Selective Removal of Contact Printed Nanowires for Lithography-free Patterning

Pamphilis, L. D., Christou, A., Dahiya, A. S. and Dahiya, R. (2022) Selective Removal of Contact Printed Nanowires for Lithography-free Patterning. In: 2022 IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems (FLEPS), Vienna, Austria, 10-13 Jul 2022, ISBN 9781665442732 (doi: 10.1109/FLEPS53764.2022.9781514)

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Abstract

Direct printing of inorganic nanowires (NWs) at selected locations on diverse substrates is an attractive route for obtaining multifunctional devices. Towards this, contact printing has been explored to assemble aligned NWs-based uniform electronic layers over large areas. However, repeated lithography steps are needed to obtain these electronic layers at selected locations, which is a cumbersome and wasteful process. Herein, we present a new method for lithography-free patterning of NW-based electronic layers at selected locations. First, contact printing is used to realise electronic layers of high-density, highly aligned NWs over large areas. Then, using a micropatterned elastomer stamp, we remove the NWs from locations where they are not required. To enhance the removal yield, we used the capillary-force-assisted stamp technique that uses a thin layer of evaporated water as an instant glue to increase the adhesion between NWs and elastomeric stamps. The optimised process shows a high removal yield (~99%), thanks to the strong capillary adhesive forces developed at the stamp-NW interface, and a good pattern fidelity. The present study demonstrates selective contact removal approach as a contamination-free NW patterning process suitable for large area, high-performance flexible electronics.

Item Type:Conference Proceedings
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Dahiya, Dr Abhishek Singh and Dahiya, Professor Ravinder and De Pamphilis, Mr Luca and Christou, Mr Adamos
Authors: Pamphilis, L. D., Christou, A., Dahiya, A. S., and Dahiya, R.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
ISBN:9781665442732
Published Online:10 June 2022

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
301728Engineering Fellowships for Growth: Printed Tactile SKINRavinder DahiyaEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EP/R029644/1ENG - Electronics & Nanoscale Engineering
301327`Hetero-print: A holistic approach to transfer-printing for heterogeneous integration in manufacturingPeter SkabaraEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EP/R03480X/1ENG - Electronics & Nanoscale Engineering