Pre-patterned Substrate with Interdigitated Lines for Printed Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printed electronic devices face limitations in achieving high performance due to the low electron or hole mobility of organic semiconductors, requiring large channel width to channel length ratios, which hinders the fabrication of faster, smaller, and lower-cost devices with higher integrated circuit density.
Innovation Solution
A pre-patterned substrate with interdigitated line structures and a supporting material, allowing for precise inkjetting of electronic components such as transistors, resistors, inductors, and capacitors, enabling high-resolution and flexible circuit designs without the need for critical alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If organic semiconductors with low electron or hole mobility are used in all-additive printing processes, then low-cost fabrication on large-area flexible substrates is enabled, but large TFT channel width to length ratio is required to achieve desired device performance
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is pre-patterned with segmented interdigitated line structures that divide the TFT channel into multiple parallel segments. This segmentation allows the channel to be effectively divided into multiple concurrent conduction paths, improving overall device performance without requiring a single large channel width-to-length ratio
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-channel TFT design to a multi-channel design by utilizing the interdigitated line structures in the planar dimension. This dimensional approach allows multiple charge conduction paths to exist simultaneously, effectively increasing the channel capacity without increasing the vertical channel height
2Reliability
If large TFT channel width to length ratio is used to compensate for low carrier mobility, then desired device performance is achieved, but device size increases and integrated circuit density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the channel into multiple interdigitated lines, the invention achieves the required performance through parallel conduction paths rather than a single large channel. This allows compact device layout while maintaining the effective channel area needed for low-mobility organic semiconductors
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple interdigitated line structures are merged into a single functional TFT channel, where all lines work together to provide the necessary charge transport capacity. This merging allows the device to achieve high performance in a compact area by combining multiple parallel conduction paths
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional all-additive printing processes are used without pre-patterned substrates, then process flexibility is maintained, but printing resolution and critical dimensions are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is pre-patterned with interdigitated line structures before the inkjet printing of organic semiconductor inks. This preliminary action creates a high-resolution template that guides the subsequent printing process, enabling critical dimensions smaller than what can be achieved by inkjet printing alone while maintaining process flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-patterned substrate acts as an intermediary between the inkjet printing process and the final TFT structure. It provides a high-resolution template that mediates the formation of the active channel, allowing the inkjet process to deposit materials with precision beyond its native capability
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
Enables the production of high-performance organic thin-film transistor circuits and flexible digital processing configurations, achieving smaller critical dimensions and precise resistance values, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional printing processes.
Implementation Method 1
at least one electrical component formed by ink jetting onto the bundled line structures
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit can include a pre-patterned substrate having a supporting material, multiple segments thereon, and interdigitated line structures within each segment. Some of the line structures can be bundled together, and an electrical component can be formed by ink jetting onto the bundled line structures.