Patterning of fine particles by means of supercritical CO2

A new method for positioning fine particles on surfaces has been developed. Supercritical CO2-assisted printing (SCAP) was utilized to spray and deposit the prepared particles on solid substrates. By means of masks, regular arrays of the particles were successfully created in designed patterns. Typi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of materials science 2006-03, Vol.41 (5), p.1605-1610
Main Authors: Huang, J, Moriyoshi, T, Manabe, H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon dioxide
Ceramic powders
Industrial applications
Masks
Materials science
Micrometers
Plates (structural members)
Substrates
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Summary:A new method for positioning fine particles on surfaces has been developed. Supercritical CO2-assisted printing (SCAP) was utilized to spray and deposit the prepared particles on solid substrates. By means of masks, regular arrays of the particles were successfully created in designed patterns. Typical size of the particles employed was in the range of submicrometers to micrometers. Supercritical CO2 (sc-CO2) acted as an effective dispersion and transportation medium in this process. Good dispersion state of the particles was achieved by stirring in sc-CO2. Fabrications of fine patterns of solder particles and other ceramic powders on smooth plates were demonstrated. Under optimum operation conditions, fine structures of 30 mum in width can be formed in a minimal pitch of 60 mum. Ultra high yield of the patterning was obtained since the deposition rate could be as high as 100 mum per second. Main factors affecting the process were discussed. The research results indicate that the SCAP is a potential approach to the organization of fine particles into microstructures. Hopefully, it may find wide industrial applications where lithography is needed, such as solder printing in surface mounting technology for higher density electronics and thick film fabrication for miniature systems.
ISSN:0022-2461
1573-4803
DOI:10.1007/s10853-006-4655-7