SBIR Phase I: Printable Conducting Polymers for Polymeric Electronic Circuits

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop printable, soluble conducting polymers that can be crosslinked using ultra violet light. These printable, conducting polymers can be printed using photolithography into thin films with 2-dimensional features ranging from solid thin films for flexible displays to highly detailed features for printed wiring boards and multi chip modules. These printed conducting polymers will also be low-cost, flexible, lightweight and mechanically more robust than inorganic electronics. Soluble, conductive polymers will be synthesized with functional groups that can be crosslinked by a polymerization reaction induced by ultraviolet light. Thin films will be cast onto substrates and then rendered insoluble by the crosslinking polymerization under ultra violet light. The kinetics of photopolymerization will be measured and optimized to maximize the resolution of photoimaging for micron sized conducting features. An engineering analysis will be performed to determine if the process conditions, printing resolution and conductivity of our proposed conducting polymers is commercially attractive for electronics applications.Commercial applications for printable conducting polymers include flexible displays, printed wiring boards, multi chip modules, transistors, and light emitting diodes especially when the combination of conductivity and the properties of plastics (flexibility, mechanical stability, etc.) are desired.