A European project to develop laser-assisted digital fabrication methods for organic electronics has been launched by the EU OLAE+ transnational funding scheme.
The project will look to create backplanes for displays such as this example from CPIThe DigiPRINT project involves UK based Oxford Laser Ltd, and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), as well as Spanish companies Sensofar-Tech and the University of Barcelona. The project is funded by the UK’s Technology Strategy board and ACCIO, the Catalonian agency for business competitiveness.
The project will focus on low temperature, maskless digital fabrication of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) on large area rigid and flexible substrates for display backplane manufacturing. Key objectives include developing high-resolution printing over large area with low leakage fast switching OTFT; high-resolution defect repair using lasers; and the development of non-contact surface metrology tools suitable for online quality control in high volume roll-to-roll processing.
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DigiPRINT will make use of industrial ultrafast DPSS lasers combined with non-contact optical metrology heads for real-time monitoring of deposition and patterning processes.
Dimitris Karnakis, technical manager, R&D projects for Oxford Lasers comments: ‘we are absolutely delighted to collaborate with a strong group of internationally leading experts. Altogether we possess an extensive skillset, state-of-art facilities and know-how that will help us advance OTFT developments to the next level. This consortium is aiming to develop advanced materials and exploit laser-based digital fabrication methods for high volume production of OTFTs for display backplanes.’
DigiPRINT is set to run for two years, with a budget of €1.2 million.
Visit the Oxford Lasers Ltd website for more information on DigiPRINT project aims to develop……laser-assisted digital fabrication