Deposition of organic and inorganic layers on polymer substrates by R2R coating in vacuum

卷对卷涂层是一种低成本、高产量的制造方法，用于在柔性基板上沉积薄层-这是开发可穿戴和柔性技术的重要方法。这种技术可能有利于真空沉积层，以获得高质量的物理性能和最广泛的材料范围。该项目的目标是开发适合于在真空中进行高通量卷对卷涂层的材料和器件结构。将特别关注有机薄膜晶体管(OTFT)及其制造的电路，例如用于可穿戴技术的低成本一次性传感器“膏药”，例如在健康监测中。这项工作将继续我们的方法，通过一个基于OTFT的跨阻放大器电路使用浮栅OTFT。要研究的领域将是(I)探索用于制造电路的新型在线图案化技术，以及(Ii)用于控制传感器的化学选择性的新型传感领域。在(I)项下，主要的方法将是使用“液体掩膜”作为一种在线图案化方法来真空沉积电触点和电路板。这是一种生产装饰包装的商业技术，但我们正在将这一概念扩展到电子产品中。特别是，这使我们能够使用比印刷油墨更广泛的材料来生产高导电性电极，并通过薄层实现卓越的导电性(对于避免“步骤”的薄膜技术是可取的)。这个项目将使我们能够研究使用这种方法的设备和电路的性能，我们将使用我们最近获得专利的方法来研究它的应用，这种方法显示出更高分辨率打印的前景。这种方法可能允许我们使用连续的高通量制造方法来制造具有小源漏间隙的OTFT，而不是依赖于不适合高速卷到卷吞吐量的光刻。在(Ii)中，“浮栅”方法允许我们将精致的半导体材料和电路与分析物的接触分离(允许它们从环境中封装)，并使用简单的金属电极作为传感元件的基础。从那时起，我们将寻求开发可以薄膜沉积在这种金属贴片上的选择性传感材料。我们最初的方法将基于连接到金电极上的噻吩共聚物，该电极可以结合到特定的酶上，因此传感器的选择性可以通过与酶的特定生化相互作用来确保。不涉及正式的合作者，但这属于我们与参与这一项目的公司集群的“可穿戴和灵活技术”项目(EP/MO15173/1)的范围内。此外，我们还与伦敦帝国理工学院的哈姆林中心和伦敦大学学院的曼尼什教授就医疗传感方面的工作进行了合作。该项目属于EPSRC‘制造未来’和‘医疗保健技术’研究领域。

Roll-to-roll coating is a low-cost high-throughput manufacturing method for deposition of thin layers onto flexible substrates - this is an important methodology for developments in wearable and flexible technologies. Such technologies may favour vacuum-deposited layers for high quality physical properties and the widest range of materials.The aims of this project will be to develop materials and device structures that are suitable for high-throughput roll-to-roll coating in vacuum. A particular focus will be on organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), and circuits made from them, for example for low cost disposable sensor 'plasters' for wearable technologies e.g. in health monitoring. The work will continue our approach using floating gate OTFTs through an OTFT-based transimpedance amplifier circuit. Areas to investigate will be to (i) explore novel in-line patterning technologies for manufacture of circuits and (ii) novel sensing areas to control chemical selectivity of the sensor. Under (i) the main approach will be use of 'liquid masking' as an in-line patterning method to vacuum deposit electrical contacts and circuit tracks. This is a commercial technology for producing decorative packaging, but we are extending the concept to its use in electronics. In particular, this allows us to produce highly conducting electrodes from a wider variety of materials than with printed inks, and superior conductivity with thin layers (desirable for thin film technologies for the avoidance of 'steps'). This project will allow us to investigate the performance of devices and circuits using this approach, and we will investigate its application using a method we have recently patented that shows promise for higher resolution printing. This method may allow us to produce OTFTs with small source-drain gaps using a continuous high-throughput manufacturing method, rather than being reliant on photolithography, which is not suitable for high speed roll-to-roll throughput. Under (ii), the 'floating gate' approach allows us to decouple the delicate semicondutor materials and circuit from contact with the analyte (allowing them to be encapsulated from the environment), and uses a simple metal electrode as the basis of the sensing element. From there we will seek to develop selective sensing materials that can be thin-film deposited on this metal patch. Our initial approach will be based on thiophene copolymers attached to a gold electrode that can bond to specific enzymes, and hence the selectivity of the sensor can be ensured by the specific biochemical interaction with the enzyme.No formal collaborators are involved, but this comes within the remit of our 'Wearable and Flexible Technologies' project (EP/MO15173/1) with the cluster of companies involved with this. In addition, we collaborate with the Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College London, and with Prof Manish, University College London, on the medical sensing aspects of the work.This project falls within the EPSRC 'manufacturing the future' and 'healthcare technologies' research areas.