STTR Phase I: Innovative Modular Transfer Head

这个小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过新的制造工艺使无机微发光二极管（microled）在显示器中得到广泛应用。microled用于从手持设备到大面积显示器的许多消费电子应用的超高分辨率生动显示，但它们需要低功耗。该提议的技术将用于促进通过制造系统先进的微米尺寸（人类头发厚度的十分之一）零件的拾取和移动过程。它将能够扩展到各种显示形式因素和微型led尺寸，提供显着的成本优势和新的制造灵活性。这个小型企业技术转移（STTR）第一阶段项目开发了一个两阶段工艺和微转移头（PSETH）技术，用于选择性地将微型led从原生衬底大规模并行转移到显示矩阵。PSETH由高磁导率材料薄膜包裹，并安装在电磁铁上以容纳微型sled，并具有与待转移的所需多个相同尺寸和布局结构的图案元件。它使用选择性湿蚀刻工艺将它们从原生衬底上分离，然后只挑选和转移选定的多个微型led。拟议的项目将推进该技术的大规模使用。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to enable broad use of inorganic micro light emitting diode (microLEDs) in displays through a new manufacturing process. MicroLEDs are used for ultra-high resolution vivid displays for many consumer electronics applications ranging from hand-held devices to large area displays, but they require low power consumption. The proposed technology will be used to facilitate processes in which the picking and movement of parts that are micron-sized (one-tenth the thickness of a human hair) are advanced through a manufacturing system. It will have the ability to scale to various display form factors and microLED sizes, offering a significant cost advantage and new manufacturing flexibility.This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase-I project develops a two-stage process and micro-transfer head (PSETH) technology for the selective massive parallel transfer of microLEDs from native substrate to a display matrix. The PSETH is enclosed by a film of high magnetic permeability material and is mounted on an electromagnet to hold microsLEDs and features patterned elements of the same size and layout structure as the desired plurality to be transferred. It detaches them from the native substrate using a selective wet etch process, and then picks and transfers only the selected plurality of microLEDs. The proposed project will advance the technology for use at scale.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.