阅读说明：本技术 制备柔性传感器的方法 (Method for manufacturing flexible sensor ) 是由 吴志鸿 杨柏儒 于 2019-10-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开提供了一种制备柔性传感器的方法,直接利用胶带作为传感器的基材,通过卷对卷工艺将电极和功能层转印到胶带上,从而可以大规模、大面积、高精度、高效率地制备柔性传感器。(The present disclosure provides methods for manufacturing a flexible sensor, which directly uses an adhesive tape as a substrate of the sensor, and transfers electrodes and functional layers onto the adhesive tape by a roll-to-roll process, thereby manufacturing the flexible sensor in a large scale, a large area, and a high precision and efficiency.)

A method of preparing a flexible sensor of the type , the method comprising:

providing tape from a substrate unwind roll to a substrate wind-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, the tape having an th viscoelastic surface;

providing a 0 th electrode layer support layer from an th electrode layer support layer take-up roll to a th electrode layer support layer take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, a th electrode layer being supported on said th electrode layer support layer exiting said 1 th electrode layer support layer take-up roll, wherein said th viscoelastic surface of said tape is brought into contact with said th electrode layer at a th electrode layer transfer counter roll to transfer said th electrode layer from said th electrode layer support layer to said th viscoelastic surface of said tape;

providing a semiconductor functional layer support layer from a semiconductor functional layer take-up roll to a semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, a semiconductor functional layer being supported on the semiconductor functional layer support layer exiting the semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roll, wherein at a semiconductor functional layer transfer counter roll, the th viscoelastic surface of the tape is brought into contact with the semiconductor functional layer to transfer the semiconductor functional layer from the semiconductor functional layer support layer onto the th viscoelastic surface of the tape.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tape further comprises a second viscoelastic surface opposite the viscoelastic surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tape is an optical clear tape.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the th electrode layer is a patterned nano-silver film.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the th viscoelastic surface is plasma surface treated prior to transfer through the th electrode layer to the counter roller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor functional layer is made of CdS or ZnO.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor functional layer is patterned nanowires.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor functional layer is an electronic ink capsule block microarray.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a second electrode layer support layer from a second electrode layer support layer take-up roll to a second electrode layer support layer take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, holding a second electrode layer on the second electrode layer support layer exiting the second electrode layer support layer take-up roll, and contacting the th viscoelastic surface of the tape with the second electrode layer at a second electrode layer transfer counter-roll to transfer the second electrode layer from the second electrode layer support layer to the th viscoelastic surface of the tape.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a protective layer from a protective layer take-up roll to the substrate take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, wherein the protective layer is attached to the th viscoelastic surface before the tape reaches the substrate take-up roll where the protective layer covers the counter roll.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of flexible sensors, and more particularly to methods of making flexible sensors.

Background

Since flexible electronic devices are bendable and suitable for solution-state fabrication, and have high sensitivity characteristics, -generic research has been conducted in wearable sensor applications.

There remains a need for improved methods of manufacturing flexible sensors on a large scale, large area, high precision, and high efficiency.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure provides methods of making a flexible sensor, the method comprising:

providing tape from a substrate unwind roll to a substrate wind-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, the tape having an th viscoelastic surface;

providing a 0 th electrode layer support layer from an th electrode layer support layer take-up roll to a th electrode layer support layer take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, a th electrode layer being supported on said th electrode layer support layer exiting said 1 th electrode layer support layer take-up roll, wherein said th viscoelastic surface of said tape is brought into contact with said th electrode layer at a th electrode layer transfer counter roll to transfer said th electrode layer from said th electrode layer support layer to said th viscoelastic surface of said tape;

providing a semiconductor functional layer support layer from a semiconductor functional layer take-up roll to a semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, a semiconductor functional layer being supported on the semiconductor functional layer support layer exiting the semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roll, wherein at a semiconductor functional layer transfer counter roll, the th viscoelastic surface of the tape is brought into contact with the semiconductor functional layer to transfer the semiconductor functional layer from the semiconductor functional layer support layer onto the th viscoelastic surface of the tape.

Optionally, the tape further has a second viscoelastic surface opposite the th viscoelastic surface.

Optionally, the tape is an optical clear tape.

Optionally, the th electrode layer is a patterned nano-silver film.

