MicroLED EL testing, Contacting uLEDs in parallel assembly, Nanowires and smart formed heaters, Printed ECGs electrodes with Gold, Printed structural health monitoring sensors

venessa50
Apr 24
6 min read

In this edition we get into microLED, printed electronics, and flexible tech in this edition, featuring expert insights on electroluminescence (EL) vs. photoluminescence (PL) for accurate microLED testing, scalable RGB microLED assembly with high yield, and silver nanowire (AgNW) materials enabling transparent heaters and smart surfaces for automotive applications. Learn how printed piezoelectric sensors are revolutionizing structural health monitoring in aerospace composites, and discover a bioelectronic breakthrough with gold ink ECG electrodes printed on flexible TPU. Ideal for professionals in display technology, automotive, aerospace, and wearable electronics, this newsletter highlights scalable manufacturing solutions using advanced materials, screen and aerosol jet printing, and sensor integration.

InZiv | Unleashing microLED’s Future: The Power of Electroluminescence Testing
Fraunhofer IZM | An R&D study on feasibility of Massive parallel assembly for contacting Micro-LEDs
DuPont | Transparent heater, Smart surface and In-Mold Electronics
Fraunhofer IFAM | Printed sensors for structural health monitoring of composite components
Voltera | Printing ECG Electrodes with Gold Ink on TPU

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InZiv | Unleashing microLED’s Future: The Power of Electroluminescence Testing

Noam Shapiro

Despite their promise, microLED displays have yet to achieve mass commercialization, with yield improvement being a critical hurdle. Effective testing is essential to overcoming this challenge. This talk will explore the two major functional testing methodologies—photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL)—and demonstrate why EL is the superior approach for accurate defect detection and performance assessment. We will discuss the key advantages of EL testing and examine what the industry needs in order to adopt this methodology at scale, ultimately driving microLED technology toward widespread adoption.

Key Takeaways:

The Yield Challenge: Reliable testing and inspection are essential to improving microLED yields
Early-stage inspection = reduced costs and faster time-to-market
PL vs. EL: Why electroluminescence offers deeper insights into device functionality
InZiv’s research: Understanding the limitations of PL and how EL overcomes them

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Fraunhofer IZM | An R&D study on feasibility of Massive parallel assembly for contacting Micro-LEDs

Charles-Alix Manier

The present work describes a method for the RGB handling and the electrical bonding of Micro-LED arranged onto a host substrate emulating a display. The assembly technology will be presented which relies on a three-step sequential soldering for RGB-connecting of several thousands of small-sized (ca. 20x20 µm) LED mechanical chips mimicking "RGB" source LEDs to a large substrate in a 150x150 matrix array, leading to a 99.5% success rate at R&D scale.

Key Takeaways from the Presentation:

Goal and Motivation
- Lower power losses
- Longer lifetime, higher brightness, thermal stability, and robustness in extreme conditions
- RGB monolithic integration remains complex
Base Principle and Specificities
- Core principle of the assembly process
- Unique features of the approach
- Description of the test vehicle
Material Preparation
- Micro-LEDs (Mechanical Silicon)
- Donor & Conveyor systems
- Host substrate ("display")
Sequential Assembly of Micro-LEDs
- Selective picking process
- Assembly methodology
Assembly Results
- Post-assembly inspection
- Electrical testing

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DuPont | Transparent heater, Smart surface and In-Mold Electronics

Xiaofeng Chen

DuPont’s silver nanowire-based Activegrid® inks and films deliver excellent optical clarity, conductivity, and flexibility, making them ideal for a wide range of automotive applications. These include transparent heaters, smart surfaces, LiDAR systems, in- mold electronics (IME), transparent EMI shielding, and infrared (IR) reflection. Activegrid® inks can be applied onto diverse substrates such as polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), cyclic olefin polymer (COP), polyimide (PI), glass, and more, possibly at low process temperature (less than 60 °C). These inks are compatible with various solution coating techniques, including spray, dip, flow coating, and roll-to-roll slot-die processes, allowing application to both flat and curved surfaces with ease. In addition, DuPont offers Activegrid® films as a pre-coated film product on various substrates with Activegrid® inks, which can be laminated or molded onto target surfaces to meet specific design needs. By leveraging DuPont’s silver nanowire technology, we enable cutting-edge innovation, driving the development of next-generation automotives.

Key Topics Covered:

1. A Materials Platform for Next-Gen Electronics & Automotives

Core material: Silver Nanowire (AgNW)
Product offerings: Printable inks, 3D inks, AgNW adhesives & composites, transparent conductive films
Target sectors: Touch sensors, interconnects, life sciences

2. Flexible Manufacturing Capabilities

Downstream process adaptability
Pilot coating widths up to 600 mm, mass production up to 1250 mm

3. Automotive Innovation Use Cases

Transparent heaters for ADAS, exterior & interior applications
UltraNW™ Technology – the industry’s highest performing transparent heater
LiDAR/Camera heaters – high transmission in visible and near-infrared
Electrified fabrics – for heated armrests, seat leather, and seatbelts

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Fraunhofer IFAM | Printed sensors for structural health monitoring of composite components

Ingo Wirth

In aviation industry, there exists an increasing demand for structural health monitoring (SHM) of carbon fiber reinforced composite materials (CFRP), which are needed for aerospace structures because of their unique stiffness to weight ratio. The challenge in such a context is to integrate smart systems in composites for lightweight constructions using different sensors without mechanically changing the structural behavior of the host structures (low weight addition and as small as possible stiffness modification). Innovative printing technologies allow the integration of printed sensors in composite parts and components by satisfying these criteria. For this purpose, manufacturing and integration process of sensors in composite parts using printing technologies was investigated. Piezoelectric sensors as well as temperature sensors were deposited directly on composite aeronautics parts representative of the aeronautic industry using screen printing and Aerosol Jet printing technologies. As an architecture network, printed individual sensors can be connected to an overall system.

The great advantage of printing technologies is the possibility to deposit customized sensor structures directly on planar and non-planar surfaces. The usage of printing technologies results in a great accuracy, reliability, and cost reduction also in a later production process. The development of electrical conductive composites allows the deposition of conductive paths between the sensor structures on the part and finally a connection to the power supply unit. This allows for the realization of a complete sensor structure with low added weight and low intrusivity with respect to the host structure. The sensor technology platform itself offers a broad range of variations of piezoelectric sensor candidate architectures into manufacturing process. The printed sensor network consists of several connected piezoelectric sensors, which build a dynamical load and displacement sensitive element. To detect, localize, classify and quantify damage to CFRP parts, composite aeronautic structural elements may be monitored using data from such printed sensors. This innovative sensor technology can thus be used for SHM by providing a complete and continuous observation of the whole system in the aircraft, but also in any other application area having similar requirements.

Printed piezoelectric sensors can be used to detect and monitor structural deformation, damage, or fatigue in aircrafts, helping to ensure the safety and reliability of the aircraft. Furthermore, it can be used to monitor the vibration of aircraft engines, providing early warning of potential issues and helping to prevent costly engine failures. Printed temperature sensors are able to monitor temperature changes even in inaccessible places in engines. Overall, the use of printed piezoelectric sensors in aeronautics can help to improve the safety, efficiency, and performance of aircrafts.