A Hybrid Approach Combining 3D and Conductive Inkjet Printing for the Generation of Linear Ion Traps for Mass Spectrometry Applications

Printed conductors have attracted strong interest in academia as well as the industry. While first applications using printed conductors on flat as well as curved surfaces are establishing in the market, extensive research still is conducted on the post-processing technologies needed for high-volume fabrication of solution processed conductors.With regards to the potential low-cost, high-throughput manufacturing of conductors on inexpensive polymeric foils, new applications start to evolve that call for an even more elaborate investigation of the printing and post-processing steps included. This paper assesses the potential of inkjet-printed conductors for the use in low-pressure environments, such as linear ion-traps for mass spectrometry. In these environments remainders of trapped air or organic solvents affect the performance and lifetime of the getter pump systems used. Additionally, high frequency characteristics of the processed conductors are investigated as these are essential for the sensitivity of an ion trap.In this contribution we establish the framework for the application of conductive inkjet printing on curved surfaces for sensing application in low-pressure environments. Inkjet-deposited nanoparticle inks were investigated with respect to their characteristics under vacuum conditions. The deposits on polymeric foils as well as on DLP processed three-dimensional semi-finished parts were subjected to thermal post-processing and measured with respect to their electrical characteristics as well as their outgassing behavior.