Science of Pattern Coating onto Heterogeneous Surfaces Using a Hybrid Manufacturing Process

将薄膜的制造从实验室扩展到生产车间一直是一个困难且耗时的过程。这部分是由于缺乏对与材料的可扩展性相关的重要因素的理解，以及缺乏以低成本和/或高速度制造具有所需性质、质量和/或功能的薄膜的先进制造方法。这部分是由于在实验室中发现和开发新的功能薄膜材料与使用规模化制造技术之间的规模和方法差异。多层薄膜器件遍布许多现有和新兴的技术领域，包括有机太阳能电池、显示器、传感器、固态照明、无处不在的智能设备和其他应用。有机薄膜和多层膜将在要求高性能但低成本的新产品中发挥越来越重要的作用。这些薄膜通常由沉积在机械支撑件或通常柔性塑料基底上并润湿机械支撑件或通常柔性塑料基底的液体膜形成。在这项研究中，阐明了由于涂覆在不同表面上的流体的相互作用而限制新兴设备缩放的机制，并开发了可制造性的路径。这项工作支持的需要，降低制造成本，提高多层薄膜的制造速度。该补助金使本科生，主要是代表性不足的群体，能够参与研究活动。本研究的目的是调查材料性能和加工条件对将低粘度电极聚合物流体涂覆到柔性基板上的能力的影响，以产生复杂的多层异质图案，这将推进用于制造柔性电子产品中的3D薄膜结构的制造知识。各种各样的缺陷，可以追溯到界面现象证实了理解的工艺结构关系的图案化的异质薄膜的重要性，当使用可扩展的高通量的过程。一种独特的制造方法，称为槽模印刷或按需挤出将用于本实验研究。该调查包括三个推力：推力1薄膜的形成，推力2，界面现象和薄膜稳定性，和推力3，薄膜表征和分析，以获得在异质表面上的溶液涂覆过程中的界面现象（润湿，铺展和粘附）的基本理解，阐明影响多层薄膜的工艺-结构关系的机制。这项工作将进一步开发使用单片方法从溶液连续卷对卷制造复杂的多层膜，从而与传统方法相比，从本质上降低了制造成本和浪费。

Scaling the fabrication of thin films from the laboratory to manufacturing floor has been a difficult and time-consuming process. This is due in part to a lack of understanding important factors associated with the scalability of materials, in addition to the lack of advanced manufacturing approaches to fabricate thin films with desired properties, quality and/or functionality, at low cost and/or high speed. This is due, in part, to the difference in scale and approach between the discovery and development of new functional thin film materials, in the lab, and the use of scaled manufacturing techniques. Multilayer thin film devices are spread across many existing and emerging technological areas, including organic solar cells, displays, sensors, solid-state lighting, ubiquitous smart devices, and other applications. Thin organic films and film multilayers will play an increasingly important role in the formation of new products that demand high performance but low-cost. These thin films are typically formed from liquid films deposited onto and wetting mechanical supports or often flexible plastic substrates. In this research, the mechanisms that limit the scaling of emerging devices due to the interactions of fluids coated on dissimilar surfaces are elucidated and paths leading to manufacturability developed. This work supports the need for decreasing manufacturing costs and increasing the manufacturing rate of multilayer thin films. The grant enables the participation of undergraduates, principally from underrepresented groups, into the research activities. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of material properties and processing conditions on the ability to coat low viscosity electrode polymer fluids onto flexible substrates, to produce complex multilayer heterogeneous patterns, which will advance manufacturing knowledge for fabricating 3D thin film structures used in flexible electronics. The diverse range of defects that can be traced back to interfacial phenomena substantiates the importance of understanding the process-structure relationship of patterned heterogeneous thin film, when using scalable high-throughput processes. A unique manufacturing method called slot die printing or extrusion on-demand will be used for this experimental study. The investigation consists of three thrusts: Thrust 1 Thin Film Formation, Thrust 2, Interfacial Phenomena and Thin Film Stability, and Thrust 3, Thin Film Characterization and Analysis, to gain a basic understanding of the interfacial phenomena (wetting, spread, and adhesion) during solution coating onto heterogeneous surfaces, to elucidate mechanisms that impact the process-structure relationship of multilayer thin films. The work will further develop continuous roll-to-roll manufacture of complex multilayer films from solution, using a monolithic approach, thereby inherently decreasing fabrication cost and waste compared to traditional methods.