Electrode patterning on PEDOT:PSS thin films by pulsed ultraviolet laser for touch panel screens

Laser dry etching by a laser driven direct writing apparatus has been extensively used for the micro- and nano-patterning on the solid surface. The purpose of this study is to pattern the PEDOT:PSS thin film coated on the soda-lime glass substrates by a nano-second pulsed ultraviolet laser processing system. The patterned PEDOT:PSS film structure provides the electrical isolation and prevents the electrical contact from each region for capacitive touch screens. The surface morphology, geometric dimension, and edge quality of ablated area after the variety of laser patternings were measured by a 3D confocal laser scanning microscope. After the single pulse laser irradiation, the ablation threshold of the PEDOT:PSS film conducted by the nano-second pulsed UV laser was determined to be 0.135±0.003 J/cm². The single pulse laser interacted region and the ablated line depth increased with increasing the laser fluence. Moreover, the inner line width of ablated PEDOT:PSS films along the patterned line path increased with increasing the laser fluence but the shoulder width increased with decreasing fluence, respectively. The clean, smooth, and straight ablated edges were accomplished after the electrode patterning with the laser fluence of 1.7 J/cm² and 90 % overlapping rate.     

Laser direct imaging of transparent indium tin oxide electrodes using high speed stitching techniques

To accomplish an electrode patterning in large area, we present a high speed stitching technique used in an ultraviolet laser processing system and investigate the interaction between laser beams and indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films deposited on glass substrates. After optimizing the process parameters of the laser direct imaging (LDI) for the large-area electrode patterning, the ablated lines looked like regularly fish-scale marks of about a 40 μm diameter and a 120 nm depth around the processing path. The parameters includes the laser power of 1W, the scanning speed of galvanometers of 800 mm/s, and the laser pulse repetition frequency of 50 kHz. Moreover, the resistance value of the ablated ITO thin film is larger than 200MΩ that is electrically insulated from the other regions of electrode structure. LDI technology with UV laser beam has great potential applications in patterning on wafer or sapphire substrates and patterning a conductive layer deposited on the touch panels for semiconductor and optoelectric industries, respectively.     

Patterning of nanoparticulate transparent conductive ITO films using UV light irradiation and UV laser beam writing

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film is one of the most widely used as transparent conductive electrodes in all forms of flat panel display (FPD) and microelectronic devices. Suspension of already crystalline conductive ITO nanoparticles fully dispersed in alcohol was spun, after modifying with coupling agent, on glass substrates. The low cost, simple and versatile traditional photolithography process without complication of the photoresist layer was used for patterning ITO films. Using of UV light irradiation through mask and direct UV laser beam writing resulted in an accurate linear, sharp edge and very smooth patterns. Irradiated ITO film showed a high transparency (∼85%) in the visible region. The electrical sheet resistance decrease with increasing time of exposure to UV light and UV laser. Only 5 min UV light irradiation is enough to decrease the electrical sheet resistance down to 5 kΩ□.     

Laser direct patterning of the T-shaped ITO electrode for high-efficiency alternative current plasma display panels

The laser direct patterning technique is one of the new methods of direct etching process to replace the conventional photolithography. In this experiment, a Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄ (λ = 1064 nm) laser was used to produce the indium-tin oxide (ITO) patterns with a complex T-shaped structure on glass substrate. The results showed that the overlapping rate of laser beam had a major effect on the quality of the edge of the ITO electrode. When the overlapping rate was about 75%, it was possible to obtain optimum linearity in the edge of patterned ITO electrode. By using the optimum conditions of 75% overlapping rate, 500 mm/s scanning speed, and 40 kHz repetition rate, an alternative current plasma display panels (AC PDPs) with T-shaped ITO electrode was fabricated and characterized. The discharging results showed that the AC PDPs with the laser ablated T-shaped ITO electrode had a better discharging characteristics compared to the conventional sample with wet-etched stripe-type ITO electrode.     

Fabrication of transparent double-walled carbon nanotubes flexible matrix touch panel by laser ablation technique

This study reports on the fabrication of transparent double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) flexible matrix touch panel using the method of laser ablation. We employed an Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) to pattern transparent DWNT thin film pre-coated on a PET substrate and successfully fabricated a flexible matrix touch panel. By increasing the laser energy, the ablation depth of transparent DWNT flexible thin film is increased but the sheet resistance (Ω/sq) is decreased. When the laser energy intensity reaches 117 mJ/cm², the DWNTs can be completely ablated from transparent DWNT flexible thin film. This method is rapid, simple, applicable to large-area processing and thus is potential for mass production.     

Microelectrode patterning of metal films using pulsed UV-laser system

This study presents a maskless method to conduct microelectrode patterning of metal films using pulsed UV-laser-writing technology. The experimental procedures involved designing the ablation region of a glass substrate, ablation path planning, and determining detailed laser-writing parameters. The various parameters used in a UV-laser-writing system were investigated and analyzed using an optical microscope and a three-dimensional confocal laser scanning microscope. This technique was successfully applied in patterning aluminum (Al) thin film on a glass substrate for use in microheater devices. The measurements of electrical resistance and temperature distribution on the substrate demonstrated that no short circuiting occurred in the microheater, confirming the quality of the electrical isolation values.     

