3D-Printer

The object of this structured and fundamental study is to obtain a better understanding of the processes underlying the three-dimensional gas-phase printing of electrically charged nanoparticles. The focus of the investigations the processes of gas phase synthesis, transport and parallel printing of charged nanoparticles. The process is based on the interplay between fast moving gas ions, nanoparticles in a carrier gas and dielectric lens structures connected to an electrically conductive substrate. This interaction leads to localized deposition of the nanoparticles. In the future, the static dielectric lenses will no longer be bound to the substrate. Instead, they will be replaced by a dynamic lens array that can be moved across the surface. This should allow the formation of moving funnels/filaments to guide the nanoparticles at high rates to predefined points on a surface. To gain access to the relevant process parameters (gas ion concentration, particle number concentration, local gas flow, ion dissipation current, and potential profile), we intend to install an experimental platform. The conceived platform and the planned study will be used to investigate the effect of gas ion concentration on focus, the influence of physical dimensions of individual lens elements, and the transition to a programmable lens array. Towards the end of the project, the integration of the gained knowledge and the implementation of a multi-material source module will be proposed.