Electroluminescent light sources via soft lithography

Purpose - Microcontact printing is a process used to print high-resolution protein arrays for biosensors. The paper aims to investigate using these techniques to print electrically conductive fine line structures for electroluminescent (E/L) light sources. Design/methodology/approach - The viability of using microcontact printing as a process for electronics fabrication is investigated. Polydimethylsiloxane stamps inked with alkanethiol compounds form self-assembled monolayers on substrate surfaces, acting as the resist to subsequent etching processes. The printed lines are characterized with regard to their performance as high-electric field generators in electroluminescent displays. Findings - It has been demonstrated that microcontact printing is a cheap, repeatable process for fabricating electronic devices. The results demonstrate the viability of the process to fabricate electric field generator structures for E/L light sources with reduced driving voltages. Originality/value - The paper demonstrates that microcontact printing can produce electrically conductive fine-line structures with high resolution, confirming its viability in printed electronics manufacture.