Optionally, the th viscoelastic surface is plasma surface treated prior to transfer through the th electrode layer to a counter roller.

Optionally, the semiconductor functional layer is made of CdS or ZnO.

Optionally, the semiconductor functional layer is a patterned nanowire.

Optionally, the semiconductor functional layer is an electronic ink capsule block microarray.

Optionally, the method further comprises providing a second electrode layer support layer from a second electrode layer support layer unwind roll to a second electrode layer support layer wind-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, holding a second electrode layer on the second electrode layer support layer exiting the second electrode layer support layer unwind roll, contacting the viscoelastic surface of the tape with the second electrode layer at a second electrode layer transfer counter roll to transfer the second electrode layer from the second electrode layer support layer to the viscoelastic surface of the tape.

Optionally, the method further comprises providing a protective layer from a protective layer take-up roll to the substrate take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, wherein the protective layer is affixed to the th viscoelastic surface before the tape reaches the substrate take-up roll where the protective layer covers the counter roll.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a transferred electronic ink capsule piece microarray.

Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration of another embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

To solve the aforementioned problems, the present disclosure provides a method of making a flexible sensor, characterized in that the method comprises:

providing tape from a substrate unwind roll to a substrate wind-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, the tape having an th viscoelastic surface;

providing a 0 th electrode layer support layer from an th electrode layer support layer take-up roll to a th electrode layer support layer take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, a th electrode layer being supported on said th electrode layer support layer exiting said 1 th electrode layer support layer take-up roll, wherein said th viscoelastic surface of said tape is brought into contact with said th electrode layer at a th electrode layer transfer counter roll to transfer said th electrode layer from said th electrode layer support layer to said th viscoelastic surface of said tape;

providing a semiconductor functional layer support layer from a semiconductor functional layer take-up roll to a semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, a semiconductor functional layer being supported on the semiconductor functional layer support layer exiting the semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roll, wherein at a semiconductor functional layer transfer counter roll, the th viscoelastic surface of the tape is brought into contact with the semiconductor functional layer to transfer the semiconductor functional layer from the semiconductor functional layer support layer onto the th viscoelastic surface of the tape.

The fabrication of the flexible sensor is performed using a roll-to-roll approach of the present disclosure. The reel-to-reel approach may provide the capability for large-scale, large-area, high-precision, high-efficiency production.

Flexible sensors typically include an electrode layer on a flexible substrate and a semiconductor functional layer in contact with the electrode layer.

Currently, in a conventional roll-to-roll process for manufacturing a flexible device, a specific device structure is formed by continuously forming a film on a substrate through unwinding, coating, curing, imprinting, compositing, rolling and other modules. Wherein the curing step is used to ensure a strong bond between the various layer structures in the device.

The method disclosed by the invention can ensure the stability of the layer structure without using a curing step, thereby greatly improving the preparation efficiency. To achieve this, the method of the present disclosure uses adhesive tape as the flexible sensor substrate.

More specifically, the adhesive tape in this disclosure has an th viscoelastic surface, for example, the adhesive tape may have a pressure sensitive adhesive layer on surfaces as the th viscoelastic surface.

The first electrode layer is formed on the 2 nd electrode layer support layer at the 6 th electrode layer transfer roll, the 7 th viscoelastic surface of the tape is brought into contact with the 8 th electrode layer to transfer the 9 th electrode layer from the second electrode layer support layer to the 0 th viscoelastic surface of the tape, in other words, the 1 st electrode layer is formed on the 2 nd electrode layer support layer first, the 3 rd electrode layer may be patterned, i.e., having the pattern required for the 4 th electrode in the flexible sensor, the 5 th electrode layer support layer is used to support the 6 th electrode layer, and the 7 th electrode layer is kept in a spatial shape, the 8 th electrode layer is bonded to the 9 th electrode layer with a suitable bonding force, and both may be applied to the outer surface of the tape, and thus the second electrode layer is applied from the roll, the support layer, the second electrode layer is applied to the support layer, and the support layer is applied to the second electrode layer roll, the support layer is applied to the support layer, and the support layer is not applied to the second electrode layer, thus the second electrode layer is applied to the support layer by a roll, the support layer, the second electrode layer is applied to the support layer, the second electrode layer is applied to the roll, and the second electrode layer is applied to the support layer, thus the support layer, the second electrode layer is applied to the support layer, the second electrode layer is applied to roll, and the support layer, the second electrode layer is applied to roll, the support layer, the second electrode layer is applied to roll, the support layer is applied to roll, the support layer, the second electrode layer is applied to roll, the support layer is applied to roll, the support layer, the second support layer is applied to roll, the support layer, the second support layer, the support layer is applied to roll, the support layer, the second support layer, the.

