Other Applications - Photoresist / Alfa Chemistry

Applications

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Other Applications

Photoresist is not only essential in the fields of PCB (printed circuit board), IC (integrated circuit), and FPD (flat panel display), but it also plays a key role in the manufacture of discrete devices and MEMS (Microelectro-mechanical system) devices as well. In addition to the five applications mentioned above, photoresists are also applied in other fields. Here we mainly introduce their specific applications in touch panel, thin-film photovoltaic cell, organic photodetector and biomimetic sensor.

Other Applications

Touch Panel

Introduction

Photoresist uses

Touch panel is an electronic display screen that is also an input device. User can click a specific graphic button on the screen through gestures or fingertip movements. In response, the computer displays specific graphic text, allowing the user to interact with the computer. A touch panel is one of the most important applications of photolithography in electronic products.

The manufacturing of touch sensors requires a photoresist. The specific process includes first forming a metal layer on the substrate, then applying a photoresist, going through a series of photolithography steps such as exposure and development, and finally removing the photoresist. What's more, photoresists can also be used to deposit indium tin oxide (ITO) on glass substrates to make touch electrodes.

Thin-Film Photovoltaic Cell

Introduction	Photoresist uses
A photovoltaic cell, commonly referred to as a solar cell, is a non-mechanical device that converts sunlight directly into electricity. Thin-film photovoltaic cells are fabricated by depositing a single or multiple layers (thin films) of photovoltaic materials on a substrate such as glass, plastic or metal, typically with a thickness of a few nanometers (nm) to a few micrometers (μm).	Photolithography technology provides a flexible method for the pattern design of thin-film photovoltaic cell contacts. Photoresist can be used to spin-coat onto a glass plate with a deposited conductor (e. g. ITO), and after exposure, development and other steps, the pattern is imprinted onto the front metal contacts.

Organic Photodetector

Introduction

Photodetectors can convert optical signals into electronic signals. Organic photodetector is a kind of photodetector that differs from silicon (Si)- and indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs)-based photodetector. It can convert optical signals into electronic signals. Organic photodetectors have gained increasing interest due to their advantages of tunability in wavelength detection, low-cost fabrication, compatibility with lightweight and flexible devices, and easy processing.

Instance

In 2004, a research group reported the preparation of organic photodetectors by photolithography using a fluorine-free photoresist system. Among them, the photoresist is used to transfer pattern to the active material and the isolated islands of P3HT:PCBM were prepared after oxygen plasma reactive ion etching. P3HT is poly(3-hexylthiophene) while PCBM is [6,6]-phenyl-C60 butyric acid methyl ester. The photoresist system used is benign to the P3HT:PCBM layer. The structure of a patterned P3HT:PCBM photodetector is shown in Fig. 1 ^[1].

Fig. 1. Schematic structure of a patterned P3HT:PCBM photodetector ^[1].

Biomimetic Sensor

Introduction

Biomimetic sensors refer to all sensors that use biomimetic components or biomimetic methods. The main goal of biomimetic sensors is to collect data and process this information in real-time at the high speeds offered by today's advanced chips. This data can be analyzed through different artificial intelligence technologies to bring significant advancements in various fields.

Instance

Photoresists enable the development and fabrication of high-performance biomimetic sensors via soft lithography. Soft lithography is a surface imprinting strategy that enables biological stereotyping of polymers and sol-gel phases.

In 2013, a research team used photoresists to create a biomimetic sensor. Fig. 2 demonstrates the main steps involved in soft lithography for biomimetic sensor fabrication. Firstly, the required pattern is designed, and then a positive photoresist or a negative photoresist is selected as required to produce a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp. After microcontact imprinting using the prepared stamp, self-assembly of the biopolymer was realized, and the biomimetic sensor was finally prepared ^[2].

Fig. 2. Schematic illustration of the four major steps involved in soft-lithography ^[2].

Photoresist applications cover touch panel, solar cell, organic photodetector and biomimetic sensor, etc. Alfa Chemistry is a leading supplier of photoresist and our products are diverse. Please feel free to contact us with any concerns. We will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

References

Malinowski, P. E.; et al. Photolithographic patterning of organic photodetectors with a non-fluorinated photoresist system. Organic Electronics. 2014, 15: 2355–2359.
Mujahid, A.; et al. Bioimprinting strategies: From soft lithography to biomimetic sensors and beyond. Biotechnology Advances. 2013, 31(8): 1435-1447.

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