1. Photonic Curing and the PulseForge Toolset Stan Farnsworth VP Marketing
May 2014

2. NovaCentrix® Printed Electronics Manufacturing Quick Profile
Tool Integrators
Raw
Materials
Mfg
Materials
Material
Handlers
Printers
Dryers
Curing
Tools
Device/
Application
Industry
product types
Ink components;
Raw substrates
Inks;
Substrates
Roll-to-roll;
Conveyors
Inkjet;
Screen;
Aerosol;
Flexo;
Gravure;
Ovens;
Air knives;
New Tech
Ovens;
UV Lamps;
Lasers;
Pulsed
Thermal Processing;
New Tech
Solar;
RFID;
Batteries;
Transistors;
Displays;
Packaging;
Smart cards
Metalon® inks
Novele™ substrates
PulseForge® tools
SimPulse™ thermal simulator
Nanoparticles
NovaCentrix was founded in 1999 as a nanotechnology company.
Expertise in nanomaterials, pulsed power, equipment design, electronic inks.
Creative technology team has developed an extensive patent portfolio.
We bring our expertise to our customers to generate value for them by helping them solve their problems.
Since NovaCentrix is involved in several parts of the supply chain, it is able to provide better value to its customers by understanding their problems.
Our long history and experience with nanotechnology enables vertical integration of our products.
Quick Profile
Initially established in 1999 in Austin, TX
Employees: ~40 : Facilities: ~4000m2
Competencies: Plasma physics, high-power (MW) electronics, nanomaterials, numerical modeling, machine systems design, dispersions and formulations

3. Product Snapshot PulseForge ® Photonic Curing Tools
Metalon ® Conductive Inks
SimPulse ® Numerical Simulation
Also: Ag, Ni, Co, others

4. What is Photonic Curing?
Using carefully timed and controlled flashlamps to heat only the surface and not the entire thickness of the material. Exposure time is usually less than 1 millisecond.
Allows use of high-temp materials on low-temp substrates.
Organic and inorganic inks (including ITO, Si)
Polymer, paper, glass
NovaCentrix is the process originator, and holder of key patents.
Temperature
Distance from Surface
Thin Film/Substrate
Interface
Thin Film
Substrate
Pulsed Light

5. “Basic” Photonic Curing Pulse: What is it?
Basic pulse shape
Simple ON-OFF cycle.
Can be repeated.
Basic pulse suitable
for depositions <10 um
Before
After
Inkjet Ag (Metalon JS-B25P)
@ <1 um
Notice sintering after
photonic curing.

6. Pulse Shaping: Advanced Pulse Structures
Conventional Pulse
Pulse Shaping
Pulse Shaping: Multiple pulses acting within the thermal equilibrium time of the material.
Equivalent energy but composite pulse allows better control of temperature profile.
Preferred pulse structure for many thicker depositions as well as for drying.

7. Advanced Pulse Structures Required
Without pulse shaping,
processing screen-printed inks can fail.
With pulse shaping,
processing screen-printed inks is optimized.
Skinning and pitting
Optimal surface and curing
Optimized electrical performance.
Delamination
Warped substrate

8. Innovation: Copper Oxide Reduction Ink
Copper inks are of interest
Cu costs much less than Ag
Cu has 90% of the conductivity of Ag
Traditional copper nanoinks are problematic
True Cu inks want to oxidize, especially nanoparticle inks
Stable nanoparticle inks of true Cu are usually expensive, outweighing cost benefits
New Approach
Instead of fighting oxidation, begin with particles in their terminal state: fully oxidized.
Converts to conductive Cu during processing with PulseForge tool.
Metalon ICI-021: Water-based
Nano copper oxide particles
Reduction agent
Water and ethylene glycol
Sheet resistance ~15 mOhm/sq
Very economical pricing

9. Copper Oxide Reduction Ink and Pulse Shaping
To convert the copper oxide to copper, certain elevated temperature must be reached and sustained long enough for the reaction to complete.
The exact required temperature and time are not known a priori for a given system: too low or too high will yield poor results.
Pulse Configurations
Resulting Thermal Simulation
(Generated using SimPulse)
Shaped Pulse (top)
Basic Pulse (bottom)
This Basic Pulse
creates temperature
too hot and too short.
Shaped Pulse creates
optimal temperature
for optimal time.

10. R&D to Production Different chassis Shared components
PulseForge 1200/1300
PulseForge 3200/3300
Different chassis
Shared components
Lamps
Reflector housings
Power supplies
User interface

11. Separation of Functions
Power supplies and
lamp controllers
Water
cooling
Lamp housing
Cables
Material conveyance
User
interface
Controls,
work
surface

12. Configurable Process Width

13. Designed for Value and Performance
Throughout the design and development process for the PulseForge 3200 tools, careful thought was given to identifying key design topics. Interviews with external industry leaders as well as internal experts in the NovaCentrix inks and applications teams contributed to design attributes that are embodied in the current tool architecture.
Design Priorities
Safety
Access interlocks
Automatic system operation monitoring
Performance
State-of-the-art engineering allows optimization of application processing
Economic operation
Extremely long lamp lifetimes with quick and tool-free lamp changes
No warm-up time required prior to operation
Water-cooled for continuous operation at max rated power
Ease of operation
Advanced custom operating system and user interface
Process settings can be saved and accessed for future production
Ease of integration into Customer’s Quality Management System
On-board recording of each pulse profile and lamp output can be linked and traced to specific item
Process conditions can easily be shared between R&FD and production PulseForge tools

14. Thank You www.novacentrix.com
Contact our partners or us directly with questions
or for samples processing.