AVS 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition
    Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing Focus Topic Wednesday Sessions
       Session AM+EM+MS+TF-WeM

Paper AM+EM+MS+TF-WeM6
Laser Induced Forward Transfer of High-Viscosity, Polymer-Based VO2 Inks

Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 9:40 am, Room 211B

Session: Materials, Designs, and Applications of Additive Manufacturing
Presenter: Eric Breckenfeld, Naval Research Laboratory
Authors: E. Breckenfeld, Naval Research Laboratory
H. Kim, Naval Research Laboratory
T. Sutto, Naval Research Laboratory
N. Charipar, Naval Research Laboratory
A. Piqué, Naval Research Laboratory
Correspondent: Click to Email
Additive manufacturing direct-write processes such as direct-write assembly, micropen, inkjet, and laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) have become increasingly popular as interest in printable electronics and maskless patterning has grown. Compared to conventional lithography, these additive manufacturing processes are inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and well suited for rapid prototyping and large-area applications. At the same time, researchers have pursued various chemical solution deposition processes for combining additive manufacturing technology with functional electronic materials. Among a multitude of transition-metal oxides, vanadium dioxide (VO2) has emerged as a material of particular interest due to its sharp semiconductor-to-metal phase transition near room temperature. A set of distinct optical and electronic properties which arise as a result of this transition have made VO2 popular for thermochromic coatings, resistive switching, optical storage, light modulators, and other applications. Here, we demonstrate the development of a polymer-based solution for the deposition of VO2 thin films. By exploring a variety of sintering and annealing conditions as well as exploring different polar solvents, we have optimized the growth of these films on glass and crystalline substrates. We go on to explore printing of VO2 devices via the LIFT technique, which is notable for its ability to print high-viscosity inks and pastes. Finally, we will discuss our efforts toward the development of low temperature laser sintering in order to realize VO2 films on substrates incompatible with high furnace temperatures.