production methods for large area printed electronics

31.07.2014 © 2011 COATEMA Coating Machinery GmbH | www.coatema.de 1 31.07.2014 © 2014 COATEMA Coating Machinery GmbH | www.coatema.de 1

Thomas Kolbusch, Vice President

Production methods

for large area printed electronics

31.07.2014 © 2014 COATEMA Coating Machinery GmbH | www.coatema.de 2

Summary

Introduction

Coatema

What does

Printed

Electronics

mean?

Overview on

OPV

Scaling up

new

technologies

Technologies

& processes R&D projects

Upscaling from

Lab to Fab Summary


Introduction Coatema



founded

1974

Film/Paper

Printed Electronics

Prepreg

Membranes

Renewables

Textile

Glass

bespoken equipment

working widths

from100 mm

up to 5,400 mm

Fro

m L

ab

2F

ab

R&D projects & network

worldwide service

laminating

coating

printing

inn

ova

tio

ns

quality made in Germay



Our Headquater in Dormagen

1 Head office

2 R&D centre

3 Assembly hall I

4 Assembly hall II



Our worldwide service


Textile Film

Paper

Renewables Prepreg

Membranes Printed

Electronics

Glass


Our markets



Our customers



Our latest awards



Our R&D partners



Our innovations through times Projects of the last 5 years

ProLiBat Flexensys



Our know-how

Co-Author: Andreas Giessmann

Chapter: „Anwendungen“

Author: Andreas Giessmann



Our business units

Lab Pilot Production Custom



Our R&D centre

Qualified personnel

Laboratories

Testing facilities

1200 qm

12 Pilot plants

1 production line

1 Click&Coat line

Working widths:

100 – 2000 mm



Our R&D solution

Chemical

solution

Process

solution

Lab

solution

Coatema

solution path

Taylor-made

for your

product idea

Your

inquiry

Lab trials


Pilot production Standard layouts Bespoken equipment

on big scale Fab system inline


The one stop shop solution Batch type operation R2R on small scale Semi production on

small scale

Custom made

small scale


What does printed electronics mean?



Definition

Common points for printed Electronics are

High volume and large area device

Lateral and vertical resolution requirements

But different applications have different requirements!

OPV

large area, multilayer film

low thickness tolerance

high uniformity

OTFT

High lateral resolution,

small feature size

high density integration



The future market


Source: Heraeus, manroland, Infineon, Karl Knauer

Printed Electronics Microelectronics

Chemistry


The future market

Printing


2010 2 Billion US$ predominantly by OLED displays 2012 8 Billion US$ predominantly by OLED displays Potential for a 50 Billion US $ market within the next 10 years driven by OPV, lighting, displays, logic, memory/RFID, sensors


The future market



The future market



The Roadmap 2013

Pic

ture

sourc

es:

Fra

unhofe

r IS

E



The Roadmap 2013

Pic

ture

sourc

es:

Pla

stic L

ogic



The Roadmap 2013

Pic

ture

sourc

es:

Hols

t C

entr

e



The Roadmap 2013

Pic

ture

sourc

es:

Th

in F

ilm E

lectr

onic

s



The Roadmap 2013

Pic

ture

sourc

es:

pla

stic e

lectr

onic



The Roadmap 2013

Pic

ture

sourc

es:

VA

RT

A M

icro

batt

ery



The Roadmap 2013

Pic

ture

sourc

es:

Th

in F

ilm E

lectr

onic

s



The Roadmap 2013

Pic

ture

sourc

es:

Cete

mm

sa


Scaling up new technologies



Scaling up technologies

Flexibility Precision Bespoken

Near to market Scalable Enabling Standardized


Test Solution

Lab, Pilot and production tools


Test Solution

With Slot Die



Mini Coater



Test Solution R2R



The Easycoater



The Thin Film Coater & Printer



The Smartcoater




R2R in nitrogen environment



The Basecoater 3rd Generation



The Click&Coat


Upscaling from Lab2Fab

Going to Fab - Technologies



Production lines


The key

The right fit, regarding production speed, accuracy, resolution,

capital investment and cost of ownership determines the market

success of a production value chain for large area printed

electronics.

And a market for the products!



