National Science Foundation Supports Engineering Efforts to Create High-Resolution Liquid Printing Technologies

Engineering researchers Harish Subbaraman, an assistant professor of electrical engineering, and David Estrada, an assistant professor of material science and engineering, are working to improve upon existing nanomanufacturing technology. Currently, highly-specialized printers are needed to print nanomaterials that measure as little as one-billionth of a meter across. These additive manufacturing techniques rely on the use of specialized nozzles that deposit tiny amounts of material. Unfortunately, these special nozzles routinely clog.

“Say, for instance, you want to print electronics using nanomaterials, create semiconductors that are three atoms thick, or lay down graphene, which is just one atom thick. These materials cannot reliably be printed with today’s state-of-the-art equipment because the nozzle clogs,” Estrada explained. “Our new technique could overcome that.”

Subbaraman adds that “new nozzle-free printing techniques will enable a broader selection of jetting materials,” an exciting prospect which would allow researchers to experiment with new materials in less time.

The research team is looking to gain a robust understanding of the fundamental mechanism behind the liquid jetting and energy conversion processes involved. Their work received support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) which is funding their collaboratory project with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Boise State's share of the nearly half-million dollar grant is $187,132 for three years.

Subbaraman and Estrada are developing the nanomaterial inks for this new printing system, using specialized equipment purchased through a Department of Energy grant to establish nanoparticle ink synthesis capabilities at Boise State University. They hope to commercialize their inks through a new startup company – INFlex Labs, LLC – resulting from the fundamental discoveries of their Advanced Nanomaterials and Manufacturing Laboratory.

ECE Seminar October 7: Printed Electronics for Air Force Applications

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Boise State University invites you to attend a free public seminar hosted on Zoom. This week's seminar features Dr. Emily Heckman, a Senior Research Engineer at Air Force Research Laboratory. October 7 @ 10:30 am https://boisestate.zoom.us/j/92994002201 ABSTRACT | This talk will provide an overview of the field of printed electronics and ongoing research efforts in this area at the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate. Printed electronics is a subset of additive manufacturing that uses technologies such as inkjet and aerosol jet printing and various other direct-write tools to additively print electronic devices on flexible, conformal and traditional substrate platforms. The AFRL Sensors Directorate is currently exploring this technology for application areas such as RF circuits and antennas, optoelectronic devices, sensors, and rapid prototyping. Challenges such as post-processing, repeat...

Electrical Engineering Research Team Develops New Transistor

The American Chemical Society (ACS) launched its new journal Applied Electronic Materials this year. One of Boise State’s own research teams landed a spot in the very first issue thanks to their novel work on a new type of transistor. “The new transistor opens up an exciting avenue of research,” says Dr. Kris Campbell, an associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. The featured work describes an optically-gated transistor developed in the Non-Volatile Memory research lab at Boise State University. Campbell’s research team includes undergraduate electrical engineering students Randall Bassine and Jeremy Astle and electrical and computer engineering doctoral student Faisal Kabir. Their unique work has led to a patent for Boise State University and has already been licensed by a company hoping to use the technology in their products. In this work, Dr. Campbell and her team demonstrate that a device comprised of alternating layers of sputtered amorphous c...

Dr. Maria Mitkova Honored by International Association for Advanced Materials

Maria Mitkova, a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Boise State University recently attended the 25th assembly of the Silver Jubilee Advanced Materials Congress held in Stockholm, Sweden. Mitkova was honored at the event, receiving the International Association for Advanced Materials (IAAM) medal. Dr. Maria Mitkova (left) Receives IAAM Medal Ea ch year IAAM recognizes high-impact research and innovations which promote the advancement of materials. Recognized by the IAAM for her outstanding contributions to the advancement of materials, Mitkova says she is proud to have received the award. “I have great opportunities to develop my research in a college known for its innovation, inclusion, and integrity,” Mitkova says, “where I am surrounded by a wonderful team of faculty and students.” Dr. Mitkova’s current research interests are in the area of chalcogenide glasses and thin film microstructures. Learn more about ongoing work onl...

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