the high-efficiency integrated manufacturing requirements of advanced flexible electronics, functional films, gradient structures and curved surface conformal devices in the future are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular to a flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing method. Background Technology

[0002] Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is a novel non-contact, digitally driven additive manufacturing technology. This technology atomizes functional ink into droplet aerosol clouds with a diameter of 2–5 μm, which are then aerodynamically focused to form an aerosol jet. The jet is printed point-by-point, line-by-line, and layer-by-layer along a pre-set scanning trajectory, ultimately forming the target three-dimensional structure. AJP possesses unique advantages in the rapid fabrication of conformal electronics, micro / nano structures, and functional devices due to its excellent conformal capabilities, high resolution, and material compatibility.

[0003] Currently, AJP (Aerosol Jetting) primarily uses nozzles with fixed shapes, typically circular at the exit cross-section. This dictates a trade-off between printing resolution and efficiency: higher resolution requires smaller nozzle diameters, while higher deposition efficiency necessitates larger nozzle diameters or arrayed nozzles. Furthermore, when aerosol flows through a circular, symmetrical nozzle, its velocity exhibits a parabolic radial distribution due to the Poisson flow law, with the highest velocity at the center and the lowest at the edges due to wall friction. Within the circular nozzle, aerosol particles maintain a parabolic velocity distribution, resulting in high flux at the center and low flux at the edges. This flux distribution is directly mapped onto the substrate, forming a deposition profile that is thicker at the center and thinner at the edges, approximating a Gaussian distribution. Limited by the fixed nozzle shape and jet characteristics, the aspect ratio of the three-dimensional structures deposited by existing AJP systems tends to be constant under the same material system, leading to the following problems in practical applications:

[0004] (1) Printing deposition throughput is limited. High-throughput deposition usually comes at the cost of sacrificing some printing resolution. It is difficult to achieve both high efficiency and high precision.

[0005] (2) The density of the formed structure is limited. During the horizontal / vertical stacking process, the cylindrical aerosol jet is prone to microscale voids and interface defects, making it difficult to directly achieve the printing of a pore-free, high-density structure.

[0006] (3) Anisotropy of the formed structure: For a uniform structure with a feature size larger than the deposition resolution, continuous multi-pass linear deposition will lead to significant differences in the structure along the scanning direction and the vertical scanning direction, which manifests as anisotropy in properties such as thickness, density or electrical properties, thereby affecting the structural uniformity and functional reliability of the part.

[0007] (4) The ability to print multi-scale structures is limited. The inherent linear deposition characteristics of the circular nozzle are difficult to adapt to the design requirements of multi-feature size structures, and there are limitations in the construction of complex / multi-scale structures.

[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an aerosol jet printing system and process that combines structural accuracy with high-throughput deposition capabilities to achieve efficient fabrication of advanced functional devices and multi-scale structures. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing method to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0010] The technical solution adopted to achieve the purpose of this invention is as follows: a flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing system, including a high-throughput feeding module, a wide-width aerosol nozzle, a vision module, a curing module, a motion platform, and an industrial control computer.

[0011] The high-throughput feeding module has a storage bottle for holding functional ink materials.

[0012] The wide-width aerosol nozzle includes an aerosol channel, a sheath gas channel, and an aerosol beam channel. The outlet of the aerosol beam channel has a flattened cross-section with an aspect ratio of not less than 2:1. The aerosol channel is used to introduce a carrier gas flow carrying aerosol microdroplets. The sheath gas channel is used to introduce sheath gas. The aerosol channel and the sheath gas channel are mixed in a mixing chamber.

[0013] The motion platform is located directly below the wide-width aerosol nozzle. The motion platform supports the printing substrate. The vision module and curing module are arranged to the side of the printing substrate.

[0014] During operation, the high-throughput feed module atomizes the ink material at a set flow rate and pressure, generating uniform and stable aerosol microdroplets. These microdroplets are then transported to the aerosol channel via a carrier gas flow. A sheath gas flow surrounds the aerosol stream, forming an aerosol beam that is fed into the aerosol beam channel. The aerosol beam channel focuses and guides the aerosol beam within its flow path. The aerosol beam generates a wide-width aerosol jet with stable collimation along a set channel shape. The motion platform drives the printing substrate along a preset trajectory. The wide-width aerosol jet is deposited on the printing substrate. The vision module provides visual feedback to the industrial control computer for locating and monitoring the printing process. The curing module is synchronized with or closely follows the deposition process, accelerating the functionalization of the deposited material or promoting the assembly of functional structures. The industrial control computer coordinates the control of feed parameters, printhead status, platform motion trajectory, triggering visual monitoring, and selecting curing strategies to achieve high-throughput patterned deposition.

