Search Results
High-Resolution Inkjet Printing of Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Microdiode Arrays
2020, Yang, P., Zhang, L., Kang, D.J., Strahl, R., Kraus, T.
The direct printing of microscale quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) is a cost-effective alternative to the placement of pre-formed LEDs. The quality of printed QLEDs currently is limited by nonuniformities in droplet formation, wetting, and drying during inkjet printing. Here, optimal ink formulation which can suppress nonuniformities at the pixel and array levels is demonstrated. A solvent mixture is used to tune the ejected droplet size, ensure wetting, and provoke Marangoni flows that prevent coffee stain rings. Arrays of green QLED devices are printed at a resolution of 500 pixels in.−1 with a maximum luminance of ≈3000 cd m−2 and a peak current efficiency of 2.8 cd A−1. The resulting array quality is sufficient to print displays at state-of-the-art resolutions.
Nanoscopic interactions of colloidal particles can suppress millimetre drop splashing
2021, Thoraval, Marie-Jean, Schubert, Jonas, Karpitschka, Stefan, Chanana, Munish, Boyer, François, Sandoval-Naval, Enrique, Dijksman, J. Frits, Snoeijer, Jacco H., Lohse, Detlef
The splashing of liquid drops onto a solid surface is important for a wide range of applications, including combustion and spray coating. As the drop hits the solid surface, the liquid is ejected into a thin horizontal sheet expanding radially over the substrate. Above a critical impact velocity, the liquid sheet is forced to separate from the solid surface by the ambient air, and breaks up into smaller droplets. Despite many applications involving complex fluids, their effects on splashing remain mostly unexplored. Here we show that the splashing of a nanoparticle dispersion can be suppressed at higher impact velocities by the interactions of the nanoparticles with the solid surface. Although the dispersion drop first shows the classical transition from deposition to splashing when increasing the impact velocity, no splashing is observed above a second higher critical impact velocity. This result goes against the commonly accepted understanding of splashing, that a higher impact velocity should lead to even more pronounced splashing. Our findings open new possibilities to deposit large amount of complex liquids at high speeds.
Analysis of catalyst surface wetting: The early stage of epitaxial germanium nanowire growth
2020, Ernst, Owen C., Lange, Felix, Uebel, David, Teubner, Thomas, Boeck, Torsten
The dewetting process is crucial for several applications in nanotechnology. Even though not all dewetting phenomena are fully understood yet, especially regarding metallic fluids, it is clear that the formation of nanometre-sized particles, droplets, and clusters as well as their movement are strongly linked to their wetting behaviour. For this reason, the thermodynamic stability of thin metal layers (0.1-100 nm) with respect to their free energy is examined here. The decisive factor for the theoretical considerations is the interfacial energy. In order to achieve a better understanding of the interfacial interactions, three different models for estimating the interfacial energy are presented here: (i) fully theoretical, (ii) empirical, and (iii) semi-empirical models. The formation of nanometre-sized gold particles on silicon and silicon oxide substrates is investigated in detail. In addition, the strengths and weaknesses of the three models are elucidated, the different substrates used are compared, and the possibility to further process the obtained particles as nanocatalysts is verified. The importance of a persistent thin communication wetting layer between the particles and its effects on particle size and number is also clarified here. In particular, the intrinsic reduction of the Laplace pressure of the system due to material re-evaporation and Ostwald ripening describes the theoretically predicted and experimentally obtained results. Thus, dewetting phenomena of thin metal layers can be used to manufacture nanostructured devices. From this point of view, the application of gold droplets as catalysts to grow germanium nanowires on different substrates is described. © 2020 Ernst et al.
Three-Dimensional Shapes of Spinning Helium Nanodroplets
2018, Langbehn, Bruno, Sander, Katharina, Ovcharenko, Yevheniy, Peltz, Christian, Clark, Andrew, Coreno, Marcello, Cucini, Riccardo, Drabbels, Marcel, Finetti, Paola, Di Fraia, Michele, Giannessi, Luca, Grazioli, Cesare, Iablonskyi, Denys, LaForge, Aaron C., Nishiyama, Toshiyuki, Oliver Álvarez de Lara, Verónica, Piseri, Paolo, Plekan, Oksana, Ueda, Kiyoshi, Zimmermann, Julian, Prince, Kevin C., Stienkemeier, Frank, Callegari, Carlo, Fennel, Thomas, Rupp, Daniela, Möller, Thomas
A significant fraction of superfluid helium nanodroplets produced in a free-jet expansion has been observed to gain high angular momentum resulting in large centrifugal deformation. We measured single-shot diffraction patterns of individual rotating helium nanodroplets up to large scattering angles using intense extreme ultraviolet light pulses from the FERMI free-electron laser. Distinct asymmetric features in the wide-angle diffraction patterns enable the unique and systematic identification of the three-dimensional droplet shapes. The analysis of a large data set allows us to follow the evolution from axisymmetric oblate to triaxial prolate and two-lobed droplets. We find that the shapes of spinning superfluid helium droplets exhibit the same stages as classical rotating droplets while the previously reported metastable, oblate shapes of quantum droplets are not observed. Our three-dimensional analysis represents a valuable landmark for clarifying the interrelation between morphology and superfluidity on the nanometer scale.