Subtractive patterning: High-resolution electrohydrodynamic jet printing with solvents

Abstract

Advancements in 3D printing have initiated a paradigm in device fabrication. Electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing is a high-resolution 3D printing method that enables customizable patterning of thin-film structures, while reducing fabrication complexity and achieving high-resolution patterns with a wide variety of materials. However, to date, e-jet printing has focused on additive material deposition, rather than patterning through material subtraction. This work proposes displacement-based e-jet printing using solvent inks for subtractive patterning of polymer thin films, with microscale resolution in the x–y plane and nanoscale control in the z (dissolving) direction. The behavior of displacement-based e-jet printing is characterized using atomic force microscopy, and two methodologies are developed for controlling the linewidth and displaced depth. An example of area-selective thin film deposition on displacement-based e-jet patterns is provided to demonstrate the applicability of this patterning technique for printable microscale devices.

Integrating Structural Colors with Additive Manufacturing Using Atomic Layer Deposition

“…While the pattern above was generated using photolithography, the approach of using printed polymers to pattern structural color is general, which opens up the possibility of integrating area-selective structural color with 3D-printing techniques. In particular, we have previously shown that electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing can be combined with AS-ALD to selectively deposit functional materials with sub-micrometer line widths (significantly below the resolution of ink-jet printing) while maintaining the sub-nanometer precision afforded by ALD in the z -direction. , We extend this approach here to demonstrate additive nanomanufacturing of structural colors.…”

“…While the ability of ALD to uniformly coat the entire surface of 3D objects is desirable in many applications, in other instances, it is desirable to selectively deposit ALD films only in specific locations. This can be achieved through area-selective ALD (AS-ALD), which utilizes surface modifications to deactivate the ligand-exchange reactions between precursor molecules and surface functional groups. − We have recently demonstrated that AS-ALD can be achieved using polymer inhibitors deposited by electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing. , Ink-jet printing was used recently to make multicolor prints on the same sample, but e-jet-based nano-/micro-additive manufacturing process is superior to ink-jet printing in terms of enabling (1) printing a broader range of materials such as viscous polymers, conductive nanoparticle suspensions, and biomaterials and (2) sub-micron resolution patterning in the x – y plane, which is significantly higher resolution than ink-jet processes (typically >50 μm). The combination of e-jet printing with AS-ALD enables additive nanomanufacturing with sub-100 nm resolution in the x – y plane and sub-nanometer resolution in the z -direction. − Moreover, while printing processes are often limited by available ink materials, ALD can be used to deposit a versatile range of functional materials with tunable electronic, optical, and mechanical properties, including metals, metal oxides, sulfides, nitrides, and polymers (using molecular layer deposition) …”

“…33−43 We have recently demonstrated that AS-ALD can be achieved using polymer inhibitors deposited by electrohydrodynamic jet (ejet) printing. 44,45 Ink-jet printing was used recently to make multicolor prints on the same sample, 46 but e-jet-based nano-/ micro-additive manufacturing process is superior to ink-jet printing in terms of enabling (1) printing a broader range of materials such as viscous polymers, conductive nanoparticle suspensions, and biomaterials and (2) sub-micron resolution patterning in the x−y plane, which is significantly higher resolution than ink-jet processes (typically >50 μm). The combination of e-jet printing with AS-ALD enables additive nanomanufacturing with sub-100 nm resolution in the x−y plane and sub-nanometer resolution in the z-direction.…”

Area-Selective Atomic Layer Deposition Patterned by Electrohydrodynamic Jet Printing for Additive Manufacturing of Functional Materials and Devices

“…In Figure b, the subtractive-patterned PMMA profile exhibits side rims (∼40 nm in height) adjacent to the trench. This is due to a coffee-ring effect during the solvent printing, which dissolved and displaced the original polymer (∼12 nm in height) to the sides, while exposing the underlying silicon surface. − …”

Experimental Analysis of Wax Micro-Droplet 3D Printing Based on a High-Voltage Electric Field-Driven Jet Deposition Technology

“…At present, the micro/nano 3D printing technologies developed mainly include: direct laser writing based on two-photon polymerization [6], micro-stereophotolithography, electrohydrodynamic jet (E-jet) printing [7], laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) [8], focused electron beam (FEB) induced deposition [9], electrochemical deposition [10], focused-ion-beam direct writing (FIBDW) [11], and microplasma deposition [12][13][14]. The printing scales include micron scales, sub-micron scales, and nano scales.…”