Carbon Nanotube Printing Stencil for Sub-10 μm Solar Cell Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing forms are unable to produce line-like structures with widths smaller than a minimum channel width due to their structural limitations, resulting in irregular or non-cohesive line-like structures.
Innovation Solution
A printing form with elongate screen elements made of glass fibers, carbon fibers, or carbon nanotubes arranged under tensile stress, allowing for a reduction in screen element diameter and density, enabling the formation of small channel widths and precise line-like structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional screen printing forms are used, then the printing process is simple and easy to operate, but the minimum channel width cannot be reduced below a certain threshold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the screen elements by using carbon nanotubes instead of conventional fibers. This material substitution enables significantly higher tensile stress application to the screen, which directly reduces the minimum channel width from micrometer to sub-micrometer scale while maintaining printing form functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs carbon nanotubes as a composite material with exceptional tensile strength properties. These nanotubes can withstand much higher tensile stresses than conventional screen elements, allowing the screen to maintain structural integrity at much smaller channel widths while still enabling effective printing paste transfer
2Manufacturing precision
If the channel width is reduced to form finer line-like structures, then the printing resolution improves, but the line-like structures become irregular or non-cohesive
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the material parameter from conventional fibers to carbon nanotubes, the patent achieves dramatically higher tensile stress capability. This allows the screen to apply sufficient force to the printing paste even through ultra-narrow channels (1-10 μm), ensuring the paste remains cohesive and forms reliable line structures rather than irregular patterns
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the tubular geometry of carbon nanotubes to maximize surface area contact and stress distribution. The curved cylindrical structure of the nanotubes provides superior mechanical leverage for applying tensile stress to the screen, which translates to better control over paste flow and cohesion in narrow channels
3Manufacturing precision
If high tensile stress is applied to the screen to reduce channel width, then the minimum channel width decreases, but the screen element diameter must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses carbon nanotubes as a composite material that combines extremely high tensile strength with nanoscale diameter. This allows the screen elements to be made much thinner (smaller diameter) while still capable of withstanding the high tensile stresses required for narrow channel printing, reversing the conventional trade-off relationship
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material properties parameter from conventional fibers to carbon nanotubes, which have exceptional strength-to-diameter ratios. This enables the screen elements to operate at much higher tensile stresses without requiring increased diameter, thereby achieving smaller channel widths while maintaining structural integrity
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
The increased tensile stress in the screen elements allows for the creation of line-like structures with widths smaller than 10 μm, improving print quality and enabling the formation of precise, cohesive structures on electronic components such as photovoltaic solar cells.
Implementation Method 1
The screen has at least one printing region which the printing paste can permeate and at least one barrier region which the printing paste cannot permeate. It is essential that the elongate screen elements are in the form of glass fibers, carbon fibers and/or carbon nanotubes.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing form for producing a structure of an electronic component, in particular a photovoltaic solar cell, having a screen frame and a screen, which is in the form of a sheet-like textile and has a multiplicity of elongate screen elements. The screen is arranged in the screen frame and the screen has at least one printing region which a printing paste can permeate and at least one barrier region which the printing paste cannot permeate. The elongate screen elements are made from glass fiber, carbon fiber and/or carbon nanotubes.