SBIR Phase I: Fully Printed Single Walled Carbon Nanotube Thin Film Transistor Backplanes

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to develop printing technologies for fully printed single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin-film transistor (TFT) backplanes by aerosol jet printing ultra-pure semiconducting SWCNT ink and gold nanoparticle ink as channel materials and electrodes on flexible substrates, respectively. The new trend in display products is driving the needs of printed TFT backplanes. This project will leverage currently developed aerosol jet printing technologies to implement fully printed SWCNT TFT backplane, utilizing the innovative direct-write and aerodynamic focusing technology to produce high resolution features down to 10microns on non-planar substrates. The printing technology also reduces the manufacturing cost and environmental impact, and increases fabrication size with high throughput. The advance of ultra-pure semiconducting SWCNTs has remarkably improved the performances of SWCNT TFTs to now be superior to other mature and available transistors made of polysilicon, amorphous silicon, metal oxide and organic materials. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is fully printed SWCNT TFT backplanes of low operation voltage, fast refreshing speed and high contrasting currents that will open opportunities to applications and products in flat-panel displays, and will impact a plethora of low cost consumer electronics products like mobiles, GPS, PDA and TVs. Especially, fully printed SWCNT TFT backplanes on flexible substrates can expedite shifting display markets to printed flexible devices. Using ultra-pure semiconducting SWCNTs as active materials, the company's TFTs exhibit transparency, flexibility, environmental stability and mechanical strength. The fully printed SWNCT TFT backplanes will overcome many limitations current display backplanes.