Mechanism and characteristics of steam laser patterning

Steam laser patterning of thin films and/or solid surfaces has been studied by jetting a beam of steam, such as water vapor, onto a sample surface to form a thin liquid film on it and patterning the sample by laser etching along predetermined path. In steam laser patterning, bubbles are formed in a thin liquid film on a sample surface irradiated by a pulsed laser. When the collapsed shock wave generated at the moment of bubble collapse and the high-speed liquid jet formed during bubble collapse are strong enough, cavitation erosion of the sample surface takes place. Compared to dry laser patterning, the etching rate can be greatly enhanced and no shoulder-like structure is formed at the rim of the laser-irradiated spot in steam laser patterning due to this cavitation erosion effect. PACS 81.65.cf; 52.38.Mf; 79.20.Ds; 42.62.-b; 62.50.+p     

A study of stitch line formation during high speed laser patterning of thin film indium tin oxide transparent electrodes

High speed laser patterning of indium tin oxide thin films on glass is part of the production method used to produce transparent conductive electrodes for plasma display panels. Such a design consists of rows of repeating electrode structures which cover the active area of the display. Whilst the patterning process for such electrode structures exceeds the industrial acceptance criteria there are certain features that are yet to be fully understood. The visible line that occurs in-between two adjacent laser processed areas, commonly known as a stitch line, is one such feature. Previously published research claimed that the stitch line was caused by incomplete removal of the thin film however experimental results presented within this paper demonstrate that this cannot be the case and show that the stitch line is formed by redeposition of the plume of ablated material within the area of overlap with the previous pulse, and that heating of the sample by the second pulse plays a key role in stitch line formation.     

Mechanical and optoelectric properties of post-annealed fluorine-doped tin oxide films by ultraviolet laser irradiation

The fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin film deposited on a soda-lime glass substrate was annealed by a defocus ultraviolet (UV) laser irradiation at ambient temperature. The mechanical and optoelectric properties of FTO films annealed by using the various laser processing parameters were reported. After the FTO films were subjected to laser post-annealing, the microhardness were slightly less but the reduced modulus values were larger than that of unannealed FTO films, respectively. The average optical transmittance in the visible waveband slightly increased with increasing the laser annealing energy and scan speed. Moreover, all the sheet resistance of laser annealed films was less than that of the unannealed ones. We found that the sheet resistance decrease was obviously influenced by annealing. The suitable annealing conditions could maintain the film thickness and relief the internal stress generated in the film preparation process to improve the electrical conductivity via decreasing laser energy or increasing scan speed.     

Laser annealing process of ITO thin films using beam shaping technology

In this study, we develop a laser annealing system for In₂O₃Sn (ITO) to carry out heat treatment on oxides with high melting temperature on substrates with low melting temperature. It is known that the working temperature of traditional heat treatments is usually limited by the melting point of the substrate materials. To overcome this problem, we apply a laser annealing technique to modify the film properties, and to measure the electrical and surface properties, we use Hall measurement, a four-point probe, and an atomic force microscope in our experiment. We will discuss how the annealing is affected by the laser machining parameters, including the beam profile, intensity distribution, laser spot overlap, and laser operation mode. We will further show through experimental results that the beam profile greatly affects the surface roughness of the ITO films. With the use of a uniform beam profile with proper laser intensity, the surface roughness and the sheet resistance of the ITO films can be reduced from 23 nm to 4.2 nm and from 417 Ω/sq to 400.4 Ω/sq, respectively.     

Fabrication of textured SnO2:F thin films by spray pyrolysis

Transparent conductive SnO₂:F thin films with textured surfaces were fabricated on soda-lime-silica glass substrates by spray pyrolysis. Structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of the films were investigated. Results show that the film structure, morphology, haze, transmittance and sheet resistance are dependent on the substrate temperature and film thickness. An optimal 810 nm-thick SnO₂:F film with textured surface deposited at 520 °C exhibits polycrystalline rutile tetragonal structure with a (2 0 0) orientation. The sheet resistance, average transmittance in visible region, and haze of this film were 8 Ω/□, 80.04% and 11.07%, respectively, which are suitable for the electrode used in the hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells.     

