Dimatix printer

State-of-the-art piezo-based drop-on-demand printers are produced by companies such as Xaar (UK), Konica Minolta (Japan), and Fujifilm Dimatix (US). These print heads have around 180 to 360 nozzles per inch and are designed to print at basic resolutions of up to 360 dpi with drop volumes down to about 40 pi (picoliter). This type of print resolution gives features equivalent to approximately 100 /xm track width on PET or PI substrates. However, Xaar s new generation "gray scale" heads allow variable drop volumes down to around 3 pi to give printed features of around 50 /xm or less. 

Dimatix recently introduced a table-top printer with a 16-nozzle print-head and a 20 cm X 30 cm X 5 cm XYZ stage. A vision system allows for observation and set up of the drop-formation process. An optional fiducial camera allows matching drop placement to previously patterned substrate [43]. 

Our work has used a research grade printer manufactured by FujiFilm Dimatix [58] and off-the-shelf consumer grade printers made by Hewlett Packard [66]. Originally, films were deposited in overlapping triangular gradient patterns as shown in Fig. 6.2. 

Fig. 18.2 Technical inkjet printer Dimatix Materials Printer DMP-2800 (a) printer with controllable x/y pixehng, (b) cartridge...

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