A Korean analysis group has developed a 3D printing expertise that may produce infrared sensors smaller than 10 micrometers at room temperature. The group, led by Professor Kim Ji-tae from KAIST’s Division of Mechanical Engineering, collaborated with researchers from Korea College and the College of Hong Kong.
The brand new expertise creates metallic, semiconductor, and insulator supplies as nanocrystalline liquid inks which might be stacked layer by layer on a single printing platform. This course of permits direct fabrication of infrared sensor parts with out requiring high-temperature processing. The ensuing sensors will be produced in custom-made sizes and styles.
The analysis group utilized a “ligand change” approach throughout printing, which replaces insulating molecules on nanoparticle surfaces with extremely conductive ones. This method achieves electrical efficiency with out high-temperature thermal remedy. The sensors produced are lower than 10 micrometers in measurement, roughly one-tenth the thickness of a human hair.
Conventional semiconductor-based manufacturing strategies require excessive temperatures, which limits materials selections and will increase vitality consumption. Whereas these typical strategies are appropriate for mass manufacturing, they current challenges for adapting to altering technological necessities. The room-temperature course of addresses these limitations.
Professor Kim said, “The three-dimensional printing expertise developed by our joint analysis group won’t solely allow additional miniaturization and weight discount of infrared sensors but in addition function a catalyst for the event of progressive form-factor merchandise that have been beforehand unimaginable. Most significantly, the power to scale back the large vitality consumption related to high-temperature processing will decrease manufacturing prices and notice environmentally pleasant manufacturing processes, contributing to the sustainable improvement of the infrared sensor trade.” The analysis outcomes have been printed in Nature Communications.
Supply: cm.asiae.co.kr
