ROLL-TO-ROLL MANUFACTURING OF ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL MATERIALS

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for manufacturing electrical and optical materials by ink-jet printing of electronic ink(s) onto a flexible substrate are provided. The apparatus includes a flexible substrate, a first roll and a second roll, a printing head for depositing a electronic ink onto the substrate according to a predetermined pattern, and a drying station for drying an amount of deposited electronic ink. Each roll is reversibly configured for feed or takeup of the substrate. When dry, the deposited electronic ink forms one of an electronic material, an optical material, a display, and a fuel cell electrode. The apparatus may also include a second printing head configured for depositing a second electronic ink onto the substrate after the first ink has dried. The apparatus may be configured to rewind the substrate prior to deposition of the second ink, or to reverse the feed/takeup direction of the rolls.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an ink-jet printing apparatus having a single fixed printer head according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an ink-jet printing apparatus having a moving print head assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a three-pass print-and-dry process using three electronic inks according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a inversion of the substrate in order to enable ink-jet printing on both sides of a flexible substrate, according to preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a mechanical alignment technique for ensuring that the substrate is properly aligned for multiple pass printing, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an optical alignment technique for ensuring that the substrate is properly aligned for multiple pass printing, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an integration of a cutter with an ink-jet printing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart that illustrates a process of manufacturing electrical or optical materials using a roll-to-roll ink-jet printing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. An ink-jet printing system, comprising: a first roll and a second roll, each roll being reversibly configured for feed or takeup of a flexible substrate;a first printing head configured for depositing a first electronic ink onto the substrate according to a predetermined pattern; anda drying station configured for drying an amount of deposited electronic ink prior to takeup of a corresponding portion of the substrate by the respective roll,wherein the predetermined pattern is determined such that, when dry, the deposited electronic ink forms one of the group consisting of an electronic material, an optical material, a display, and a fuel cell electrode.

2. The inkjet printing system of claim 1, further comprising a second printing head configured for depositing a second electronic ink onto the substrate according to the predetermined pattern, wherein the drying station is further configured for drying all of the deposited first electronic ink prior to the deposit of the second electronic ink.

3. The ink-jet printing system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined pattern is determined such that, for at least one portion of the substrate, the second electronic ink is deposited on top of the first electronic ink.

4. The ink-jet printing system of claim 3, wherein when the first electronic ink has been deposited and dried, the feed and takeup rolls are further configured to rewind the substrate prior to the second electronic ink being deposited.

5. The ink-jet printing system of claim 3, wherein when the first electronic ink has been deposited and dried, a direction in which the flexible substrate is being fed and taken up by the first and second rolls is reversed prior to the second electronic ink being deposited.

6. The ink-jet printing system of claim 1, further comprising a second printing head configured for depositing a second electronic ink onto the substrate according to the predetermined pattern, wherein the predetermined pattern is determined such that the second electronic ink is deposited only at locations of the substrate at which none of the first electronic ink is to be deposited.

7. The ink-jet printing system of claim 1, wherein the first printing head is further configured to deposit a second electronic ink onto the substrate according to the predetermined pattern after the first electronic has been deposited and dried.

8. The ink-jet printing system of claim 7, wherein when the first electronic ink has been deposited and dried, the feed and takeup rolls are further configured to rewind the substrate prior to the second electronic ink being deposited.

9. The ink-jet printing system of claim 7, wherein when the first electronic ink has been deposited and dried, a direction in which the flexible substrate is being fed and taken up by the first and second rolls is reversed prior to the second electronic ink being deposited.

10. The ink-jet printing system of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, PEN, PET, a thin metal film, a thin plastic film, a polymer electrolyte membrane, a proton exchange membrane, a hydrocarbon membrane, coated paper, and uncoated paper.

11. The ink-jet printing system of claim 1, the system being configured to enable the flexible substrate to be inverted and reloaded onto the first and second rolls such that the printing head is configured to deposit the first electronic ink on an opposite surface of the substrate.

12. The ink-jet printing system of claim 1, wherein the drying station is further configured for curing the amount of deposited electronic ink.

13. The ink-jet printing system of claim 1, the system further comprising a curing station configured for curing the amount of deposited electronic ink using at least one of the group consisting of a heating block, convective heating, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and microwave radiation.

