Manufacture of organic electronic components using standard printers/proofers

Electronics are expanding into new fields where lowcost manufacture in large volumes is a deciding factor. There are visions of electronic functionality in single use items and everyday applications where one of the main aims is to increase product attractiveness and give a commercial edge and added value to the product. This has lead to the need of, and consequently the development of new methods for preparing electronic devices, utilizing solution processable materials and printing type deposition and patterning techniques. We present examples of electronic components where standard printing methods and tabletop proofing devices have been utilized for sample preparation. The sample preparation methods demonstrate the applicability of standard printing technology, as well as their limitations, for the manufacture of basic electronic components, such as diodes and transistors, using conjugated polymers and soluble molecules. The main techniques applied are gravure and flexographic printing, and as a substrate flexible PET film is used. The issues involved in multilayer printing of conjugated polymers and other materials needed for electronic devices are addressed, for example in the case of organic transistors, the use of thermally or UV crosslinkable polymer insulators. As polymer semiconductor material commercial polythiophene based conjugated polymers are used. For comparison samples are made in parallel, where for example the electrodes are metallic, traditionally made by thermal vacuum evaporation. The resolution of the printing methods used as such is not sufficient for the required transistor channel dimensions in a standard OFET. Novel application areas as well as novel manufacturing techniques opens new possibilities for entirely new device concepts. The electronic components in a massproduced printed circuit may work by completely new mechanisms. The gravure and flexographic printing methods are chosen as they allow for lowcost fabrication using organic material in solution and the process is easily scaled for high volumes even using existing printing machines.