The key



Overview on organic photovoltaics


Overview on OPV

Process Layout for OPV

The common feature is that these solar cells can

can be printed or being coated

CIGS

Cupper indium

gallium

selenide

Small

Molecules

DSSC

Dye sensitized solar

cells

Polymer solar cells


Efficiency reached today

Overview on OPV

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/PVeff(rev100414).png


Hole Transport Layer

Bulk heterojunction with

• Polymer p-type (P3HT)

• Fullerene n-type

(C60 PCBM)

• Aromatic solvents

Conductive solution with

• Conductive polymer

• Matrix material

• Additives

• Co-solvents

Standard structure for OPV

Overview on OPV

Transparent Substrate

Photoactive Layer

Transparent Anode

Cathode

Glass or barrier film

Vapor-deposited metals

(such as Ca, Al, LiF)

Transparent ITO or Metal Oxides

Glass/PET Substrate

Encapsulation


Hole Transport Layer 80-300nm

Preferred architecture for R2R manufacturing

Conductive solution with

• Conductive polymer

• Matrix material

• Additives

• Co-solvents

Bulk heterojunction with

• Polymer p-type (P3HT)

• Fullerene n-type

(C60 PCBM)

• Aromatic solvents

Inverted structure for OPV

Overview on OPV

Substrate

Photoactive Layer 80-300nm

Hole Transport Layer 30-100nm

Transparent Electrode 50nm-1µm

Anode 50nm-10µm

Cathode

Encapsulation Glass or barrier film

Solution-processed metals

(such as Silver)

Solution-processed ZnOx

Transparent ITO or metal oxides

Plastic film (i.e. PET, PEN)


Process Layout for OPV

Overview on OPV

Substrate

pre-

treatments

Coating

Curing

Printing

(Patterning)

Curing

(recognation of

transparent

laxer for

registration)

Printing

(in register)

Curing

(recognation

for

registration)

Printing

(in

register)

Curing

Printing

(in register)

Curing

Printing

(in

register)

Printing

(in register)

Lamination

Curing

Cutting

w/o

cracking

(in register)

Process steps of OPV component manufacturing


It is not only printing or coating

to reach efficiency record modules!

Production chain for modules

Treatment of films

Solvent or waterbased coating lines

Printing Technologies

Dryers and annealing ovens ITO/Pedot/TiO2/Dye apllication systems

Laminators for packaging/encapsulation

Bus bar application lines

Diode setting and soldering Adhesive apllication on films

Encapsulation lines

QM-Systems

Module to substrate bonding

Overview on OPV


Technologies & Processes



Overview and Basics

Nano-

imprinting

Laser

Patterning

Encapsulation

Pick &

place

Surface

treatment

Printing Coating

Photo-

lithography



Process Parameters

Process Parameters are:

Operation speed

Rheology of coating and printing inks

Substrate condition

Tension control MD/CD

Edge control

Resolution and registration accuracy of printing/laminating systems

Precision of coating operations

Curing / drying / crosslinking


From Lab2Fab



Inline Process Integration

Tension control

• load cell

• dancer

• pulling devices

• design of drives

Edge guide control

• different sensors

• mechanical stress

Registration control

• camera

• fiber optic

• design of drives

Quality control

• particle contamination analysis

• defect detection

• thickness control

• function control of the device or layer

Process analysis

• Statistic parameters

• product flow analysis

• Yield

• Cost of ownership



Printing Systems



Printing Parameters



Printing Parameters

Printing method Printing

speed

(m/s)

Nip

pressure

(MPa)

Ink

viscosity

(Pa·s)

Layer

thickness

(µm)

Feature

size

(µm)

Regis-

tration

(µm)

Flexography 3 – 10 0,1 – 0,5 0,01 – 0,5 0,04 – 8 40 – 80 20 – 200

Gravure 10 – 16 1,5 – 5 0,01 – 0,2 0,1 – 12 20 – 75 >10

Offset 8 – 15 0,8 – 2 1 – 100 0,5 – 3 25 – 50 >10

Screen printing 2 - 0,1 – 50 3 – 100 75 – 100 >25

Inkjet 1 – 5 - 0,001 – 0,03 0,01 - 0,5,

20 (UV)

