Optomec Design Company

Integrated Deposition Solutions, Inc.

Optomec, Inc.

Sandia Corporation

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC

Marcelino Essien

Bruce H King

Michael J Renn

David Michael Keicher

Jyh-Cherng Sheu

Manampathy Gangadharan Giridharan

Gregory James Marquez

Lemna J Hunter

Fa-Gung Fan

Adam W Cook

Jason A Paulsen

W Doyle Miller

James L Jellison

M Eric Schlienger

Eric M Schlienger

David Bohling

Henry C Peebles

Philip A Sackinger

Eloy Phillip Baldonado

Jyh-Chemg Sheu

An apparatus for printing discrete high-resolution high-density features on a surface is provided using an aerosol stream. An aerosol chamber has a transport gas that enters through a port and entrains aerosol in an aerosol chamber to form an aerosol-laden transport gas. A flow cell is provided that has a flow cell channel and sheath gas conduits. The aerosol-laden transport gas passes through the flow cell channel and is surrounded by sheath gas passed through the sheath gas conduits. At least one aerodynamic lens receives the aerosol-laden transport gas surrounded by sheath gas. A method of printing the aerosol droplets from the aerosol-laden transport gas onto the substrate with a mean diameter of 0.5 to 8 microns is also provided.

High-definition aerosol printing using an optimized aerosol distribution and aerodynamic lens system

An aerosol-based printing apparatus is provided capable of producing an aerosol stream at a constant rate and constant material deposition to a substrate to provide high-definition, high-resolution traces. The aerosol-based printing apparatus provides production, transport, and delivery of an aerosol stream at a constant rate for a period of time of at least 8 hours and other instances more than 24 continuous hours of constant operation. By inhibiting bulging and necking of the deposited trace, superior line width tolerances are achieved, and such tolerances are maintained for extended periods of time, thereby allowing for both the deposition of complex traces as well as consistent manufacture of duplicate articles that maintain the tolerances across a production ran. The accumulation of fluids in the aerosol and gas transport conduits are eliminated, thereby eliminating the need for purge or cleaning cycles and allowing for uninterrupted operation for a minimum of 24 hours.

Aerosol-based printing cartridge and use thereof in apparatus and method of use thereof

The object of the invention is the provision of apparatuses and methods for maskless direct printing of continuous films or discreet structures on a substrate using aerodynamic focusing. The method uses an interchangeable and variable aerodynamic lens system and an annularly flowing sheath gas to produce a highly collimated micrometer-size stream of aerosolized droplets. The lens system is comprised of a multi-orifice lens or a single-orifice lens or lenses coupled to a converging fluid dispense nozzle. A combined annular sheath and aerosol flow is propagated through at least two orifices. A liquid atomizer with temperature control, variable continuous or pulsed excitation, and constant or variable frequency, is used to produce an aerosol size distribution that overlaps the functional range of the aerodynamic lens system. The combined flow through the lens system produces a narrow, highly stable subsonic jet that remains collimated for as much as one centimeter beyond the orifice of the nozzle. The method produces well-defined traces on a substrate with line widths in a range from approximately 10 to 1000 microns.

Apparatuses and methods for stable aerosol deposition using an aerodynamic lens system

The object of the invention is the provision of apparatuses and methods for stable direct printing of continuous films or discreet structures on a substrate using an internal pneumatic shutter. The invention uses an aerodynamic focusing technique, with a print head comprising an aerosolization source, a flow cell, an aerodynamic lens system, and a pneumatic shutter assembly. The method uses an interchangeable and variable aerodynamic lens system mounted in the flow cell, and an annularly flowing sheath gas to produce a highly collimated micrometer-size stream of aerosolized droplets. The lens system is comprised of a single-orifice or multi-orifice lens coupled to a converging fluid dispense nozzle. A liquid atomizer with temperature control is used to produce an aerosol size distribution that overlaps the functional range of the aerodynamic lens system. The shutter assembly can be attached directly to the print head, or mounted external to the print head in a control module. The preferred embodiment of the invention contains no moving parts internal to the print head, and provides non-contact shuttering of an aerosol stream. Internal shuttering of the aerosol stream is accomplished using co-propagating compressed gas and vacuum flows, a single vacuum exhaust flow, or by redirecting an aerosol carrier gas from the input port of an aerosol chamber to a continuously propagating sheath gas flow. The apparatus uses no external parts to collect or redirect the aerosol stream outside the print head. The internal shutter design allows for a reduced printer working distance, so that a substrate may be placed at the focal point of small aerosol droplets focused near the print head exit nozzle. The method produces well-defined traces on a substrate with line widths in a range from approximately 10 to 1000 microns, with sub-micron edge definition and shuttering times as small as 10 milliseconds.

Apparatuses and methods for stable aerosol-based printing using an internal pneumatic shutter

The invention provides pneumatic shuttering of a focused or collimated aerosol particle stream. The aerosol stream can be collimated by an annular sheath of inert or non-inert gas. The apparatus propagates a sheathed aerosol stream through a series of aerodynamic lenses along the axis of a flow cell. The final lens is typically positioned above a substrate, so that direct material deposition is provided. A substantially perpendicularly-flowing gas external to the aerodynamic lens system is used to redirect the particle stream away from the flow axis and through an exhaust port, thereby shuttering the collimated aerosol stream. The pneumatic shutter enables printing of discreet structures, with on/off shuttering times of approximately 1 to 100 milliseconds.