[0015] Furthermore, the wide-width aerosol nozzle adopts an integrated or split structure.

[0016] Furthermore, the wide-width aerosol nozzle is made of polymer materials, metal materials, ceramic materials, or composite materials thereof.

[0017] Furthermore, the high-throughput feeding module is designed to be expandable, combining single-channel and multi-channel configurations. It can be configured with multiple independent ink atomizing devices and their corresponding aerosol delivery channels as needed, enabling simultaneous high-throughput supply of various functional inks. By dynamically adjusting the flow rate ratio of each channel, multiple ink materials are mixed in situ in the mixing chamber as an aerosol phase, allowing for programmable control of spatial distribution and adapting to the rapid preparation needs of complex component gradients and multifunctional structures.

[0018] Furthermore, the ink atomization device of the high-throughput feeding module adopts ultrasonic atomization, pneumatic atomization or electro-atomization.

[0019] Furthermore, the airflow control range of the carrier gas flow is 100 sccm to 3000 sccm. The airflow control range of the sheath gas flow is 100 sccm to 3000 sccm.

[0020] Furthermore, the curing module is implemented by laser sintering, ultraviolet curing, or near-infrared sintering.

[0021] This invention also discloses a high-throughput aerosol printing method for functional thin films according to any one of the above systems, comprising the following steps:

[0022] Step 1: Functional ink formulation. Based on the physicochemical properties of the selected functional materials, construct a solution or dispersion system, optimize the distribution ratio of each component and the dispersion process, and prepare a functional ink with uniform dispersion and good atomization performance.

[0023] Step 2: Pre-treat the surface of the printing substrate. First, remove oil and organic impurities using physical methods such as ultrasonic cleaning. Then, improve the surface energy and wettability of the printing substrate through plasma treatment, ozone / ultraviolet treatment, and surfactant treatment to avoid agglomeration and local accumulation of aerosol microdroplets during the deposition process.

[0024] Step 3: Wide-width aerosol jet formation. Turn on the gas source and introduce inert gas into the printing system. Adjust the carrier gas flow controller and sheath gas flow controller according to the preset printing focus ratio until the flow field in the system is stable. Start the ink atomization device. The atomized functional material is delivered to the wide-width aerosol nozzle and, after flow focusing, forms a wide-width aerosol jet with a specific width and stable collimation.

[0025] Step 4: Patterned deposition. The motion platform drives the printing substrate to deposit a wide aerosol jet according to a preset pattern trajectory. Key process parameters, including nozzle-to-substrate height, nozzle scanning speed, scanning spacing, and printing focus ratio, are set and dynamically adjusted according to the structural forming requirements to achieve high-throughput patterning of the target structure.

[0026] Step 5: Functionalization treatment, in-situ synchronous curing or regional stepwise curing of the deposited functional ink material, promotes the phase change of functional materials and the assembly process of heterogeneous material interfaces, so that the printed structure has the preset functional characteristics.

[0027] Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the target structure is manufactured, then shut down the printing system.

[0028] The present invention also discloses a method for the application of composite material structures and gradient material structures. Through the synergistic effect of multi-channel aerosol feeding and wide-width aerosol jet, it enables rapid switching, in-situ mixing and gradient construction of different functional materials, thereby improving the printing efficiency and forming uniformity of composite material structures and gradient material structures.

[0029] The present invention also discloses a method for applications with continuously programmable linewidth features, which achieves one-step high-throughput printing with continuously programmable linewidth variation along the printing direction through dynamic adjustment of wide-width aerosol jets, supports scalable manufacturing of complex patterns and improves the consistency of film thickness and function.

[0030] The present invention also discloses an application in curved conformal antennas, wherein normal following and projection compensation are performed based on the parameterized surface when deposited on a curved substrate, thereby realizing high-throughput manufacturing of curved conformal antennas.

[0031] The technical effects of this invention are beyond doubt:

[0032] A. High-throughput patterning capability: This invention significantly expands the deposition coverage by introducing a flat high-throughput nozzle design. Combined with programmable deposition trajectory control, it achieves high-throughput patterning capability with controllable structure and wide coverage.

