Thin film deposition methods are crucial to generate progress in Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) of strategic importance for Europe, including Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology, Micro- and Nanoelectronics, Biotechnology, and Photonics. Devices such as photovoltaic cells, light emitting diodes, electronic and optoelectronic micro-/nano-sensors are prominent examples of thin film applications where the precise control of material deposition and its degree of order (crystallinity) are of paramount importance for their performance and function
However, technologies for thin film deposition have very limited capacity to tune crystallinity of the materials deposited, at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, or to create functional 3D architectures, in a single and versatile manner. The requirement of high temperatures and vacuum conditions make them inherently costly and unsuitable for deposition on various substrates (e.g. plastics). Moreover, their dimensions are not compatible with miniaturization and integration in table-top interfaces that would broaden their potential use. These limitations restrain the development of ground-breaking functional materials and new-conceptual devices. All this hampers innovation and the appearance of new and cost-effective marketable products.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance to develop a radically new deposition technology allowing: (i) control over the chemical and physical properties of the materials to be deposited in thin films, which can lead to the development of new advanced materials and devices; (ii) deposition of functional 3D architectures without multistep protocols, to enable the direct printing of 2D/3D functional devices and structures; (iii) deposition of a large variety of materials at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, to offer increased capabilities and significant reductions in fabrication costs.