The transfer counter roller is an counter roller or two opposing rollers and is configured to allow the initial film layer and the target film layer supporting the layer to be transferred to pass between the rollers with the layer to be transferred being between the initial film layer and the target film layer.

Specifically, at the electrode layer transfer counter roller, the viscoelastic surface of the tape was brought into contact with the electrode layer to transfer the electrode layer from the electrode layer supporting layer onto the viscoelastic surface of the tape. The pressure at the counter roller during transfer printing can be 1-10kg/cm²Preferably 4 to 5kg/cm²。

Thus, the th electrode layer can be transferred from the th electrode layer supporting layer to a tape, i.e., a substrate, in a roll-to-roll manner.

It should be noted that due to the different nature of the substrates, it is difficult to form the patterned th electrode layer directly on the tape substrate by means of, for example, spin coating or spray coating, while it is convenient and easy to form the patterned th electrode layer on the th electrode layer support layer.

To ensure that transfer can be achieved, the adhesive force of the th viscoelastic surface of the tape to the th electrode layer must be sufficiently greater than the adhesive force of the th electrode layer support layer to the th electrode layer examples of the th viscoelastic surface of the tape include polydimethylsiloxane, copolymers of butylene glycol oxalate and butylene glycol terephthalate, acrylic resins, epoxy resins, silicone gels, optical gels, hydrogels, and uv-curable gels, examples of the th electrode layer include silver nanowires, carbon nanotubes, polyethylenedioxythiophene, graphene, etc., and examples of the lower electrode support layer include PET, etc.

the electrode layer may be designed to have portion as a cathode and portion as an anode in addition to a cathode or an anode in the sensor, and the circuit pattern of the electrode layer may be designed to have the cathode and the anode spaced apart from each other, and then the semiconductor functional layer may be bridged between the cathode and the anode to form the sensor, alternatively, only the electrode layer may be used as the cathode or the anode, and the counter electrode may be formed after the semiconductor functional layer is formed.

In the method of the present disclosure, a semiconductor functional layer support layer is supplied in a roll-to-roll manner from a semiconductor functional layer take-up roll to a semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roll, a semiconductor functional layer is supported on the semiconductor functional layer support layer which is separated from the semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roll, wherein at a semiconductor functional layer transfer counter roll, the th viscoelastic surface of the adhesive tape is brought into contact with the semiconductor functional layer to transfer the semiconductor functional layer from the semiconductor functional layer support layer onto the th viscoelastic surface of the adhesive tape.

The semiconductor functional layer is conventional in sensors it is understood that the th electrode layer does not completely cover the th viscoelastic surface and that the patterned th electrode layer leaves portions of the st th viscoelastic surface exposed, the semiconductor functional layer bonds to at least the portion of the exposed th viscoelastic surface and thus to the flexible substrate, and in addition, the semiconductor functional layer also contacts the th electrode layer to enable assembly of the sensor.

When the th electrode layer included both cathode and anode patterns as described above, the th electrode layer bonded to the th viscoelastic surface of the flexible substrate and the semiconductor functional layer comprised the sensor.

It should be understood that the electrode layer may be transferred first, as well as the semiconductor functional layer, on the th viscoelastic layer, typically, to better maintain the pattern of the th electrode layer, the th electrode layer is transferred before the semiconductor functional layer is transferred.

In embodiments, the tape also has a second viscoelastic surface opposite the viscoelastic surface, i.e., each side of the tape has a viscoelastic surface.

The optional second viscoelastic surface may be the same material as the optional viscoelastic surface.

In embodiments, the tape is optical clear tape, which is suitable for use in making photodetectors.

In embodiments, the electrode layer is a patterned nanosilver film that is electrically conductive, has a low thickness, is easily patterned, and is particularly well-suited for transfer printing.

