An array nozzle device and method for printing large-area high-density microcircuits

Abstract

The present application provides an array nozzle device and method for printing large-area high-density microcircuits. The array nozzle device includes multiple groups of nozzle modules, a connecting frame, and a rotating platform. By using the array nozzle device and combining it with the single-plate electrode electric field-driven jet deposition micro-nano 3D printing technology, it is possible to achieve the efficient and low-cost manufacturing of large-area high-density microcircuits. Moreover, it also has the function of arbitrarily adjusting the spacing of printed microcircuits. In particular, through the subdivision function of multiple groups of array nozzles, it can achieve parallel and efficient printing with ultra-high density and ultra-small spacing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of micro-nano 3D printing and microcircuit additive manufacturing, and particularly relates to an array nozzle device and method for printing large-area and high-density microcircuits, especially a flexible manufacturing variable line-spacing high-density array nozzle and method suitable for electric-field-driven jet micro-nano 3D printing. Background Art

[0002] In many fields such as large-area transparent electrodes, large-size electrothermal glass (such as the front windshield glass of automobiles, ships, etc.), large-size transparent electromagnetic shielding glass, and high-density circuit interconnection circuits, in order to meet the requirements of high performance, miniaturization, integration, and multifunctionality, the requirements for line width and line pitch are getting higher and higher, that is, smaller and smaller line width and line pitch are needed. For example, high-performance transparent electromagnetic shielding glass requires a line width of less than 10 microns, a line pitch (spacing or period) of less than 200 microns, and the size of the glass substrate exceeds 500mm×500mm; the size of the front windshield electrothermal defogging and defrosting glass of automobiles, ships, etc. exceeds the scale of m level. For high-density interconnection circuits, the required line width and line pitch are less than 75 microns, and some even require a line width and line pitch of less than 10 microns.

[0003] Therefore, the industrial community currently has an increasingly huge industrial demand for large-size, high-density, and high-precision microcircuits. However, how to achieve the manufacturing of large-area high-density microcircuits, especially how to manufacture large-area high-density microcircuits efficiently and at low cost, is a challenging problem.

[0004] Currently, the technologies for manufacturing microcircuits mainly include: photolithography, laser microfabrication, aerosol jet printing, electrospray printing, electric field-driven jet micro-nano 3D printing, inkjet printing, screen printing, etc. Screen printing and inkjet printing are difficult to manufacture microcircuits with a line width of less than 20 microns, and the edge roughness of the manufactured circuit lines is poor. Photolithography combined with etching and other processes can achieve the manufacture of sub-micron scale and nano-scale microcircuits, but the manufacturing cost is high, the cycle is long, the material waste is serious, the production environment requirements are high, especially it will generate more three wastes and cause serious environmental pollution. Laser microfabrication is not only difficult to manufacture microcircuits with a line width of less than 10 microns, but also the edge roughness of the processed microcircuit lines is poor. Although aerosol jet printing can manufacture microcircuits with a line width of less than 10 microns, the morphology of the microcircuits, especially the edge roughness of the lines, is very poor. Especially when the spacing is less than 20 microns, the scattered dots ejected around the circuit are likely to cause short circuits, and the manufacture of high-density microcircuits cannot be achieved. In addition, aerosol jet is basically a single nozzle, and the production efficiency is low. Electrospray printing and electric field-driven jet micro-nano 3D printing have relatively significant advantages in manufacturing large-area high-density microcircuits. However, on the one hand, most of them use single nozzles and the production efficiency is low; on the other hand, due to the crosstalk of the electric field, when using a multi-nozzle array, the spacing size between the nozzles is large (usually greater than 3 mm), and the spacing is fixed, and it cannot be arbitrarily and flexibly adjusted according to actual needs. It is also difficult to manufacture large-area high-density microcircuits. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new technologies and devices to achieve the efficient and low-cost manufacture of large-area high-density microcircuits.

[0005] The above information disclosed in this background technology is only used to increase the understanding of the background technology of this application. Therefore, it may include prior art that is not known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To overcome the deficiencies of the above prior art, this application discloses an array nozzle device and method for printing large-area high-density microcircuits. By using the array nozzle device and combining with the single flat electrode electric field-driven jet deposition micro-nano 3D printing technology, it can achieve the efficient and low-cost manufacture of large-area high-density microcircuits, and also has the function of arbitrarily adjusting the spacing of the printed microcircuits. In particular, through the subdivision function of multiple groups of array nozzles, it can achieve ultra-high density and ultra-small spacing parallel and efficient printing.

