Aerosol Jet Printing of Silver Nanowires as the Top Electrode in Organic Photovoltaic Devices: Sol. RRL
Product Introduction
Equipment Parameters
I. Abstract of the Paper’s Core Research
- Standardization of Process Parameters
The optimal uAJP printing conditions were determined as follows: a 3 mm slit nozzle, sheath gas flow of 1000 sccm, a printing speed of 2 mm/s, and eight reciprocating passes, enabling the fabrication of a dense silver nanowire conductive network with a thickness of approximately 588 nm. Ultrasonic atomization caused only slight damage to the silver nanowire length (with a loss of just 8.1%), while the nanowire scaffold remained intact.
- The double-layer HTL interface significantly reduces the series resistance.
Under a single-layer BMHTL hole-transport structure, the aerosol‑electrode series resistance is excessively high, and the fill factor plummets. By introducing a bilayer composite hole‑transport layer of BMHTL and PH1000, interfacial contact is markedly improved, yielding uAJP devices with an average efficiency of 8.57% and a best‑performing device at 9.54%. This performance approaches that of spin‑coated AgNW devices (up to 9.7%) and far surpasses that of blade‑coated devices.
- Optoelectronic Performance Benchmarking and Validation
uAJP silver‑film exhibits a transmittance of 72.8% and a sheet resistance of 29 Ω/□, with a superior figure of merit (FoM) compared to blade‑coated films. Under low indoor illumination, the device demonstrates an enhanced fill factor, making it well suited for indoor photovoltaic applications in dim lighting conditions.
- Mass-production adaptation advantages are becoming increasingly evident.
Ultrasonic aerosol deposition eliminates the risk of nozzle clogging and obviates the need for high-temperature post‑processing, while enabling non‑contact deposition on flexible and complex‑shaped substrates. Leveraging a high‑throughput screening (HTS) automated production line, it supports continuous solution‑based fabrication of multilayer thin films, thereby overcoming the high cost constraints of vacuum evaporation.
- Horizontal Process Comparison
Thermal vapor deposition offers the highest efficiency (optimal 10.36%) but requires substantial investment in vacuum equipment; spin coating delivers the best film uniformity but results in significant material waste; blade coating suffers from poor film uniformity and extremely high sheet resistance; ultrasonic aerosol deposition excels in overall cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and large-area processing capability.
II. Working Principle of Ultrasonic Aerosol Jet Printing (uAJP) and Core Process Advantages
(1) Complete Atomization Deposition Process
- Ultrasonic atomization generates ultrafine silver nanoparticle aerosols. High-frequency ultrasonic vibration induces cavitation at the ink–air interface, fragmenting the ink into uniform micron‑scale droplets, thereby distinguishing it from pneumatic high‑pressure atomization.
- Dual airflow jet confinement : The carrier gas transports the droplets, while a coaxial sheath gas envelops the spray plume, preventing ink adhesion to the print head and completely resolving the persistent issue of printhead clogging.
- Wide‑width deposition with a slit nozzle: the conical spray is reshaped into a sheet‑like, uniform deposition zone, and the substrate is moved at a constant speed to form a continuous conductive silver nanogrid.
- Low-temperature drying and forming: By maintaining the substrate at a constant 30°C, a conductive silver network can be formed through brief annealing, eliminating the need for high-temperature sintering that would otherwise damage the organic active layer.
(II) Five Unique Technological Advantages (Compared with Spin Coating, Doctor Blade, and Thermal Evaporation)
- A vacuum-free, all‑solution process significantly reduces plant construction costs.
Eliminating the need for high‑vacuum chambers and high‑power evaporation sources used in thermal evaporation, electrode fabrication is carried out at ambient temperature and pressure, significantly reducing both capital investment and operational energy consumption.
- Non-contact adaptation for flexible / curved substrates
The nozzle-to-substrate gap is adjustable to 4 mm, preventing compression and scratching of organic films and PET flexible substrates; arc-shaped and irregularly shaped photovoltaic devices can be directly printed.
- Low consumable waste and a significant increase in the utilization rate of silver nano‑ink.
