Roll-to-roll microcontact printing positioning mechanism

Abstract

The application provides a roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism, which comprises a two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform installed on a table top of an optical vibration isolation platform and a support provided with a stamping roller; the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform comprises two symmetrical support structures which are used for installing a printing roller 7 and adjusting the displacement of the printing roller and the stamping force of the printing roller, a voice coil motor 3 for driving the printing roller to move in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction is arranged at the two support structures of the platform, and the platform is fixedly connected with the printing roller through a center carrier 2002; the carrier is formed with a plurality of flexible parallelogram mechanisms 2001 which are uniformly arranged at the periphery and are connected with the voice coil motor to form a transmission mechanism; the plurality of flexible parallelogram mechanisms of the transmission mechanism are combined into a transmission structure capable of providing two-directional freedom through superposition of elastic beams and in a single-stage series connection mode; and the application can realize higher resolution and quality of a printed image through the characteristics of high-precision positioning, large stroke range and uniform contact force of the mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nanoimprint technology, and in particular to a roll-to-roll microcontact printing positioning mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of technology, roll-to-roll printing technology has become a driving force for the development of many flexible electronic and photonic devices. Compared with the traditional photolithography manufacturing process for inorganic semiconductor devices, it has lower costs and significant advantages in terms of production volume. Microcontact printing technology, also known as soft imprinting technology, is one of the most common nanoimprinting technologies. Compared with other nanoimprinting technologies, it is inherently faster (the transfer of molecular ink is instantaneous), has a wider range of selectable materials, and is not limited by light diffraction. Its printing resolution is superior to that of lithographic printing. The process flow of microcontact printing technology is as follows: First, a template containing a specific pattern is made on a soft mold material based on a polymer. After the template is made, it is immersed in a thiol solution. After a period of time, it is removed and placed on a silicon substrate coated with a special metal oxide layer. The oxide layer undergoes a series of chemical reactions with the thiol solution to generate a substance (SAM) that is insoluble in cyanide solution and adheres to the silicon substrate. When silicon wafers are cleaned with cyanide solutions, the metal oxide layer covered by SAM (Silicon Atomizing) remains unreacted, while the uncovered metal surface dissolves. This process enables the transfer of nanopatterns from the template to the silicon substrate. Microcontact printing requires no heating, uses relatively low pressure, has relatively simple equipment, does not require a stringent clean environment, and has lower requirements for substrate surface flatness. It effectively solves the problems of parallelism error between the imprinting template and the substrate, as well as the flatness error of their surfaces, and can be used to produce patterns with a minimum feature size of 35nm.

[0003] Applying microcontact printing technology to roll-to-roll printing systems can significantly improve the production resolution and quality of equipment. However, traditional roll-to-roll printing systems are designed with conventional mechanical components and bearings, lacking the required nanometer-level repeatable adjustment precision. Directly scaling up the application of these technologies to traditional roll-to-roll printing systems is impractical. Therefore, high-precision printing roller positioning platforms based on flexible mechanisms have emerged. Flexible mechanisms, compared to traditional rigid mechanisms, transmit force and displacement through the elastic deformation of the material itself. They offer advantages such as easy processing, no mechanical friction, no clearance, high precision, long lifespan, and no need for assembly or lubrication, making them suitable as the transmission mechanism for roll-to-roll microcontact printing systems, replacing traditional rigid mechanisms. Currently, roll-to-roll microcontact printing technology has achieved continuous printing of large-area nanometer (nm) level patterns and can be widely used in the production of flexible screens, flexible perovskite solar cells, graphene composite transparent electrodes, and other flexible optoelectronic devices. It also shows good application results in the manufacture of some new materials.

[0004] In roll-to-roll micro-contact printing, precise positioning of the printing roller is crucial to ensuring printing accuracy. During the printing process, the pattern is transmitted between the impression roller and the printing roller. The parallelism and distance between the impression roller and the printing roller directly affect the overall printing effect. To ensure product quality and maintain large-scale production, the relative position and posture between the impression roller and the printing roller in the printing module should be able to be adjusted quickly and continuously. Therefore, a high-precision positioning mechanism is an indispensable key to the printing module.

[0005] However, most roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanisms currently suffer from problems such as non-compact structure, insufficient vertical stiffness, small effective adjustment range, unstable platform output displacement and uneven substrate contact force during the printing process, which cannot meet the requirements for higher resolution and quality of printed images. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention proposes a roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism. Specifically, it utilizes a positioning platform based on a flexible mechanism for flexible transmission. Driven by a voice coil motor, it achieves adjustment of displacement and imprinting force between the printing roller and the impression roller. Through the high-precision positioning, large stroke range, and uniform contact force of this mechanism, higher resolution and quality of printed images can be achieved.

[0007] The present invention adopts the following technical solution.

