STTR Phase II: Spatially controlled direct transfer printing of semiconductor components for high-performance flexible electronic devices

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目将推进一种新型的基于探针的直接转移(PBDT)印刷技术，用于制造柔性混合电子(FHE)设备。PBDT承诺提供前所未有的选择性、高保真的元件转移，将具有不同架构和尺寸的各种低维、高性能电子元件转移到柔性基板上。该技术将加快制造能力，以满足柔性和印刷电子市场的关键需求。独立、自动PBDT工具的开发将为灵活的电子开发商和制造商提供无与伦比的解决方案，将高性能薄和超薄电子材料集成到下一代柔性设备中。对市场和日常生活的影响具有潜在的变革性，从消费设备(例如，柔性手机和平板电脑)到成像和传感，再到医疗保健和国土安全，都因柔性设备制造的进步而得到改善。此外，PBDT将在灵活设备研究和产品开发方面实现新的方向。第二阶段项目的总体目标是生产PBDT工具的商业版本的原型。此外，将制定工艺和工具的详细性能规格，并将使用自动PBDT打印来组装功能FHE设备。第一阶段可行性研究表明，将柔性衬底既作为印章又作为目的地衬底的PBDT方法允许无缺陷地转移半导体元件，这些元件横向上比传统工具可以处理的要薄一个数量级，也更复杂。在第一阶段成就的基础上，第二阶段的资金将用于开发和演示一个原型工具，作为全自动商业产品的模板。PBDT的成功商业化将需要PBDT工艺和硬件的进步；因此，第二阶段项目的具体目标是(I)表征PBDT技术的整个工艺空间，(Ii)展示组装和金属化功能FHE设备的完整工艺流程，以及(Iii)从印刷速度和保真度方面验证原型。合作的大学合作伙伴将为设计和制造薄和超薄硅组件做出贡献，以评估工具的性能并展示可行的FHE传感器。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will advance a novel probe-based direct transfer (PBDT) printing technology for manufacturing flexible hybrid electronic (FHE) devices. PBDT promises to deliver unprecedented selective, high-fidelity component transfer of a broad range of low-dimensional, high-performance electronic components with diverse architectures and sizes to flexible substrates. The technology will accelerate manufacturing capability to meet a critical need in the flexible and printed electronics market. The development of a stand-alone, automatic PBDT tool will provide flexible electronics developers and manufacturers an unparalleled solution for integrating high-performance thin and ultra-thin electronic materials into next-generation flexible devices. The impact on the market and on daily life has the potential to be transformative, with everything from consumer devices (e.g., flexible phones and tablets), to imaging and sensing, to health care and homeland security being improved by advancements in flexible device manufacturing. Furthermore, PBDT will enable new directions in flexible device research and product development.  The overall objective of the Phase II project is to produce a prototype of a commercial version of a PBDT tool. In addition, detailed performance specs of the process and tool will be established, and functional FHE devices will be assembled using automated PBDT printing. The Phase I feasibility study demonstrated that the PBDT approach of handling a flexible substrate as both a stamp and as the destination substrate allows for defect-free transfer of semiconductor components that are an order of magnitude thinner and more complex laterally than what conventional tools can handle. Based on the Phase I accomplishments, Phase II funding will be used to develop and demonstrate a prototype tool that will serve as the template for a fully automated commercial product. Successful commercialization of PBDT will require advances in PBDT processes and hardware; therefore, the specific objectives of the Phase II project are focused on (i) characterizing the full process space of PBDT technology, (ii) demonstrating a complete process flow for assembling and metalizing functional FHE devices, and (iii) validating the prototype in terms of printing rate and fidelity. The collaborating university partner will contribute to the design and fabrication of thin and ultra-thin silicon components to assess the performance of the tool and demonstrate viable FHE sensors.