In embodiments, the viscoelastic surface is plasma surface treated before transfer to a roller through the electrode layer the methyl group of the viscoelastic surface that is plasma surface treated is converted to hydroxyl group, which increases the hydrophilicity of the surface and facilitates the adhesion of the electrode layer such as a nano-silver film.

In embodiments, the semiconducting functional layer is made of CdS or ZnO both semiconducting materials are suitable for making, for example, self-driven photodetectors and photosensors.

In embodiments, the semiconductor functional layer is patterned nanowires the semiconductor functional layer in the form of nanowires can still expose the viscoelastic surface for the formation of subsequent layers, such as a protective layer.

In embodiments, the semiconductor functional layer is a microarray of electronic ink capsules, the electronic ink capsules are scraped into a patterned stencil, and the patterned capsules are formed within the stencil after curing by heat.

In embodiments, the method further includes providing a second electrode layer support layer from a second electrode layer support layer take-up roll to a second electrode layer support layer take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, holding a second electrode layer on the second electrode layer support layer exiting the second electrode layer support layer take-up roll, contacting the viscoelastic surface of the tape with the second electrode layer at a second electrode layer transfer pair roll to transfer the second electrode layer from the second electrode layer support layer to the viscoelastic surface of the tape.

As described above, according to different circuit designs, when the th electrode layer serves only as the cathode or the anode , the second electrode layer can be formed as the counter electrode.

In embodiments, the method further includes providing a protective layer from a protective layer take-up roll to the substrate take-up roll in a roll-to-roll manner, wherein the protective layer is attached to the th viscoelastic surface where the protective layer covers the counter roll before the tape reaches the substrate take-up roll.

The invention is further illustrated by the following figures and examples.

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of embodiments of the present disclosure.

101-103 are tape unwinding devices. 201-204 are transfer devices for adhesive tape and electrodes. 301-304 are transfer devices for the tape and the semiconductor functional layer. 401 and 404 are protection and winding devices of the transfer-finished adhesive tape.

101-103 rollers are used for unwinding the adhesive tape. The adhesive tape with the release film starts from the substrate unwinding roller 101, the adhesive tape is pulled by the substrate winding roller 404, the release film is pulled by the release film winding roller 103, and the release film is removed at the turning roller 102.

The 201 st and 204 th rollers are used to transfer the th electrode layer to the tape, the th electrode layer support layer supporting the th electrode layer moves from the th electrode layer support layer take-up roller 203 to the th electrode layer support layer take-up roller 204 and passes in common with the tape at the th electrode layer transfer counter roller 201, 202, where the th electrode layer on the th electrode layer support layer is in contact with and transferred to the tape.

The 301 and 304 rollers are used for transferring the semiconductor functional layer to the adhesive tape, the semiconductor functional layer support layer holding the semiconductor functional layer moves from the semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roller 303 to the semiconductor functional layer support layer take-up roller 304 and passes together with the adhesive tape carrying the th electrode layer at the semiconductor functional layer transfer counter rollers 301 and 302, where the semiconductor functional layer on the semiconductor functional layer support layer is in contact with and transferred to the adhesive tape and is in electrical contact with the th electrode layer to assemble the sensor.

The 401-404 roller is a protection and winding device of the transfer-finished adhesive tape. And 403 is a protective layer unwinding roller. The protective film is pressed against the transferred adhesive tape at the position where the protective film covers the pair rollers 401, 402. Substrate take-up roll 404 roll also acts as a protective layer take-up roll.

Fig. 1 is merely exemplary, for example, the semiconductor functional layer transfer stage may precede the th electrode layer transfer stage.

Fig. 2 shows how an e-ink capsule piece microarray is transferred. The top view shows a heat-cured electronic ink capsule mass formed within a stencil, which itself is a flexible material that can be transported roll-to-roll. As described in the above figures, the top of the capsule mass is formed slightly lower than the surface of the stencil with a gap. The lower diagram shows the case at the time of transfer. Both the tape and the stencil are moved to the right at a speed v. Under the pressure of the upper transfer roller, the adhesive tape is slightly recessed into the above-mentioned gap, and due to the presence of the viscoelastic surface, the capsule mass is transferred onto the adhesive tape when the roller presses the capsule mass surface.

On the basis of fig. 1, it is also possible to provide rollers 501, 502 and 503 for the second electrode layer as shown in fig. 3 to form a photodetector having the second electrode layer.

The invention is further illustrated by the following example .