High-speed printing of transistors: From inks to devices

The realization of a high-speed printing technique with high resolution and pattern fidelity is critical to making printed electronics a viable technology for electronics manufacturing. The printing requirements of printed electronics are substantially different that those of graphic arts. To make printed electronics a reality, it is necessary to deliver high resolution, good reproducibility, excellent pattern fidelity, high process throughput, and compatibility with the requisite semiconductor, dielectric, and conductor inks. In this paper, we review the physics of pattern formation from pixelated primitives, such as those that exist during inkjet and gravure printing, and will show how control of drop merging and drying can be used to produce high-fidelity shapes, including lines, squares, and intersections. We additionally discuss the physical underpinnings of gravure printing and inkjet printing, and show how these techniques can be scaled to produce high-fidelity highly scaled patterns, including sub-2 micron features at printing speeds of ∼1 m/s. Finally, in conjunction with high-performance materials, we describe our realization of high-performance fully printed transistors on plastic, offering high-switching speed, excellent process throughput, and good fidelity over large areas.