[0033] B. High material compatibility: This invention is highly adaptable to printing inks and substrate materials, and can realize the printing of one or more materials among organic, inorganic, metallic, and nanocomposite materials. It can achieve high-throughput continuous deposition of a single material, as well as support high-throughput mixing and deposition of multiple materials, and can meet the manufacturing needs of single-material, multi-material, and functionally graded material structures.

[0034] C. Improved Flat-top Deposition Distribution and Structural Uniformity: This invention effectively controls the deposition distribution of aerosol microdroplets through anisotropic design of nozzle geometry and flow field regulation. Unlike the Gaussian distribution commonly found in traditional circular nozzles, wide-width aerosol jets can achieve a flat and uniform cross-sectional deposition distribution in the middle, significantly improving structural consistency.

[0035] D. Printing of structures with extremely low aspect ratio and functional isotropy: This invention can achieve efficient printing of structures with extremely low aspect ratio. Through wide-span jet and parameter optimization, a single scan can obtain deposition features with submicron-level thickness and millimeter-level width, effectively avoiding structural defects and functional anisotropy caused by linear reciprocating deposition.

[0036] E. Multi-scale printing capability: This invention offers greater flexibility in controlling the width of the deposition area, enabling dynamic adjustment of linewidth from micrometers to millimeters during a single printing process. It supports one-step printing of multi-scale feature structures, meeting the integrated manufacturing needs of complex structures. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing system.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing process.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a high-resolution linear deposition effect diagram of a conventional circular nozzle aerosol printing process.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the high-flux deposition effect of a wide-width aerosol jet.

[0041] Figure 5 A comparison of the deposition cross-sections of cylindrical aerosol jets and wide-width aerosol jets;

[0042] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-material structure printed by flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing;

[0043] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing continuously programmable linewidth structure;

[0044] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a flat-topped, multi-scale aerosol jet printing conformal structure.

[0045] In the diagram: 1. High-throughput feeding module; 2. Wide-width aerosol nozzle; 3. Vision module; 4. Curing module; 5. Motion platform; 6. Industrial computer; 7. Ink material; 8. Wide-width aerosol jet; 9. Printing substrate; 10. Clean environment; 1-1. Ink atomization device; 1-2. Carrier gas flow controller; 1-3. Sheath gas flow controller; 1-4. Air source; 1-5. Mixing chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments, but it should not be construed that the scope of the present invention is limited to the following embodiments. Various substitutions and modifications made based on ordinary technical knowledge and common practices in the art without departing from the above-described technical concept of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] Example 1:

[0048] See Figure 1 This embodiment provides a flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing system, including a high-throughput feeding module 1, a wide-width aerosol nozzle 2, a vision module 3, a curing module 4, a motion platform 5, and an industrial control computer 6.

[0049] The high-throughput feeding module 1 has a storage bottle for holding the functional ink material 7.

[0050] The wide-width aerosol nozzle 2 includes an aerosol channel, a sheath gas channel, and an aerosol beam channel. The outlet of the aerosol beam channel has a flattened cross-section with an aspect ratio of not less than 2:1. The outlet cross-section is an anisotropic structure with major and minor axis characteristics, including but not limited to elliptical, rectangular, and trapezoidal shapes. The aerosol channel is used to introduce a carrier gas flow carrying aerosol microdroplets. The sheath gas channel is used to introduce sheath gas. The aerosol channel and the sheath gas channel are mixed in mixing chambers 1-5.

[0051] The motion platform 5 is located directly below the wide aerosol nozzle 2. The motion platform 5 supports the printing substrate 9. The vision module 3 and the curing module 4 are arranged to the side of the printing substrate 9.

[0052] During operation, the high-throughput feeding module 1 atomizes the ink material 7 into uniform and stable aerosol microdroplets at a set flow rate and pressure, and transports these microdroplets to the aerosol channel via a carrier gas flow. A sheath gas flow surrounds the aerosol stream, forming an aerosol beam that is then fed into the aerosol beam channel. The aerosol beam channel focuses and guides the aerosol beam within its flow path. The aerosol beam generates a wide-width aerosol jet 8 with stable collimation along a set channel shape. The motion platform 5 drives the printing substrate 9 to move along a preset trajectory. The wide-width aerosol jet 8 is deposited on the printing substrate 9. The vision module 3 provides visual feedback to the industrial control computer 6 for locating and monitoring the printing process. The curing module 4 operates synchronously with or closely follows the deposition process, accelerating the functionalization of the deposited material or promoting the assembly of functional structures. The industrial control computer 6 coordinates the control of feeding parameters, printhead status, platform movement trajectory, triggering visual monitoring, and selecting curing strategies to achieve high-throughput patterned deposition.

