PLANALITH – Plastic Nanoelectronics by Adhesion Lithography

The level of performance in the majority of electronic devices is governed by two key parameters: (i) the properties of the electroactive materials employed, and (ii) key device dimension(s). Much attention has been paid to the former parameter in the field of large-area electronics, particularly in the search for high quality printed semiconductors. However, little has been done to address a cost-effective solution for the latter, i.e. minimising device dimensions to the nanoscale. The PLANALITH project aimed to address this shortcoming.

Project Objectives

  • High speed rectifying diodes based on co-planar nanogap electrodes fabricated using adhesion lithography
  • A semi automated system for adhesion lithography to assess the scalability of the a-Lith process
Adhesion Lithography

Key achievements

  • Fabrication of nanogap electrodes (aluminium and gold) with spacing of <20 nm and aspect ratios >100,000,000.
  • Automation and optimisation of this process through the development of the a-lith stripper.
  • Printed rectifiers compatible with high frequency (HF) radio frequency identification (RFID) technology (capable of outputting 1.3 V direct current for a ± 4V alternating current input at 13.56 MHz).
  • Printed diodes operate up to 1 GHz.

A new project (PLANALITH4Manufacture) is translating the adhesion-lithography technique developed in PLANALITH into a reproducible manufacturing process and demonstrating its capability in the fabrication of ultra high frequency diodes.

Further details about PLANALITH

Meet some of the researchers

Posted in Past Projects.