FMSG: Eco: Multimaterial Manufacturing of Eco-Friendly and Biodegradable Paper-Based Flexible Hybrid Electronics

Auburn University, Auburn AL

Investigators

Abstract

This Future Manufacturing Seed Grant (FMSG) EcoManufacturing project supports scientific and engineering research enabling the future manufacturing of eco-friendly electronics and sensors printed on paper. Printing places desired materials only where needed, eliminating hazardous waste generation and reducing the pollution associated with traditional electronics manufacturing processes. However, current printing technologies rely on wet processes such as screen or inkjet printing that require extensive development of inks or solutions. These are often impure and can be incompatible with biodegradable paper substrates. The goal of this work is to design and demonstrate a transformative dry additive nanomanufacturing approach that enables the printing of eco-friendly papertronics. The unique ability to dry print multimaterial and multifunctional structures directly on biodegradable paper-based substrates is an attractive solution for future manufacturing of eco-friendly electronics and sensors. The results of this project will also reduce “e-waste”. Electronics are generally discarded after use, and the amount of waste materials, including plastic substrates, is increasing dramatically. The use of biodegradable paper substrates allows for reuse and recycling, from cradle to grave. This research creates synergy amongst several disciplines, including nanomaterials research, device engineering, and flexible electronics, and will contribute to the development of a skilled, multidisciplinary manufacturing workforce. This work will impact many markets, including consumer electronics, healthcare, defense, automotive and aerospace, and will ultimately help the U.S. to retain its leadership in manufacturing and further enhance its economic prosperity. This research aims to establish the theoretical and experimental foundations underpinning future manufacturing of printed electronics on biodegradable papers, overcoming the existing eco-friendly challenges in fabricating multimaterial and multifunctional devices and sensors. The fundamental science generated in this research significantly strengthens our understanding of dry nanoparticle-based printing concepts for 2D and 3D advanced materials and hybrid structures on biodegradable substrates with micro and nanoscale resolutions. The research employs nonequilibrium laser ablation and sintering processes for energy and time-resolved generation and crystallization of various nanoparticle materials, including semiconductors, dielectrics, conductors, as well as emerging multifunctional and quantum materials onto biodegradable paper substrates. This enables a laser-based multimaterial and dry printing approach to fabricate flexible hybrid biodegradable papertronics with a broad spectrum of technologically important materials and designs. Specifically, this research is designed to i) explore controlled, on-demand dry printing of nanoparticles and their sintering mechanisms on biodegradable substrates, ii) understand nanoparticle sintering mechanisms on paper substrates and unravel the structural and morphological evolution of single and multimaterial patterns at different energy and time scales both experimentally and computationally, and iii) investigate the electrical and mechanical performance and reliability of printed papertronics and sensors. The scientific discoveries and engineering concepts developed in this research enable future manufacturing of multimaterial and multifunctional electronics and sensors on biodegradable paper-based substrates. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Materials Research (DMR), the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.