Method of forming structures using drop-on-demand printing

• US 20070110893A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Lennon, Alison, Thomson, Peter, Bingham, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/96.100
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00212 Controlling the irradiation means, e.g. image-based controlling of the irradiation zone or control of the duration or intensity of the irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00214 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/095 for polymer thick films, i.e. having a permanent organic polymeric binder
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0257 Nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/107 Using laser light
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/125 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1283 After-treatment of the printed patterns, e.g. sintering or curing methods

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for forming a structure on a substrate. The structure may be a circuit element. The method uses a digital specification 910 for forming the structure, including specifications for printing and curing. The structure is printed (step 112) using a drop-on-demand printer 400, wherein the printing dispenses at least one material on the substrate 420 according to the digital specification 910. The structure is cured (step 130) by irradiating the dispensed material from one or more electromagnetic radiation sources 520, 525 in the printer 400, wherein curing parameters are specified by the digital specification 910 to obtain a desired electrical property when the structure is a circuit element. The curing specification may specify the intensity of the irradiation and the location of irradiation points in the print region.

Claims

1. A method of forming a circuit element on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a digital specification for forming the circuit element;

printing the circuit element using a drop-on-demand printer, wherein said printing step dispenses at least one material from the printer to thereby deposit the material onto the substrate according to the digital specification; and

curing the circuit element by irradiating the deposited material using one or more electromagnetic radiation sources in the printer, wherein curing parameters of said curing step are specified by the digital specification to obtain a desired electrical property of the circuit element.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said curing step is performed for one or more regions of the circuit element specified by the digital specification.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said curing step results in a desired resistance of the circuit element.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the curing parameters are selected from the group consisting of:

a type of electromagnetic radiation source;

radiation intensity;

a density of radiation exposure points;

a duration of the irradiation; and

a delay between said printing step and said curing step.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a broadband source;

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the broadband source comprises a Xenon flash source.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit element is formed by performing said printing and curing steps for a plurality of regions defined in the digital specification.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the regions are grouped into a plurality of layers that define a processing order for forming the circuit element.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit element comprises a three-dimensional structure.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein at least one region comprises a band of a two-dimensional structure.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the two-dimensional structure comprises a layer of a three-dimensional structure.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the dispensed materials comprises a metal nanoparticle ink.

25. A circuit element formed on a substrate by the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

13. A method of forming a structure on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a digital representation for the structure;

identifying at least one region in the digital representation;

printing the identified region using a drop-on-demand printer, wherein at least one material is dispensed from the printer and deposited on the substrate according to said digital representation; and

curing the region according to the digital representation by irradiating the deposited material using one or more electromagnetic radiation sources, wherein the digital representation specifies an intensity of irradiation and locations of irradiation points in the region.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the structure comprises a circuit element.

26. A structure formed on a substrate by the method of claim 13.

15. An apparatus for forming a circuit element on a substrate, said apparatus comprising:

means for selecting a digital specification for forming the circuit element;

means for printing the circuit element using a drop-on-demand technique, wherein at least one material is deposited on the substrate according to the digital specification; and

means for curing the circuit element by irradiating the deposited material using one or more electromagnetic radiation sources, wherein curing parameters are specified by the digital specification to obtain a desired electrical property of the circuit element.

16. An apparatus for forming a structure on a substrate, said apparatus comprising:

means for selecting a digital representation for the structure;

means for identifying at least one region in the digital representation;

means for printing the identified region using a drop-on-demand technique, wherein at least one material is deposited on the substrate according to said digital representation; and

means for curing the region according to the digital representation by irradiating the deposited material from one or more electromagnetic radiation sources, wherein the digital representation specifies an intensity of irradiation and locations of irradiation points in the region.

17. A system for forming a circuit element on a substrate, said system comprising:

data storage containing one or more digital specifications for circuit elements;

a printer in communication with said data storage for forming a selected circuit element, said printer comprising;

one or more cartridges for dispensing material from said one ore more cartridges to thereby deposit the material onto the substrate using a drop-on-demand technique, wherein the dispensing is performed according to the digital specification for the selected circuit element; and

one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation for curing the deposited material by irradiating the deposited material, wherein curing parameters are specified by the digital representation to obtain a desired electrical property of the circuit element.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein the printer has a print head assembly that comprises said one or more print heads and said one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation.

19. A system according to claim 17 wherein said printer further comprises a positioning system to control a position of the substrate relative to the print heads and the sources of electromagnetic radiation.

20. A system for forming a structure on a substrate, said system comprising:

data storage containing one or more digital specifications for structures;

a printer in communication with said data storage for forming a selected structure, said printer comprising;

one or more cartridges for dispensing material from said one or more cartridges to thereby deposit the material onto the substrate using a drop-on-demand technique, wherein the dispensing is performed according to the digital specification for the selected structure; and

one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation for curing the deposited material, wherein the digital specification for the selected structure specifies radiation intensity and locations of irradiation points on the substrate.

21. A computer program product comprising machine-readable program code recorded on a machine-readable recording medium, for controlling the operation of a data processing machine on which the program code executes to perform a method of forming a circuit element on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a digital specification for forming the circuit element;

instructing the operation of a drop-on-demand printer to print the circuit element, wherein the printer dispenses at least one material on the substrate according to the digital specification; and

instructing the operation of one or more irradiation sources in the printer to cure the circuit element by irradiating the dispensed material, wherein curing parameters are specified by the digital specification to obtain a desired electrical property of the circuit element.

