US20060130956A1 - Method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays - Google Patents
Method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays Download PDFInfo
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- US20060130956A1 US20060130956A1 US11/017,325 US1732504A US2006130956A1 US 20060130956 A1 US20060130956 A1 US 20060130956A1 US 1732504 A US1732504 A US 1732504A US 2006130956 A1 US2006130956 A1 US 2006130956A1
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10N39/00—Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive element covered by groups H10N30/00 – H10N35/00
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10N30/00—Piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices
- H10N30/01—Manufacture or treatment
- H10N30/07—Forming of piezoelectric or electrostrictive parts or bodies on an electrical element or another base
- H10N30/072—Forming of piezoelectric or electrostrictive parts or bodies on an electrical element or another base by laminating or bonding of piezoelectric or electrostrictive bodies
- H10N30/073—Forming of piezoelectric or electrostrictive parts or bodies on an electrical element or another base by laminating or bonding of piezoelectric or electrostrictive bodies by fusion of metals or by adhesives
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10N30/00—Piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices
- H10N30/01—Manufacture or treatment
- H10N30/09—Forming piezoelectric or electrostrictive materials
- H10N30/093—Forming inorganic materials
- H10N30/097—Forming inorganic materials by sintering
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- the present exemplary embodiments relate to a method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays. It finds particular application in conjunction with the formation of ceramic elements such as piezoelectric thick film arrays, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) arrays, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiments are also amenable to other like applications such as production of other ceramic thick film arrays.
- ceramic elements such as piezoelectric thick film arrays, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) arrays, and will be described with particular reference thereto.
- PZT lead zirconate titanate
- thick (e.g., 10 to 100 ⁇ m thickness range) ceramic or piezoelectric material have many potential uses in micro-electromechanical (MEMS) devices, inkjet printers and ultrasonic transducers.
- MEMS micro-electromechanical
- substrates such as silicon, metal and plastic
- substrates cannot withstand the temperatures used to sinter the ceramic thick films.
- thin film methods such as sol-gel and sputtering to produce suitable devices. It is likewise beyond the ability of bulk ceramic processing to do so.
- U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,795 entitled “Separation of Thin Films from Transparent Substrates by Selective Optical Processing,” discloses a method for separating a thin film of gallium nitride that is grown on a sapphire substrate.
- the thin film is bonded to an acceptor substrate, and the sapphire substrate is laser irradiated with a scanned beam at a wavelength at which the sapphire is transparent but the gallium nitride is strongly absorbing.
- the sample is heated above the melting point of gallium, and the acceptor substrate and attached gallium nitride thin film are removed from the sapphire growth substrate.
- a method of forming a low temperature metal bond is disclosed as including a step of providing a donor substrate, having a thin film grown thereon. An acceptor substrate is then produced and a multilayer metal bond interface for positioning between the thin film and the acceptor substrate is then selected. A bonded layer is then formed between the thin film and the acceptor substrate using the multilayer metal bond interface. The donor substrate is then severed from the thin film to isolate the thin film for subsequent processing.
- Both of these methods contemplate the use of sapphire. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, sapphire is expensive and may, thus, render implementation on a large scale impractical. Both of these methods also contemplate the use of irradiation, e.g. laser lift-off, to release elements from a substrate.
- irradiation e.g. laser lift-off
- an improved and more efficient process is desired to transfer ceramic elements, such as thick film PZT elements, from a substrate upon which they are formed (but which does not comprise a sintering substrate), without using an optical or radiation technique.
- a method comprises forming ceramic elements on a temporary substrate, transferring the ceramic elements onto a sintering substrate having a temporary adhesion layer by transitioning the temporary adhesion layer through phase changes, sintering the ceramic elements and transferring the ceramic elements to a target substrate.
- the ceramic elements are piezoelectric elements.
- the ceramic elements are lead zirconate titanate (PZT).
- the temporary adhesion layer is water.
- a method for forming thick film ceramic element arrays comprises providing a printing substrate having a release layer, applying a carrier coating to the release layer, forming ceramic elements on the carrier coating, providing a sintering substrate with a temporary adhesion layer, joining the printing substrate and the sintering substrate such that the ceramic elements are embedded in the adhesion layer, implementing a phase change to promote the adhesion, removing the printing substrate and the release layer such that the ceramic elements remain in the adhesion layer, removing the adhesion layer such that the ceramic elements remain on the sintering substrate, sintering the ceramic elements on the sintering substrate, depositing optional electrodes on the ceramic elements and transferring the ceramic elements to a target substrate, and finally depositing optional secondary electrodes on the ceramic elements.
- the method further comprises providing tape between the release layer and the printing substrate.
- applying the carrier coating comprises spin coating.
- the carrier coating is a vehicle used to form ceramic paste.
