Electrohydrodynamic Inkjet Printing of Three-Dimensional Perovskite Nanocrystal Arrays for Full-Color Micro-LED Displays

Perovskite nanocrystal (PeNC) arrays are showing a promising future in the next generation of micro-light-emitting-diode (micro-LED) displays due to the narrow emission linewidth and adjustable peak wavelength. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) inkjet printing, with merits of high resolution, uniformity, versatility, and cost-effectiveness, is among the competent candidates for constructing PeNC arrays. However, the fabrication of red light-emitting CsPbBrxI(3–x) nanocrystal arrays for micro-LED displays still faces challenges, such as low brightness and poor stability. This work proposes a design for a red PeNC colloidal ink that is specialized for the EHD inkjet printing of three-dimensional PeNC arrays with enhanced luminescence and stability as well as being adaptable to both rigid and flexible substrates. Made of a mixture of PeNCs, polymer polystyrene (PS), and a nonpolar xylene solvent, the PeNC colloidal ink enables precise control of array sizes and shapes, which facilitates on-demand micropillar construction. Additionally, the inclusion of PS significantly increases the brightness and environmental stability. By adopting this ink, the EHD printer successfully fabricated full-color 3D PeNC arrays with a spatial resolution over 2500 ppi. It shows the potential of the EHD inkjet printing strategy for high-resolution and robust PeNC color conversion layers for micro-LED displays.