Ti-doped In₂O₃ electrodes directly patterned using inkjet printing for liquid crystal devices

We report the characteristics of inkjet-printed transparent Ti-doped In₂O₃ (ITiO) films directly patterned using an ink containing ITiO nanoparticles (NPs) and used as transparent electrodes for liquid crystal (LC) devices. By optimizing the rapid thermal annealing temperature, we could directly pattern square-shaped ITiO electrodes with a sheet resistance of 37.41 Ω square⁻¹ and optical transmittance of 85.40 %, values that made them suitable for LC cell fabrication. It was found that the degree of interconnectedness of the ITiO NPs critically affected the resistivity, optical transmittance, and surface morphology of the inkjet-printed ITiO electrodes. The successful operation of the twisted nematic LC cells fabricated on the inkjet-printed ITiO electrodes indicates that inkjet printing is a promising direct coating method for fabricating all-solution-processed LC devices.