Roll-to-Roll Fabrication and Processing Facility
Core Facilities Seminar
Jeff Morse, Director–Scalable Fabrication of Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE): Unique Capabilities of the Advanced Print and Roll-to-Roll Facility
Located on the 4th floor in the Life Science Laboratories the Roll to Roll Fabrication and Processing (R2R) facility provides a unique set of custom, moving web-based tools for the translation of advanced materials and nanomanufacturing processes to industrially relevant scalable platforms for the development of next generation life science innovations in biosensors, diagnostics, and platforms for personalized health monitoring. Combined with additional web-based tools for vacuum sputter deposition, reactive ion etching, wet chemistry, and interlayer alignment, providing access to an emerging set of tools not found anywhere else.
What We Do
In combination with supporting student researchers, the R2R facility provides the expertise of professional staff with years of experience in the coating and flexible electronics industries to meet the near term and future needs of industry in developing their next generation products. Contributing towards a significant economic impact in Massachusetts and nationally in working closely with industry partners to solve critical process bottlenecks, enabling critical demonstrations of prototype products, and working to scale these processes to pilot manufacturing. This unprecedented facility, within an academic institution, allows rapid development for small, medium, and large companies to develop products without the upfront capital equipment investment, or need to shut down a production line in order to develop next generation products. Thus, a new paradigm in advanced manufacturing is presented which becomes more efficient, and accelerates the timeline to manufacturing.
The impact has been clear, creating new jobs, attracting substantial investment, and creating partnerships and mergers between companies, and enhancing competitiveness throughout the value chain. While this impact is recognized across the range of applications for coatings and flexible electronics, the largest impact by far is in the energy and environmental application sector, thereby have a broader socioeconomic benefit. These include batteries and energy storage ultra filtration, carbon sequestration, and printed photonics. The figure to the right illustrates a coating in process on the Frontier Slot Die Coating system. Our staff work closely with industry partners and sponsors to optimize the coating process parameters, thereby establishing a baseline for pilot production and scaled manufacturing. In addition, our team woks closely with industry partners to run trials evaluating and optimizing formulation, process variations, and systematic configurations in order to provide a solid base to take this product to the next manufacturing level.
Work With Us
We offer training to users to develop processes and conduct experimentation for use on a fee for service basis to both internal and external researchers, academic or industry based. Following an initial consultation to better understand the user’s goals, process or device interests, suggested tool capabilities, experimental parameters, training and access is arranged through the director. Facility staff and faculty researchers are available to assist on an as-needed basis, or through collaborative programs leveraging targeted expertise. For further information, please contact the facility director.
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AJA R2R Sputtering System
The AJA sputter deposition tool provides industry standard vacuum deposition capability for a range of metals, dielectrics, and magnetic materials.
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Adphos Near IR 126-125 Drying / Sintering
Wavelength: Peak in Near IR, extend to visible & IR
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Besi Datacon 2200 Evo Plus R2R Pick and Place/Bonding Tool for Hybrid Integration
The web-based pick and place/die attach tool provides users with an advanced capability to develop methods for flexible-hybrid electronic circuit integration and system prototyping.
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Dimatix DMP 2831
Desktop inkjet printers are available for patterning of several conductive commercial inks and developing prototype processes and designs.
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Frontier Coater
The Frontier coater is a versatile tool enabling solution-based coatings over a range of viscosity and thicknesses for the development of advanced coatings.
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LSL Dry Room
Dry and Wet labs enable process development under controlled environments for repeatable, reliable results.
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Nanonex NX-2608BA
The Nanonex Nanoimprint Lithography Tool provides state-of-the-art capability for patterning, alignment, and direct printing of multiple materials for printed electronics.
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Optomec Aerosol Jet 300
Additive 3D printing capabilities include both Aerosol Jet and Inkjet platforms providing versatility in terms of materials and inks available, range of viscosity, and post deposition cure by UV or IR photonic cure.
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Pro-Lam 1200 Lab Scale Laminator/Slitter
- Lamination Widths: 4” -12”
- Speed Control: Variable and reversible 18 FPM Max.