[0008] A roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism includes a two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform (2) installed on the table of an optical vibration isolation platform (1) and a bracket (8) equipped with an impression roller (10). The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform includes two symmetrically arranged support structures for mounting the printing roller (7) and adjusting the displacement and printing pressure of the printing roller. The two support structures of the platform are provided with voice coil motors (3) for driving the printing roller to move vertically or horizontally. The platform is fixedly connected to the printing roller by a platform (2002) at its center. The platform is formed by multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms (2001) evenly arranged around its perimeter to form a transmission mechanism connected to the voice coil motor. The multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms of the transmission mechanism are combined by superimposing their elastic beams and in a single-stage series manner to form a transmission structure that can provide two degrees of freedom.

[0009] The number of brackets is two, which are adjacent to the two support structures of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform respectively; sensors (9) for monitoring the imprinting force and displacement are symmetrically fixedly connected at the two brackets.

[0010] An impression roller is disposed above the printing roller; the impression roller is used to provide an impression pattern during printing.

[0011] The impression roller is positioned between the sensors on the two supports.

[0012] The printing roller is fixedly connected to the stage via an air bearing.

[0013] The platform is provided with an end cap (5) for fixing the air bearing (6) at the platform stage (2002) at the center.

[0014] There are four voice coil motors, which are located on the side of each support structure and on the upper or lower part of each support structure;

[0015] The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform includes multiple fixing frames for fixing voice coil motors; the fixing frames are located on the side of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform, as well as on the upper or lower part of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform.

[0016] There are eight flexible parallelogram mechanisms (2001) symmetrically distributed around the stage (2002);

[0017] The optical vibration isolation platform (1) has metric M6 threaded holes with a center distance of 25mm evenly distributed. The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform (2) has threaded holes at the bottom and is placed vertically and fixedly connected to the optical vibration isolation platform (1) by bolts.

[0018] Within each support structure, four flexible parallelogram mechanisms are symmetrically arranged in the x and y directions, so that the overall structure can limit the coupling effect in series. The voice coil motor is a driving device that enables the printing roller to perform two degrees of freedom of movement, and the stage with the printing roller is a movable stage that can be driven by the voice coil motor.

[0019] The vertical (y-direction) movement of the printing roller is driven by a voice coil motor at the bottom of the stage, while the horizontal (x-direction) movement is driven by a voice coil motor on the left side of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform. The series structure formed by multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms in a single-stage series configuration ensures that the movements in the two directions do not interfere with each other and can be performed simultaneously.

[0020] During printing positioning, the voice coil motor drives the moving stage to move the printing roller, thereby adjusting the distance between the impression roller and the printing roller and the impression force generated during the printing process. At the same time, the driving force of the voice coil motor is adjusted by monitoring data from sensors to obtain the optimal impression pattern.

[0021] This invention relates to a high-precision positioning mechanism for roll-to-roll micro-contact printing, comprising: an optical vibration isolation platform; a two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform mounted on the optical vibration isolation platform, providing two degrees of freedom for transmission; a voice coil motor mounted on the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform in the vertical and horizontal directions, providing driving force; a fixing frame mounted on the left side of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform in the horizontal direction, used to fix the voice coil motor in the horizontal direction; an end cap mounted on the moving module part of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform, used to fix an air bearing; an air bearing fixed in the end cap, used to fix and connect a printing roller; a printing roller fixed between the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platforms on both sides, adjusting the imprinting force and displacement; a bracket fixedly mounted on the optical vibration isolation platform, used to connect a sensor; a sensor mounted on the bracket, used to monitor the imprinting force and displacement; and an imprinting roller fixedly mounted between the two sensors on both sides, providing the imprinting pattern. The mechanism of this invention can achieve a working stroke of 10mm and the adjustment accuracy reaches the sub-micron level, effectively solving the problems of existing roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanisms such as non-compact overall structure, insufficient vertical stiffness, and small effective adjustment range.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] (1) The present invention has submicron-level positioning accuracy and effectively avoids coupling effect, thereby improving the resolution and quality of printed patterns.

[0024] (2) The overall structure is compact, which reduces the space occupied by the overall mechanism while achieving high-precision positioning, and meets the needs of different places.

[0025] (3) The working stroke has been increased. By adjusting the size of the elastic beam and the distance between them, the mechanism has an effective adjustment range of 10 mm and a high safety factor.

