We demonstrate continuous fabrication of flexible transducer devices consisting of interdigitated (IDT) Ag microelectrodes interconnected by ZnO nanowires (ZNWs), created via serially connected solution-processable micro- and nanofabrication processes. On an Ag layer obtainable from the mild thermal reduction of an ionic Ag ink coating, the roll-to-roll-driven photolithography process [termed photo roll lithography (PRL)] followed by wet-etching can be applied to continuously define the IDT microelectrode structure. Conformal ZNWs can then be grown selectively on the Ag electrodes to interconnect them via an Ag-mediated hydrothermal ZNW growth that does not require high-temperature seed sintering. Given that all of these constitutive processes are vacuum-free and solution-processable at a low temperature, and are compatible with continuous processing onto flexible substrates, they can be eventually configured into the roll-to-roll-processable progressive assembly. Through parametric optimizations of processes consisting of the roll-to-roll-configurable, solution-based progressive assembly of nanostructures (ROLSPAN), a flexible transducer consisting of ZNW-interconnected, PRL-ed IDT Ag electrodes can be developed. This flexible architecture faithfully performs UV sensing as well as optoelectronic transduction. The ROLSPAN concept along with its specific applicability to flexible devices may inspire many diverse functional systems requiring high-throughput low-temperature fabrication over large-area flexible substrates.
Fabricating high‐quality thin films on a 3D structured polymer substrate is crucial in realizing high‐performance flexible electronics. Herein, simple yet effective twofold strategies are demonstrated to directly fabricate flexible thin film capacitors on polymer substrate: the crystallization of high‐k TiO2 film by plasma‐assisted atomic layer annealing at low temperature (80 °C) on nanostructured polycarbonate (PC) substrates fabricated by simple dynamic nanoinscribing (DNI) technique. Plasma‐induced amorphous‐to‐anatase phase transformation occurs in PEALD TiO2/ZrO2 bilayer thin films, resulting in the capacitance density increase by 30%. The DNI patterning of PC substrates in two directions further increases the surface area by 35% and the capacitance density by 37%, leading to the flexible capacitor of a record‐high capacitance density (24.2 nF mm−2) with mechanical stability.
We demonstrate continuous fabrication of flexible transducer devices consisting of interdigitated (IDT) Ag microelectrodes interconnected by ZnO nanowires (ZNWs), created via serially connected solution-processable micro- and nanofabrication processes. On an Ag layer obtainable from the mild thermal reduction of an ionic Ag ink coating, the roll-to-roll-driven photolithography process (termed photo roll lithography (PRL)) followed by wet-etching can be applied to continuously define the IDT microelectrode structure. Conformal ZNWs can then be grown selectively on the Ag electrodes to interconnect them via an Ag-mediated hydrothermal ZNW growth that does not require high-temperature seed sintering. Given that all of these constitutive processes are vacuum-free and solution-processable at a low temperature, and are compatible with continuous processing onto flexible substrates, they can be eventually configured into the roll-to-roll-processable progressive assembly. Through parametric optimizations of processes consisting of the roll-to-roll-configurable, solution-based progressive assembly of nanostructures (ROLSPAN), a flexible transducer consisting of ZNW-interconnected, PRL-ed IDT Ag electrodes can be developed. This flexible architecture faithfully performs UV sensing as well as optoelectronic transduction. The ROLSPAN concept along with its specific applicability to flexible devices may inspire many diverse functional systems requiring high-throughput low-temperature fabrication over large-area flexible substrates.
Atomic Layer Annealing
In article number 2201134, Jong G. Ok, Jihwan An, and co‐workers demonstrate simple yet effective two‐fold strategies to directly fabricate flexible thin film capacitors on polymer substrate: the crystallization of high‐k TiO2 film by plasma‐assisted atomic layer annealing at low temperature of 80 °C on nanostructured polycarbonate substrates fabricated by simple dynamic nanoinscribing technique, which results in the flexible capacitor of the record‐high capacitance density (24.2 nF/mm2) with mechanical stability.
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