[0053] It is worth noting that the wide-width aerosol nozzle 2, through its flattened outlet cross-section design and combined with the coordinated control of the flow field of the sheath gas and carrier gas, quantitatively releases fluid constraint in the long axis direction and maintains fluid focus in the short axis direction, generating a wide-width aerosol jet 8 with controllable lateral extension and longitudinal alignment. Compared with the cylindrical jet produced by traditional circular aerosol nozzles, the wide-width aerosol jet 8 has significant lateral extension capability and high-throughput deposition characteristics, enabling single-pass deposition with extremely low aspect ratios, breaking through the manufacturing capabilities of traditional circular nozzles.

[0054] This embodiment provides an aerosol jet printing system and process that combines structural accuracy with high-throughput deposition capability, thereby overcoming the limitations of existing manufacturing capabilities and providing a new solution for the efficient construction of advanced functional devices and multi-scale structures, which has significant application prospects and engineering value.

[0055] Example 2:

[0056] The main content of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1, except that the wide-width aerosol nozzle 2 adopts an integrated or split structure. The interior of the wide-width aerosol nozzle 2 adopts a continuous and smooth design to ensure the stability and uniformity of the flow field focusing process and the optimization of the outlet pressure gradient, thereby reducing flow resistance and minimizing droplet coalescence. The design goal of the wide-width aerosol nozzle 2 is to achieve a high-throughput and highly uniform deposition effect, rather than being limited to a single specific size parameter.

[0057] Example 3:

[0058] The main content of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the wide-width aerosol nozzle 2 is made of polymer materials, metal materials, ceramic materials, or composite materials thereof. The material of the wide-width aerosol nozzle 2 is resistant to high temperature and corrosion and has high processing precision.

[0059] Example 4:

[0060] The main content of this embodiment is the same as any one of embodiments 1 to 3. The high-throughput feeding module 1 includes an ink atomizing device 1-1, a carrier gas flow controller 1-2, a sheath gas flow controller 1-3, and a gas source 1-4, which can realize the continuous, stable and efficient supply of functional ink materials under a wide process window.

[0061] The high-throughput feeding module 1 is designed to be expandable, and single-channel and multi-channel configurations can be flexibly combined. Multiple independent ink atomizing devices 1-1 and their corresponding aerosol delivery channels can be configured as needed to achieve synchronous high-throughput supply of various functional inks. By dynamically adjusting the flow rate ratio of each channel, multiple ink materials are mixed in situ in the mixing chamber 1-5 as an aerosol phase. Programmable control of spatial distribution can be achieved to meet the rapid preparation needs of complex component gradients and multifunctional structures.

[0062] The ink atomizing device 1-1 can select various atomization methods such as ultrasonic atomization, pneumatic atomization, and electro-atomization according to different material systems and process requirements.

[0063] The gas source 1-4 outputs inert gas as carrier gas and sheath gas flow. The control range of the carrier gas flow controller 1-2 is 100 sccm to 3000 sccm, and the control range of the sheath gas flow controller 1-3 is 100 sccm to 3000 sccm.

[0064] Example 5:

[0065] The main content of this embodiment is the same as any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the curing module 4 is implemented by laser sintering, ultraviolet curing or near-infrared sintering.

[0066] Example 6:

[0067] The main content of this embodiment is the same as any one of embodiments 1 to 5. The motion platform 5 is a five-axis CNC platform with a positioning accuracy better than 10μm, which is used to drive the printing substrate 9 to move at high speed along the preset pattern path.

[0068] Example 7:

[0069] The main content of this embodiment is the same as any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the high-throughput feeding module 1, the wide-width aerosol nozzle 2, the vision module 3, the curing module 4, the motion platform 5, and the industrial control computer 6 are all arranged in the clean environment 10.

[0070] Example 8:

[0071] See Figure 2 This embodiment provides a flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing method according to any one of the systems described in Embodiments 1 to 7, including the following steps:

[0072] Step 1: Functional ink formulation. Based on the physicochemical properties of the selected functional materials, construct a solution or dispersion system, optimize the distribution ratio of each component and the dispersion process, and prepare a functional ink with uniform dispersion and good atomization performance.

[0073] Step 2: Pre-treat the surface of the printing substrate. First, remove oil and organic impurities using physical methods such as ultrasonic cleaning. Then, improve the surface energy and wettability of the substrate through plasma treatment, ozone / ultraviolet treatment, and surfactant treatment to avoid agglomeration and local accumulation of aerosol microdroplets during the deposition process.

