SBIR Phase I:Aqueous Inks for High Performance Oxide Electronics

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop semiconductor and dielectric inks for thin-film transistor devices to drive Active Matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays. The approach is to employ novel aqueous-based inorganic precursors with low energy barriers to condensation, which will enable the solution deposition of high-quality electronic films that can be cost-effectively scaled to large substrates with uniformity. This project will combine inorganic ink design with flashlamp process for printed electronics to fabricate transistors. It is expected to meet the challenging performance requirements for AMOLED displays on glass with a direct path to low temperature flexible substrates. By tuning the precursor formulation for optimum absorbance and adjusting the flashlamp pulse conditions, the energy required to complete dehydration will be deposited precisely in the film with minimal thermal impact on the substrate. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide semiconductor and dielectric inks to enable more energy efficient AMOLED displays. AMOLED is the fastest growing segment in display industry. The potential served market for related advanced transistor materials will be about $100 million. The materials and low temperature processes developed in this project will also lay the foundation for much broader applications in inorganic printed electronics and large-area dielectric/optical coatings.