Integrated Multiscale Nanomanufacturing (B2)

Thrust B2 will establish novel material deposition methods for 3D printing at the micrometer to nanometer scale, thereby covering material systems that are not amenable to either photopolymerization, or chemical conversion from photoresists. Since direct deposition methods are generally very fast (deposition in the range of 1 m/s), the focus of the work will be on achieving precise control of printing, for the onset and termination of material deposition, as well as for achieving precise longitudinal and lateral placement of the material, and a means to monitor deposition in real time. In order to ensure excellent bonding between printing layers, the Thrust will also implement precise plasma activation to augment the deposition processes.

The Thrust will additionally establish the KHAMP (Karlsruhe-Heidelberg Additive Nanomanufacturing Platform), a setup that will co-integrate existing printing technologies (inkjet, aerosol jet printing, direct laser writing) and ensure registration and printing control over all technologies, thereby facilitating the use of the technologies by applications scientists.

Thrust B2 relies heavily on access to printable materials with additional degrees of freedom for achieving hierarchies of function and morphology, and will cooperate strongly with Thrusts A1 to A3. Thrust B2 will make its technologies available to all users in Thrusts C1 to C3, and will rely on Thrust B3 for morphological qualification at the nanometer to sub-nanometer scale.