TRI.PO.DE.

The primary objective of the TRIPODE project was the creation of a public-private laboratory for the development of low-cost integration technologies for new semiconductor materials, especially organic ones, in electronics and sensor devices and circuits.
Objectives achieved: New microelectronic technologies were developed, enabling the production of low-cost electronic devices on rigid and flexible polymer systems using thin-film materials that could be processed in a manner compatible with the supporting polymers (e.g., organic semiconductor materials deposited with conventional techniques or direct printing techniques such as ink-jet printing and nanoimprinting).
Particular emphasis was placed on the study and development of process technologies for the production of OLED displays and memory devices.
The processes developed are:

• inkjet printing techniques with surface patterning using photolithographic techniques, resolution up to ~1 µm;
• MicroContact Printing risoluzione ~0,1 µm;
• NanoImprint Lithography risoluzione fino a 50 nm;

The following devices have been created:

• low drive voltage (2.5V) OLED device;
• non-volatile memory devices made with custom-synthesized conjugated organic polymers with switches at around 2V, ION/IOFF>104 and reversible and cyclic bistability (theoretical density of 10Gb/cm2, resolution of 50nm);
• three wireless “electronic nose” demonstrators based on an array of volatile organic compounds (VOC) sensors; tested for the detection of terpenes, acetone, and ethanol;
• active drug delivery device: tested with vitamin C;
• logic circuit with 4-bit arithmetic logic unit (ALU) function made of plastic.