F R A U N H OF E R I N S T I T U T E F O R L A S E R T E C H N O L O G Y I L T
PRESS RELEASE
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Production of organic electronics strongly benefits from
laser patterning and welding
Organic electronics is promising to be one of the groundbreaking technologies
to revolutionize our everyday lives by including new functionalities into nearly
any item. The industry's challenging goal is to produce robust, flexible
electronic devices that enable electronic functionality in consumer products at
costs of a few cents per item. These devices require thin power sources like
batteries or solar modules, flexible displays as interfaces to the user and
electronic circuits that create the desired functions. Each component is
produced in a complex sequence of deposition, printing, patterning and
encapsulation steps. Laser-based thin film patterning and joining processes
strongly benefit these production chains by streamlining sequences, increasing
productivity and enabling new production strategies. At LOPEC trade fair in
Munich the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT will be presenting
laser based thin film patterning.
Laser patterning enters production
For the step to mass production, the lifetime of the organic components have to
be improved while the manufacturing costs have to be significantly reduced.
Therefore, a technically mature encapsulation which is inexpensive in production is
required. The use of thin barrier layers is the most promising approach. For
electrical contacting of the OLED these barrier layers have to be removed locally
and selectively without damaging underlying functional layers. This is enabled by
ultra-short pulse laser ablation, a process that is beginning to enter production of
OLED devices. The processes developed at Fraunhofer ILT achieve area rates of
about 40 cm²/min, which is sufficient for production. Upscaling to more than 100
cm²/min can be achieved with high power lasers and faster beam displacement
strategies.
In current production, electrically insulated terminals are created inside the
transparent electrode by wet-chemical etching. In the future, laser patterning will
Editorial Notes
Dipl.-Phys. Axel Bauer | Head of Marketing and Communications | Phone +49 241 8906-194 | axel.bauer@ilt.fraunhofer.de
Petra Nolis M.A. | Leader Communications Group | Phone +49 241 8906-662 | petra.nolis@ilt.fraunhofer.de
Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT | Steinbachstraße 15 | 52074 Aachen, Germany | www.ilt.fraunhofer.de
Steinbachstraße 15 | 52074 Aachen, Germany | www.ilt.fraunhofer.de
F R A U N H OF E R I N S T I T U T E F O R L A S E R T E C H N O L O G Y I L T
replace this, since it enables less complex production sequences with smaller
structure sizes and higher throughput. The new patterning process developed at
Fraunhofer ILT uses ultra-short pulses to open up new process windows, enabling
physical processes which are not possible with longer pulse durations. Typical
problems of removal processes, like residual particles and layer delamination, can
be avoided this way.
Laser patterning processes always rely on the local removal of the conductive
material, so called ablation. While this is often viable for production, the drawbacks
of particle residue and delamination can be avoided entirely if the conductivity of
the material is reduced without actually removing the material. The benefits of
such an ablation-free laser patterning are currently investigated at Fraunhofer ILT
in cooperation with several partners from the industry. In addition to the complete
prevention of residues, laser-induced damage to neighboring material is reduced
and productivity can be drastically increased due to the use of less expensive laser
sources.
Laser based roll-to-roll manufacturing
Coming technologies like printed electronics, polymer solar cells and advanced
batteries need to exploit the productivity of roll-to-roll (R2R) continuous
manufacturing to reduce costs and achieve wide acceptance. By integration of
laser processing complex steps like lithography, structured printing and gluing can
be replaced. One application currently developed at Fraunhofer ILT aims at highly
productive parallelized patterning for the series interconnection of organic solar
cells. In comparison to production chains relying on patterned printing and
evaporation processes, laser patterning allows the reduction of the inactive zone
by three orders of magnitude. In addition, a combination with laser polymer
welding for encapsulation allows a highly simplified production chain. The laserbased roll-to-roll system set up at Fraunhofer ILT in cooperation with LIMO, 4JET,
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F R A U N H OF E R I N S T I T U T E F O R L A S E R T E C H N O L O G Y I L T
Coatema and the Chair for Applied Laser Technology at the Ruhr University
Bochum allows patterning and welding at area rates of up to 1 m²/min.
Fraunhofer ILT at the International Exhibition for the Printed Electronics Industry
LOPEC in Munich, Germany
Our experts will be presenting applications for thin film patterning at the Network
»COPT.NRW« booth (booth no. 208), the Center for Organic Production
Technologies of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, from May 27-28,
2014.
Picture 1:
Laser ablation of OLED
barrier layers. Fraunhofer
ILT, Aachen / Volker Lannert.
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F R A U N H OF E R I N S T I T U T E F O R L A S E R T E C H N O L O G Y I L T
Picture 2:
Roll-to-roll laser patterning
using multi-beam comb.
Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen.
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The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the largest organization for applied research in Europe. Its research activities are conducted by 67
Fraunhofer Institutes at numerous locations throughout Germany. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft employs a staff of more than 23,000, who
work with an annual research budget totaling 2 billion euros. Of this sum, 1.7 billion euros is generated through contract research. More
than 70 percent of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s contract research revenue is derived from contracts with industry and from publicly
financed research projects. Affiliated research centers and representative offices around the world provide contact with regions of greatest
importance to present and future scientific progress and economic development.
For further information
Dr. Malte Schulz-Ruthenberg | Micro- and Nanostructuring Group | Phone +49 241 8906-604 | malte.schulzruhtenberg@ilt.fraunhofer.de Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Aachen, Germany | www.ilt.fraunhofer.de
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