Super-fine ink-jet printing for nanotechnology

We introduce an ultra-fine inkjet system as a powerful toot for nanotechnology research which allows arrangements of dots with a minimum size of less than one micron. Diverse materials such as conductive polymers, fine ceramics, metal particles etc. can be used as ink materials. Using the ultra-fine silver paste, we achieved the direct print of ultra-fine metallic wire of only a few micrometers in width without any pre-patterning treatment on substrate. Furthermore, using the transition-metal nano-particles as catalist-ink, patterned array of carbon nano-tubes were successfully obtained. A field emission from the patterned carbon nano-tubes is also confirmed.