- Maximum Laminate Thickness: 0.010”
- Maximum Substrate Thickness: 0.25”
- Micro-Adjustable Slitter Blades with infinite slitting widths from 1”-12”
- pro-lam.com
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PulseForge 1300 Photonic Sintering
Pulseforge photonic cure offers visible and UV spectral sources for photothermal processing of coatings and composites in a batch format.
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R2R Contact Lithography Active Alignment Registration
Moving web tool uses gravure/meyer-rod coating of functional resist or thin-film with contact print to mask pattern for direct photolithographic exposure by UV source. Imaging feedback enables active alignment of patterns.
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R2R Direct Write Test Frame
Roll to roll direct write test frame incorporates direct image photolithographic patterning of coating implemented by inkjet or gravure coating. The digital patterning is enabled by DLP imaging, and target registration alignment uses an active pattern recognition feedback feature.
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R2R Nanoimprint Lithography
The R2R NanoImprint tool provides a unique suite of capabilities enabling innovative process development including patterning across multiple length-scales, and direct printing of a range of materials compositions.
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R2R Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition
R2R-SALD provides a unique capability for high quality coatings on a moving web.
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R2R Inkjet Printer/Gravure Coater with Photonic Cure
This custom R2R tool provides state-of-the-art capability for development of advanced materials and inks for emerging printed electronic applications, including capability to directly pattern features and optimize properties using photothermal processing/sintering.
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ramé-hart Model 210 Goniometer / Tensiometer
The ramé-hart Model 210 Goniometer / Tensiometer is a powerful tool for measuring contact angle, surface energy, surface tension, and interfacial tension. Model 210 (previously Model 200) includes DROPimage Pro as well as a fiber optic illuminator, 3-axis leveling stage, and U4 Series 520 frames/second SuperSpeed digital camera.
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Trion R2R DRIE & IBM System
The Trion Deep Reactive Ion and Ion Beam Etcher provides vacuum-based dry etch capability compatible with several substrates (plastic, glass, metal foil).
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UMass Slitter/Laminator
This custom built atmospheric slitter/laminator tool enables final sizing, slitting and lamination steps to be completed for prototyping and test.
| Service Line | Campus Users | Other Academic Institutions | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical Equipment Access Tier 1 | $26.25/hour | $31.50/hour | $47.25/hour |
| Specialized Equipment Tier 2 | $52.50/hour | $68.25/hour | $89.25/hour |
| Specialized Equipment Tier 3 (Includes staff) |
$78.75/hour | $78.75/hour | $126/hour |
| Technical Support/Training | $63/hour | $68.25/hour | $105/hour |
| Quarterly Access Fee (1 user) | $315 | $420 | $525 |
| Additional User Access Fee | $68.25/month | $84/month | $110.25/month |
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Tier 1 Equipment
Tier 2 Equipment
Tier 3 Equipment
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| Rates are subject to change, contact facility to verify current fees. | |||
| FY25 Specialized Service Center Approved Fees | |||
Training for new users consists of:
- lab safety training,
- operation of the instrument and associated software,
- use of data analysis software,
- exporting or presenting data,
- clean up and shutdown of the instrumentation.
Once the training is complete, users may schedule their activities and tool use with the director of R2R (Jeff Morse) or online through CORUM at corum.umass.edu
Roll-to-Roll Fabrication & Processing (R2R) Facility: the R2R facility provides a unique set of custom, moving web-based tools for the translation of advanced materials and nanomanufacturing processes to industrially relevant scalable platforms for the development of next generation life science innovations in biosensors, diagnostics, and platforms for personalized health monitoring. Combined with additional web-based tools for vacuum sputter deposition, reactive ion etching, wet chemistry, and interlayer alignment, providing access to an emerging set of tools not found anywhere else.
- Training: Training for new users consists of: lab safety training, operation of the instrument and associated software, use of data analysis software, exporting or presenting data, clean up and shutdown of the instrumentation. Rates currently under review.
Reservations & Services
CORUM - the centralized ordering system for shared facilities.
Make a Payment
Make a payment to the Roll-to-Roll Fabrication and Processing facility.
