Highly conductive stable grid electrode via electroplating Ni on EHD-printed patterns

Transparent metal grid electrodes are key components in a variety of optoelectronic devices, including liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic solar cells (OSCs), and touch screens. However, the resolution of traditional printing technology is relatively low, and it is difficult to achieve a precision below 50 μm. Therefore, in this paper, electrohydrodynamic printing (EHD printing) is used to improve the pattern resolution, and a grid electrode with a linewidth of 30 μm was prepared. The properties of the Ag nanoink and its effect on the printing pattern were explored. Then, the process window for stable cone injection was found. Finally, the method of electroplating Ni was applied to the high-precision pattern of EHD printing to achieve the improvement of conductivity at room temperature.