- the forming of ceramic elements comprises forming piezoelectric elements.
- the forming of ceramic elements comprises forming lead zirconate titanate (PZT).
- the temporary adhesion layer is water.
- the phase change comprises changing from a liquid phase to a solid phase of water.
- implementing the phase change comprises freezing.
- the removing of the adhesion layer comprises melting and drying.
- the method further comprises depositing second electrodes on the ceramic elements.
- the method comprises providing a printing substrate having a release layer, applying a vehicle layer to the release layer, forming PZT elements on the vehicle layer, providing a sintering substrate having a water layer, joining the printing substrate and the sintering substrate such that the PZT elements are wetted by the water layer, freezing the water, removing the printing substrate and the release layer such that the PZT elements remain in the frozen water, melting and drying the water, sintering the PZT elements on the sintering substrate, depositing electrodes on the PZT elements and transferring the PZT elements to a target substrate, and finally depositing secondary electrodes on the PZT elements.
- FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to the present exemplary embodiments
- FIG. 2 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments
- FIG. 3 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments
- FIG. 4 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 5 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 6 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 7 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 8 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 9 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 10 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 11 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 12 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 13 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 14 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 15 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments.
- an improved process for producing ceramic thick film array elements is provided.
- ceramic elements are formed or screen printed on a temporary, or printing, substrate.
- the temporary, or printing, substrate is advantageously provided with a release layer. This makes it possible to release the printed and soft-baked ceramic elements from the temporary substrate.
- the contemplated release technique takes advantage of the phase transition of a liquid, e.g. water, to transfer the elements to a sintering substrate.
- the ceramic element array is bonded or transferred to a target substrate.
- One of the bonding methods could be using a thin epoxy bond which can provide electric contact through the asperity points on the surface of the ceramic elements or the target substrate.
- the sintering substrate is removed to make the array available for implementation in a variety of suitable environments.
- Optional secondary electrodes deposition can be made after removing the sintering substrate.
- a temporary substrate is prepared with a release layer for printing (at 12 ) and a carrier coating is applied or spin coated onto the release layer surface and then soft baked (at 14 ).
- ceramic elements such as PZT elements are screen printed or otherwise formed onto the prepared substrate (at 16 ).
- a sintering substrate i.e., ceramic alumina
- an adhesion layer e.g., wetted with enough water to totally wet the PZT elements and the surrounding dried vehicle when joined (at 18 ).
- the printed substrate is then joined or stacked with the sintering substrate by placing its printed side (appropriately registered with the sintering substrate) against the water allowing it to totally wet the soft-baked PZT and vehicle (at 20 ). Any excess water is removed and the substrate stack is placed in a freezer ( ⁇ 43° C.) for approximately twenty (20) minutes to initiate a phase change of the water from liquid to solid (at 22 ). The frozen assembly is removed from the freezer. The temporary substrate along with the release layer are then removed (at 24 ), leaving the ceramic elements and vehicle layer frozen to the sintering substrate/ice. This remaining assembly is placed into a drying oven where the water is allowed to evaporate (i.e., 105° C. for 10 minutes) (at 26 ).
- the dried assembly is sintered (at 28 ) and appropriate electrodes are deposited (at 30 ). Finally, the PZT elements are transferred to the appropriate target substrate using an epoxy bonding method or any other suitable methods (at 32 ). Other electrodes may be optionally deposited (at 34 ).
- a temporary, or printing, substrate 100 has disposed or formed thereon a release layer 102 upon which ceramic elements (such as PZT elements) may be printed.
- the temporary substrate 100 may take a variety of forms; however, in this exemplary case, a glass substrate is used.
- the release layer 102 may likewise take a variety of suitable forms.
- the release layer 102 may be applied to the temporary substrate 100 in a variety of manners.
- the release layer 102 includes a high tack release side and a low tack release side and is adhered to the temporary substrate 100 using a tape 104 .
- the tape is of an acrylic type and has a high tack side and a low tack side.
- the low tack side of the acrylic tape 104 is applied to the temporary substrate 100 while the high tack side of the acrylic tape 104 faces the release liner.
- the low tack release side of the release layer 102 thus faces the high tack side of the acrylic tape 104 . Consequently, the high tack release side of the release layer 102 faces away from the tape 104 and the temporary substrate 100 to provide a surface upon which ceramic elements, such as PZT elements, may be printed or otherwise formed without premature release.
- the release layer 102 and associated tape 104 may be comprised of double-sided tape that is commercially available.
- one such suitable tape bears the 3M brand and is sold as “3M Repositionable Tape 9415PC.”
- the liner that is typically provided with the tape may serve as the release layer 102 , but it may need to be reoriented as described above to provide the appropriate level of adhesion on the printing surface.
