SUMMARY

Gravure printing is a conventional printing process used for printing graphics on products ranging from magazines and packaging to wallpaper and floor coverings. It is a versatile process that can be used to deposit a variety of fluid materials onto a number of different surfaces. It is also capable of very high speed deposition, with speeds up to 60 m/min being reported. Because of its versatility and high throughput capability, gravure is an attractive platform for the manufacture of electronic devices composed of relatively thin layers of functional materials deposited onto flexible substrates. In many cases, these materials can be deposited in liquid form, in which case gravure printing can potentially be used. One such material that is commonly used is Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), a transparent, conducting ceramic material. It is commonly deposited onto flexible, transparent polyethylene terapthalate (PET) films that can be used in flexible displays, solar cells, and other devices requiring a transparent, conducting layer. This thesis describes an experimental approach used to characterize the effects of different processing parameters on the physical and functional characteristics of a gravure-printed ITO film, in which ITO nanoparticles were combined with a printing ink base and deposited using the gravure process. Parameters including engraving geometry, speed, pressure, and material variables were studied. It was found that the fluid properties of the ITO ink significantly affected the physical and functional properties of the resulting nanoparticle films. Other process parameters also have a significant effect on the various properties of the films. An explanation for these effects is given based on a mechanistic model of ink transfer in the gravure process.