[0026] (4) Four parallelogram mechanisms are distributed in the vertical direction, which improves the stiffness in the vertical direction and reduces the influence of the mechanism due to its own weight. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the roll-to-roll micro-contact printing high-precision positioning mechanism described in this invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a side view of the roll-to-roll micro-contact printing high-precision positioning mechanism described in this invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a front view of the roll-to-roll micro-contact printing high-precision positioning mechanism described in this invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform described in this invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the printing roller connection according to the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection of the impression roller according to the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the parallelogram mechanism described in this invention;

[0035] In the diagram: 1. Optical vibration isolation platform; 2. Two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform; 2001. Parallelogram mechanism; 2002. Stage; 3. Voice coil motor; 4. Fixing frame; 5. End cap; 6. Air bearing; 7. Printing roller; 8. Support; 9. Sensor; 10. Impression roller; Detailed Implementation

[0036] As shown in the figure, a roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism includes a two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2 mounted on the surface of an optical vibration isolation platform 1 and a support 8 equipped with an impression roller 10. The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform includes two symmetrically arranged support structures for mounting the printing roller 7 and adjusting the displacement and printing pressure of the printing roller. The two support structures of the platform are equipped with voice coil motors 3 for driving the printing roller to move vertically or horizontally. The platform is fixedly connected to the printing roller by a platform 2002 at its center. The platform is connected to the voice coil motor by a transmission mechanism formed by multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms 2001 evenly arranged around its perimeter. The multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms of the transmission mechanism are combined by superimposing their elastic beams and in a single-stage series manner to form a transmission structure that can provide two degrees of freedom.

[0037] There are two supports, which are adjacent to the two support structures of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform respectively; sensors 9 for monitoring the imprinting force and displacement are symmetrically fixedly connected to the two supports.

[0038] An impression roller is disposed above the printing roller; the impression roller is used to provide an impression pattern during printing.

[0039] The impression roller is positioned between the sensors on the two supports.

[0040] The printing roller is fixedly connected to the stage via an air bearing.

[0041] An end cap 5 for fixing the air bearing 6 is provided at the platform 2002 at the center of the platform.

[0042] There are four voice coil motors, which are located on the side of each support structure and on the upper or lower part of each support structure;

[0043] The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform includes multiple fixing frames for fixing voice coil motors; the fixing frames are located on the side of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform, as well as on the upper or lower part of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform.

[0044] There are 8 flexible parallelogram mechanisms 2001, which are symmetrically distributed around the stage 2002.

[0045] The optical vibration isolation platform 1 has metric M6 threaded holes with a center distance of 25mm evenly distributed. The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2 has threaded holes at the bottom and is placed vertically and fixedly connected to the optical vibration isolation platform 1 by bolts.

[0046] Within each support structure, four flexible parallelogram mechanisms are symmetrically arranged in the x and y directions, so that the overall structure can limit the coupling effect in series. The voice coil motor is a driving device that enables the printing roller to perform two degrees of freedom of movement, and the stage with the printing roller is a movable stage that can be driven by the voice coil motor.

[0047] The vertical (y-direction) movement of the printing roller is driven by a voice coil motor at the bottom of the stage, while the horizontal (x-direction) movement is driven by a voice coil motor on the left side of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform. The series structure formed by multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms in a single-stage series configuration ensures that the movements in the two directions do not interfere with each other and can be performed simultaneously.

[0048] During printing positioning, the voice coil motor drives the moving stage to move the printing roller, thereby adjusting the distance between the impression roller and the printing roller and the impression force generated during the printing process. At the same time, the driving force of the voice coil motor is adjusted by monitoring data from sensors to obtain the optimal impression pattern.

[0049] Example:

[0050] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 The overall layout of the mechanism is as follows: a two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2 is fixed on the surface of the optical vibration isolation platform 1; the printing roller 7 is fixed between the two two-degree-of-freedom positioning platforms 2; the impression roller 10 is 1 mm away from the printing roller 7 directly below it; sensors 9 at both ends are responsible for monitoring displacement and impression force; voice coil motors 3 fixed in two directions provide drive; and the parallelogram mechanism 2001 ensures high-precision transmission. By adjusting the position of the printing roller 7, its relative position with the impression roller 10 is changed, achieving high-precision positioning and impression force adjustment. The overall mechanism is symmetrically arranged.

[0051] Combination Figure 4 , Figure 7The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2 mainly consists of eight parallelogram mechanisms 2001 and a central moving platform 2002. The parallelogram mechanism 2001 is composed of four superimposed elastic beams in a single-pole composite form. The elastic beams are 38mm long, 1mm wide, and 20mm thick, and the distance between the elastic beams is 10mm. Force and motion are transmitted through the plastic deformation of the elastic beams, which has the advantages of being frictionless and highly accurate. To achieve displacement of the printing roller 7 in two directions, the output moving stage 2002 of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2 needs to obtain driving force through direct or indirect connection with the voice coil motor 3. In the x-direction, four parallelogram mechanisms 2001 are directly connected to both sides of the central moving stage 2002, with two on each side and a 20mm interval between them, responsible for transmission in the y-direction. In the y-direction, four parallelogram mechanisms 2001 are connected to the outer frame of the x-direction mechanism, specifically distributed on both sides of the voice coil motor 3, each 30mm away from the voice coil motor 3, responsible for transmission in the x-direction. The overall connection is in series, with the y-direction driving mechanism nested within the x-direction mechanism, enabling the output moving stage 2002 to move in two directions. The parallelogram mechanisms 2001 in the x and y directions are symmetrically distributed, resulting in a simple overall structure. The displacement outputs in the x and y directions are relatively independent, which helps to reduce coupling effects and simplify control. The model of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2 is directly stretched and formed. In actual applications, it is integrally formed by wire cutting. The parallelogram mechanism 2001 and the moving platform 2002 are connected as one unit.

