One of the most upcoming advances in modern technology is the development and fabrication of flexible microelectronics, however, it can be difficult to make use of semiconductor and metal nanoparticle properties due to the limitations of many current methods used to deposit such materials onto three-dimensional substrates. Conventional methods of depositing nanoparticles require extremely high heat in order to vaporize ink carrying particles, resulting in higher cost and slower production. By using a laser to organize nano-dot arrays, one can comprise a thin, flexible semiconductor film. This process uses a liquid suspension, carrying metal nanoparticles, in the form of microdroplets.
Throughout this research, there was a heavy focus on the construction of a functional model of the optical system used for laser nanoparticle contact printing. This model was built using CODE-V Optical design software. It features a 1064 nm Gaussian beam propagating through an axicon lens, followed by a collimating biconvex lens, and then reflecting off of a parabolic mirror at a 90-degree angle. The beam is then focused using a simulated microdroplet as a super-lens. The purpose of this research is to verify the simulation experimentally. In the laboratory setting, variant weight percentages of sonicated Zinc Sulfide were sintered onto glass substrates. The heat from the laser evaporated the liquid suspension surrounding the nanoparticles, resulting in a refined conductive line of metal that can be observed through a microscope. This research is still ongoing, as parameters for the liquid suspension as well as the system are still being optimized.
A huge thank you to Dr.Vikas Sudesh, Dr.Aravinda Kar, Tianyi Li, Christopher Kosan, Gunjan Kulkarni, University of Central Florida, and The Office of Undergraduate Research.
Key Words: Film Deposition, Laser Printing, Guassian Beam, Nanoparticles, Microdroplet, Laser Deposition, CODE-V, Axicon, Biconvex, Parabolic Mirror