[0074] Step 3: Wide-width aerosol jet formation. Turn on the gas source and introduce inert gas into the printing system. Adjust the carrier gas flow controller and sheath gas flow controller according to the preset printing focus ratio until the flow field in the system is stable. Start the ink atomization device. The atomized functional material is delivered to the wide-width aerosol nozzle and, after flow focusing, forms a wide-width aerosol jet with a specific width and stable collimation.

[0075] Step 4: Patterned deposition. The motion platform drives the printing substrate to deposit a wide aerosol jet according to a preset pattern trajectory. Key process parameters, including nozzle-to-substrate height, nozzle scanning speed, scanning spacing, and printing focus ratio, are set and dynamically adjusted according to the structural forming requirements to achieve high-throughput patterning of the target structure.

[0076] Step 5: Functionalization treatment, in-situ synchronous curing or regional stepwise curing of the deposited functional ink material, promotes the phase change of functional materials and the assembly process of heterogeneous material interfaces, so that the printed structure has the preset functional characteristics.

[0077] Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the target structure is manufactured, then shut down the printing system.

[0078] This embodiment utilizes an anisotropic nozzle structure design based on hydrodynamics to generate a wide-width, stably collimated aerosol jet with a specific width. This breaks through the traditional near-Gaussian deposition mode of cylindrical aerosol jets, achieving high-throughput, multi-scale flat-top deposition. This method combines programmable scanning paths, in-situ mixing and deposition of multiple materials, dynamic control of jet resolution, and conformal printing of curved surfaces. This enables aerosol deposition to possess high flexibility and adaptability in multi-scale structure construction, composite material distribution control, and in-situ forming of complex three-dimensional surfaces, meeting the high-efficiency integrated manufacturing needs of future advanced flexible electronics, functional thin films, gradient structures, and conformal curved surface devices.

[0079] Example 9:

[0080] See Figures 3 to 5 This embodiment compares traditional circular nozzle aerosol printing with the high-throughput printing process provided in Example 8. More specifically, PEDOT:PSS is selected as the functional ink material, which is ultrasonically atomized to form aerosol microdroplets. These microdroplets are then transported to the nozzle outlet under the combined action of carrier gas and sheath gas to form a stable and collimated aerosol jet. A single-crystal silicon wafer is used as the printing substrate, and the in-situ substrate temperature is maintained at 40°C during deposition to promote solvent evaporation and the orderly assembly of PEDOT:PSS molecular chains. After deposition, the morphology of the deposition features is observed using an optical microscope, the thickness data of the deposition cross-section is obtained using a white light interferometer, and the characteristic curve of the deposition cross-section is plotted to calculate the aspect ratio of the deposition cross-section.

[0081] See Figure 3In this embodiment, the nozzle diameter selected for the conventional circular nozzle aerosol printing process is 300 μm. Specifically, the carrier gas flow rate is controlled within the range of 50 sccm to 200 sccm, and the sheath gas flow rate is controlled within the range of 50 sccm to 300 sccm. Under these process conditions, the printed deposition linewidth is in the micrometer range (~100 μm), the aspect ratio of the deposition cross-section is 1:40, and the characteristic curve of the deposition cross-section exhibits an approximately Gaussian distribution, indicating high-resolution linear deposition.

[0082] See Figure 4 In this embodiment, the high-throughput printing process based on wide-width aerosol jets utilizes a flat nozzle exit cross-section. Specifically, the nozzle exit is a rounded rectangular structure with a major axis of 4mm and a minor axis of 1mm. The internal flow channel of the nozzle and the nozzle exit are integrated and optimized to minimize turbulence and pressure loss during the deposition process. The carrier gas flow rate is controlled within the range of 200sccm to 2000sccm, and the sheath gas flow rate is also controlled within the range of 200sccm to 2000sccm. Under these process conditions, the printed deposition linewidth is in the millimeter range (~3mm), the aspect ratio of the deposition cross-section is 1:6000, and the characteristic curve of the deposition cross-section exhibits an approximately flat-topped distribution, indicating high-throughput uniform deposition.

[0083] See Figure 5 Compared with the cylindrical jet produced by traditional circular aerosol nozzles, the wide-width aerosol jet has significant lateral extension capability and high-throughput deposition characteristics, enabling single-pass deposition with extremely low aspect ratio, breaking through the manufacturing capability of traditional circular nozzles.

