High reliability sheathed transport path for aerosol jet devices

A method for controlling deposition of an aerosol, the method comprising:

• supplying an aerosol to a transport tube in a deposition apparatus;
• surrounding the exterior of the transport tube with a transport sheath gas;
• surrounding the aerosol with the transport sheath gas before the aerosol enters the transport tube;
• transporting the aerosol and surrounding transport sheath gas to a switching chamber of the deposition apparatus;
• exhausting a boost gas and an exhaust sheath gas from the deposition apparatus;
• surrounding both the aerosol and the transport sheath gas with a deposition sheath flow to form a combined flow;
• passing the combined flow through a deposition nozzle;
• switching a flow path of the boost gas so it is added to the deposition sheath flow instead of being exhausted from the deposition apparatus, thereby stopping a flow of the aerosol into the deposition nozzle;
• and
• exhausting the aerosol from the deposition apparatus.