Vol.4 No.1 2011

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Research paper−9−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.4 No.1 pp.9-18 (Sept. 2011) Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) propose the concept of “minimal manufacturing”, which is a concept for a production process that simultaneously solves the three elements that often contradict each other: “energy and resource saving”, “high performance/new function”, and “high productivity, low cost”. By achieving minimal manufacturing, AIST aims to contribute to the sustainable development of Japanese manufacturing through environmental harmony and international competition.The situation is no different in the field of electronics mounting. In the wiring technology that is the core of electronics product manufacturing, there is rising demand for high diversity and customization of the mounting of electronic circuitry and parts. Since photolithography technology used in silicon micromachining is a relatively high cost process, it is difficult to achieve high diversity using this technology. In the wiring for displays with large surface areas such as the flat panel display (FPD), achieving larger surface area is difficult because there are issues in the alignment of mask due to the fine-sizing, increased surface area, and multiple layering of the mask. Moreover, the photolithography process is a multistep process that involves among other steps the formation of the conducting metal film ,deposition and removal of the photoresist material, removal of the excess conducting metal, and washing. Large volume of waste liquid containing precious metals and harmful substances is produced, and energy and resource savings in these processes are necessary[1].The inkjet printing technology that we are developing can form the desired conductive film only on the areas needed avoiding in this way the production of waste. With its on-demand and energy saving characteristics, it is a technology at the core of “minimum manufacturing” proposed by 1 BackgroundAs the industrial structure becomes globalized, the electronic technology has become one of the major fields that support the Japanese economy and industry. Several new electronic devices are developed and produced with the advancement of technology. With this background, the price competition is becoming even fiercer, as there are differences in the values for quality and performance in Japan and abroad. Technological innovations are needed to ensure the competitiveness of the Japanese makers in the years to come I nthe world market.As seen in the built-to-order (BTO) (system where the products are manufactured after receiving the order from the customer), customizations and differentiation of the electronic devices are done according to demand, and various tailor-made electronic devices and products are manufactured to meet the demands of the users throughout the world. As a result, an innovative manufacturing technology that enables high-diversity low-volume or high-diversity variable-volume production as well as shortened product cycle is becoming important. At the sites of development and production, efforts are spent on the diversification of functions, downsizing, further cost reduction, and high throughput by integrating the electronic devices with various functions. At the same time, small-lot production and short delivery time are achieved by the horizontal division of labor of the manufacturing process[1].On the other hand, from the perspective of sustainability of industry, there is a high demand for technologies that are using minimum resources, minimum energy consumption and low environmental impact for the “manufacturing process” in the 21st century. The National Institute of - Wiring technology to achieve high throughput and fine patterning simultaneously-Akito Endo* and Jun AkedoAdvanced Manufacturing Research Institute, AIST 1-2-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-8564, Japan *E-mail : Original manuscript received August 26, 2009, Revisions received November 9, 2010, Accepted November 18, 2010A new technology that can be easily adapted to various circuit designs and production in small lots has been requested in electronic device manufacturing where low cost device fabrication on large area is required. We have developed a laser-assisted inkjet printing technology which can achieve high throughput and fine patterning simultaneously. To realize fine patterning with low resistivity, ejected ink-droplets have been dried by laser irradiation to suppress expansion on a substrate, a problem often observed in a conventional inkjet process. Drawing of fine wiring with aspect ratio of 1 or above with line width of 10 m or less has been achieved using this new approach. In this paper, the achievements of laser assisted inkjet printing technology is shown based on the needs that triggered this research and the solutions used to overcome the problems met during the R&D process.Development of laser-assisted inkjet printing technologyKeywords : Ink-jet printing, throughput, fine pattern, wiring technology, low cost[Translation from Synthesiology, Vol.4, No.1, p.1-10 (2011)]

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