22. A computer program product comprising machine-readable program code recorded on a machine-readable recording medium, for controlling the operation of a data processing machine on which the program code executes to perform a method of forming a structure on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a digital representation for the structure;

identifying at least one region in the digital representation;

instructing the operation of a drop-on-demand printer to print the identified region, wherein at least one material is dispensed from the printer onto the substrate according to said digital representation; and

instructing the operation of one or more electromagnetic radiation sources to cure the region according to the digital representation by irradiating the dispensed material, wherein the digital representation specifies an intensity of irradiation and locations of irradiation points in the region.

23. A computer program comprising machine-readable program code for controlling the operation of a data processing apparatus on which the program code executes to perform a method of forming a circuit element on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a digital representation for the circuit element;

identifying at least one region in the digital representation;

instructing the operation of a drop-on-demand printer to print the identified region, wherein the printer dispenses at least one material onto the substrate according to the digital representation; and

instructing the operation of one or more irradiation sources in the printer to cure the region by irradiating the dispensed material, wherein curing parameters are specified by the digital representation to obtain a desired electrical property of the circuit element.

24. A computer program comprising machine-readable program code for controlling the operation of a data processing apparatus on which the program code executes to perform a method of forming a structure on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a digital representation for the structure;

identifying at least one region in the digital representation;

instructing the operation of a drop-on-demand printer to print the identified region, wherein at least one material is dispensed onto the substrate according to said digital representation; and

instructing the operation of one or more electromagnetic radiation sources to cure the region according to the digital representation by irradiating the dispensed material, wherein the digital representation specifies an intensity of irradiation and locations of irradiation points in the region.

27. An ink-jet print head assembly comprising:

at least one cartridge for storing material to be dispensed;

a print head corresponding to each said cartridge for dispensing the material onto a substrate; and

a plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources each configured to cure the material by irradiation the dispensed material.

28. A print head assembly according to claim 27 wherein the plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources comprises at least one broadband source.

29. A print head assembly according to claim 28 wherein the broadband source comprises a Xenon flash source.

30. A print head assembly according to claim 27 wherein the plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources comprises at least one narrowband source.

31. A print head assembly according to claim 30 wherein said narrowband source comprises a laser source.

32. A print head assembly according to claim 27 further comprising means for receiving signals that control a firing of nozzles of the print heads and to initiate radiation pulses of the radiation sources.

33. A circuit element formed by depositing at least one nanoparticle material upon a substrate, said circuit element comprising multiple characteristics.

34. A circuit element according to claim 33 wherein said multiple characteristics are formed by one of:

(i) depositing a plurality of nanoparticle materials upon connected respective regions of the substrate;

(ii) curing by differently irradiating regions of the deposited nanoparticle material; and

(iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).

35. A circuit element according to claim 33 comprising multiple resistance values specified by a digital specification of the element.

36. A process executable by a printer for forming a circuit element, said process comprising the steps of:

receiving a digital specification describing the circuit element;

dispensing at least one material from a print head to thereby deposit the material onto the substrate according to a digital specification to thereby form the circuit element; and

curing the circuit element by irradiating the deposited material using at least one electromagnetic radiation source in the printer, wherein curing parameters of said curing step are specified by the digital specification to obtain at least one desired electrical property of the circuit element.

37. A process according to claim 36 wherein the dispensing and curing are performed by a print head of the printer, said dispensing comprising moving the print head relative to the substrate according to print parameters specified by the digital specification to thereby define a physical structure of the circuit element.

38. A process according to claim 36 wherein said curing comprises moving the print head relative to the substrate according to the curing parameters to thereby form an electrical structure of the circuit element.

39. A method for programmable control for forming a circuit element upon a substrate using a printer, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a digital specification describing the circuit element;

(b) interpreting the digital specification to identify a print specification and a cure specification for the circuit element;

(c) instructing a print head to dispense at least one material to thereby deposit the material onto the substrate according to the print specification to thereby form by printing the circuit element; and

(d) instructing the print head to cure the circuit element according to the cure specification by irradiating the deposited material using at least one electromagnetic radiation source in the printer, wherein curing parameters are specified by the cure specification to obtain at least one desired electrical property of the circuit element.

40. A method according to claim 39 wherein step (b) comprises identifying at least one object associated with the circuit element, said object comprising at least a corresponding print specification, and step (c) comprises printing the corresponding said object.

41. A method according to claim 40 wherein said object comprises a cure specification and step (d) comprises curing said object.

42. A method according to claim 41 wherein steps (c) and (d) are performed for each said object in turn to thereby form the circuit element.

43. A method according to claim 42 wherein step (c) comprises the sub-steps of:

(ca) identifying at least one of a plurality of materials for dispensing;

(cb) identifying a drop density for the dispensing from the digital specification;

(cc) converting a shape of said object to a raster drop pattern for the dispensing;

(cd) moving the print head relative to the substrate according to the raster drop pattern; and

(ce) dispensing the at least one material from the print head according to the raster drop pattern and the drop density.

44. A method according to claim 42, where step (d) comprises the sub-steps of:

(da) identifying one of a plurality of said radiation sources for use in the curing;

(db) constructing a irradiation sequence from said cure specification;

(dc) moving the substrate relative to the print head according to the irradiation sequence; and

(dd) irradiating the object using the identified source.

45. A method according to claim 44 further comprising waiting a delay specified by the cure specification.