Printed Electronics Based Upon Ink Jet Technology
Donald Hayes, CEO President
MicroFab Technologies, Inc.
Printed Electronics is starting the move from R&D to Manufacturing in a wide range of Commercial Markets. Many applications utilize more than one printing technologies and in many cases, one of these is ink jet printing. Recent demonstrations of ink jet printed color OLED display panels, solar cells, fuel cells, other power sources, organic transistors, conductors, RFID tags, embedded resistors & inductors, electronic packaging (IC, Photonic, and MEMS) and sensors underline the spreading contention that ink jet technology is a key enabler for printable electronic manufacturing. Most of these applications require the printing of polymers or polymer solutions: conductive and semiconductive polymers, dielectrics, light emitting polymers, color filters and bio-materials. Many of these applications are enabled by developments of nano-particle and micro-size particle inks. For example, metal nano-particle and carbon nanotube inks are being developed to print conductors and electrodes for a wide range of electronic and energy storage applications.
At the present time, over 1000 research institutions are conducting research on printed electronics based upon ink jet printing technology. Over 150 of these are working with MicroFab Technologies, Inc. or using our technology. MicroFab has been evolved in printed electronics for 20 years. In 1988 under an NSF Grant we printed resist and etched a copper circuit on a PWB substrate. Today, we are involved with many of the applications mentioned above.
We recently up-dated a study reviewing key commercial applications: assessing the status, product requirements and technology readiness for implementation. In many cases feasibility and function have been demonstrated but improved printing systems, production quantities of high purity polymers, improved solvent systems, better substrate conditioning and compatible methods for drying and curing are still needed.
In this paper we will:
- give an overview of the field of Printed Electronics
- briefly introduce ink jet technology for printed electronics;
- review specific technical applications carried out at MicroFab;
- review the status of research being carried out at outside institutions; and
- review the key infrastructure issues and gaps in the technology that have to be resolved.
About the Speaker
Donald J. Hayes holds a B.S. and M.S. in Physics from Louisiana State University and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Rice University. He has over 30 years experience managing research and development of process driven manufacturing for ink-jet printers, semiconductor devices, and electronic assemblies while at MicroFab, Polaroid, Mead Office Systems, Texas Instruments, and Boeing. Dr. Hayes has been awarded 58 U.S. patents and has 3 patent applications outstanding. He is a member of the Engineering Counsel for the Eric Johnson School of Engineering at the Univ. of Texas at Dallas and a member of the Industrial Advisory Committee at the University of Arkansas.
Dr. Hayes founded MicroFab Technologies, Inc. in 1984 as a research and development company focusing on applications of ink jet technology.
