S.R. Peeples, A. Patel, M. Mahjouri-Samani
NASA,
United States
Keywords: zinc oxide, Schottky diodes, additive manufacturing
Summary:
There is considerable interest in additive manufacturing for low-cost, non-hazardous, and biodegradable semiconductors for the commercial market. Further, NASA’s On-Demand Manufacturing of Electronics (ODME) program seeks to mature advanced additive manufacturing technologies for printing electronics and semiconductors in space on-demand, closing specific technology gaps outlined in its Moon to Mars Objectives. The Laser Ablation and Sintering Electronics and Devices (LASED) system is evaluated for these purposes with its fabrication of zinc oxide (ZnO), platinum, and silver 3D printed Schottky diodes without liquid inks. The LASED system is a dry multimaterial printing technology that enables the on-demand and in-situ generation of nanoparticles from solid targets, i.e., common sputtering targets. The nanoparticles are guided through a nozzle and onto a substrate placed on an XYZ motion stage, where they are laser-sintered in real time, creating 2D/3D patterns and structures. The Schottky diode fabrication strategy and I-V analysis are presented while the rectification ratio and ideality factor are discussed.