- PZT elements can be difficult to directly print PZT elements onto release paper.
- the problem is that there is typically not enough adhesion force between a first layer of soft-baked PZT slurry and the release paper when a successive layer of PZT slurry is printed.
- high-quality PZT elements can be printed. Such quality is consistent with the quality achieved by printing directly on sapphire.
- the PZT elements are then screen printed as one or a sequence of several layers onto the prepared substrate in registration with one another in the case of several layers (each one individually soft-baked).
- a carrier coating 106 has been spin coated, or spun, onto the release layer 102 .
- the coating may vary in thickness depending on the exact materials used, the process conditions, . . . , etc.; however, in one form, the coating is sufficiently thick to provide structural integrity during the process. In addition, spinning the material over the entire surface will allow for improved results, as compared to merely coating the areas where the printing will take place.
- the coating 106 is then soft-baked (e.g., baked at approximately 60° C.-80° C.).
- the carrier coating 106 may take a variety of forms. However, in one form, the carrier coating 106 as embodied could be an organic vehicle used in the manufacture of ceramic pastes, such as ethyl cellulose. Ethyl cellulose is commonly used as a vehicle in the manufacture of the exemplary PZT paste that is ultimately printed thereon.
- ceramic elements such as PZT elements 108 have been screen printed as one or a succession of several layers of ceramic paste onto the soft-baked carrier coating 106 .
- the ceramic paste that is used in this exemplary embodiment is a PZT paste comprised of PZT powder, a vehicle such as ethyl cellulose and a solvent such as terpinol.
- Any suitable screen printing technique that allows for the formation of multiple layers of the elements without undue pressure may be implemented. In at least one form, the technique is conducive to the registration of one layer to the next layer. It should be appreciated that the screen-printing pattern and technique will vary depending on the ultimate application.
- These elements 108 are then soft baked (one layer at a time if multi-layered) at approximately 60° C.-80° C. to transform them from a paste-like material to a solid, albeit relatively weak, material.
- the soft-baking process typically removes the solvent from the slurry of paste to render it solid, but it does not harden the compound.
- other forming methods can also be used to form the ceramic elements, which include, but are not limited to, jet printing, extrusion, and tape casting.
- a sintering substrate 150 (e.g., a substrate formed of ceramic alumina or other similar heat resistant material) is provided with a temporary bonding or adhesive layer.
- the temporary bonding or adhesive layer takes the form of a water layer 152 .
- This layer 152 includes enough liquid to totally wet the PZT elements 108 and the surrounding soft-baked vehicle or carrier coating 106 .
- water is a suitable material for providing the temporary adhesive layer because it provides adhesive qualities in its solid form but leaves no residue once removed (e.g. through evaporation). It will be understood that other materials can be used as an alternative to water. For example, other sublimable materials may be used. In addition, any other material that has a phase transition that may serve to provide a temporary adhesive layer would suffice.
- the printed substrate of FIG. 4 has been placed with its printed side against the layer 152 on the sintering substrate 150 . Any excess liquid is removed. The ceramic elements are essentially embedded within the temporary adhesion layer. Then, the substrate stack placed in a freezer (at approximately ⁇ 43° C.) for approximately twenty (20) minutes. Of course, the temperature and time period will vary from application to application.
- the assembly of FIG. 6 has been removed from the freezer.
- the layer 152 has undergone a phase transition from a liquid phase to a solid phase.
- the other elements remain in substantially the same state as before.
- the temporary substrate 100 and release layer 102 have been removed, leaving the ceramic elements such as PZT elements 108 and carrier coating or vehicle layer 106 frozen to the layer 152 of the sintering substrate 150 .
- a sufficient force is simply applied to release the substrate.
- the frozen water (ice) layer 152 works effectively as an adhesion layer to maintain the ceramic elements as being connected to the sintering substrate 150 so that the temporary substrate 100 and the release layer 102 can be removed without destroying the ceramic elements.
- this remaining assembly has been placed into a drying oven where the water has been allowed to evaporate (at approximately 105° C. for approximately 10 minutes).
- the sintering process could compose of one stage or two stages.
- the sintering process may include two stages. The first stage is to slowly heat (e.g., at a ramp rate of 0.2-2° C./min) the PZT elements to 400-800° C. to burn out the carrier coating 106 and organic vehicles in the PZT elements. In this stage, the PZT elements are placed in an open environment.
- the second stage is that, after cooling down, the PZT elements are placed in a controlled or closed environment, e.g., in a closed crucible, in order to reduce the lead loss at high temperatures, and the PZT elements will be heated to 1100-1300° C. for densification at a relatively fast heating rate (e.g., at a ramp rate of 4-10° C./min).
- a relatively fast heating rate e.g., at a ramp rate of 4-10° C./min.
