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Scalable Manufacturing of Bending-Induced Surface Wrinkles
Xu A Zhang1, Yijie Jiang2, R Bharath Venkatesh1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 29, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed a scalable roll-to-roll method for creating surface wrinkles using bending-induced strains. This technique enables continuous manufacturing of textured surfaces for advanced applications like enhanced solar cells.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Wrinkling generates surface textures with applications in optics, electronics, and coatings.
- Conventional wrinkle fabrication methods are not scalable for commercial use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable manufacturing method for surface wrinkles.
- To demonstrate continuous roll-to-roll processing of wrinkled surfaces.
- To explore the application of these wrinkles in enhancing solar cell efficiency.
Main Methods:
- A thin layer of UV-curable poly(dimethylsiloxane) (UV-PDMS) was coated on a PDMS substrate.
- The bilayer was wrapped around a cylindrical roller to induce bending strain.
- Surface wrinkles were formed after curing and releasing the strain, analyzed computationally and experimentally.
Main Results:
- One-dimensional and checkerboard wrinkle patterns were successfully produced.
- Wrinkle formation was attributed to the interplay between swelling and bending strains.
- A two-roller roll-to-roll prototype demonstrated continuous manufacturing feasibility.
Conclusions:
- The developed method offers a scalable approach for producing functional surface wrinkles.
- Continuous roll-to-roll processing of wrinkled surfaces is now feasible.
- Surface wrinkles enhance solar cell light harvesting and efficiency at oblique angles.
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