PRINTING TRANSFERABLE COMPONENTS USING MICROSTRUCTURED ELASTOMERIC SURFACES WITH PRESSURE MODULATED REVERSIBLE ADHESION

• US 20130069275A1
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois, X Display Company Technology Limited (Sensinnovat BVBA)
• Original Assignee: Semprius, Inc.
• Inventors: Menard, Etienne, Rogers, John A., Kim, Seok, Carlson, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/293
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2313/00 Elements other than metals
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/14 Semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/025 Transfer laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/16 with all layers existing as coherent layers before laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 41/00 Arrangements for controlling or monitoring lamination processes; Safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/005 comprising one layer of ceramic material, e.g. porcelain, ceramic tile layered products with at least two ceramic layers composed mainly of ceramic B32B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/00 Transfer printing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/006 Arrangements for moving, supporting or positioning the printing foil or band
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00373 Selective deposition, e.g. printing or microcontact printing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67132 Apparatus for placing on an insulating substrate, e.g. tape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67144 Apparatus for mounting on conductive members, e.g. leadframes or conductors on insulating substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6835 using temporarily an auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68363 used in a transfer process involving transfer directly from an origin substrate to a target substrate without use of an intermediate handle substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68368 used in a transfer process involving at least two transfer steps, i.e. including an intermediate handle substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68381 Details of chemical or physical process used for separating the auxiliary support from a device or wafer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83192 wherein the layer connectors are disposed only on another item or body to be connected to the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95001 involving a temporary auxiliary member not forming part of the bonding apparatus, e.g. removable or sacrificial coating, film or substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4821 Bridge structure with air gap
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/50 Multistep manufacturing processes of assemblies consisting of devices, each device being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00 or H01L29/00 H01L21/50 takes precedence

Abstract

In a method of printing a transferable component, a stamp including an elastomeric post having three-dimensional relief features protruding from a surface thereof is pressed against a component on a donor substrate with a first pressure that is sufficient to mechanically deform the relief features and a region of the post between the relief features to contact the component over a first contact area. The stamp is retracted from the donor substrate such that the component is adhered to the stamp. The stamp including the component adhered thereto is pressed against a receiving substrate with a second pressure that is less than the first pressure to contact the component over a second contact area that is smaller than the first contact area. The stamp is then retracted from the receiving substrate to delaminate the component from the stamp and print the component onto the receiving substrate. Related apparatus and stamps are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method of printing transferable components, the method comprising:

pressing a stamp including an elastomeric post having three-dimensional relief features protruding from a surface thereof against a transferable component on a donor substrate with a first pressure sufficient to mechanically deform a region of the post between the relief features to contact the component over a first contact area;

retracting the stamp from the donor substrate such that the component is adhered to the stamp;

pressing the stamp including the component adhered thereto against a receiving substrate with a second pressure that is less than the first pressure to contact the component over a second contact area that is smaller than the first contact area; and

retracting the stamp from the receiving substrate to delaminate the component from the stamp and print the component onto the receiving substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pressing the stamp with the second pressure is insufficient to mechanically deform the region of the post between the relief features to contact the component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein pressing the stamp with the first pressure comprises:

contacting the relief features of the stamp with the component on the donor substrate such that the region of the post therebetween does not contact the component; and

compressing the relief features and collapsing the region of the post therebetween to contact the component to define the first contact area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first contact area is substantially similar to a cross-sectional area of the post taken along a plane parallel to the surface thereof.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein retracting the stamp from the donor substrate comprises:

removing the first pressure from the stamp to substantially reverse the compressing of the relief features and the collapsing of the region of the post therebetween such that the component is adhered to the stamp by ends of one or more of the relief features over the second contact area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein an elastic restoring force of the post responsive to removal of the first pressure is insufficient to delaminate the component from the stamp.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein an adhesive strength provided by the first contact area is greater than that of the second contact area by a factor of 1000 or more.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein pressing the stamp with the second pressure is sufficient to compress the relief features without collapse of the region of the post therebetween such that the relief features contact the component over a third contact area that is smaller than the first contact area but is larger than the second contact area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein retracting the stamp from the donor substrate is performed at a first speed to adhere the component thereto, and wherein retracting the stamp from the receiving substrate is performed at a second speed that is less than the first speed to delaminate the component therefrom.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first speed is about 5 micrometers per second or more, and wherein the second speed is about 1 millimeter per second or less.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the relief features are positioned around a periphery of the surface of the post.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of relief features comprise first relief features, and wherein the surface of the post further includes a second three-dimensional relief feature that protrudes from the region thereof between the first relief features.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second relief feature is larger than the first relief features in at least one dimension.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein respective ends of the relief features comprise pyramidal, conical, and/or spherical geometries.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric post and the relief features protruding from the surface thereof comprise polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

