Accuracy control for roll and sheet processed printed electronics on flexible plastic substrates
Year of publication
2022
Authors
Välimäki, Marja K.; Jansson, Elina; Von Morgen, Valentijn J.J.; Ylikunnari, Mari; Väisänen, Kaisa Leena; Ontero, Pekka; Kehusmaa, Minna; Korhonen, Pentti; Kraft, Thomas M.
Abstract
<p>For the first time, the necessity to thermally pre-treat ubiquitously used PET substrates for printed electronics, to improve dimensional stability during manufacturing, is clearly defined. The experimental results have proven this phenomenon for both roll-to-roll (R2R) and sheet-to-sheet (S2S) processing of printed electronics. The next generation of electronics manufacturing has pushed the boundaries for low-cost, flexible, printed, and mass produced electronic components and systems. A driving force, and enabling production method, are the R2R printing presses. However, to produce electronics with increasing complexity and high yield in volume production, one must have a highly accurate process. In this article, R2R processing accuracy of printed electronics is evaluated from the point of dimensional accuracy of the flexible polyester substrate (DuPont Teijin Films’ PET Melinex ST504 with and without indium tin oxide, Melinex ST506, and Melinex PCS), precision of printing, and accuracy of layer-to-layer registration with stages that involve tension and elevated temperatures. This study has confirmed that dimensional changes during R2R processing will occur only in the first processing stage and that if a thermal pre-treatment run for the substrate is made—at identical temperature and tension of the processing stage—there is improved stability originating from a new-level strain in the crystalline PET film structure and freezing it in at the tensions and temperatures it is exposed to (i.e. 1400 μm machine direction stretching reduced to 8 μm). Furthermore, it is explained how the dimensional accuracy can be improved and reproducibly maintained in multilayer printing of electronics devices such as organic photovoltaics (OPV). These devices provide a valuable baseline of how the layer-to-layer alignment accuracy plays a crucial role in fully printed electronics devices, which lessons can be applied in all aspects of this field including hybrid systems and system fabrication involving multiple processing methods.</p>
Show moreOrganizations and authors
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
Jansson Elina
Väisänen Kaisa Leena
Välimäki Marja K.
Kehusmaa Minna
Ontero Pekka
Korhonen Pentti
Publication type
Publication format
Article
Parent publication type
Journal
Article type
Original article
Audience
ScientificPeer-reviewed
Peer-ReviewedMINEDU's publication type classification code
A1 Journal article (refereed), original researchPublication channel information
Volume
119
Issue
9-10
Pages
6255-6273
ISSN
Publication forum
Publication forum level
1
Open access
Open access in the publisher’s service
Yes
Open access of publication channel
Partially open publication channel
License of the publisher’s version
CC BY
Self-archived
No
Other information
Fields of science
Computer and information sciences; Mechanical engineering
Keywords
[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Language
English
International co-publication
No
Co-publication with a company
Yes
DOI
10.1007/s00170-022-08717-z
The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection
Yes