Spin coating results in more than 90% of the ink being flung off, leading to significant wear on the blade edge; in contrast, aerosol-directed deposition requires only a small amount of ink to achieve stable production, substantially reducing the cost of precious-metal nanomaterials.
- Maskless digital direct writing, with free-form pattern design.
CAD‑based customization of electrode grid lines and device pixels, eliminating the need for photolithography and metal masks, enabling rapid prototyping and iterative development of small‑batch samples.
- Long-term continuous stable production
The sheath‑gas‑isolated ink forms a protective barrier on the printhead’s inner walls, preventing nozzle drying and clogging. It is compatible with high‑throughput, automated conveyor‑belt production lines, meeting the demands of roll‑to‑roll mass production.
III. Key Technological Innovations of This Study
Innovation 1: An ultrasonic atomization system tailored for silver nanowires
Innovation 2: Interface Modification Strategy for a Double-Layer Hole Transport Layer
Innovation 3: Slit‑nozzle‑directed film formation to suppress thin‑film defects.
Innovation 4: Standardized High-Throughput Automated Printing Workflow
Innovation 5: Balancing both indoor low-light and outdoor bright-light scenarios
IV. Existing Process Challenges and Corresponding Solutions for Overcoming Them
Challenge 1: The single-layer HTL structure exhibits extremely high interfacial impedance, leading to a catastrophic drop in device performance.
Challenge 2: The ultrasonic atomization airflow readily truncates the silver nanowires, leading to breaks in the conductive network.
Challenge 3: The single-layer aerosol film exhibits low transmittance, limiting the short-circuit current.
Challenge 4: Compared with thermal evaporation, the overall device efficiency still lags slightly.
Challenge 5: During large-area continuous printing, localized film thinning and increased leakage current are prone to occur.
V. Future Diversified Industrial Application Scenarios
1. Flexible Organic Photovoltaic Module
2. Indoor IoT low-light photovoltaic tags
3. Translucent Colored Photovoltaic Doors and Windows
4. Wearable Fabric Solar Textiles
5. Large-scale roll-to-roll printing production line commissioned
Figure 1. Working principle of AJP: AgNW ink is deposited as the top electrode layer in an inverted OPV device fabricated using the uAJP platform.
Table 1. AJP process parameters for printing a silver nanowire (AgNW) ink top electrode layer in OPV devices using uAJP.
Figure 2. OPV devices: a) Structure without PH1000 addition; b) J–V characteristics of the OPV device under AM1.5G illumination (PCE, Jsc, Voc, and FF); c) J–V curves of the OPV device when using SC, BC, uAJP, and Ag as the TEL in E2X silver nanowire ink.
Table 2. Transmittance, sheet resistance, and figure of merit (FoM) of AgNW electrodes on a PH1000 substrate.
Figure 3. Optical transmission spectra of E2X silver nanowire (AgNW) inks prepared by different deposition methods at various wavelengths; the inset shows photographic examples of 1 cm² PH1000/AgNW electrodes fabricated using SC, BC, and uAJP techniques.
Figure 4. OPV devices: a) Device architecture without PH1000; b) J–V characteristics of the OPV device under AM1.5G illumination (PCE, Jsc, Voc, and FF); c) J–V curves of the OPV device employing SC, BC, uAJP, and Ag as the TEL in E2X silver nanowire ink.
Table 3. Statistical Characteristics of J–V Parameters for Dual HTL OPV Devices
Figure 5. EQE values and wavelength‑integrated Jsc values in OPV devices when using SC, BC, uAJP, and Ag as the TEL in E2X silver nanowire ink; all devices employ an ITO/ZnO/PM6:Y12/BMHTL1/PH1000/Ag or AgNW architecture.
Download Materials
Beijing Yunshang Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd.
Hotline(24 hours a day)
Headquarters Address: Room 708, Building 2, HICOOL Industrial Park, Nanfaxin, Shunyi District, Beijing
Follow
Customer service WeChat
WeChat Official Account
COPYRIGHT 2026 Beijing Yunshang Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd.
Powered by 300.cn Privacy Policy
YUNS-123456
Smart Customer Service
WhatsApp：864009005667
Company email：support@chinayuns.com
Telephone：400 900 5667