Reza Kazemi & Doug Schardt | Komori America Corporation: Why do subsequent printed layers behave differently than the first in additive micro-patterning?
08:54 - 10:58
Other snippets from this talk
Summary of the clip:
Why do subsequent printed layers behave differently than the first in additive micro-patterning?
Building high-aspect-ratio features through additive gravure offset printing requires a deep understanding of interfacial surface energies. When building structures layer-by-layer, the first layer is released directly onto the bare substrate, where wetting, adhesion, and surface tension are governed by the substrate-to-ink interface. This initial boundary condition sets the mechanical foundation for all subsequent print passes.
As the process shifts to subsequent layers, the transfer dynamics change because the ink is now releasing onto a previously printed, cured, or semi-dried version of itself. This shift in surface energy and adhesion behavior alters the final cross-sectional profile of the feature. However, once the initial layer is successfully established, the subsequent deposition cycles become highly repeatable as the ink-on-ink transfer interface remains uniform.
Using this cyclic additive method, manufacturers can scale feature heights significantly, achieving structured builds such as a 10-layer print reaching over 21 microns in vertical height. Controlling the solvent evaporation rates and thermal profiles between passes is essential to prevent re-dissolution and maintain the lateral resolution of these stacked micro-structures.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Why the first printed layer exhibits different transfer and wetting behaviors than subsequent layers.
* How the shift from substrate-to-ink to ink-on-ink interfaces stabilizes layer-to-layer repeatability.
* The process techniques required to build high-aspect-ratio features up to 21 microns tall.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip explores the physics of multi-layer additive printing and how changing surface adhesion profiles affect micro-structure development. It highlights how a 10-layer print sequence can build structured features up to 21 microns high by stabilizing ink-on-ink interfaces.
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#GravureOffsetPrinting, #AdditiveMicroPatterning, #InkOnInkTransfer, #InterfacialSurfaceEnergy, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics
This is a highlight of the presentation:
High-Resolution Gravure Offset Printing in Printed Electronics: Process Control, Applications, and Manufacturing
Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA 2026
10-11 June 2026
Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA
Organised By:
TechBlick
More Highlights from the same talk.
07:34 - 08:41
Can you trust a 1-micron machine specification when printing functional micro-scale features?
Can you trust a 1-micron machine specification when printing functional micro-scale features?
Achieving sub-micron alignment in printed electronics is a complex challenge where mechanical capability often clashes with real-world system dynamics. While a printer may boast a highly precise mechanical tolerance of plus-or-minus one micron, the actual target positioning accuracy is heavily dictated by a wider array of variables. These system-level inputs include the physical properties of the printing plate, the deformation of the transfer blanket, and the dimensional stability of the substrate under vacuum forces.
In gravure offset processes, these variables accumulate to expand the practical printing tolerance window to plus-or-minus five microns. This delta between raw mechanical performance and real-world system tolerance is critical for engineers designing high-density displays, such as microLED backplanes or fine-line interconnects, where registration errors directly impact pixel yield and electrical performance.
Understanding this distinction allows hardware designers to model realistic design rules for micro-scale components. By anticipating how blankets compress and how substrates shift under contact, manufacturers can optimize their materials and process configurations to bridge the gap between machine precision and physical deposit placement.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The difference between raw mechanical machine tolerance and total process system tolerance.
* How plate, substrate, and blanket dynamics impact the final target positioning of micro-deposits.
* Why a nominal 1-micron machine specification expands to a 5-micron real-world capability.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip addresses the critical difference between mechanical machine tolerances and overall system-level printing accuracy in gravure offset systems. It explains how material variables like plates, blankets, and substrates influence real-world positioning yield down to the five-micron scale.
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#GravureOffsetPrinting, #SubMicronAlignment, #BlanketDeformation, #FineLineInterconnects, #MicroLEDBackplanes, #PrintedElectronics
21:08 - 22:19
How does modifying cell wall angles resolve the transfer yield limits of micro-gravure plates?
How does modifying cell wall angles resolve the transfer yield limits of micro-gravure plates?
In micro-patterning and high-resolution gravure offset printing, incomplete ink release from micro-scale cells is a persistent physics bottleneck. Standard vertical-walled engraving designs often leave a significant portion of the material trapped inside the cell due to capillary forces and wall friction, yielding thin wet films of only two to three microns even from deep ten-micron cavities. This low transfer efficiency severely limits the height of conductive traces and micro-solder bumps.
To bypass this physical constraint, engineers must modify the internal geometry of the cell by tapering the engraving walls. Implementing a tapered profile dramatically decreases the demolding force and contact area between the ink and the cell walls during the blanket pickup phase. This geometric adjustment allows the transfer yield to jump from a meager 30% up to nearly 70%, translating to cured film thicknesses of four to seven microns in a single pass.
This geometric optimization is highly material-dependent and requires precise mathematical modeling of the cell taper angle against the specific viscosity and surface tension of the functional paste. By matching cell taper designs to targeted feature diameters, manufacturers can reliably deposit high-volume solder bumps and high-aspect-ratio traces for microelectronic packaging.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Why capillary forces trap functional ink inside traditional vertical-walled micro-engravings.
* How tapering cell wall geometries increases ink transfer thickness from 2-3 microns to 4-7 microns.
* The relationship between cell demolding physics, fluid viscosity, and micro-bump height yields.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip explains how tapering the wall geometries of micro-engraved cells overcomes capillary pinning to maximize ink transfer yields. It details how this geometric change doubles single-pass deposit thicknesses for high-density micro-bump applications.
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#MicroGravure, #CellWallTapering, #CapillaryPinning, #GravureOffsetPrinting, #PrintedElectronics, #MicroelectronicsPackaging