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

在过去的50多年里，微型化引领了微/纳米电子学的进步，彻底改变了计算和通信，并使快速数字技术影响了当今几乎所有传统社会经济部门的生活。然而，尽管微/纳米电子学在目前的形式下具有革命性，它所遵循的生产过程本质上是不可避免的浪费，并且需要大量的水、能源和土地。显然，在不失去其变革力量的情况下，电子制造业需要新的资源高效和环境友好的路线。电子工业将从这种设备的发展中受益匪浅，DIELECT是朝着这个方向的雄心勃勃的努力。DIELECT将开发世界上第一个基于非接触式卷对卷（R2R）介质电泳（DEP）的设备，以获得基于高性能纳米结构（例如纳米线）的电子层、器件和大面积（100平方厘米）的电路。总体目标是开发资源高效的基于R2R DEP的中试线，允许基于nws的电子层的高通量组装，并展示其在高性能器件(例如，传感器（温度/光电探测器），透明导体和各种形状因素的CMOS电路（包括柔性电子）的开发中的应用。由提议的设备实现的颠覆性电子制造将导致低制造成本，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，即从传统IC制造的大型设施到提供相同输出的几个较小的单元。DIELECT的成功开发和商业化将为英国提供急需的国内高性能集成电路来源，同时将英国定位在绿色电子和低影响增材制造的前沿。轻量化和嵌入式印刷电子产品将与国家重要的制造业产生强烈共鸣，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，大大减轻系统重量，同时使电子产品与汽车的物理结构无缝集成。利用DIELECT等创新技术，传感器和显示器可以直接层压到仪表板和车门装饰物中，从而消除了支持pcb和线束的体积和重量。用塑料基板代替pcb将进一步提高报废车辆的可回收性。低成本的增材制造方法，如DIELECT中包含的R2R DEP技术，将使世界领先的高性能印刷无机CMOS电子设计和生产中心的创建成为可能。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将更容易设计和测试新电路，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.