Adam Printz develops ultra-thin printing technique

University of Arizona researchers, led by assistant professor of CHEE and lead inventor Adam Printz, have developed a technique for printing solution-processed thin films at high efficiency.

RAPID, or Restricted Area Printing by Ink Drawing, is a confined-volume printing technique that can print thin electronic films continuously like newspapers, resulting in lightning-quick manufacturing of high-efficiency photovoltaics at a fraction of the materials usage and costs.

Solution-processed thin films are printable electronics that use less material and have a quicker production process than traditional manufacturing processes. These films are also useful for wearable technology as their thinness enables additional mechanical flexibility. 

“With our process, we confine the ink between the substrate being printed onto and a plate above it, which we call a superstrate,” Printz said. “By trapping the ink between the substrate and superstrate, we can control the environmental conditions better, allowing us to regulate nucleation and crystallization and produce higher quality films.”