[0084] Example 10:

[0085] See Figure 6 This embodiment provides an application of the method described in Embodiment 8 in composite material structures and gradient material structures. Through the synergistic effect of multi-channel aerosol feeding and wide-width aerosol jet, it enables rapid switching, in-situ mixing and gradient construction of different functional materials, thereby improving the printing efficiency and forming uniformity of composite material structures and gradient material structures.

[0086] This embodiment utilizes a scalable high-throughput feeding module to achieve on-demand delivery and deposition of various ink materials. On one hand, multiple ink materials can be delivered independently and stepwise in the aerosol phase, forming composite material structures with layered or sandwich characteristics. On the other hand, multiple ink materials can be mixed in situ in the aerosol phase within the mixing chamber and then synchronously sprayed to obtain a gradient material structure with continuous gradual changes along the deposition direction. Furthermore, the deposited material undergoes accelerated densification and functionalization processes through a curing module, ensuring the quality of interfacial bonding and the uniformity of overall performance, ultimately achieving high-throughput construction of multi-material structures.

[0087] See Figure 6(a) The composite material structure includes a material A layer and a material B layer from bottom to top. Specifically, under the condition that the wide-width aerosol nozzle maintains stable focusing, material A and material B are deposited sequentially through multiple channels and cured between layers to achieve high-throughput construction of the composite material.

[0088] See Figure 6 (b) The gradient material structure includes a mixture of material A and material B in different proportions. Specifically, under the condition that the wide-width aerosol nozzle maintains stable focusing, the sum of the carrier gas flux of material A and material B remains constant. Material A and material B are proportionally controlled in real time in the high-throughput feeding module and fully mixed in the mixing chamber. During the deposition process, a gradient distribution of composition that changes continuously with space is formed, thereby realizing programmable adjustment of functional performance.

[0089] When the wide-width aerosol nozzle moves to position I, the ratio of the carrier gas flow rate of material A to that of material B is 1:0.

[0090] When the wide-width aerosol nozzle moves to position II, the ratio of the carrier gas flow rate of material A to that of material B is 1:1.

[0091] When the wide-width aerosol nozzle moves to position III, the ratio of the carrier gas flow rate of material A to that of material B is 0:1.

[0092] This embodiment achieves rapid switching, in-situ mixing, and gradient construction of different functional materials through the synergistic effect of multi-channel aerosol feeding and wide-width aerosol jet. In addition, the curing module promotes the stability of component distribution and the quality of interfacial bonding during the deposition process, thereby meeting the application requirements of composite materials and gradient materials in terms of high-throughput preparation, programmable spatial distribution, and uniform performance.

[0093] Example 11:

[0094] See Figure 7 This embodiment provides an application of the method described in Embodiment 8 in a structure with continuously programmable linewidth features. By dynamically adjusting the wide-width aerosol jet, one-step high-throughput printing with continuously programmable linewidth variation along the printing direction is achieved, supporting scalable manufacturing of complex patterns and improving the consistency of film thickness and function.

[0095] This embodiment achieves continuous programmable variation of the deposition linewidth along the printing direction by using a stable collimated output of a wide-width aerosol jet, combined with dynamic linkage control of the carrier gas to sheath gas ratio, nozzle-substrate distance, and scanning speed. This is achieved while maintaining uniformity in thickness distribution and consistency in structural function. Furthermore, synchronous thickness compensation ensures uniformity in film thickness distribution and isotropic functionality.

[0096] Under the condition of maintaining stable focusing by a wide-width aerosol nozzle, the flow rates of carrier gas and sheath gas are adjusted in real time to make the wide-width aerosol jet expand or contract laterally. With the synchronous compensation of the motion platform speed, the deposition dose per unit area is kept basically constant, thereby obtaining a structural feature where the linewidth gradually changes from narrow to wide or from wide to narrow.

[0097] The deposited material is cured in situ synchronously or stepwise through a curing module, which promotes the densification and functionalization of the material, and ultimately achieves high-throughput construction of continuous variable linewidth structures.

[0098] When the nozzle moves to region I and region V, the carrier gas flow rate is 600 sccm, the sheath gas flow rate is 600 sccm, the platform movement speed is 20 mm / min, and the corresponding deposition linewidth is 2 mm.

[0099] When the nozzle moves to Zone III, the carrier gas flow rate is 600 sccm, the sheath gas flow rate is 1200 sccm, the platform movement speed is 40 mm / min, and the corresponding deposition linewidth is 1 mm.

