CAREER: A Fundamental Investigation of the Mechanics of Micro-Transfer Printing Processes for Manufacturing Multifunctional Microsystems

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。这个学院早期职业发展（Career）项目的研究目标是通过结合实验表征和计算建模的过程力学的基础研究来提高微转移印刷的能力。微转移印刷是一种使用软弹性体印章将微和纳米结构转移到各种基板上的工艺，以制造柔性电子、复杂微机械结构和太阳能电池等设备。虽然微转移印刷已经被证明了很多次，并开始在商业上实施，但由于缺乏对潜在机制的了解，在工艺设计中仍然存在重要的经验主义。在这项工作中，将开发一种新的方法来实验研究微转移印花中界面的粘附和分离行为，并用于表征转移印花中一系列重要的界面。将开发一个描述界面测量行为的计算模型，并随后将其集成到设计微转移印刷工艺的模拟工具中。仿真工具将经过实验验证，将用于制定开发稳健、可制造的印刷工艺的指导方针。如果成功，这项研究的结果将牢固地建立对微转移印刷潜在机制的理解，并将导致设计有效制造工艺的改进策略。在稳健性、产量和微转移印刷过程控制方面的改进将导致使用和能力的增加，最终导致使用现有技术无法实现的新型微尺度设备的制造。与研究工作紧密结合的教育计划将：(1)激励各级学生追求工程事业；(2)在微纳米制造和界面力学领域教育学生和实践工程师。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project is to advance the capabilities of micro-transfer printing through a fundamental investigation of the process mechanics that combines experimental characterization and computational modeling. Micro-transfer printing is process where a soft elastomer stamp is used to transfer micro- and nano-structures to a broad range of substrates in order to create devices such as flexible electronics, complex micromechanical structures, and solar cells. While micro-transfer printing has been demonstrated numerous times and is beginning to be implemented commercially, there remains significant empiricism in the design of the processes due to a lack of knowledge of the underlying mechanics. In this work, a new method to experimentally investigate the adhesion and separation behavior of interfaces in micro-transfer printing will be developed and used to characterize a series of interfaces important in transfer printing. A computational model that describes the measured behavior of the interfaces will be developed and subsequently integrated into a simulation tool for designing micro-transfer printing processes. The simulation tool, which will be experimentally validated, will be used to develop guidelines for developing robust, manufacturable printing processes.If successful, the results of this research will firmly establish an understanding of the underlying mechanics of microtransfer printing and will lead to improved strategies for designing effective manufacturing processes. Improvements in the robustness, yield, and control of micro-transfer printing processes will result in increased use and capability, ultimately leading to the manufacturing of new types of microscale devices that cannot be realized using existing techniques. The education plan that is tightly integrated with the research effort will: (1) inspire students at all levels to pursue careers in engineering and (2) educate students and practicing engineers in the areas of micro- and nano-manufacturing and interface mechanics.