10 – 50 <10



Printing Systems

Screen printing Gravure printing Flexo printing

Printing Systems



Gravure Printing


Gravure Printing Parameters

Printing Speed 10 - 16 m/s

Nip Pressure 1,5 - 5 MPa

Ink viscosity 0,01 - 0,2 Pa s

Layer Thickness 0,04 - 12 µm

Feature Size 20 - 75 µm

Resolution 10 - 50 µm


Flexo Printing


Flexo Printing Parameters

Printing Speed 3 – 10 m/s

Nip Pressure 0,1 – 0,5 MPa

Ink viscosity 0,01 - 0,5 Pa s





Screen Printing


Screen Printing Parameters

Printing Speed 2m/s

Nip Pressure

Ink viscosity 0,1 - 50 Pa s

Layer Thickness 3 - 100 µm




Registration control system

Needed for registration control:

register control camera

individual printing design of register control marks

pulling device to separate the printing process from the

winding/rewinding of the substrate

high precision side movement of printing device individual and

sensitive speed control of printing roller

pulling device in front of 1st printing station

guiding frame in front of 1st printing station

dancing roller



Registration control system



Scribing/Patterning Systems



Laser Patterning System


Flexlas - Hochgeschwindigkeits-Laserverfahren zur Herstellung vollintegrierter flexibler

Solarzellen


Project consortium



Objectives

• Roll-to-roll system with integrated laser processes for

manufacturing of organic solar cells

• Industry-ready laser processes: monolithic series

interconnection, edge deletion, encapsulation

• Organic solar cells from laser-based process chain

with 3% conversion efficiency

• Web speed of up to 10 m/min, laser structuring of thin

films with > 10 m/s



Innovations

• Cost-efficient roll-to-roll production technology by

integration of laser processes

• Application of high power ultra-short pulse lasers for

residue-free ablation without material modification

• Demonstration system with integrated process chain

(Coating, drying, laser structuring)

• Potential for other applications of organic electronics

(RIFD tags, printed electronics, OLED lighting)



Patterning 1

Insulation Step ZnO-NP

ITO

PET

PET

PEDOT:PSS

P3HT:PCBM

PET

Silver

Patterning 2

Contacting Step

Patterning 3

Insulation Step PEDOT:PSS

P3HT:PCBM

Objectives



Patterning 1


ITO

PET

PET

PEDOT:PSS

P3HT:PCBM

PET

Silver

Patterning 2

Contacting Step

Patterning 3


P3HT:PCBM

Innovations



Flexlas Demonstrator

Space for integration of

laser processes IR dryer

Coater

Inertized housing

Coatema Smartcoater system

ILT Process integration

RUB Process development

4Jet Process control

LIMO Optical system



Integration of laser processes

• Process control: web edge

and scribe detection

• Structuring: eleven scribes

simultaneously for high

througput

• Edge deletion: galvo scanner

for flexibility

• Encapsulation: gap and

transmission welding of

polymer substrates with barrier

function (not shown)



Acknowledgements

We are grateful for financial support by the Ziel2 program of

North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Regional

Development Fund within the project “Flexlas”.