[0100] When the nozzle moves to regions II and IV, the carrier gas flow rate remains at 600 sccm, the sheath gas flow rate varies continuously within the range of 600 to 1200 sccm, the platform movement speed varies dynamically within the range of 20 to 40 mm / min, and the corresponding deposition linewidth varies continuously and gradually between 1 and 2 mm.

[0101] The characteristic thickness of the sedimentation features in sedimentation regions I to V fluctuates by no more than ±10%, thus ensuring the continuity of the variable linewidth structure on a macroscopic scale and the uniformity of thickness on a microscopic scale.

[0102] This embodiment achieves one-step high-throughput printing of continuously programmable linewidth features through dynamic adjustment of wide-width aerosol jets, avoiding the multi-step splicing manufacturing process of traditional processes, significantly improving build efficiency and in-plane functional uniformity, and providing a scalable manufacturing solution for flexible electronics and functional thin films with complex patterns.

[0103] Example 12:

[0104] See Figure 8 This embodiment provides an application of the flat-top distributed multi-scale aerosol jet printing method according to any one of Embodiment 8 in a curved conformal antenna. Its characteristic is that: during deposition on the curved substrate, normal following and projection compensation are implemented based on the parametric curved surface to achieve high-throughput manufacturing of the curved conformal antenna. This embodiment includes the following steps:

[0105] S1: Formulation of functional ink. In this embodiment, nano-silver conductive ink is selected as the functional material. The nano-silver conductive ink components include nano-silver particles, solvent, surfactant, and dispersant stabilizer to obtain a uniformly dispersed functional ink with good atomization performance.

[0106] S2: The surface of the printing substrate is pretreated by ultrasonic cleaning to remove oil and organic impurities from the curved glass substrate. Subsequently, the surface of the curved glass substrate is subjected to plasma treatment to reduce its surface energy and improve printing stability and consistency. The curved glass substrate is then visually scanned and fitted into a parametric surface.

[0107] S3: Wide-width aerosol jet formation. Turn on the gas source and introduce nitrogen into the printing system. Control the carrier gas flow rate to 600 sccm and the sheath gas flow rate to 300 sccm until the flow field within the system stabilizes. Start the ink atomization device. The atomized nano-silver conductive ink is delivered to the wide-width aerosol nozzle. After flow focusing, it forms a wide-width aerosol jet with a specific width and stable collimation.

[0108] S4: Conformal patterned deposition, the target structure is planned according to the parametric surface for deposition path planning, the axis of the wide aerosol jet is locally normalized and projected to the deposition domain, the platform movement speed is controlled at 20mm / min and the nozzle-to-substrate distance is 1mm, the curved glass substrate is driven by the motion platform, so that the wide aerosol jet is conformally deposited on the curved glass substrate according to the preset pattern trajectory.

[0109] S5: Functionalization process. In this embodiment, an infrared laser is selected as the heat source for the curing module to perform in-situ curing and sintering of the deposited nano-silver conductive ink, thereby improving the accuracy of structural forming.

[0110] S6: Repeat steps S4 and S5 until the conformal structure of the curved surface is manufactured, shut down the printing system, and perform post-processing on the printed sample.

Claims

1. A flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol-jet printing system, characterized by: It comprises a high-throughput supply module (1), a wide-width aerosol jet head (2), a vision module (3), a curing module (4), a motion platform (5) and an industrial computer (6). The high-throughput supply module (1) has a liquid storage bottle for containing functional ink material (7). The wide-width aerosol jet head (2) comprises an aerosol channel, a sheath gas channel and an aerosol beam channel; the outlet of the aerosol beam channel adopts a flattened cross section with a length-width ratio not less than 2:1; the aerosol channel is used for passing a carrier gas flow carrying aerosol microdroplets; the sheath gas channel is used for passing sheath gas; the aerosol channel and the sheath gas channel are mixed in a mixing cavity (1-5). The motion platform (5) is located directly below the wide-width aerosol jet head (2); the motion platform (5) carries a printing substrate (9); the vision module (3) and the curing module (4) are arranged on the side of the printing substrate (9). In operation, the high-throughput supply module (1) atomizes the ink material (7) to generate uniform and stable aerosol microdroplets at a set flow rate and pressure, and delivers the aerosol microdroplets to the aerosol channel through the carrier gas flow; the sheath gas flow surrounds the aerosol flow to form an aerosol beam flow which is sent to the aerosol beam channel; the aerosol beam channel focuses and guides the aerosol beam flow; the aerosol beam flow generates a wide-width aerosol jet (8) with stable collimation along the set channel shape; the motion platform (5) drives the printing substrate (9) to move along a preset trajectory; the wide-width aerosol jet (8) is deposited on the printing substrate (9); the vision module (3) provides visual feedback for the industrial computer (6) to position and monitor the jet printing process; the curing module (4) is synchronized with or immediately follows the deposition process to accelerate the functionalization process of the deposited material or promote the assembly of functional structures; the industrial computer (6) coordinates by controlling the supply parameters, the state of the jet head, the motion trajectory of the platform, triggering visual monitoring and selecting curing strategies to realize high-throughput patterned deposition.