[0007] To achieve the above object, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, an array nozzle device for printing large-area high-density microcircuits, characterized in that the array nozzle device includes multiple groups of nozzle modules, and the multiple groups of nozzle modules are located at the lowermost end of the array nozzle device, and are used to array-print the printing material into the required circuit;

[0009] The connecting frame (40) is located above the nozzle module and is connected thereto;

[0010] The rotating platform module (50) is connected to the connecting frame (40). By the rotation of the rotating platform module, it drives the rotation of multiple groups of nozzle modules below the connecting frame while avoiding the crosstalk of the electric field and the flow field, so as to reduce the printing pitch;

[0011] Each group of nozzle modules includes a plurality of nozzles, a transfer board for fixing the nozzle module, and a motion module for driving the horizontal movement of the transfer board of the nozzle module. The motion module is arranged in the connecting frame. The nozzles of each group of nozzle modules are placed at the lowermost end. The upper end of each nozzle is connected to the lower end of the transfer board, and the upper end of the transfer board is connected to the motion module; a printing material inlet is arranged on one end face of the transfer board, and an air inlet is arranged on the other end face;

[0012] By driving the array nozzle module to move horizontally through the motion module and driving the entire nozzle module to rotate through the rotating platform module to further reduce the printing pitch, it is possible to further reduce the printing pitch while avoiding the crosstalk of the electric field and the flow field, and realize the manufacture of large-area high-density microcircuits.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the feeding port of the transfer board of the nozzle module is communicated with each nozzle, and the air inlet is communicated with each nozzle.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the number of the nozzle modules is at least 3 groups.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting frame is connected to at least 3 groups of nozzle modules.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, the nozzle module includes at least 4 nozzles, and the materials of the nozzles include but are not limited to metal nozzles, glass nozzles, plastic nozzles, ceramic nozzles, silicon-based nozzles, etc.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, the size of the nozzle is 100 nanometers - 500 micrometers.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, the ways for the motion module to drive the horizontal movement of the transfer board of the nozzle module include but are not limited to manual and electric drive. The electric drive includes stepper motors, servo motors, piezoelectric drives, etc., and the positioning accuracy is not less than 1 micrometer.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present application, the rotating platform module includes two ways of manual and electric, and the positioning accuracy is not less than 5 arc seconds.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present application, the spacing dimension between the nozzles in the nozzle module is 1 mm - 10 mm.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present application, the array nozzle device for printing large-area high-density microcircuits can at least achieve an ultra-small spacing of 1 μm - 5 mm.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present application, the distance between the nozzles of adjacent array nozzle modules in the vertical direction is 1 - 10 mm.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present application, a method for printing large-area high-density microcircuits is also provided, including the following steps:

[0024] Step 1: Adjustment and setting of the printing nozzles:

[0025] Set the number of array nozzle modules as N1, the number of nozzles in each array nozzle module as N2, the inner diameter of the nozzle as D, the spacing between adjacent nozzles in the same array nozzle module as L1, and the vertical distance between the nozzles of adjacent array nozzle modules as L2; according to the feature size of the microcircuit to be printed, first, optimize and design the position of each group of nozzle modules, and determine the displacement distances S1 - SN1 of the array nozzle modules and the rotation angle θ of the rotary platform module;

[0026] Then, adjust the designed position through the horizontal movement module of each group of nozzle modules. According to actual needs, drive the connecting frame through the rotary platform module to rotate the entire nozzle module to the designed angular position, further reducing the spacing of the printed microcircuit; combining the horizontal movement module to drive an array nozzle module and the rotary platform module to drive the entire nozzle module to rotate to further reduce the printing spacing, realizing the manufacture of high-density microcircuits, especially the efficient manufacture of high-density microcircuits, while avoiding crosstalk in the electric field and flow field.

[0027] Step 2: Feed each nozzle module respectively through the feeding device; then open the air inlet and set it to the required starting pressure.

