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Design and development of a coating device: Multiple-droplet drop-casting (MDDC-Alpha)
Dominikus Brian1, Morteza Eslamian1
1University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang, Shanghai 200240, China.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|April 9, 2020
Summary
A new multiple-droplet drop-casting device enables large-area, patterned coatings for advanced materials like perovskites and carbon nanotubes. This scalable, low-cost technology minimizes waste and produces uniform films.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Developing scalable methods for depositing thin films is crucial for advanced material applications.
- Current techniques often face limitations in area coverage, patterning capabilities, and material waste.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a novel multiple-droplet drop-casting device for efficient, large-area, and patterned thin-film fabrication.
- To assess the device's adaptability to various solution-processed materials and its performance characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a multi-channel syringe pump for simultaneous or time-lagged droplet release (<10 ms).
- Fabricated coatings up to ~100 cm² using carbon nanotube ink, graphene oxide ink, PEDOT:PSS, and perovskite solutions.
- Investigated the influence of release height and film area on film properties.
Main Results:
- Achieved reproducible and uniform films with micrometer thickness and ~1 μm roughness.
- Demonstrated the device's scalability, low cost, and adaptability to diverse materials.
- Confirmed the device's insensitivity to minor contaminations and its ability to minimize material waste.
Conclusions:
- The developed multiple-droplet drop-casting device offers a versatile and efficient solution for fabricating large-area and patterned thin films.
- This technology holds significant potential for applications in electronics, energy, and sensor technologies requiring solution-processed materials.
