The Evolution of Aerosol Jet Printing, A Review: Enhancing Material Versatility and Improvements for Next‐Generation Applications

ABSTRACT

Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) is a contactless, maskless, direct deposition technique that enables micron‐scale feature resolution, millimetre‐scale stand‐off distances, making it contactless and conformal printability for a wide range of print materials compatible with a variety of rigid and flexible substrates without the need for specialized environments like cleanrooms. This makes it ideal for producing complex geometries on non‐planar surfaces and integrating diverse functional materials for specific application needs. AJP has found natural applications in the efficient fabrication of electronic circuits, sensors, actuators, energy harvesting and storage devices, and biological systems, among many others. Recent advancements in process monitoring, material formulation, and closed‐loop control have significantly optimised the reliability and scalability of AJP, facilitating its integration into multifaceted industries. The future evolution of aerosol jet printing is dependent on new print materials, the postprocessing and characterisation of these printed materials, and the integration of innovative methods to refine the AJP print process. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of state‐of‐the‐art AJP for material formulation with substrate compatibility, post‐print processing, and characterisation methodology, and recent AJP process advancements, while also discussing existing challenges.