16. An apparatus for printing transferable components, the apparatus comprising:

a stamp comprising at least one elastomeric post protruding therefrom, the post having a surface configured for contact with a respective transferable component and including three-dimensional relief features protruding therefrom; and

a transfer printing tool head including the stamp mounted thereon; and

a controller configured to operate the transfer printing tool head to press the stamp including the post protruding therefrom against the respective transferable component on a donor substrate with a first pressure sufficient to mechanically deform a region of the post between the relief features to contact the respective transferable component over a first contact area, retract the stamp from the donor substrate such that the respective transferable component is adhered to the stamp, press the stamp including the respective transferable component adhered thereto against a receiving substrate with a second pressure that is less than the first pressure to contact the component over a second contact area that is smaller than the first contact area, and retract the stamp from the receiving substrate to delaminate the respective transferable component from the stamp and print the respective transferable component onto the receiving substrate.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second pressure is insufficient to mechanically deform the region of the post between the relief features to contact the respective transferable component.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to operate the transfer printing tool head to press the stamp with the first pressure to contact the relief features of the stamp with the component on the donor substrate such that the region of the post therebetween does not contact the component, and then compress the relief features and collapse the region of the post therebetween to contact the component to define the first contact area.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first contact area is substantially similar to a cross-sectional area of the post taken along a plane parallel to the surface thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to operate the transfer printing tool head to remove the first pressure from the stamp during retraction from the donor substrate to substantially reverse compression of the relief features and collapse of the region of the post therebetween such that the respective transferable component is adhered to the stamp by ends of one or more of the relief features over the second contact area.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein an elastic restoring force of the post responsive to removal of the first pressure is insufficient to delaminate the component from the stamp.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the elastomeric post and the relief features protruding from the surface thereof comprise polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and wherein an adhesive strength provided by the first contact area is greater than that of the second contact area by three or more orders of magnitude.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to operate the transfer printing tool head to retract the stamp from the donor substrate at a first speed to adhere the respective transferable component thereto, and to retract the stamp from the receiving substrate at a second speed that is less than the first speed to delaminate the respective transferable component therefrom.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the relief features are positioned around a periphery of the surface of the post.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the relief features comprise first relief features, and wherein the surface of the post further includes a second three-dimensional relief feature that protrudes from the region thereof between the first relief features.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second relief feature is larger than the first relief features in at least one dimension.

27. An elastomeric stamp, comprising:

a deformable elastomeric layer including a post protruding therefrom, the post having an elastomeric surface configured for contact with a transferable component, wherein the surface includes a plurality of three-dimensional relief features protruding therefrom, and wherein one or more of the plurality of relief features is configured to support the transferable component.

28. The stamp of claim 27, wherein ones of the plurality of relief features are spaced apart from one another on the surface at a distance sufficient such that a region of the surface therebetween is deformable to contact the transferable component responsive to application of a predetermined force to the stamp.

29. The stamp of claim 28, wherein the predetermined force is sufficient to compress the plurality of relief features and collapse the region of the surface therebetween to contact the transferable component over a first contact area that is substantially similar to a cross-sectional area of the post taken along a plane parallel to the surface thereof.

30. The stamp of claim 28, wherein the predetermined force is about 0.39 mN or more.

31. The stamp of claim 28, wherein ones of the plurality of relief features are positioned around a periphery of the surface of the post.

32. The stamp of claim 31, wherein each of the relief features is positioned at a respective corner of the post

33. The stamp of claim 31, wherein the plurality of relief features comprise first relief features, and wherein the surface of the post further includes a second three-dimensional relief feature that protrudes from the region thereof between the first relief features and is configured to support the transferable component.

34. The stamp of claim 33, wherein the second relief feature is larger than the first relief features in at least one dimension.

35. The stamp of claim 28, wherein a height of each of the plurality of relief features is based on the distance between the ones of the plurality of relief features and an elasticity of the deformable elastomeric layer.

36. The stamp of claim 35, wherein the elastomeric layer including the post and the plurality of relief features comprises polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

37. The stamp of claim 36, wherein the height of each of the plurality of relief features is between about 8.5 micrometers and about 13 micrometers.

38. The stamp of claim 27, wherein respective tips of the relief features comprise pyramidal, conical, and/or spherical geometries.