High-precision inkjet printing of oxide ceramics: Fundamentals, applications, and future outlook

Inkjet printing (IJP) has emerged as a promising additive manufacturing (AM) route for oxide ceramics owing to its maskless digital deposition, high material utilization, non-contact patterning, and compatibility with multimaterial integration. However, achieving reproducible and dimensionally controlled printing of oxide ceramics remains challenging because the final printed geometry is governed by coupled processes from ink formulation and jetting to deposition, drying, and post-processing. Although substantial progress has been made in oxide ceramic ink formulation and functional applications, the relationships among ink properties, droplet dynamics, deposition behavior, pattern formation, and final ceramic performance remain insufficiently integrated. In this context, this review provides a critical overview of recent advances in oxide ceramic IJP, with particular emphasis on the relationships between material and process variables and measurable printing outcomes across the process chain. First, the fundamental principles of drop-on-demand (DOD) IJP and key printability criteria are introduced. Then, oxide ceramic ink design strategies are summarized, with emphasis on rheological regulation and dispersion stability. Next, droplet formation, satellite suppression, waveform optimization, deposition behavior, and drying-induced nonuniformity are discussed. Strategies for coffee ring suppression through solvent engineering, additive design, and substrate modification are further reviewed. Representative applications in structural components, electronics, energy devices, and sensors are summarized. Finally, current challenges and future prospects are discussed, particularly the printability of particle-loaded inks, long-term process reliability, dimensional control, scale-up, and closed-loop process optimization for reproducible oxide ceramic manufacturing.