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

在连续溶剂流液体池中使用激光图案化进行有机电子产品的可扩展纳米制造

• 批准号: 2208009
• 负责人: Adam Moule
• 金额: $ 47.03万
• 依托单位: University of California-Davis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2208009&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Scalable; Nanomanufacturing; Organic; Electronics; Using

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.

这笔赠款支持有助于在可扩展的纳米制造过程中贡献新知识的研究，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，可以将电子元件图案化成小的、受控的体积，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由聚焦光或激光图案控制的，这使得该技术快速、廉价且可针对许多应用进行重新配置。该奖项支持修改现有光刻工具和方法的基础研究，并使有机半导体聚合物的光学微图案化成为电子电路。新的处理工具能够对目前无法通过微米或纳米图案形成功能器件（例如柔性电子产品和可穿戴设备）的多种有机电子材料进行微米和纳米图案化、受控掺杂和分层。这项研究的结果推动了化学传感、神经形态计算和医疗诊断等许多应用的进步。随之而来的技术影响带来了医疗保健、能源和环境领域的经济机会。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，从而刺激了经济增长和国家繁荣。该项目与仪器制造商合作，对各级学生进行培训，并扩大女性和代表性不足的少数群体的参与。光热图案化是一种能够将有机电子材料 (OEM) 光学写入亚微米域的方法，这是制造各种 OEM 设备的关键处理步骤。光热图案化使用聚焦激光加热并溶解 OEM 薄膜中与流动溶剂层接触的部分。激光产生负性抗蚀剂图案，溶剂流去除溶解的材料。目前，实际和技术障碍阻碍了原始设备制造商广泛使用光热图案化技术。该项目通过开发一种与现有光刻仪器兼容的 OEM 微米和纳米图案插入件的独特设计来解决实际问题。这使得世界各地的研究人员能够使用现有的洁净室设备来设计这种新型材料。主要的技术挑战是了解和预测如何控制加工条件才能实现不同 OEM 材料的高分辨率图案。研究团队开发了一种时间相关的连续体模型，该模型使用易于测量的实验参数来预测真实条件下真实薄膜的形状、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智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。