- the elements should remain in a suitable position with careful handling. If necessary, however, recesses may be formed in the sintering layer to soft hold the ceramic elements so that the configuration/registration of the ceramic elements array will remain intact. Also, the shrinkage in the lateral dimensions will be allowed so that denser ceramic elements can be obtained, and the layer structure may be minimized or eliminated.
- electrodes 154 have been deposited. Any suitable techniques for depositing electrodes could be used. However, any such technique should maintain the registration of the elements. In some embodiments, electrode deposition may not be necessary at this point.
- the final target substrate may take a variety of forms depending on the implementation. For example, it could be of a ceramic material or silicon-based material. If electrical contact between the electrode on the ceramic elements and the target substrate (or surface of the target substrate) is required, one possible bonding method is thin epoxy bonding. Thus the electric contact can be realized through the asperity points on the ceramic elements and/or on the surface of the target substrate. Referring to FIG. 12 , an appropriate bonding epoxy 162 has been applied to a target substrate 160 and then placed in register onto the existing assembly. Other bonding techniques such as metal bonding could also be used.
- the target substrate 160 has been bonded to the electrodes 154 . This is accomplished with application of a sufficient force.
- the sintering substrate 150 has been removed. A slight force could be used to initiate the removal.
- the final conductive electrodes 156 have been applied.
- the surface of the ceramic elements may need to be cleaned or polished before applying electrodes.
- electrodes may not be deposited at this point.
- the present exemplary embodiments provide many advantages. For example, a transfer method, without using optics or radiation, is achieved.
- high quality ceramic films such as PZT thick film elements can be obtained because the sintering temperatures are not limited by the substrate. Also, a clean and low temperature process is implemented and is desired for the final-use substrate. It is also compatible with silicon microelectronics.
- the cost of the process can be extremely low and very large area ceramic arrays can be made because it avoids the use of sapphire or other expensive substrates.
Abstract
Description
- The present exemplary embodiments relate to a method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays. It finds particular application in conjunction with the formation of ceramic elements such as piezoelectric thick film arrays, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) arrays, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiments are also amenable to other like applications such as production of other ceramic thick film arrays.
- By way of background, thick (e.g., 10 to 100 μm thickness range) ceramic or piezoelectric material, such as PZT films, have many potential uses in micro-electromechanical (MEMS) devices, inkjet printers and ultrasonic transducers. However, producing films in this thickness range on commonly used substrates such as silicon, metal and plastic has been found to be very difficult. These substrates cannot withstand the temperatures used to sinter the ceramic thick films. Generally, it is beyond the ability of thin film methods such as sol-gel and sputtering to produce suitable devices. It is likewise beyond the ability of bulk ceramic processing to do so.
- A number of processes for forming thin film materials or bulk materials are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,795, entitled “Separation of Thin Films from Transparent Substrates by Selective Optical Processing,” discloses a method for separating a thin film of gallium nitride that is grown on a sapphire substrate. The thin film is bonded to an acceptor substrate, and the sapphire substrate is laser irradiated with a scanned beam at a wavelength at which the sapphire is transparent but the gallium nitride is strongly absorbing. After the laser irradiation, the sample is heated above the melting point of gallium, and the acceptor substrate and attached gallium nitride thin film are removed from the sapphire growth substrate.
- Another method relating to the transfer of bulk and thin film materials is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,263, entitled “Method of Forming a Low Temperature Metal Bond for Use in the Transfer of Bulk and Thin Film Materials”. In this document, a method of forming a low temperature metal bond is disclosed as including a step of providing a donor substrate, having a thin film grown thereon. An acceptor substrate is then produced and a multilayer metal bond interface for positioning between the thin film and the acceptor substrate is then selected. A bonded layer is then formed between the thin film and the acceptor substrate using the multilayer metal bond interface. The donor substrate is then severed from the thin film to isolate the thin film for subsequent processing.
- Both of these methods contemplate the use of sapphire. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, sapphire is expensive and may, thus, render implementation on a large scale impractical. Both of these methods also contemplate the use of irradiation, e.g. laser lift-off, to release elements from a substrate.
- Moreover, conventional ceramic thick films, such as screen-printed PZT films, need to be sintered at more than 1100° C. Thus, only a few substrates—such as aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide—can be used. Therefore, even if one were to attempt to adapt and use the above referenced thin film applications for thick film applications, there are several apparent drawbacks. First, such a method of production would require a large, up-front investment to buy the expensive sapphire substrates. The expected return (e.g. profit) to be enjoyed by the resultant ceramic material made from this process would typically not justify the cost of the sapphire substrates. Secondly, sintering the ceramic elements at 1250° C. or higher in a lead rich environment would surely result in some diffusion or inter-reaction, i.e. undesired bonding, between the ceramic, or PZT, films and the substrate. This will make the contemplated laser liftoff more difficult and may increase the process cost.
