Parallel Extrusion Printhead Electrostatic Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies face challenges in applying parallel, straight lines of print medium to substrates with uneven surfaces, requiring precise alignment and close proximity of print head orifices, which is economically and technically difficult to achieve, especially when aiming for narrow line widths to minimize recombination and shading losses in semiconductor structures like photovoltaic solar cells.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that utilize an electrode and counter-electrode to charge print medium strands with the same polarity, creating a repulsive force that maintains parallelism, allowing for a greater distance between the print head and substrate while ensuring straight, parallel lines are applied, using an electrical potential difference to guide the print medium strands and reduce deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the printhead output orifices are positioned close to the substrate surface, then curved lines are prevented and straight parallel lines are achieved, but the movement precision requirements become extremely high and the system cannot handle substrate irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical positioning system with an electrostatic field-based system. By applying electrostatic repulsion forces between like-charged printhead orifices and the substrate, the printing medium strands are guided to form straight parallel lines without requiring extremely precise mechanical positioning. The electrostatic field compensates for positioning errors and substrate irregularities, resolving the contradiction between line straightness and positioning precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrical charge parameter of the printing medium by applying electrostatic charge to the printing medium strands as they exit the printhead orifices. This electrostatic charging creates repulsive forces that guide the strands into straight parallel configurations, allowing the system to achieve line straightness without requiring the orifices to be positioned extremely close to the substrate surface.
2Ease of operation
If the distance between printhead and substrate is increased, then alignment precision requirements are reduced and substrate irregularities are tolerated, but the printing medium strands become curved and parallelism is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical alignment precision requirements with electrostatic field guidance. By charging the printing medium strands and utilizing electrostatic repulsion from the substrate, the system maintains line parallelism and straightness at increased distances. The electrostatic field acts as a virtual guide that compensates for the increased distance, allowing easier alignment while maintaining manufacturing precision.
3Productivity
If multiple parallel strands of printing medium are applied simultaneously, then productivity is increased, but the strands may deviate from parallel paths due to lack of repulsive forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces electrostatic repulsion forces to maintain strand parallelism during simultaneous multi-strand printing. By charging all printing medium strands with the same polarity, repulsive forces act between adjacent strands, preventing them from converging or deviating from their parallel paths. This enables high-speed parallel printing while maintaining precise strand separation and parallelism.
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 approach enables precise application of parallel, straight lines of print medium with increased distance between the print head and substrate, improving efficiency and reducing the need for precise alignment, while maintaining high accuracy and reducing recombination and shading losses in semiconductor structures.
Implementation Method 1
a voltage source (5), which interacts with the electrode element (6) and counter-electrode element (7) in order to generate an electrical potential difference and an associated electric field between the electrode element (6) and the counter-electrode element (7)
Implementation Method 2
the electrode element (6) being arranged and designed to supply or remove electrical charge to or from the printing medium (3) so that all printing medium strands (3) are charged with electrical charge of the same polarity
Implementation Method 3
charging the printing medium strands with the same polarity leads to a repulsive force between the printing medium strands, which, according to the applicant's investigations, significantly favors a parallel orientation of the printing medium strands
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for parallel extrusion of printing medium onto a substrate, in particular for the production of parallel conductor tracks, with a printhead having a printing medium inlet for the printing medium, which is fluidly connected to a plurality of output openings of the printhead, for the simultaneous output of printing medium from the output openings in several parallel printing medium strands.The invention is characterized in that the printing device comprises an electrode element, a counter-electrode element and a voltage source, wherein the voltage source is designed to interact with the electrode element and counter-electrode element in order to generate an electrical potential difference and the associated electrostatic field between the electrode element and the counter-electrode element, and in that the electrode element is arranged and designed in such a way as to supply or remove electrical charge to or from the printing medium, so that the printing medium strands can be charged with electrical charge of the same polarity, and in that the device is designed in such a way that the substrate can be arranged between the printhead and the counter-electrode element.