Electrophotographic printing of electronic devices

• US 7,638,252 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: McClelland, Paul, Stasiak, James William
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman; Mark A
• Application Number:
  US11/045,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20060172219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 430/120.2
• US Class Current: 430/120.2
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/221 Machines other than electrographic copiers, e.g. electrophotographic cameras, electrostatic typewriters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6591 characterised by the recording material, e.g. plastic material, OHP, ceramics, tiles, textiles details transferring the toner pattern onto particular materials G03G15/1625
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00523 Other special types, e.g. tabbed
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/283 Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/288 from a liquid, e.g. electrolytic deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76838 characterised by the formation and the after-treatment of the conductors etching for patterning the conductors H01L21/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66757 Lateral single gate single channel transistors with non-inverted structure, i.e. the channel layer is formed before the gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0257 Nanoparticles inks comprising nanoparticles H05K1/097
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0143 Using a roller; Specific shape thereof; Providing locally adhesive portions thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0517 Electrographic patterning
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1266 by electrographic or magnetographic printing

Abstract

A method of forming electrical devices can include electrophotographically printing a particulate material on a device substrate, and the particulate material can form at least a portion of the electrical device. An optional intermediate transfer member can also be used to improve reliability and performance of the process. Dry or liquid electrophotographic methods can be effectively used to form electronic devices on a wide variety of substrates not conventionally available in device fabrication.

Claims

1. A method of forming an electrical device, comprising the step of electrophotographically printing an electrically insulating particulate material on a device substrate, said electrically insulating particulate material forming at least a portion of the electrical device, and having an aspect ratio of at least about 10:

1.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particulate material has an aspect ratio from about 11:

1 to about 5000;

1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particulate material is selected from the group consisting of nanowires, nanotubes, nanodiscs, nanoribbons, nanoplates, and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particulate material comprises an electrically conductive material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device substrate comprises a member selected from the group consisting of glass, polymer, ceramic, and combinations or composites thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of electrophotographically printing, comprises the steps of:

a) forming a first electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor drum;

b) contacting the first electrostatic latent image with the particulate material such that at least a portion of the particulate material electrostatically adheres to the electrostatic latent image to form a first patterned particulate layer; and

c) transferring the first patterned particulate layer to the device substrate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of transferring is accomplished using an intermediate transfer member.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising electrostatically printing an additional particulate material as part of the first patterned particulate layer.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of consolidating the first patterned particulate layer subsequent to the step of transferring.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

a) forming a second electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum;

b) contacting the second electrostatic latent image with a second particulate material to form a second patterned particulate layer; and

c) transferring the second patterned particulate layer to the first patterned particulate layer to form a multi-layered precursor device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second particulate material are comprised of different materials.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein a plurality of particulate materials is electrostatically printed using a plurality of respective photoreceptor drums.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is an all-additive process of forming the electrical device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of electrophotographically printing is a liquid electrophotography process.

15. A method of forming an electrical device, comprising the step of electrophotographically printing a particulate material on a device substrate, said particulate material forming at least a portion of the electrical device, and having an aspect ratio of at least about 10:

1, wherein the step of electrophotographically printing, comprises the steps of;

a) forming a first electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor drum;

b) contacting the first electrostatic latent image with the particulate material such that at least a portion of the particulate material electrostatically adheres to the electrostatic latent image to form a first patterned particulate layer; and

c) transferring the first patterned particulate layer to the device substrate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the particulate material has an aspect ratio from about 11:

1 to about 5000;

1.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the particulate material is selected from the group consisting of nanowires, nanotubes, nanodiscs, nanoribbons, nanoplates, and mixtures thereof.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the particulate material comprises an electrically conductive material.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the particulate material comprises an electrically insulating material.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the device substrate comprises a member selected from the group consisting of glass, polymer, ceramic, and combinations or composites thereof.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of transferring is accomplished using an intermediate transfer member.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising electrostatically printing an additional particulate material as part of the first patterned particulate layer.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of consolidating the first patterned particulate layer subsequent to the step of transferring.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

a) forming a second electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum;

b) contacting the second electrostatic latent image with a second particulate material to form a second patterned particulate layer; and

c) transferring the second patterned particulate layer to the first patterned particulate layer to form a multi-layered precursor device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first and second particulate material are comprised of different materials.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein a plurality of particulate materials is electrostatically printed using a plurality of respective photoreceptor drums.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the method is an all-additive process of forming the electrical device.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of electrophotographically printing is a liquid electrophotography process.