Nano-particle deposition system (NPDS): Low energy solvent-free dry spray process for direct patterning of metals and ceramics at room temperature

With increasing concerns of environmental issues in manufacturing process, energy efficient and waste free manufacturing processes have been widely studied. In the field of nano/micro manufacturing, many research results of direct writing processes such as ink jet printing, gravure printing, and rapid prototyping processes have been reported to remove waste-producing conventional lift-off process for patterning. In addition, the use of toxic solvents such as acetone, toluene, xylene and so on has been decreased. At the same time, energy efficiency becomes one of environmental issues in manufacturing process. In this research, Nano particle deposition system (NPDS), a dry spray deposition process for fabrication of meta and ceramic direct patterning at room temperature, was introduced according to the environmental aspects. In previous studies, NPDS has shown the feasibility of the depositions of metals such as Sn and Ni, and the depositions of ceramics such as Al2O3, and TiO2 by spraying powders under low vacuum condition. The advantages of NPDS are 1) solvent free dry deposition process, 2) relatively low energy consumption with room temperature and low vacuum process condition, and 3) direct patterning process. The energy consumption in NPDS was briefly compared with similar processes including aerosol deposition and cold spray. The direct patterning results with 200 mu m width line pattern using micro-nozzle were fabricated without any post-processes. These results confirmed NPDS can become a solvent-free energy efficient direct patterning process for metals and ceramics.This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and technology (2009-0087380), and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (No. 2011-0029862)