Silver conductive thin films deposited on glass and polyimide substrates by using ink jet printing are studied in this work. Characterization of the printed thin films and comparison with sputtered films are investigated. The micro texture, residual stress, adhesion, hardness, optical reflectance, and electric resistance of the thin films are discussed. The result shows that the ink jet printin...

Electrochemical, acoustic wave and imaging (AFM) methods were used to characterize electroactive poly[Ni(3-Mesalophen-b15-c5)] films. The distinct physical principles of these techniques generate different responses to film characteristics, such that their simplistic correlation in the context of a single uniform film model does not adequately describe the data. Film behaviour can only be ratio...

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a high-resolution direct-write technique, which can print a wide range of liquid materials without a nozzle. In this process, a pulsed laser initiates the expulsion of a highvelocity micro-jet of fluid from a thin donor film. LIFT involves a novel regime for impulsively driven free-surface jetting in that viscous forces developed in the thin film become ...

Thin films of polymers containing non-linear optical chromophores based on azobenzene have been shown to respond mechanically to low power light interference, resulting in a transfer of an arbitrary optical pattern to surface relief in a single step, often well below the usual glass transition temperature. The timescale for this process is seconds to minutes, and the resulting surface relief pa...

Silver nanoparticles are well-established antibacterial agents. However, an effective design and formulation that ensures: (i) ease of synthesis and fabrication, (ii) amenability to deployment over large surfaces of variable shape, (iii) high efficacy and (iv) multiple reuses with the possibility of periodic monitoring, is yet to emerge. A nanocomposite thin film of poly(vinyl alcohol) with sil...

Chemical vapors originating from the explosive charge within landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) form a chemical “signature” unique to these devices. The fact that canines can detect this signature was a primary motivation for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Dog’s Nose Program. One goal of this program was to develop electronic chemical sensors that mimic the canine’...

Thin films have an important part to play in modern technology. It is difficult to characterize the mechanical properties of thin films because the films cannot usually be investigated separately from the substrate. One of the few methods that can be used for such investigations consists in making an indentation in the film by applying an extremely small and accurately controlled force while at...

Interest in organic and polymer light-emitting devices (OLEDs and PLEDs) has exploded in recent years, in part because of the ability to create these devices on flexible plastic substrates. This is advantageous in producing wearable or lightweight displays, as well as utilizing low-cost roll-to-roll processing techniques. For the first time, we present crystalline refractory inorganic thin film...