[0052] Combination such as Figure 1 , Figure 5 In order to adjust the position of the printing roller 7 by means of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2, the end cover 5 is fixedly connected to the movable stage 2002 by bolts, and one end of the air bearing is fixed in the end cover 5. By utilizing the characteristics of the air bearing 6, it is fixed at both ends of the printing roller 3 so that the drive of the voice coil motor 3 can be applied to the printing roller 3.

[0053] like Figure 6 As shown, the position of the impression roller 10 is fixed, and it is fixed by the sensors 9 at both ends. The sensors 9 are fixed on the bracket 8. The fixing method of the impression roller 10 is similar to that of the printing roller 7, both of which are fixed on both sides and the devices on both sides are symmetrically distributed.

[0054] In this example, during printing, the roll material is placed between the printing roller 7 and the impression roller 10. Due to the size of the parallelogram mechanism 2001 and the overall design of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2, the overall rigidity of the mechanism is moderate. The voice coil motor only needs to provide a driving force of 2-50N to achieve sub-micron level positioning accuracy. The sensor reads the values ​​of micro-displacement and printing pressure in real time, and adjusts the driving force value at any time to ensure the quality and resolution of the printed pattern.

[0055] In this example, the core component, the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform 2, is integrally machined by wire cutting and is made of Al7075 steel. Other components used for fixing are made of structural steel.

Claims

1. A roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism, characterized in that: The system includes a two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform (2) installed on the table of the optical vibration isolation platform (1) and a bracket (8) with an impression roller (10). The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform includes two symmetrically arranged support structures for installing the printing roller (7) and adjusting the displacement and printing pressure of the printing roller. The two support structures of the platform are equipped with voice coil motors (3) for driving the printing roller to move vertically or horizontally. The optical vibration isolation platform (1) is fixedly connected to the printing roller by a platform (2002) at its center. The platform is formed by multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms (2001) evenly arranged around its perimeter to form a transmission mechanism connected to the voice coil motor. The multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms of the transmission mechanism are combined by superimposing their elastic beams and in a single-stage series manner to form a transmission structure that can provide two degrees of freedom.

2. The roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of brackets is two, which are adjacent to the two support structures of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform respectively; sensors (9) for monitoring the imprinting force and displacement are symmetrically fixedly connected at the two brackets.

3. The roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: An impression roller is disposed above the printing roller; the impression roller is used to provide an impression pattern during printing.

4. The roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The impression roller is positioned between the sensors on the two supports.

5. The roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The printing roller is fixedly connected to the stage via an air bearing.

6. The roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The optical vibration isolation platform (1) has an end cap (5) for fixing the air bearing (6) at the stage (2002) at the center.

7. The roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are four voice coil motors, which are located on the side of each support structure and on the upper or lower part of each support structure; The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform includes multiple fixing frames for fixing voice coil motors; the fixing frames are located on the side of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform, as well as on the upper or lower part of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform.

8. The roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are eight flexible parallelogram mechanisms (2001) symmetrically distributed around the stage (2002); The optical vibration isolation platform (1) has metric M6 threaded holes with a center distance of 25mm evenly distributed. The two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform (2) has threaded holes at the bottom and is placed vertically and fixedly connected to the optical vibration isolation platform (1) by bolts.

9. The roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Within each support structure, four flexible parallelogram mechanisms are symmetrically arranged in the x and y directions, so that the overall structure can limit the coupling effect in series. The voice coil motor is a driving device that enables the printing roller to perform two degrees of freedom of movement, and the stage with the printing roller is a movable stage that can be driven by the voice coil motor. The vertical (y-direction) movement of the printing roller is driven by a voice coil motor at the bottom of the stage, while the horizontal (x-direction) movement is driven by a voice coil motor on the left side of the two-degree-of-freedom positioning platform. The series structure formed by multiple flexible parallelogram mechanisms in a single-stage series configuration ensures that the movements in the two directions do not interfere with each other and can be performed simultaneously.

10. A roll-to-roll micro-contact printing positioning mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that: During printing positioning, the voice coil motor drives the moving stage to move the printing roller, thereby adjusting the distance between the impression roller and the printing roller and the impression force generated during the printing process. At the same time, the driving force of the voice coil motor is adjusted by monitoring data from sensors to obtain the optimal impression pattern.

Images