- Accordingly, an improved and more efficient process is desired to transfer ceramic elements, such as thick film PZT elements, from a substrate upon which they are formed (but which does not comprise a sintering substrate), without using an optical or radiation technique.
- In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, a method comprises forming ceramic elements on a temporary substrate, transferring the ceramic elements onto a sintering substrate having a temporary adhesion layer by transitioning the temporary adhesion layer through phase changes, sintering the ceramic elements and transferring the ceramic elements to a target substrate.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the ceramic elements are piezoelectric elements.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the ceramic elements are lead zirconate titanate (PZT).
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the temporary adhesion layer is water.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, a method for forming thick film ceramic element arrays comprises providing a printing substrate having a release layer, applying a carrier coating to the release layer, forming ceramic elements on the carrier coating, providing a sintering substrate with a temporary adhesion layer, joining the printing substrate and the sintering substrate such that the ceramic elements are embedded in the adhesion layer, implementing a phase change to promote the adhesion, removing the printing substrate and the release layer such that the ceramic elements remain in the adhesion layer, removing the adhesion layer such that the ceramic elements remain on the sintering substrate, sintering the ceramic elements on the sintering substrate, depositing optional electrodes on the ceramic elements and transferring the ceramic elements to a target substrate, and finally depositing optional secondary electrodes on the ceramic elements.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the method further comprises providing tape between the release layer and the printing substrate.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, applying the carrier coating comprises spin coating.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the carrier coating is a vehicle used to form ceramic paste.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the forming of ceramic elements comprises forming piezoelectric elements.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the forming of ceramic elements comprises forming lead zirconate titanate (PZT).
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the temporary adhesion layer is water.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the phase change comprises changing from a liquid phase to a solid phase of water.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, implementing the phase change comprises freezing.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the removing of the adhesion layer comprises melting and drying.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the method further comprises depositing second electrodes on the ceramic elements.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, the method comprises providing a printing substrate having a release layer, applying a vehicle layer to the release layer, forming PZT elements on the vehicle layer, providing a sintering substrate having a water layer, joining the printing substrate and the sintering substrate such that the PZT elements are wetted by the water layer, freezing the water, removing the printing substrate and the release layer such that the PZT elements remain in the frozen water, melting and drying the water, sintering the PZT elements on the sintering substrate, depositing electrodes on the PZT elements and transferring the PZT elements to a target substrate, and finally depositing secondary electrodes on the PZT elements.
-
FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 3 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 4 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 5 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 6 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 7 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 8 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 9 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 10 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 11 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 12 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 13 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; -
FIG. 14 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments; and, -
FIG. 15 is an illustration of a part of a method according to the present exemplary embodiments. - According to the presently described exemplary embodiments, an improved process for producing ceramic thick film array elements is provided. In this regard, ceramic elements are formed or screen printed on a temporary, or printing, substrate. The temporary, or printing, substrate is advantageously provided with a release layer. This makes it possible to release the printed and soft-baked ceramic elements from the temporary substrate. The contemplated release technique takes advantage of the phase transition of a liquid, e.g. water, to transfer the elements to a sintering substrate. After sintering and optional electrode deposition, the ceramic element array is bonded or transferred to a target substrate. One of the bonding methods could be using a thin epoxy bond which can provide electric contact through the asperity points on the surface of the ceramic elements or the target substrate. Then, the sintering substrate is removed to make the array available for implementation in a variety of suitable environments. Optional secondary electrodes deposition can be made after removing the sintering substrate.
- In this way, a process for making, for example, piezoelectric (PZT) thick film element arrays on virtually any kind of substrate, is implemented. An advantage of such a technique is that it does not require any optical or radiation technique. Moreover, the process is not overburdened with expensive materials and processes.