[0028] Step 3: Set the printing process parameters;

[0029] Set the printing voltage, back pressure, printing speed, heating temperature of the printing platform, and printing height parameters of the flat electrode, and start printing according to the printing program.

[0030] After the first layer is printed, adjust the printing process parameters accordingly and perform the printing of the next layer.

[0031] Print layer by layer until the printing is completed.

[0032] Step 4: Post-processing;

[0033] Sinter and conductivize the printed parts.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present application, the feeding materials for each nozzle module include, but are not limited to, nano-conductive silver paste, conductive ink, conductive polymer, carbon paste, etc. and any combination thereof.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are as follows:

[0036] (1) Under the condition of a relatively large distance between adjacent nozzles (the minimum critical distance at which crosstalk caused by electric fields, flow fields, etc. does not occur), through the subdivision of the nozzle module, and the rotation of the entire nozzle module by a certain angle driven by the rotating platform module to further reduce the printing distance, the manufacturing of large-area high-density microcircuits is realized. For the array nozzles used in existing electrospray printing, electric-field-driven jet micro-nano 3D printing, material extrusion 3D printing (ink direct writing), etc., in order to avoid crosstalk or interference between adjacent nozzles, the distance between adjacent nozzles is generally greater than 3 mm. On the one hand, it is impossible to realize the parallel manufacturing of high-density microcircuits. Moreover, the nozzle distance is fixed, especially the distance of the printed microcircuits cannot be adjusted arbitrarily.

[0037] (2) Using the array nozzle device and working method of the present application, combined with the single-plate electrode micro-nano 3D printing process, it is possible to realize the efficient and low-cost manufacturing of large-size high-density microcircuits.

[0038] (3) The distance of the microcircuits can be adjusted arbitrarily. Without changing the mechanical structure, the adaptability, high flexibility and flexibility of the printing nozzles are improved.

[0039] (4) This printing nozzle can also be used in other micro-nano 3D printing processes such as extrusion and spraying.

[0040] (5) By combining different printing materials, the manufacturing of large-area heterogeneous microcircuits can be realized.

[0041] (6) The device has a simple structure and low cost.

[0042] (7) Based on the array nozzle device for efficiently printing large-area high-density microcircuits, the implementation process of its working method is simple, and the adaptability and flexibility are high.

[0043] The present application provides an industrial-level solution for the parallel and efficient manufacturing of large-area high-density microcircuits. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0044] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the array nozzle device for large-area high-density microcircuits in some embodiments of the present application.

[0045] Figure 2Schematic structural diagram of an array nozzle module of an array nozzle device for large-area high-density microcircuits in some embodiments of the present application.

[0046] Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of an adapter board in some embodiments of the present application.

[0047] In the figure, 1 - First nozzle module, 1011 - Nozzle, 102 - Adapter board, 103 - Motion module, 1023 - Material inlet, 1024 - Air inlet, 2 - Second nozzle module, 3 - Nozzle module, 40 - Connecting frame, 50 - Rotating platform module. Detailed implementation manners

[0048] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0049] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0050] The terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

[0051] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present application, the printing nozzle device includes at least three groups of nozzle modules (such as 1, 2, 3, N, etc.), a connecting frame (40), and a rotating platform module (50). Among them, the nozzle modules (such as 1, 2, 3, N, etc.) are placed at the lowermost end and are connected to the connecting frame (40), and the connecting frame (40) is connected to the rotating platform (50). The first nozzle module (1) includes no less than four nozzles, a transfer board (102) for fixing the nozzle module 1, and a motion module (103) for driving the transfer board (102) of the nozzle module (1) to move horizontally; the nozzles of the nozzle module (1) are placed at the lowermost end, the upper end of each nozzle is connected to the lower end of the transfer board (102), and the upper end of the transfer board (102) is connected to the motion module (103); a printing material inlet (1023) is provided on one side end face (1021) of the transfer board (102), and an air inlet (1024) is provided on the other side end face (1022).

