Transfer printing of nanomaterials and microstructures using a wire bonder

Scalable and cost-efficient transfer of nanomaterials and microstructures from their original fabrication substrate to a new host substrate is a key challenge for realizing heterogeneously integrated functional systems, such as sensors, photonics, and electronics. Here we demonstrate a high-throughput and versatile integration method utilizing conventional wire bonding tools to transfer-print carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silicon microstructures. Standard ball stitch wire bonding cycles were used as scalable and high-speed pick-and-place operations to realize the material transfer. Our experimental results demonstrated successful transfer printing of single-walled CNTs (100 m-diameter patches) from their growth substrate to polydimethylsiloxane, parylene, or Au/parylene electrode substrates, and realization of field emission cathodes made of CNTs on a silicon substrate. Field emission measurements manifested excellent emission performance of the CNT electrodes. Further, we demonstrated the utility of a high-speed wire bonder for transfer printing of silicon microstructures (60 m 60 m 20 m) from the original silicon on insulator substrate to a new host substrate. The achieved placement accuracy of the CNT patches and silicon microstructures on the target substrates were within 4 m. These results show the potential of using established and extremely cost-efficient semiconductor wire bonding infrastructure for transfer printing of nanomaterials and microstructures to realize integrated microsystems and flexible electronics.