- Referring now to
FIG. 1 , in an illustrative method 10 (that will be described in greater detail below with reference toFIGS. 2 through 15 ), a temporary substrate is prepared with a release layer for printing (at 12) and a carrier coating is applied or spin coated onto the release layer surface and then soft baked (at 14). Next, ceramic elements such as PZT elements are screen printed or otherwise formed onto the prepared substrate (at 16). A sintering substrate (i.e., ceramic alumina) is then prepared with an adhesion layer, e.g., wetted with enough water to totally wet the PZT elements and the surrounding dried vehicle when joined (at 18). The printed substrate is then joined or stacked with the sintering substrate by placing its printed side (appropriately registered with the sintering substrate) against the water allowing it to totally wet the soft-baked PZT and vehicle (at 20). Any excess water is removed and the substrate stack is placed in a freezer (−43° C.) for approximately twenty (20) minutes to initiate a phase change of the water from liquid to solid (at 22). The frozen assembly is removed from the freezer. The temporary substrate along with the release layer are then removed (at 24), leaving the ceramic elements and vehicle layer frozen to the sintering substrate/ice. This remaining assembly is placed into a drying oven where the water is allowed to evaporate (i.e., 105° C. for 10 minutes) (at 26). The dried assembly is sintered (at 28) and appropriate electrodes are deposited (at 30). Finally, the PZT elements are transferred to the appropriate target substrate using an epoxy bonding method or any other suitable methods (at 32). Other electrodes may be optionally deposited (at 34). - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , a temporary, or printing,substrate 100 has disposed or formed thereon arelease layer 102 upon which ceramic elements (such as PZT elements) may be printed. Thetemporary substrate 100 may take a variety of forms; however, in this exemplary case, a glass substrate is used. Therelease layer 102 may likewise take a variety of suitable forms. In addition, therelease layer 102 may be applied to thetemporary substrate 100 in a variety of manners. In one exemplary form, therelease layer 102 includes a high tack release side and a low tack release side and is adhered to thetemporary substrate 100 using atape 104. In one form, the tape is of an acrylic type and has a high tack side and a low tack side. Although a variety of configurations will suffice, in one example embodiment, the low tack side of theacrylic tape 104 is applied to thetemporary substrate 100 while the high tack side of theacrylic tape 104 faces the release liner. In this illustrative configuration, the low tack release side of therelease layer 102 thus faces the high tack side of theacrylic tape 104. Consequently, the high tack release side of therelease layer 102 faces away from thetape 104 and thetemporary substrate 100 to provide a surface upon which ceramic elements, such as PZT elements, may be printed or otherwise formed without premature release. - It should be understood by those of skill in the art that the
release layer 102 and associatedtape 104 may be comprised of double-sided tape that is commercially available. For example, one such suitable tape bears the 3M brand and is sold as “3M Repositionable Tape 9415PC.” Of course, even using commercially available tape, it may be necessary to adapt the product to fit the objectives of the presently described embodiments. For example, the liner that is typically provided with the tape may serve as therelease layer 102, but it may need to be reoriented as described above to provide the appropriate level of adhesion on the printing surface. - It should also be understood that it can be difficult to directly print PZT elements onto release paper. The problem is that there is typically not enough adhesion force between a first layer of soft-baked PZT slurry and the release paper when a successive layer of PZT slurry is printed. However, by providing an extra carrier coating on the release layer, high-quality PZT elements can be printed. Such quality is consistent with the quality achieved by printing directly on sapphire. The PZT elements are then screen printed as one or a sequence of several layers onto the prepared substrate in registration with one another in the case of several layers (each one individually soft-baked).
- In this regard, referring now to
FIG. 3 , acarrier coating 106 has been spin coated, or spun, onto therelease layer 102. The coating may vary in thickness depending on the exact materials used, the process conditions, . . . , etc.; however, in one form, the coating is sufficiently thick to provide structural integrity during the process. In addition, spinning the material over the entire surface will allow for improved results, as compared to merely coating the areas where the printing will take place. Thecoating 106 is then soft-baked (e.g., baked at approximately 60° C.-80° C.). - The
carrier coating 106 may take a variety of forms. However, in one form, thecarrier coating 106 as embodied could be an organic vehicle used in the manufacture of ceramic pastes, such as ethyl cellulose. Ethyl cellulose is commonly used as a vehicle in the manufacture of the exemplary PZT paste that is ultimately printed thereon. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , ceramic elements such asPZT elements 108 have been screen printed as one or a succession of several layers of ceramic paste onto the soft-baked carrier coating 106. It will be understood that the ceramic paste that is used in this exemplary embodiment is a PZT paste comprised of PZT powder, a vehicle such as ethyl cellulose and a solvent such as terpinol. Any suitable screen printing technique that allows for the formation of multiple layers of the elements without undue pressure may be implemented. In at least one form, the technique is conducive to the registration of one layer to the next layer. It should be appreciated that the screen-printing pattern and technique will vary depending on the ultimate application. Theseelements 108 are then soft baked (one layer at a time if multi-layered) at approximately 60° C.-80° C. to transform them from a paste-like material to a solid, albeit relatively weak, material. In this regard, the soft-baking process typically removes the solvent from the slurry of paste to render it solid, but it does not harden the compound. In addition to screen printing, other forming methods can also be used to form the ceramic elements, which include, but are not limited to, jet printing, extrusion, and tape casting. - Referring now to