[0053] The second nozzle module (2) includes no less than four nozzles, a transfer board for fixing the nozzle module, and a motion module for driving the transfer board of the nozzle module (2) to move horizontally. The nozzles of the nozzle module (2) are placed at the lowermost end, the upper end of each nozzle is connected to the lower end of the transfer board, and the upper end of the transfer board is connected to the motion module. A printing material inlet is provided on one side end face of the transfer board, and an air inlet is provided on the other side end face. The third nozzle module (3) includes no less than four nozzles, a transfer board for fixing the nozzle module, and a motion module for driving the transfer board of the nozzle module to move horizontally.

[0054] The nozzles of the nozzle module (3) are placed at the lowermost end, the upper end of each nozzle is connected to the lower end of the transfer board, the upper end of the transfer board is connected to the motion module, a printing material inlet is provided on one side end face of the transfer board, and an air inlet is provided on the other side end face.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present application, an array nozzle device for efficiently printing large-area high-density microcircuits is provided, as Figure 1 shown, which includes a nozzle module 1, a nozzle module 2, a nozzle module 3, a connecting frame 40, and a rotating platform 50. The connecting frame 40 is bolted to the positioning holes of the rotating platform 50. The horizontal motion module 103 at the top of the nozzle module 1 is fixed at the front end of the connecting frame, the horizontal motion module 203 at the top of the nozzle module 2 is fixed in the middle of the connecting frame, and the horizontal motion module 303 at the top of the nozzle module 3 is fixed at the rear end of the connecting frame.

[0056] As Figure 2As shown in the figure, the nozzle module 1 includes nozzles 1011, 1012, 1013, 1014, 1015, 1016, 1017, a transfer board 102, and a horizontal movement module 103. The nozzles 1011, 1012, 1013, 1014, 1015, 1016, 1017 are fixed to the bottom of the transfer board 102, and the top of the transfer board 102 is connected to the bottom of the horizontal movement module 103.

[0057] The cross-sectional view of the internal flow channel of the transfer board 1 is as shown in Figure 3 the figure. It has a feed port 1023 on its right side and an air inlet 1024 on its left side.

[0058] The number N1 of the array nozzle modules is 3, and the number N2 of nozzles included in each array nozzle module is 7.

[0059] The spacing L1 between adjacent nozzles in the same array nozzle module is 5 mm, and the vertical distance L2 between nozzles of adjacent array nozzle modules is 5 mm.

[0060] All the nozzles are glass nozzles with an inner diameter D of 40 um.

[0061] The horizontal movement modules 103, 203, and 303 are precision electric translation stages, which are driven by precision ball screws and driven by servo motors, and the repeat positioning accuracy is not less than 1 um.

[0062] The rotary platform module 50 is a precision electric rotary table, which is driven by a worm and worm gear and driven by a servo motor, and the repeat positioning accuracy is not less than 0.001°, and the working stroke is 200 mm.

[0063] In order to enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand the technical solution of the present application, the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0064] In this embodiment, nano-conductive silver paste is selected as the printing material, the printing substrate is ordinary glass with a size of 3000×3000×2 mm, the flat electrode is a copper plate with a size of 3500×3500×5 mm, and the conductive silver wire grid pattern with a printing area of 2500×2500 mm, a line spacing of 200 um, and a line width of 20 um is printed. The specific printing process is as follows:

[0065] Step 1: According to the characteristic dimensions such as the line width and pitch of the microcircuit to be printed, calculate that the distance S2 that the second array printhead module needs to move to the right is 43.033 mm, the distance S2 that the second array printhead module needs to move to the right is 86.066 mm, and the angle θ that the rotary platform module needs to rotate counterclockwise is 83.108°. Subsequently, move the printhead module 2 to the right by 43.033 mm through the horizontal movement module 203, move the third printhead module 3 to the right by 86.066 mm through the horizontal movement module 303, and rotate the three printhead modules counterclockwise by 83.108° through the rotary platform module 50.

[0066] Step 2: Load the nano-conductive silver paste into each printhead module through the feed ports 1023, 2023, and 3023 respectively; then open the air inlets 1024, 2024, and 3024, and set the starting pressure to 200 kPa.

[0067] Step 3: Set the printing voltage of the flat electrode to 900 V, the back pressure to 180 kPa, the printing speed to 20 mm / s, the heating temperature of the printing platform to 60 °C, the printing height to 0.09 mm, input the printing program of the pattern, and start printing.