14. The ink-jet printing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the group consisting of a security feature, a decorative feature, and an electrocatalyst is printed onto the substrate.

15. A process for ink-jet printing an electro-optical material onto a flexible substrate, the process comprising the steps of: a) loading the flexible substrate onto a first roll and a second roll such that the first roll is configured to feed the substrate to the second roll across an ink depositing area;b) depositing a first electronic ink on a portion of the substrate according to a predetermined pattern;c) drying the deposited ink;d) using the first and second rolls to take up the portion of the substrate upon which ink has been deposited and dried and to feed another portion of the substrate onto the ink depositing area; ande) repeating steps b, c, and d until the predetermined pattern requires no additional deposits of the first electronic ink.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the electro-optical material is selected from the group consisting of an electronic material, an optical material, a display, and a fuel cell electrode.

17. The process of claim 15, further comprising the steps of: f) using the first and second rolls to rewind the substrate such that the first roll is again configured to feed the substrate to the second roll across the ink depositing area;g) depositing a second electronic ink on a portion of the substrate according to a predetermined pattern;h) drying the deposited ink;i) using the first and second rolls to take up the portion of the substrate upon which ink has been deposited and dried and to feed another portion of the substrate onto the ink depositing area; andj) repeating steps g, h, and i until the predetermined pattern requires no additional deposits of the second electronic ink.

18. The process of claim 15, further comprising the steps of: f) reversing a direction of feed and takeup of the substrate by the first and second rolls such that the second roll is configured to feed the substrate to the first roll across the ink depositing area;g) depositing a second electronic ink on a portion of the substrate according to a predetermined pattern;h) drying the deposited ink;i) using the first and second rolls to take up the portion of the substrate upon which ink has been deposited and dried and to feed another portion of the substrate onto the ink depositing area; andj) repeating steps g, h, and i until the predetermined pattern requires no additional deposits of the second electronic ink.

19. The process of claim 15, further comprising the steps of: f) inverting and reloading the substrate onto the first and second rolls such that the first roll is configured to feed the substrate to the second roll across the ink depositing area, and such that an opposite surface of the substrate is positioned to receive an ink deposit;g) depositing an electronic ink on a portion of the substrate according to a second predetermined pattern;h) drying the deposited ink;i) using the first and second rolls to take up the portion of the substrate upon which ink has been deposited and dried and to feed another portion of the substrate onto the ink depositing area; andj) repeating steps g, h, and i until the second predetermined pattern requires no additional deposits of the electronic ink deposited in step g.

20. The process of claim 15, wherein the flexible substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, PEN, PET, a thin metal film, a thin plastic film, a polymer electrolyte membrane, a proton exchange membrane, a hydrocarbon membrane, coated paper, and uncoated paper.

21. The process of claim 15, wherein the step of drying includes curing the deposited ink.

22. The process of claim 15, the process further comprising the step of curing the deposited ink using at least one of the group consisting of a heating block, convective heating, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and microwave radiation.

23. The process of claim 15, wherein at least one of the group consisting of a security feature, a decorative feature, and an electrocatalyst is printed onto the substrate.

24. A process for inkjet printing an electro-optical material onto a flexible substrate, the process comprising the steps of: a) loading the flexible substrate onto a first roll and a second roll such that the first roll is configured to feed the substrate to the second roll across an ink depositing area;b) depositing a first electronic ink on a first portion of the substrate according to a predetermined pattern;c) depositing a second electronic ink on the first portion of the substrate according to the predetermined pattern, wherein the predetermined pattern is determined such that the second electronic ink is deposited only at locations of the substrate at which none of the first electronic ink is to be deposited;d) drying the deposited inks;e) using the first and second rolls to take up the portion of the substrate upon which inks have been deposited and dried and to feed another portion of the substrate onto the ink depositing area; andf) repeating steps b, c, d and e until the predetermined pattern requires no additional deposits of the first and second electronic inks.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein the electro-optical material is selected from the group consisting of an electronic material, an optical material, a display, and a fuel cell electrode.

26. The process of claim 24, wherein the flexible substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, PEN, PET, a thin metal film, a thin plastic film, a polymer electrolyte membrane, a proton exchange membrane, a hydrocarbon membrane, coated paper, and uncoated paper.