Abstract:
A method of and device for controlled printing using liquid embossing techniques is disclosed. In accordance with the embodiments of the invention a stamp comprises a differentiated embossing surface with protruding and recessed surfaces to enhance the ability of the stamp to selectively displace liquid ink from a print surface and/or remove solvent from the liquid in a soft curing process. A stamp with differentiated surfaces is fabricated by selectively coating, or otherwise treating the protruding features, the recessed features, or a combination thereof, such that the surface energies and/or wettability of the protruding surfaces and the recessed surfaces are differentiated.
Abstract:
An all-additive apparatus for direct fabrication of nanometer-scale planar and multilayer structures that performs “pick-and-place” retrieval and deposition of materials comprises a tip and a controller and transport mechanism configured for causing the tip to acquire a transferable material and deposit at least a portion of the acquired transferable material at a predetermined location onto a substrate, without the use of a bridging medium, in order to directly assemble a structure. The tip may be submillimeter-scale, may comprise a plurality of sub-tips disposed in a predetermined arrangement, and/or may mechanically vibrate. Mechanical vibration of the tip may be monitored. The tip may acquire the transferable material from a reservoir. The assembled structure may be cured on the substrate.
Abstract:
An all-additive method for direct fabrication of nanometer-scale planar and multilayer structures comprises the steps of acquiring a transferable material with a submillimeter-scale tip, depositing at least a portion of the acquired first transferable material at a predetermined location onto a substrate without a bridging medium, and repeating to create a structure using the transferable material.
Abstract:
Materials, compounds and compositions for radiation patternable functional thin films, methods of synthesizing such materials and compounds, and methods for forming an electronically functional thin film and structures including such a film. The compounds and compositions generally include (a) nanoparticles of an electronically functional material or substance and (b) ligands containing a (photo)reactive group. The method generally includes the steps of (1) irradiating the compound and/or composition, and (2) curing the irradiated compound and/or composition, generally to form an electronically functional film. The functional thin film includes a sintered mixture of nanoparticles. The thin film exhibits improved morphology and/or resolution relative to an otherwise identical structure made by an identical process, but without the (photo)functional group on the ligand, and/or relative to an otherwise identical material patterned by a conventional graphics art-based printing process. The present process also exhibits improved throughput relative to conventional photolithographic processing, by eliminating a metal deposition step. The present invention advantageously provides functional thin film structures having qualities suitable for use in electronics applications, such as display devices or RF ID tags, while enabling elimination of a number of conventional photolithographic processing steps (e.g., functional material sputtering, PECVD, etc.).