Printing accuracy tracking with 2D optical microscopy and super-resolution metamaterial-assisted 1D terahertz spectroscopy

Zhuldybina, Mariia, Ropagnol, Xavier, Bois, Chloé, Zednik, Ricardo J. and Blanchard, François. 2020. « Printing accuracy tracking with 2D optical microscopy and super-resolution metamaterial-assisted 1D terahertz spectroscopy ». npj Flexible Electronics, vol. 4, nº 1.
Compte des citations dans Scopus : 12.

Preview

PDF Zednik-R-2020-21831.pdf - Published Version Use licence: Creative Commons CC BY. Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Printable electronics is a promising manufacturing technology for the potential production of low-cost flexible electronic devices, ranging from displays to active wear. It is known that rapid printing of conductive ink on a flexible substrate is vulnerable to several sources of variation during the manufacturing process. However, this process is still not being subjected to a quality control method that is both non-invasive and in situ. To address this issue, we propose controlling the printing accuracy by monitoring the spatial distribution of the deposited ink using terahertz (THz) waves. The parameters studied are the printing speed of an industrial roll-to-roll press with flexography printing units and the pre-calibration compression, or expansion factor, for a pattern printed on a flexible plastic substrate. The pattern, which is carefully selected, has Babinet’s electromagnetic transmission properties in the THz frequency range. To validate our choice, we quantified the geometric variations of the printed pattern by visible microscopy and compared its accuracy using one-dimensional THz spectroscopy. Our study shows a remarkable agreement between visible microscopic observation of the printing performance and the signature of the THz transmission. Notably, under specific conditions, one-dimensional (1D) THz information from a resonant pattern can be more accurate than two-dimensional (2D) microscopy information. This result paves the way for a simple strategy for non-invasive and contactless in situ monitoring of printable electronics production.

Item Type:	Peer reviewed article published in a journal
Professor:	Professor Zednik, Ricardo Blanchard, François Zhuldybina, Mariia
Affiliation:	Autres, Génie mécanique, Génie électrique
Date Deposited:	11 Dec 2020 20:01
Last Modified:	28 Jun 2023 21:52
URI:	https://espace2.etsmtl.ca/id/eprint/21831

Actions (login required)

View Item