Apparatus for pneumatic shuttering of an aerosol particle stream

The object of the invention is the provision of methods for controlled production of continuous multi-component filaments or discreet structures using a multi-component liquid jet issuing from an orifice. A multi-component jet consists of two or more liquids. The liquids may be miscible or immiscible, and form a co-axially propagating flow along the central axis of a flow cell. The working distance between the exit orifice and a substrate can be as large as 50 mm, so that in-flight processing of the jet is possible. The coaxial flow consists of an outer sheath liquid and an inner sample liquid or composite of liquids. The flow cell and the exit channel of the deposition head are heated so that the pressurized sheath liquid temperature is raised to near or above the boiling point of the sheath liquid at the local atmospheric pressure. The jet exits the deposition head through the orifice, and the outer liquid is evaporated as the jet falls at atmospheric pressure. The sheath liquid is processed thermally, optically, or chemically during flight to form a protective or insulating layer for the inner liquid or liquids. The inner liquids may contrastingly consist of an ultraviolet (UV) curable ink that is processed in-flight or after deposition. Since UV curable inks contain no volatile components, the coaxial jetted filament can be processed without producing cracks or bubbles in the sheath layer. Line widths are produced in the range from approximately 1 to 1000 microns.

Methods for producing coaxial structures using a microfluidic jet

The object of the invention is the provision of methods and apparatuses for controlled direct printing of continuous films or discreet structures using a two-component liquid jet issuing from an orifice. The two liquids may be miscible or immiscible, and form an annularly propagating flow along the axis of a deposition head. The flow consists of an outer sheath liquid with a boiling point temperature that is approximately 10 to 40 degrees lower than that of an inner sample liquid. The exit channel of the head is heated so that the pressurized outer sheath liquid is raised to a temperature greater than the boiling point of the sheath liquid at the local atmospheric pressure. The outer liquid is evaporated as the jet exits the orifice and falls at atmospheric pressure. Deposited sample line widths are produced in the range from approximately 1 to 1000 microns.

Methods and apparatuses for direct deposition of features on a surface using a two-component microfluidic jet

Apparatus and method for depositing aerosolized material, wherein an aerosol flow is surrounded and focused by more than one consecutive sheath gas flows. The combined sheath and aerosol flows may consecutively flow through more than one capillary, thereby narrowing the flow further. Linewidths of less than one micron may be achieved.

Multiple sheath multiple capillary aerosol jet

Apparatuses and processes for maskless deposition of electronic and biological materials. The process is capable of direct deposition of features with linewidths varying from the micron range up to a fraction of a millimeter, and may be used to deposit features on substrates with damage thresholds near 100&#xb0; C. Deposition and subsequent processing may be carried out under ambient conditions, eliminating the need for a vacuum atmosphere. The process may also be performed in an inert gas environment. Deposition of and subsequent laser post processing produces linewidths as low as 1 micron, with sub-micron edge definition. The apparatus nozzle has a large working distance&#x2014;the orifice to substrate distance may be several millimeters&#x2014;and direct write onto non-planar surfaces is possible.

Apparatuses and methods for maskless mesoscale material deposition

A method of depositing various materials onto heat-sensitive targets, particularly oxygen-sensitive materials. Heat-sensitive targets are generally defined as targets that have thermal damage thresholds that are lower than the temperature required to process a deposited material. The invention uses precursor solutions and/or particle or colloidal suspensions, along with optional pre-deposition treatment and/or post-deposition treatment to lower the laser power required to drive the deposit to its final state. The present invention uses Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition (MD&#x2122;) to perform direct deposition of material onto the target in a precise, highly localized fashion. Features with linewidths as small as 4 microns may be deposited, with little or no material waste. A laser is preferably used to heat the material to process it to obtain the desired state, for example by chemical decomposition, sintering, polymerization, and the like. This laser processing may be performed in an ambient environment with laser powers of less than 100 milliwatts. Cover gases and/or forming gases may be used during thermal processing to change the material properties, for example by preventing oxidation.

Laser processing for heat-sensitive mesoscale deposition of oxygen-sensitive materials

Method and apparatus for improved maskless deposition of electronic and biological materials using an extended nozzle. The process is capable of direct deposition of features with linewidths varying from a few microns to a fraction of a millimeter, and can be used to deposit features on targets with damage thresholds near 100&#xb0; C. or less. Deposition and subsequent processing may be performed under ambient conditions and produce linewidths as low as 1 micron, with sub-micron edge definition. The extended nozzle reduces particle overspray and has a large working distance; that is, the orifice to target distance may be several millimeters or more, enabling direct write onto non-planar surfaces. The nozzle allows for deposition of features with linewidths that are approximately as small as one-twentieth the size of the nozzle orifice diameter, and is preferably interchangeable, enabling rapid variance of deposited linewidth.

Annular aerosol jet deposition using an extended nozzle

Method and apparatus for direct writing of passive structures having a tolerance of 5% or less in one or more physical, electrical, chemical, or optical properties. The present apparatus is capable of extended deposition times. The apparatus may be configured for unassisted operation and uses sensors and feedback loops to detect physical characteristics of the system to identify and maintain optimum process parameters.

Aerodynamic jetting of aerosolized fluids for fabrication of passive structures

A method of depositing various materials onto heat-sensitive targets. Heat-sensitive targets are generally defined as targets that have thermal damage thresholds that are lower than the temperature required to process a deposited material. The invention uses precursor solutions and/or particle or colloidal suspensions, along with optional pre-deposition treatment and/or post-deposition treatment to lower the laser power required to drive the deposit to its final state. The present invention uses Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition (MD&#x2122;) to perform direct deposition of material onto the target in a precise, highly localized fashion. Features with linewidths as small as 4 microns may be deposited, with little or no material waste. A laser is preferably used to heat the material to process it to obtain the desired state, for example by chemical decomposition, sintering, polymerization, and the like. This laser processing may be performed in an ambient environment with laser powers of less than 100 milliwatts.

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Cedar Crest, NM, United States of America

Marcelino Essien