Scalable Nanomanufacturing of Organic Electronics Using Laser Patterning in a Continuous Solvent Flow Liquid Cell

该补助金支持有助于可扩展纳米制造过程中的新知识的研究，从而促进科学，技术，经济发展和人类福祉的进步。光刻是一种制造工艺，能够将电子元件图案化成小的受控体积，以生产所有现代集成电路，显示器和计算机。光刻技术之所以如此有用，是因为电子元件的尺寸和形状是通过聚焦光或激光图案化来控制的，这使得该技术快速，廉价，并且可重新配置用于许多应用。该奖项支持基础研究，以修改现有的光刻工具和方法，并使有机半导体聚合物能够光学微图案化到电子电路中。这种新的加工工具能够对目前无法将微米或纳米图案化到功能设备（如柔性电子产品和可穿戴设备）中的广泛类别的有机电子材料进行微米和纳米图案化、受控掺杂和分层。这项研究的结果使许多应用，如化学传感，神经形态计算和医疗诊断的进步。随之而来的技术影响带来了医疗保健、能源和环境方面的经济机会。这项研究将有机电子器件原型的生产成本降低了几个数量级，从而促进了经济增长和国家繁荣。该项目与仪器制造商合作，培训各级学生，扩大妇女和代表性不足的少数民族的参与。光热图案化是一种能够将有机电子材料（OEM）光学写入亚微米区域的方法，这是制造各种OEM器件的关键工艺步骤。光热图案化使用聚焦激光来加热和溶解OEM膜的与流动溶剂层接触的部分。激光产生负性抗蚀剂图案，并且溶剂流去除溶解的材料。实践和技术障碍目前阻止了光热图案化在OEM中的广泛使用。该项目通过开发一种独特的OEM微米和纳米图案化插入物设计来解决实际问题，该插入物与现有的光刻仪器兼容。这使得各地的研究人员可以使用现有的洁净室设备来设计这种新材料。主要的技术挑战是了解和预测必须如何控制加工条件，以实现不同OEM材料的高分辨率图案化。该研究团队开发了一种时间依赖的连续模型，该模型使用易于测量的实验参数来预测真实的条件下真实的薄膜的形状、分辨率、掺杂水平和写入速度。该奖项反映了NSF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。

This grant supports research that contributes to new knowledge in scalable nanomanufacturing processes, thereby promoting progress in science, technology, economic development, and human wellbeing. Photolithography is a manufacturing process that enables the patterning of electronic elements into small, controlled volumes to produce all modern integrated circuits, displays and computers. The aspect of photolithography that makes it so useful is that the size and shape of electronic components are controlled by focused light or laser patterning, which makes the technique fast, inexpensive, and reconfigurable for many applications. This award supports fundamental research to modify existing photolithography tools and methods and enables optical micropatterning of organic semiconducting polymers into electronic circuits. The new processing tool enables micro and nanopatterning, controlled doping and layering of a broad class of organic electronic materials that currently cannot be micro or nanopatterned into functional devices, such as, flexible electronics and wearables. Results from this research enables advancements in many applications such as chemical sensing, neuromorphic computing, and medical diagnostics. The ensuing technological impacts result in economic opportunities in healthcare, energy, and environment. This research lowers the cost for production of prototype organic electronic devices by orders of magnitude, which spurs economic growth and national prosperity. The project partners with instrument manufacturers, trains students at all levels and broadens participation of women and under-represented minorities.Photothermal patterning is a method that enables the optical writing of organic electronic materials (OEMs) into sub-micrometer domains, which is a critical processing step for fabrication of a wide variety of OEM devices. Photothermal patterning uses a focused laser to heat and dissolve portions of an OEM film that is in contact with a flowing solvent layer. The laser creates a negative resist pattern and the solvent flow removes dissolved material. Practical and technical barriers currently prevent the widespread use of photothermal patterning for OEMs. This project solves the practical problem by developing a unique design for an OEM micro and nanopatterning insert that is compatible with existing photolithography instruments. This allows researchers everywhere to use their existing cleanroom equipment to pattern this new class of materials. The main technical challenges are to understand and predict how processing conditions must be controlled to achieve high resolution patterning for different OEM materials. The research team develops a time-dependent continuum model that uses easily measurable experimental parameters to predict the shape, resolution, doping level and write-speed of real films under real conditions.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.