Light-absorbing donor plate for high-resolution functional material deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for selectively depositing functional materials on substrates, such as printing, often involve additives that interfere with the material's properties and are inefficient, with techniques like Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) suffering from low resolution, serial processing, significant waste, and limited suitability for various materials.
Innovation Solution
A method using an optically transparent plate with wells coated in a thin light-absorbing material, where the wells are filled with functional material and heated by pulsed non-collimated light to release the material onto a substrate, allowing for high utilization and flexibility in substrate shape and material type.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If printing methods are used to deposit functional material, then the material can be applied to substrate, but additives in the formulation interfere with the functional material's properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the problematic additives from the functional material formulation, achieving pure functional material deposition without interfering substances. This is accomplished by using a donor substrate with wells containing only the functional material (without additives), then transferring it to the receiving substrate, thereby eliminating the additive interference issue while maintaining ease of deposition.
2Productivity
If Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) process is used, then functional material can be transferred, but resolution is low and processing is serial
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the donor substrate into multiple wells, each containing functional material that can be transferred independently. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple materials or regions simultaneously, improving productivity while maintaining high resolution through the structured well arrangement that enables precise spatial control of material transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple transfer operations into a single parallel process by using a multi-well donor substrate structure. Multiple wells can be processed simultaneously in one operation, combining the efficiency of batch processing with the precision of individual well transfers, thereby achieving both high productivity and high resolution.
3Productivity
If conventional deposition methods are used, then material can be deposited, but significant waste is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service transfer mechanism where the functional material in the wells is transferred to the receiving substrate through controlled evaporation and capillary action. This self-transfer process eliminates the need for excessive material application and subsequent removal, achieving high deposition rates with minimal waste by using only the amount of material actually needed for the final deposit.
4Reliability
If additives are removed from formulation, then functional material properties are improved, but the process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-preparing the donor substrate with wells containing the functional material in a controlled environment. This preliminary preparation isolates the functional material from additives before the transfer process, simplifying the overall process while ensuring the functional material properties remain intact. The wells act as pre-prepared containers that deliver pure material without requiring complex in-process additive removal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables efficient, high-resolution, and flexible deposition of functional materials with minimal waste and no by-products, suitable for a wide range of materials, including those on non-planar surfaces, with improved thermal control and reduced thermal stress.
Implementation Method 1
the wells are filled with a functional material. The plate is then irradiated with a pulsed light to heat the layer of light-absorbing material
Implementation Method 2
heat the layer of light-absorbing material in order to generate gas at an interface between the layer of light-absorbing material and the functional material
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A method for depositing a functional material on a substrate is disclosed. An optically transparent plate having a first surface and a second surface with one or more wells is provided. After coating the second surface with a thin layer of light-absorbing material, the wells are filled with a functional material. The plate is then irradiated with a pulsed light to heat the layer of light-absorbing material in order to generate gas at an interface between the layer of light-absorbing material and the functional material to release the functional material from the wells onto a receiving substrate located adjacent to the plate.