Coatema – LUNOVU Cooperation


Roll-to-roll deposition expertise

Printed electronics

Organic thin films

Strong coating application

know how

Laser expertise

Components & systems

System integration

Strong laser application

know-how


Integration of Laser Processes into Roll-to-Roll

Manufacturing of Organic Electronics



Laser Technology in Roll-to-Roll Thin Film Processes


processing and ablation of organic

materials/metals/TCO

Edge deletion, scribing, patterning

Stable and reliable processes

User friendly control environment,

no specific laser process expertise

required


Nanoimprinting System





Unwinding

Protective film

Alignment

Coating unit

Embossing

unit

Rewinding




SiO2

Highly doped Si

wafer

SiO2 SiO2

Highly doped Si

wafer

Nanoparticle

solution

A B

Highly doped Si

wafer

SiO2

PDMS mold C

Highly doped Si

wafer

SiO2

PDMS mold

80°C

5 Psi D

Highly doped Si

wafer

SiO2

Dried nanoparticles

E

Highly doped Si

wafer

SiO2

Gold

F

140°C


Soft-Nanoimprint Drum

Rollers for Nanoimprinting



Hot embossing System


Hot embossing Parameters

Printing Speed 0,1 - 3 m/min

Nip Pressure

Register controlled


Hot embossing System



Photolithographic System



Coating Systems



Curtain Coating Slot Die

Hotmelt Slot Die

Powder

Scatterning Dipping Rotary

Screen

Coating Systems

Reverse

Roll 5 Roller Micro Roller 3 Roller Combi

2 Roller Combi

Engraved

Roller

Case Knife Commabar Double Side Knife



Coating Parameters

Finishing

Calendaring

Embossing

Slitting

Coating

Processes

Coating systems

Single or Multilayer coatings

Direct coatings

Transfer (indirect) coatings

Substrate speed

Layer Thickness

Coating accuracy

Process control

Process layout

Tension control system

Material guiding system

Inline parameter control

Quality control

Pretreatment

Corona

Plasma

Cleaning

Substrate

Surface tension

Dimension stability

Surface structure

Contact angle

Drying

Convection drying

Contact drying

Infrared drying

Sintering

NIR

High Frequency

UV crosslinking systems

Environment

Humidity

Temperature

Inert Conditions

Coating

Chemistry

Rheology

Viscosity

Viscoleasticity

Type of solvents

Amount of solids

Van der Waals force

Sheer ratio

Adhesion/Cohesion



Processes

Definition of Coating Systems

Category of

coating methods

Examples of coating

methods belong to the

category

Characteristics

Self-metered - Dip roll

- Nip forward roll

- Reverse roll

Wet thickness is determined

the conditions of the coating

meniscus

Doctored - Mayer rod

- Blade/knife

- Air knife

- Dip & scrape

Post applicator device

determines the wet thickness

Pre-metered -Slot die

- Slide curtain

- Spray

All the ink fed into an applicator

is transferred to the web


Technologies

Slot Die System



Slot Die System

Slot Die Coating Parameters

Printing Speed 1 - 100 m/min

Ink viscosity 0,1 - 30.000 Pa s


Coating accuracy 1 - 5 %



Slot Die System

OPV slot die Meniscus mode High precision slot die



meniscus is formed between die lips and substrate

adhesive stabilization of meniscus by die lips

very low minimum flow rate possible

range of rheological parameters limited for stability

Operating a slot die

Slot Die System


Coating roller

Slot

die

meniscus

Distribution

chamber


Technologies

Slot Die System

fluid

Slot Die Coating capillary stripe widening

typical

distance

100µ or

less

moving substrate or

Slot Die

with

manifold

shim


Slot Die System


Manifold + Shim + Meniscus guide

=

stripe stabilization by meniscus guide



Going to Fab

Needed for success:

• Reproducible results in every step of scale?

• Reality check if the approach is really scalable?

• Is the approach an approach for the real life production environment

or is it rocket science?

• Are economies of scale reachable and when?

• Are there existing production technologies which could be used for a

benchmark analysis?


Technologies




Summary


There are challenges ahead in Europe, but:

The industry has to define processes and standards.

Funding for industrial upscaling is needed.

It is a new value chain, the players have to find together.

A joined cluster approach is needed and takes place.

There is a global effort on PE, this Europe should not forget.

We need global networks, like the OE-A and it's LOPE-C.

It will not be the big ones, the SME's are the strength of Europe.

„Local production on demand versus everyone's big scale“

Summary

Processes


COATEMA Coating Machinery GmbH

Roseller Str. 4

D-41539 Dormagen

021 33 / 97 84 – 0

[email protected] THANK

YOU


Cooperation as a key of sucess

R&D Projects


Partners

Allflex Folienveredlung GmbH & Co KG

production of packaging foils

Interactive Wear AG

and Lodenfrey Service GmbH

production of smart textiles and clothing production

Leclanché Lithium GmbH

battery supplier

Flexensys Project

R&D Projects

Coatema GmbH

supplier of coating lines

ESYS GmbH

supplier of circuit systems

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar energy

research institute

Spree Hybrid & Kommunikationstechnik GmbH (SHK)

data logger and software technology


Li-Ion Accumulator

robust & flexible

Load electronic & data logger

energy consumption ca. 10mW

Project idea

development of a flexible energy systems for energy autarc micro systems

Demonstrator

energy autarkic sensor system

including data logger,

integrated in a Outdoor jacket

Organic solar cells

low weight & high flexibility

Flexensys

R&D Projects


Data logger

Readout of data Integrated solar cells

Battery

Flexensys

R&D Projects


Facess, FP7

R&D Projects

VTT Finland

Suntrica Finland

Cea France

Coatema GmbH Germany

Warsaw University Poland

Umicore Belgium

Imec Belgium


4 printed organic solar modules • PCE 2.3% @ 15.5 cm2 @ AM1.5 / module

• Voc 4.6 V, Isc 1.1 mA/cm2

Printed rechargeable Li battery

• 36 mAh @ 36 cm2

Thinned control transistor chip

• 30 µm thick, flip chip bonded

Rotary screen printed backplane

ZigBee radio module

optimized for

printed battery:

Facess, FP7

R&D Projects


Facess, FP7

R&D Projects


Flexensys

R&D Projects


Roll-to-Roll processing of flexible

OLED for lighting applications

R&D Projects

Dr. Christian May, Dr. Stefan Mogck

Fraunhofer IPMS - Center for Organic Materials and Electronic Devices Dresden COMEDD


OLED Lighting by commed

@ Luminale 2012

R&D Projects


• 300 mm web width

• Metal strips up to 500 μm thickness

• Polymer webs from 50 to 500 μm thickness

• Transportation speed between 0.01 - 1 m/min

• Vacuum evaporation of metal and organic

materials

• Reactive magnetron process of Al2O3 for pre-

encapsulation (full TFE in cooperation with

Fraunhofer FEP)

• Inert transfer between systems

(vacuum lamination)

• An inert box to process under protective

atmosphere for encapsulation and coating with

moisture and oxygen sensitive materials

• R2R inspection system to control defect level

OLED R2R R&D Line at comedd

R&D Projects


14 Linear Organic Evaporators

DC-Magnetron

Lineare Ion Source

2 Metal Evaporators

Substrate Winder

Interleaf Winder

Port for Inert

Substrate Load

Lock

cathode

EBL

HBL

EML

red EML

green

EML

blue

HTL

ETL

BL

BL

Substrate with

Anode layer

3-color-white

OLED stack

R2R vacuum coater MB300-RC

R&D Projects


Attachement possibility for an inert shuttle

Winding unit

Deposition cylinder

Images R2R vacuum coater

R&D Projects


Dogging of the mobile box at the loadlock vacuum coater

To keep the roll under protective atmosphere after OLED process

Roll transfer out off the roller

bearings

Mobile inter Roll Transfer

R&D Projects


• Functionalization of the substrate surface by

coating processes and encapsulation of

organic devices with e.g. a barrier foil

• Encased in an inertbox to process under

protective atmosphere

• Printing and coating with moisture and

oxygen sensitive materials possible

• Gravure printing and slot die coating

• Web inspection system for layer-on-layer

lamination

• Thermal and UV light curing possibility

• Substrate lamination with edge (cartridge)

and area (hot-melt) encapsulation

gravure printing

slit coating

encapsulation unit

R2R Lamination & coating unit

under inert atmosphere

R&D Projects


Inertbox is air tight and prepared for the docking of the mobile box

inert roll transfer from the R2R

vacuum tool

R2R Lamination & coating unit

under N2 atmosphere

R&D Projects


gravure cylinder

Passivation with a white isolating layer to

electrically separate the anode (substrate)

an the cathode.

Patterning of a conductive web with

a dielectric paste

R&D Projects


hotmelt area glue

coating

edge encapsulation by barrier glue

(adjustable for different layouts)

heating cylinder Inert transfer

between vacuum

and lamination tool

possible

Encapsulation by R2R Lamination

R&D Projects


Electrical tests after the encapsulation

Electrical tests in the inert box

OLED operation tests under inert

conditions and after Lamination

R&D Projects


R2R Inspection System R2R Printing and Lamination Unit under inert conditions

R2R Vacuum Coater

Summary process flow R2R R&D line


Vacuum coating

Encapulation OLED characterisation

Substrate inspection

Structuring Substrate inspection


• High efficient and stable top emitting OLED on metals substrates are possible

• R2R OLED line have been successfully upgraded for OLED on polymer films

• R2R printing and lamination under protective nitrogen atmosphere in operation

• R2R inspection unit allows to identify process and defect issues

Summary & Outlook

R&D Projects

Outlook

• Development of white OLED stack in R2R deposition process for general lighting

• Optimization of the Roll-to-Roll process integration: cleaning, patterning, lamination

• Particle- and OLED device controls of the entire R2R OLED process line

• Extension of OLED lighting on flexible TCO coated plastic films

production methods for large area printed electronics

Documents