2. A flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol-jet printing system according to claim 1, wherein: The wide-width aerosol jet head (2) is of an integrated or split structure and is made of high polymer material, metal material, ceramic material or composite material thereof.

3. The flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol-jet printing system of claim 1, wherein: The high-throughput supply module (1) is designed to be expandable, and single-channel and multi-channel combinations can be configured as needed to realize the synchronous high-throughput supply of multiple functional inks, and through dynamic adjustment of the flow ratio of each channel, multiple ink materials can be mixed in situ in the mixing cavity in the form of aerosol phase, and spatial distribution can be programmed and controlled to meet the rapid preparation needs of complex component gradients and multi-functional structures.

4. The flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol-jet printing system of claim 1, wherein: The ink atomization device of the high-throughput supply module (1) adopts ultrasonic atomization, pneumatic atomization or electro-atomization.

5. The flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol-jet printing system of claim 1, wherein: The flow control range of the carrier gas flow is 100 sccm-3000 sccm; the flow control range of the sheath gas flow is 100 sccm-3000 sccm.

6. The flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol-jet printing system of claim 1, wherein: The curing module (4) is implemented by laser sintering, ultraviolet curing or near-infrared sintering.

7. A flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol jet printing method according to the system of any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, It comprises the following steps: Step 1: Functional ink preparation, according to the physicochemical properties of the selected functional materials, construct the solution or dispersion system, optimize the component ratio and dispersion process, and prepare the functional ink with uniform dispersion and good atomization performance. Step 2: Pretreatment of the printing substrate surface, first remove oil and organic impurities through physical methods such as ultrasonic cleaning; further improve the surface energy and wettability of the substrate through plasma treatment, ozone / ultraviolet treatment and surfactant treatment, etc. to avoid the agglomeration and local accumulation of aerosol microdroplets during deposition. Step 3: Wide-width aerosol jet formation, open the gas source and introduce inert gas into the printing system, adjust the carrier gas flow controller and sheath gas flow controller according to the preset printing focusing ratio until the flow field in the system is stable. Start the ink atomization device, and the atomized functional materials are transported to the wide-width aerosol nozzle, and after flow focusing, a wide-width aerosol jet with a specific width and stable collimation is formed. Step 4: Patterned deposition, drive the printing substrate by the motion platform to make the wide-width aerosol jet deposit according to the preset pattern trajectory, and reasonably set and dynamically adjust the key process parameters according to the structure forming requirements, including nozzle to substrate height, nozzle scanning speed, scanning spacing, printing focusing ratio, etc. to realize high-throughput patterning of target structures. Step 5: Functional treatment, in-situ synchronous curing or regional stepwise curing of the deposited functional ink materials, promoting the phase transition of functional materials and the interface assembly process of heterogeneous materials, making the printed structure have the preset functional characteristics. Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the target structure is completed, and turn off the printing system.

8. Use of the method for printing flat-top-distribution multi-scale aerosol jets according to claim 7 for composite structures and gradient material structures. Through the synergistic effect of multi-channel aerosol supply and wide-width aerosol jet, the rapid switching, in-situ mixing and gradient construction of different functional materials are realized, and the printing efficiency and uniformity of composite material structures and gradient material structures are improved.

9. The application of the method for printing with a flat-top distribution multi- scale aerosol jet according to claim 7, characterized by: Through the dynamic adjustment of wide-width aerosol jet, one-step high-throughput printing with continuous programmable change of line width along the printing direction is realized, supporting scalable manufacturing of complex patterns and improving the consistency of film thickness and function.

10. The use of the flat-top distribution multi-scale aerosol jet printing method according to claim 7 for the fabrication of a curved conformal antenna. When deposited on a curved surface, normal following and projection compensation are implemented according to the parameterized curved surface to realize high-throughput manufacturing of curved surface conformal antennas.

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