FIG. 5 , a sintering substrate 150 (e.g., a substrate formed of ceramic alumina or other similar heat resistant material) is provided with a temporary bonding or adhesive layer. In one form, the temporary bonding or adhesive layer takes the form of awater layer 152. Thislayer 152 includes enough liquid to totally wet thePZT elements 108 and the surrounding soft-baked vehicle orcarrier coating 106. As will be appreciated, water is a suitable material for providing the temporary adhesive layer because it provides adhesive qualities in its solid form but leaves no residue once removed (e.g. through evaporation). It will be understood that other materials can be used as an alternative to water. For example, other sublimable materials may be used. In addition, any other material that has a phase transition that may serve to provide a temporary adhesive layer would suffice. - Referring to
FIG. 6 , the printed substrate ofFIG. 4 has been placed with its printed side against thelayer 152 on thesintering substrate 150. Any excess liquid is removed. The ceramic elements are essentially embedded within the temporary adhesion layer. Then, the substrate stack placed in a freezer (at approximately −43° C.) for approximately twenty (20) minutes. Of course, the temperature and time period will vary from application to application. - As shown in
FIG. 7 , the assembly ofFIG. 6 has been removed from the freezer. Of note, thelayer 152 has undergone a phase transition from a liquid phase to a solid phase. The other elements remain in substantially the same state as before. - Next, referring to
FIG. 8 , thetemporary substrate 100 andrelease layer 102 have been removed, leaving the ceramic elements such asPZT elements 108 and carrier coating orvehicle layer 106 frozen to thelayer 152 of thesintering substrate 150. A sufficient force is simply applied to release the substrate. Advantageously, and as noted above, the frozen water (ice)layer 152 works effectively as an adhesion layer to maintain the ceramic elements as being connected to thesintering substrate 150 so that thetemporary substrate 100 and therelease layer 102 can be removed without destroying the ceramic elements. - With reference to
FIG. 9 , this remaining assembly has been placed into a drying oven where the water has been allowed to evaporate (at approximately 105° C. for approximately 10 minutes). - Referring to
FIG. 10 , where thecoating layer 106 has been burned away and the ceramic elements such as PZT elements have been sintered at approximately 1100 to 1300° C. for densification. Depending on the materials used to form the ceramic elements, the sintering process could compose of one stage or two stages. For example, for sintering PZT elements, the sintering process may include two stages. The first stage is to slowly heat (e.g., at a ramp rate of 0.2-2° C./min) the PZT elements to 400-800° C. to burn out thecarrier coating 106 and organic vehicles in the PZT elements. In this stage, the PZT elements are placed in an open environment. The second stage is that, after cooling down, the PZT elements are placed in a controlled or closed environment, e.g., in a closed crucible, in order to reduce the lead loss at high temperatures, and the PZT elements will be heated to 1100-1300° C. for densification at a relatively fast heating rate (e.g., at a ramp rate of 4-10° C./min). Regardless of the number of stages in the sintering process, the elements should remain in a suitable position with careful handling. If necessary, however, recesses may be formed in the sintering layer to soft hold the ceramic elements so that the configuration/registration of the ceramic elements array will remain intact. Also, the shrinkage in the lateral dimensions will be allowed so that denser ceramic elements can be obtained, and the layer structure may be minimized or eliminated. - As shown in
FIG. 11 ,appropriate electrodes 154 have been deposited. Any suitable techniques for depositing electrodes could be used. However, any such technique should maintain the registration of the elements. In some embodiments, electrode deposition may not be necessary at this point. - After sintering and optional electrode deposition, various bonding methods could be used to bond the ceramic elements to the final target substrate. The final target substrate may take a variety of forms depending on the implementation. For example, it could be of a ceramic material or silicon-based material. If electrical contact between the electrode on the ceramic elements and the target substrate (or surface of the target substrate) is required, one possible bonding method is thin epoxy bonding. Thus the electric contact can be realized through the asperity points on the ceramic elements and/or on the surface of the target substrate. Referring to
FIG. 12 , anappropriate bonding epoxy 162 has been applied to atarget substrate 160 and then placed in register onto the existing assembly. Other bonding techniques such as metal bonding could also be used. - Then, as shown in
FIG. 13 , thetarget substrate 160 has been bonded to theelectrodes 154. This is accomplished with application of a sufficient force. - As in
FIG. 14 , thesintering substrate 150 has been removed. A slight force could be used to initiate the removal. - Last, with reference to
FIG. 15 , the finalconductive electrodes 156 have been applied. In some cases, the surface of the ceramic elements may need to be cleaned or polished before applying electrodes. However, as noted above, in some forms, electrodes may not be deposited at this point. - The present exemplary embodiments provide many advantages. For example, a transfer method, without using optics or radiation, is achieved.
- Second, high quality ceramic films such as PZT thick film elements can be obtained because the sintering temperatures are not limited by the substrate. Also, a clean and low temperature process is implemented and is desired for the final-use substrate. It is also compatible with silicon microelectronics.
