Events Calendar

AME Seminar

Speaker: Rahul Panat, Carnegie Mellon University

Talk Title: Printed 3D Microelectronics: Process Development, Materials Science, and Devices Applications

Abstract: In this research, we develop a printed microelectronics technique based on droplet-based nanoparticle printing using the Aerosol Jet (AJ) technology. A balance between inertia forces and surface forces for the microdroplets (each containing nanoparticles), along with rapid solvent evaporation are used to create highly complex 3D microarchitectures of metals and polymers without auxiliary support and with near-fully dense truss members. Highly intricate 3-D micro-lattices, pillars, interconnects, and spirals are demonstrated.   We then use these structures to: (i) study fundamental material science, and (ii) demonstrate device applications with extraordinary performance that cannot be achieved by any other method. For (i), a temperature-gradient-driven mass transport is shown as a new mechanism of 4D printing. For (ii), novel 3D geometry of electrodes enables detection of pathogen antibodies and antigens in 10-12 seconds at femtomolar sensitivities - the fastest detection of disease biomarkers yet reported! This technology is validated through human trials. In addition, the 3D microarchitectures in our lab enable fully customizable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that record electrical signals between neurons at densities of thousands of electrodes/cm2, which is 5-10× the current state-of-the-art BCI technologies. The technology was validated through animal testing via recording of the action potentials from the mouse brain. We also demonstrated the printing of high-capacity Li-ion batteries and thin flexible robotic skins with embedded sensors. Lastly, our ongoing work on creating manufacturing digital twins of the AJ printing process is also discussed.

Biography: Prof. Panat is Professor. He is courtesy faculty in the Materials Science and Engineering and the Robotics Institute at CMU. He is also the Associate Director of Research at the Manufacturing Futures Institute at CMU, which is focused on bringing the latest advances in digital technologies to advanced manufacturing. Prof. Panat completed his PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana in 2004. He joined Intel Corporation’s R&D unit in Chandler, AZ, where he worked for 10 years on microprocessor materials and manufacturing R&D - specifically on 3D heterogeneous integration. At Intel, Dr. Panat led a team of engineers that developed the fabrication process for world’s first halogen-free IC chip. He was part of a team that introduced the first Si chip with a billion transistors. He returned to academia in 2014 and joined CMU in fall 2017. His research is focused on microscale 3D printing and its applications to biomedical engineering, stretchable electronics, and Li-ion batteries. He has obtained > $7.5 million in research funding from US Intelligence agencies, US Air Force, US Army, ARPA-H, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), and industry. Prof. Panat is recipient of several awards, including MRS gold medal, Mavis Memorial Award, an award at Intel for his work on the halogen-free chip, Struminger Teaching Fellowship, and the Russell V. Trader chair professorship at CMU.

Host: AME Department

More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/

Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1

Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 202

WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Tessa Yao

Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/