Self-aligning metal patterning based on photonic sintering of metal nanoparticles

Abstract

A method is disclosed for aligning layers in fabricating a multilayer printable electronic device. The method entails providing a transparent substrate upon which a first metal layer is deposited, providing a transparent functional layer over the first metal layer, depositing metal nano particles over the functional layer to form a second metal layer, exposing the metal nano particles to intense pulsed light via an underside of the substrate to partially sinter exposed particles to the functional layer whereby the first metal layer acts as a photo mask, and washing away unexposed particles using a solvent to leave partially sintered metal nano particles on the substrate.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to fabrication techniques for printable electronic devices, and more particularly to a technique for aligning layers in the fabrication of multilayer printable electronic devices. Background technique [0002] Printing functional inks on flexible, low-cost substrates is an increasingly popular method of manufacturing electronic devices. Multi-layer printing techniques, which are frequently used in the manufacture of electronic devices, remain challenging due to the difficulty in achieving the required accuracy of alignment or registration when upper layers are printed on top of lower layers. In order to solve the problem of layer-to-layer alignment accuracy, a self-alignment process (Palfinger et al, Adv. Mater. 2010, 22, 5115-5119) was proposed for printing organic transistors. In this method, the first metal layer is patterned by nanoimprint lithography or microcontact printing process, followed by a wet etch...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, there are serious drawbacks to using UV-curable metallic inks in self-aligned processes

First, UV-curable metallic inks contain photoinitiators and photocrosslinkers that remain in the film and reduce the conductivity of the resulting metallic film

Second, the printed metal film is opaque, and in this type of film, the depth of penetration of UV light is very limited, and the thickness that can be cross-linked is also very limited

Third, the resolution of the pattern completed by this ink is fundamentally limited by the size of its metal particles

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