- In addition, the cost of the process can be extremely low and very large area ceramic arrays can be made because it avoids the use of sapphire or other expensive substrates.
- While particular embodiments have been described, alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and substantial equivalents that are or may be presently unforeseen may arise to applicants or others skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims as filed and as they may be amended are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and substantial equivalents.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/017,325 US7070669B1 (en) | 2004-12-20 | 2004-12-20 | Method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays |
DE602005011745T DE602005011745D1 (en) | 2004-12-20 | 2005-12-19 | Production method for thick-film ceramic element groups |
EP05112382A EP1672711B1 (en) | 2004-12-20 | 2005-12-19 | A method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays |
JP2005364312A JP5313431B2 (en) | 2004-12-20 | 2005-12-19 | Method for forming ceramic thick film element array |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US11/017,325 US7070669B1 (en) | 2004-12-20 | 2004-12-20 | Method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays |
Publications (2)
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US20060130956A1 true US20060130956A1 (en) | 2006-06-22 |
US7070669B1 US7070669B1 (en) | 2006-07-04 |
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US11/017,325 Expired - Fee Related US7070669B1 (en) | 2004-12-20 | 2004-12-20 | Method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays |
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US (1) | US7070669B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1672711B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5313431B2 (en) |
DE (1) | DE602005011745D1 (en) |
Cited By (7)
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US20070086898A1 (en) * | 2002-12-12 | 2007-04-19 | Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Arkansas, N.A. | Microfluidic device utilizing magnetohydrodynamics and method for fabrication thereof |
US20090223045A1 (en) * | 2006-07-19 | 2009-09-10 | Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. | Method for manufacturing a printed circuit board with a thin film capacitor embedded therein having a dielectric film by using laser lift-off, and printed circuit board with a thin film capacitor embedded therein manufactured thereby |
US20140111924A1 (en) * | 2006-03-31 | 2014-04-24 | Huankiat Seh | Sol-gel and mask patterning for thin-film capacitor fabrication, thin-film capacitors fabricated thereby, and systems containing same |
CN104981889A (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2015-10-14 | 富士电机株式会社 | Method for manufacturing semiconductor device |
CN113260840A (en) * | 2018-12-21 | 2021-08-13 | 埃克森蒂斯知识股份有限公司 | Molded body and method for producing molded body |
US20210305493A1 (en) * | 2020-03-31 | 2021-09-30 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. | Method of manufacturing dielectric film |
US11860056B2 (en) | 2018-12-21 | 2024-01-02 | Exentis Knowledge Gmbh | Shaped body and method for producing a shaped body |
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US7401403B2 (en) * | 2004-12-20 | 2008-07-22 | Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated | Method for forming ceramic thick film element arrays with fine feature size, high-precision definition, and/or high aspect ratios |
US7644512B1 (en) * | 2006-01-18 | 2010-01-12 | Akrion, Inc. | Systems and methods for drying a rotating substrate |
US7992287B2 (en) * | 2007-11-06 | 2011-08-09 | Xerox Corporation | System for thinning a transducer with improved thickness uniformity |
JP5399970B2 (en) * | 2010-03-31 | 2014-01-29 | パナソニック株式会社 | Ferroelectric device manufacturing method |
JP7281142B1 (en) * | 2021-11-11 | 2023-05-25 | 株式会社芝浦電子 | Thermistor sintered body and method for manufacturing thermistor sintered body |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20070086898A1 (en) * | 2002-12-12 | 2007-04-19 | Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Arkansas, N.A. | Microfluidic device utilizing magnetohydrodynamics and method for fabrication thereof |
US7467928B2 (en) * | 2002-12-12 | 2008-12-23 | Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Arkansas | Microfluidic device utilizing magnetohydrodynamics and method for fabrication thereof |
US20140111924A1 (en) * | 2006-03-31 | 2014-04-24 | Huankiat Seh | Sol-gel and mask patterning for thin-film capacitor fabrication, thin-film capacitors fabricated thereby, and systems containing same |
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CN113260840A (en) * | 2018-12-21 | 2021-08-13 | 埃克森蒂斯知识股份有限公司 | Molded body and method for producing molded body |
US11860056B2 (en) | 2018-12-21 | 2024-01-02 | Exentis Knowledge Gmbh | Shaped body and method for producing a shaped body |
US20210305493A1 (en) * | 2020-03-31 | 2021-09-30 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. | Method of manufacturing dielectric film |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1672711A3 (en) | 2007-02-07 |
US7070669B1 (en) | 2006-07-04 |
EP1672711B1 (en) | 2008-12-17 |
JP5313431B2 (en) | 2013-10-09 |
EP1672711A2 (en) | 2006-06-21 |
DE602005011745D1 (en) | 2009-01-29 |
JP2006179911A (en) | 2006-07-06 |
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