Dielectrophoretic roll system for high performance electronics using contactless selective assembly of nanostructures on large areas

在过去的50多年里，微电子/纳米电子技术的小型化使计算和通信发生了革命性的变化，并使快速数字技术在当今几乎所有传统的社会经济部门的生活中发挥了作用。然而，尽管微纳电子学是革命性的，但在目前的形式下，它遵循的生产过程本质上是不可避免的浪费，需要大量的水、能源和土地。显然，电子制造需要新的资源高效和环境友好的路线，而不会失去其变革性的力量。电子工业将从这种设备的发展中获得巨大的好处，DIELECT是朝着这个方向进行的一项雄心勃勃的努力。DIELECT将开发世界上第一个基于非接触式卷对卷(R2R)介电(DEP)的设备，以获得基于高性能纳米结构(例如纳米线)的大面积电子层、器件和电路(&gt；100cm2)。总体目标是开发资源高效的基于R2R DEP的试验线，允许基于NWS的电子层的高通量组装，并展示它们在开发高性能器件(例如，传感器(温度/光电探测器)、透明导体和各种外形规格的CMOS电路(包括柔性电子器件))中的用途。由所提议的设备实现的颠覆性电子制造将导致低制造成本，并减少材料浪费和低能源使用。通过更小和资源高效的单元，DIELECT可以实现分散制造，从而带来电子制造的范式转变，即从用于传统IC制造的巨大设施，到提供相同输出的几个较小单元。DIELECT的成功开发和商业化将为英国提供急需的高性能IC的国内来源，同时将英国定位于绿色电子和低影响添加剂制造的前沿。轻量化和嵌入式印刷电子产品将在全国重要的制造业中产生特别强烈的共鸣，尤其是电动汽车和航空航天。印刷电子产品有可能取代许多汽车电子电路，显著减轻系统重量，同时实现电子产品与汽车物理结构的无缝集成。利用DIELECT等创新技术，可以将传感器和显示器直接压入仪表板和车门装饰中，从而消除支持电路板和线束的体积和重量。用塑料衬底取代多氯联苯，将进一步提高报废车辆的回收利用率。低成本的添加剂制造方法，如DIELECT中采用的R2R DEP技术，将使DIELECT能够创建一个世界领先的高性能印制无机CMOS电子产品设计和生产中心。通过消除对昂贵的光刻掩模和紫外线曝光系统的需求，中小企业和全球创新者都将更容易地设计和测试新电路，从而加快创新、认证和生产周期。国内集成电路生产的好处将超越行业，从医疗设备到航空航天和汽车电子。

The miniaturization led advances in micro/nanoelectronics over the last more than 50 years have revolutionized computing and communication and has enabled fast digital technologies touching life in almost all traditional socio-economic sectors today. Yet, as revolutionary as micro/nanoelectronics has been, in its current form, the production processes it follows are inherently and unavoidably wasteful and require vast quantities of water, energy, and land. There is clearly a need for new resource efficient and environment friendly routes for electronics manufacturing, without losing its transformative power. Electronics industry will hugely benefit by the development of such an equipment and DIELECT is an ambitious endeavour in this direction.DIELECT will develop world's first contactless roll to roll (R2R) dielectrophoresis (DEP) based equipment to obtain high-performance nanostructures (e.g., nanowire)) based electronic layers, devices, and circuits on large area (>100cm2). The overarching goal is to develop resource-efficient R2R DEP based pilot line allowing high-throughput assembly of NWs-based electronic layers and demonstrate their use for development of high-performance devices (e.g., sensors (temperature/photodetectors), transparent conductors, and CMOS circuits in various form-factors (inc. flexible electronics). The disruptive electronics manufacturing enabled by proposed equipment, will lead to low fabrication cost, and reduced material wastage and low energy usage. Through smaller and resource efficient units, DIELECT could enable the decentralized fabrication and thus bring a paradigm shift in the electronics manufacturing, i.e., from huge facilities for conventional IC fabrication, to several smaller units delivering the same output. Successful development and commercialisation of DIELECT will provide the UK with a much-needed domestic source of high-performance ICs whilst positioning the country at the forefront of green electronics and low-impact additive manufacturing. Lightweight and embedded printed electronics will resonate particularly strongly with nationally important manufacturing sectors, not least electric vehicles and aerospace. Printed electronics have the potential to replace many automotive electronic circuits, reducing system weight dramatically whilst enabling the seamless integration of electronics with the physical structure of the automobile. Leveraging innovations such as DIELECT, sensors and displays can be laminated directly into the dashboard and door trimmings, eliminating the bulk and weight of supporting PCBs and harnesses. Substituting PCBs with plastic substrates will further improve the recyclability of end-of-life vehicles. Low-cost additive manufacturing methods such as the R2R DEP techniques incorporated in DIELECT will enable the creation of a world-leading centre for the design and production of high-performance printed inorganic CMOS electronics. By eliminating the need for costly photolithography masks and UV exposure systems, SMEs and global innovators alike will more readily design and test new circuits, thereby accelerating the innovation, certification, and production cycle. The benefits of domestic IC production will transcend industry, from medical devices to aerospace and automotive electronics.