[0068] After the first layer is printed, increase the printing height by 0.02 mm and increase the voltage by 20 V, and perform the printing of the next layer. Print layer by layer until the printing is completed.

[0069] Step 4: Sinter the printed workpiece at 135 °C for 40 minutes for conductivity treatment.

[0070] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An array nozzle device for printing large-area high-density microcircuits, characterized in that, The array nozzle device includes multiple groups of nozzle modules, which are located at the lowermost end of the array nozzle device and are used to print the printing material into the required circuit; A connecting frame, which is located above the nozzle module and is connected thereto; A rotating platform module, which is connected to the connecting frame. By the rotation of the rotating platform module, it drives the multiple groups of nozzle modules below the connecting frame to rotate while avoiding crosstalk of the electric field and flow field, so as to reduce the printing pitch; Each group of nozzle modules includes multiple nozzles, an adapter plate for fixing the nozzle module, and a motion module for driving the adapter plate of the nozzle module to move horizontally. The nozzles of each group of nozzle modules are placed at the lowermost end. The upper end of each nozzle is connected to the lower end of the adapter plate, and the upper end of the adapter plate is connected to the motion module; a printing material inlet is arranged on one side end face of the adapter plate, and an air inlet is arranged on the other side end face; The inlet of the adapter plate of the nozzle module is communicated with each nozzle, and the air inlet is communicated with each nozzle.

2. The array nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein The number of the nozzle modules is at least 3 groups; the connecting frame is connected to at least 3 groups of nozzle modules.

3. The array nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein The nozzle module includes at least 4 nozzles, and the materials of the nozzles include but are not limited to metal nozzles, glass nozzles, plastic nozzles, ceramic nozzles, and silicon-based nozzles.

4. The array nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein The size of the nozzle is 100 nanometers - 500 micrometers; the pitch between the nozzles in the nozzle module is 1 mm - 10 mm; the vertical distance between the nozzles of adjacent nozzle modules is 1 - 10 mm.

5. The array nozzle device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The array nozzle device can at least achieve an ultra-small pitch of 1 μm - 5 mm.

6. The array nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein, The ways for the motion module to drive the adapter plate of the nozzle module to move horizontally include manual and electric drive. The electric drive includes a stepper motor, a servo motor, and a piezoelectric drive, and the positioning accuracy is not less than 1 micrometer.

7. The array nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein, The rotating platform module includes both manual and electric ways, and the positioning accuracy is not less than 5 arc seconds.

8. A method for printing large-area high-density microcircuits, characterized in that, Using the device according to any one of claims 1 - 7 specifically includes the following steps: Step 1: Adjustment and setting of the printing nozzle: Set the number of nozzle modules as N1, the number of nozzles included in each nozzle module as N2, the inner diameter of the nozzle as D, the pitch between adjacent nozzles in the same nozzle module as L1, and the vertical distance between the nozzles of adjacent nozzle modules as L2; according to the feature size of the microcircuit to be printed, first, optimize the design of the position of each group of nozzle modules, and determine the displacement distances S1 - SN1 of the nozzle modules and the rotation angle θ of the rotating platform module; Then, adjust each group of nozzle modules to the designed position through the motion module of each group of nozzle modules. According to actual needs, drive the connecting frame through the rotating platform module to rotate the entire nozzle module to the designed angular position, further reducing the pitch of the printed microcircuit; combining the motion module to drive one nozzle module and the rotating platform module to drive the entire nozzle module to rotate to further reduce the printing pitch, realizing the manufacture of high-density microcircuits while avoiding crosstalk of the electric field and flow field; Step 2: Feed each nozzle module respectively through a feeding device; then open the air inlet and set it to the required starting pressure; Step 3: Set the printing process parameters; Set the printing voltage, back pressure, printing speed, heating temperature of the printing platform, and printing height parameters of the flat electrode, and start printing according to the printing program; After the first layer is printed, adjust the printing process parameters accordingly and proceed with the printing of the next layer; Print layer by layer until printing is completed; Step 4: Post-processing; Sinter and conductivize the printed workpiece.

9. A method for printing a large-area high-density microcircuit according to claim 8, characterized in that, The materials fed to each nozzle module include one or more of nano-conductive silver paste, conductive ink, conductive polymer, and carbon paste.

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