Characterization of silver nanomeshes generated by laser-induced photoreduction from a solid silver nitrate thin film

This study characterizes electrical properties of silver thin films with meshed nanostructures fabricated through the photoreduction of solid silver nitrate thin films using excimer laser irradiation. Variations of mesh morphology as functions of laser irradiation time and fluences are examined; and the relationship between the film’s electrical resistance and mesh structure are addressed. The course of nanomesh formation can be separated into two main phases: precipitation of silver nanoparticles as a result of photoreduction; and, formation of mesh nanostructures through the photothermal effect. The resulting electrical resistance depends strongly on the mesh nanostructure. With a suitable arrangement of laser fluence and irradiation time, silver thin films with well interconnected nanomeshes can be fabricated. Results show that silver thin films with low electrical resistivity, down to 8.5×10⁻⁸ Ω m, are easily obtainable. The laser reduction approach takes advantage of the flexibility in local patterning. Moreover, the reduction is from a solid silver nitrate thin film and is executed in the ambient environment that renders this approach a potential method for low-temperature fabrication of metallic electrode conductors for organic electronics.     

ZnO/Ag/ZnO multilayer films for the application of a very low resistance transparent electrode

Transparent conductive ZnO/Ag/ZnO multilayer electrodes having much lower electrical resistance than the widely used transparent electrodes were prepared by simultaneous RF magnetron sputtering of ZnO and DC magnetron sputtering of Ag. An Ag film with different thickness was used as intermediate metallic layers. The optimum thickness of Ag thin films was determined to be 6 nm for high optical transmittance and good electrical conductivity. With about 20-25 nm thick ZnO films, the multilayer showed high optical transmittance in the visible range of the spectrum and had color neutrality. The electrical and optical properties of the multilayers were changed mainly by Ag film properties. A high quality transparent electrode, having sheet resistance as low as 3 ohm/sq and high transmittance of 90% at 580 nm, was obtained and could be reproduced by controlling the preparation parameter properly. The above property is suitable as transparent electrode for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC).     

Electrical properties of organic field effect transistors with thin graphite/metal electrode directly grown by ICP-CVD at low temperatures

The high contact resistance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), due to the work function difference between metal electrode and organic channel, seriously decreases the electrical properties. Graphene electrode could reduce the contact resistance and improve the electrical performance of OTFTs. However, the high chemical vapor deposition (CVD) temperature (900–1000 °C) limits the available OTFT substrate in the case of direct graphene growth on S/D metal electrodes. Furthermore, the application of a transferred graphene electrode induces significant problems due to the transfer process. In this work, thin graphite sheet was directly grown on a metal electrode by the inductively coupled plasma-chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) method at as low temperature as 400, 500 °C. We show that OFETs with thin graphite sheet/metal, grown at 400, 500 °C, exhibit much lower contact resistance than OFETs with metal-only electrode.     

Electrode geometries for periodic poling of ferroelectric materials

We have realized novel electrode configurations for efficient periodic poling of ferroelectric crystals by applying a simple patterning method based on laser-induced material ablation. The new geometries were theoretically investigated and compared with conventional configurations. A systematic optimization of the patterning according to the ablated profile led to high-quality quasi-phase-matched structures in lithium niobate with a grating period of 20 mum . The periodically poled samples were characterized by use of third-order second-harmonic generation of a Nd:YAG laser.     

Studying the mechanisms of steel sheet perforation by the radiation of a continuous-wave fiber laser

Aspects of steel sheet perforation are studied experimentally. Calculations show that the mechanisms of thin sheet perforation change as the focal spot size is increased at a constant laser power. If the spot is small, the melt is removed and the film is disrupted by steel boiling in the spot center. With larger spots, the melt is removed by the force of gravity. The hole diameter grows along with the focal spot size and sheet thickness and is reduced upon an increase in laser power.     

Formation of TiO2 film with lower electrical resistance by aerosol beam and fiber laser irradiation

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a functional ceramic with unique photoconductive and photocatalytic properties. In our previous study, a TiO₂ film was formed by aerosol beam irradiation. The films were darkened by femtosecond laser irradiation in air. Then electrical resistance of the darkened area on the film decreased. The heating process is also a useful method to vary the TiO₂ film property. Local heating can be performed by using a continuous wave (CW) fiber laser. In this study, the film was irradiated with a commercial CW fiber laser in vacuum. Laser irradiated area on the film was also darkened after CW fiber laser irradiation. The electrical resistance of the darkened area on the films was decreased as laser fluence was increased. Electrical resistance of the darkened area after CW fiber laser irradiation in vacuum was much smaller than that after femtosecond laser irradiation.     

Transparent conductive ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer electrodes deposited by sputtering at room temperature

ITO/Ag/ITO multilayers have been prepared onto conventional soda lime glass substrates by sputtering at room temperature. The optical and electrical characteristics of single layer and multilayer structures have been investigated as a function of the Ag and ITO film thicknesses. Transmittance and sheet resistance values are found mainly dependent on the Ag film thickness; whereas the wavelength range at which the maximum transmittance is achieved can be changed by adjusting the ITO films thickness. ITO/Ag/ITO electrodes with sheet resistance below 6 Ω/sq have been obtained for Ag film thickness above 10 nm and ITO layers thickness in the 30-50 nm range. These multilayers also show high transmittance in the visible spectral region, above 90% by discounting the glass substrate, with a maximum that is located at higher wavelengths for thicker ITO.