Ultrathin high-resolution flexographic printing using nanoporous stamps

摘要: Since its invention in ancient times, relief printing, commonly called flexography, has been used to mass-produce artifacts ranging from decorative graphics printed media. Now, higher-resolution flexography is essential manufacturing low-cost, large-area electronics. However, because of contact-mediated liquid instabilities and spreading, the resolution flexographic printing using elastomeric stamps limited tens micrometers. We introduce engineered nanoporous microstructures, comprising polymer-coated aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs), as a next-generation stamp material. design engineer highly porous microstructures be wetted by colloidal inks transfer thin layer target substrate upon brief contact. demonstrate diverse micrometer-scale patterns variety functional nanoparticle inks, including Ag, ZnO, WO3, CdSe/ZnS, onto both rigid compliant substrates. The have uniform nanoscale thickness (5 50 nm) match features with high fidelity (edge roughness, ~0.2 μm). derive conditions for based on contact mechanics, characterize Ag lines transparent conductors, achieve continuous at speed 0.2 m/s. latter represents combination throughput that far surpasses industrial technologies.