11/11/2010
What if you could have access to state-of-the-art E-jet printing technology for your own manufacturing processes? New high-resolution printing capabilities are possible with electrohydrodynamic jet printing (E-jet) technology being developed in the Center for Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems (NanoCEMMS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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What if you could have access to state-of-the-art E-jet printing technology for your own manufacturing processes? New high-resolution printing capabilities are possible with electrohydrodynamic jet printing (E-jet) technology being developed in the Center for Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems (NanoCEMMS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
This printing technology uses electrohydrodynamic jetting from microcapillary nozzles for printing patterns and functional devices with line resolutions to 500 nanometers and dots to less than 300 nanometers with a wide variety of inks including organic materials (DNA, proteins), polymers (PEDOT, PSS, NDA, polyethylene), metal nanoparticle suspensions (gold, silver), other materials (silicon rods, carbon nanotubes) and it can even print charge. Using advanced pulsed mode jetting, printing at speeds above 10,000 droplets/second have been demonstrated.
“The resolution that one can achieve easily with e-jet is more nearly two orders of magnitude better than that possible with traditional thermal or piezo ink jet systems,” said NanoCEMMS director John Rogers, who developed the technology. Rogers, along with NanoCEMMS center professors Placid Ferreira and Andrew Alleyne, are working to commercialize this nanomanufacturing technology. They have developed a desktop, user-friendly unit that provides a vehicle for industry to explore potential applications of the technology.
“One of these test units has been installed at Sharp Labs of America to investigate applications for electronic displays,” Rogers said. “We are in conversations with several other companies who are interested in acquiring test units for their applications.” Similar E-jet units also have been installed in other university labs, and NanoCEMMS is making designs, parts lists, and software freely available to industry and academia. NanoCEMMS will also provide help to potential users in assembling a test unit and in training operating personnel. (Interested parties can contact the Center’s Dave Hamman for more information.)
Currently, NanoCEMMS is developing integrated computer-controlled multiple nozzle systems and advanced control schemes required to effectively print complex patterns at the submicron scale and to print multiple materials simultaneously. The unique capabilities of this technology have potential application in electronics, biotechnology and microelectromechanical systems for printed metal interconnects, electrodes and probing pads for representative circuit patterns and functional transistors with critical dimensions as smaller than 1 micron for printed electronics as well as micro dot arrays.
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Contact: Dave Hamman, Center for Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems (NanoCEMMS), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/ 244-8274.
If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, writer/editor, Engineering Communications Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 217/244-7716.