Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting

Description

The University is looking to work with a supplier as a collaboration for the following: The University of Surrey, acting through its Advanced Technology Institute, has been funded to establish a facility for the rapid manufacture of multi-layer micro and nano-scale printed circuits on flexible plastic substrates. The printing equipment is required to: — print nano and micro scale structures on 100-mm diameter plastic substrates, — print metallic conductors, dielectrics, semiconductor materials, — printing structures using nano-particle based inks, e.g. carbon nanotubes (CNT), MoS2, Ag, graphene oxides etc., — rapid printing with less than 30 minutes processing time per layer, — support multi-layer assembly for electronic devices with an inter-layer alignment to within +/-2um. The PI, Professor Ravi Silva has received EPSRC funding to procure a facility for the rapid manufacture of multi-layer micro and nano-scale printed circuits on flexible plastic substrates. The printing equipment is required to: — print nano and micro scale structures on 100-mm diameter plastic substrates, — print metallic conductors, dielectrics, semiconductor materials, — printing structures using nano-particle based inks, e.g. carbon nanotubes (CNT), MoS2, Ag, graphene oxides etc., — rapid printing with less than 30 minutes processing time per layer,. — support multi-layer assembly for electronic devices with an inter-layer alignment to within +/-2um The University of Surrey has held extensive discussion with global vendors, and based on their long-experience of operating equipment of this nature, the Principal Investigators responsible for delivering the program believe that the multi-layer micro and nano-scale printing system is the only solution that will meet the overall objective. The University of Surrey, acting through its Advanced Technology Institute, has been funded to establish a facility for the rapid manufacture of multi-layer micro and nano-scale printed circuits on flexible plastic substrates. The micro and nano-scale printing system must be able to rapidly manufacture circuits having very small feature sizes (sub-micron) on flexible plastic substrates. For this we require the usage of nano-particle based inks and inter-layer printing alignment of +/- 2 um. The system should have a track record with proven scientific journal publication backing the required assembly requirements and demonstrating how nano-featured circuits can be assembled into circuitry on the plastic substrate. The University of Surrey has held extensive discussion with global vendors, and based on their long-experience of operating equipment of this nature, the Principal Investigators responsible for delivering the program believe that multi-layer micro and nano-scale printing system is the only solution that will meet the overall objective. Additional background information: Company Information System Provider: Nano OPS, Inc, Newton MA, USA System Description: EPx Platform - Micro and Nanoscale Printer (2nd generation system) System cost: USD 1 283 000 Key system details: The Nano-OPS uses directed assembly with nanomaterials and transfer processes to enable printed micro and nanoscale features on flexible plastic electronics. It uses a process similar to conventional offset printing but uses inks are made of nanoparticles, nanotubes, polymers or other nano-elements that are electrostatically attracted to the printing template. The system is composed of several chambers accessed by a robotic arm that is used to manipulate the transfer template and transfers the print to plastic substrate. Multi-layer circuits are manufactured using a multi-step assembly process. Key system components: • capability of handling up to 100 mm diameter substrates, • robotic transfer module on track enabling access to all process modules, substrates and template stations, • template station that houses up to 5 different templates up to 100 mm in diameter, • directed assembly module – with 5 individual tanks to hold nano-particle inks, • alignment module – alignment of the template and the substrate to within +/- 2 um with a mechanical clamping system, • transfer module – transfer the module from the template to the substrate, • software automation to control all aspects of the process modules and robotics to enable control of all process parameters, • starter set of templates and inks and process recipes.