Hsuan-Chin Lu1,Ying-Chih Liao1
National Taiwan University1
Hsuan-Chin Lu1,Ying-Chih Liao1
National Taiwan University1
The development of printing technologies to fabricate conductive patterns on flexible and stretchable substrates has gained much attention in recent years due to the pursuit of high-performance healthcare and communication applications. Among various printing methods, gravure printing is a high-speed, low-cost printing method capable of fabricating high-resolution patterns on the scale of microns. The successful printing of high-quality features depends heavily on the ink transfer ratio from the printing plate to the target substrate. In our previous study, the mechanisms of liquid transfer were investigated and we demonstrated that a lubricant-infused surface can provide fast contact line slippage to enable total liquid transfer between flat plates. In this study, PDMS-based gravure printing plates with porous microstructures are fabricated, which can help retain lubricating oils and improve the longevity of the lubricating layer by oil effusion to the surface. Different methods are utilized to fabricate the porous microstructures, and the effects of pore size, porosity and morphology on the transfer ratio are investigated. The mechanical properties and durability of the printing plates are also investigated to prove the applicability of using this method for practical applications. Finally, modified conductive ink is used to print conductive patterns onto a polymer substrate to demonstrate the potential for creating flexible or stretchable electronics.