Aerosol jet printing of nickel oxide nanoparticle ink with ultraviolet radiation curing for thin-film temperature sensors

In this study, the ultraviolet (UV) radiation curing process and furnace curing process for curing aerosol jet printed nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticle thin films were investigated. NiO has a negative temperature coefficient and can be used to fabricate temperature sensors. Four UV power settings (for 10 min) and four furnace temperatures (for 1 h) were used to cure the aerosol jet printed sensors. The resultant sensor resistance at 100 degrees C and 180 degrees C was measured, and the sensor's sensitivity was characterized by a B value. Confocal microscopy was performed to characterize the sensor surface. The 60% UV power setting yields the lowest resistance and the highest B value among all sensors. The analysis of variations shows that the UV power setting is not a significant factor in the resistance and B value, while the furnace temperature is a significant factor. This indicates that UV curing is a more robust method and does not need to be optimized to achieve good results. The UV curing process not only reduces the required curing time but also improves the performance of the temperature sensor.