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The amount of electronics will increase and the use of raw materials in the sector is expected to double by 2050. The amount of electronic waste has also almost doubled over the past 16 years, and only 20% of this waste is collected efficiently. The EU, therefore, calls for more sustainable solutions from the electronics industry. VTT is developing them by combining printed electronics, bio-based materials, and eco-design thinking. The environmental load of the electronics industry can be significantly reduced by moving from traditional manufacturing processes to printed electronics and from fossil-based materials to bio-based materials. By using printing processes, up to 90% of fossil materials can be replaced in some applications. At the same time, energy consumption may decrease to one-fifth compared to traditional processes. Ecodesign, on the other hand, promotes the efficient use, recycling, and recovery of valuable materials. VTT has versatile expertise in all these areas and can provide extensive knowledge in both electronics manufacturing and new environmentally friendly materials. In the ECOtronics project funded by Business Finland, this expertise has been combined to assess the environmental load of electronics and develop sustainable solutions, and determine their feasibility. “The environmental impact of electronics is caused by, among other things, the used raw materials and manufacturing processes and the use, recycling, and post-treatment of products. The environmental load must be examined on a case-by-case basis throughout the life cycle of the product so that the right route to reduce it may be found,” says Liisa Hakola, the leader of the ECOtronics project at VTT. Solutions tested in demo cases VTT and the university partners have tested the feasibility of new sustainable solutions through demo cases. The subject of one demo was a smart label printed on bio-based plastic, which is powered by a supercapacitor rechargeable with solar panels, even indoors. The label can be added as a part of the product packaging and can be used to monitor, for example, the transport conditions of food and medicines or other heat-sensitive products. The solution is also suitable for monitoring different spaces and, among other things, for monitoring moisture, pressure or damage sustained by-products. Another demo case concerned a biodegradable antenna connected to a circuit board, which is suitable in, for example, wireless transfer of measurement data. One of the advantages of bio-based materials is that their properties can be modified in many ways. This enables completely new applications. “For example, a smart label is light, thin, and flexible. It is suitable for, among other things, wearable electronics for which traditional heavy, thick and rigid circuit boards are not suitable. We will continue to explore these opportunities,” says Maria Smolander, Research Team Leader at VTT. Sustainable electronics for business needs VTT helps companies in the electronics industry find new solutions for sustainable electronics. Eight companies interested in sustainable electronics participated in the ECOtronics project. For example, the package industry operator Iscent received help in material selection and testing, and the health technology developer GE Healthcare in ecodesign and environmental impact assessment. “We wanted to explore and test new bio-based materials, and we found new alternatives, one of which was perfectly suited to our customer. This helped us to sign a significant contract,” says Raimo Korhonen, Partner and Project Manager, Iscent Oy GE Healthcare wanted to investigate the environmental impact of its new pulse oximeter, which is a cordless device placed on a patient's anfinger. “We compared the environmental load of our product concept with the alternatives available on the market and examined possible benefits and problem areas in terms of environmental impact. The significance of the environmental load was also assessed by comparing it with examples from everyday life, such as one liter of milk. In this comparison, the product concept's performance was excellent,” says Juha Virtanen, Hardware Project Leader, GE Healthcare. More information: https://www.vttresearch.com/en/news-and-ideas/sustainable-electronics-reduce-environmental-load-and-enable-new-applications https://www.ecotronics.fi/

InnovationLab, the expert in printed electronics "from lab to fab", announces BaMoS, its innovative battery monitoring solution for automotive applications. BaMoS uses ultra-thin printed pressure and temperature sensors to capture detailed battery data down to the individual cell level, which can be used to extend battery lifetime by up to 40%. The battery is the most important component in an electric vehicle (EV). Despite extensive research, not much is known about how a battery system reacts to stress tests in terms of temperature and pressure, or exactly what happens during the charging cycle. This is because data from inside a battery system is usually not easily accessible. With BaMoS, InnovationLab now provides a system that captures detailed, cell-level pressure and temperature data, obtained from ultra-thin printed sensor foils which can be placed between individual battery cells. As battery cells expand and contract during the charge-discharge cycle, a pressure-sensitive foil can monitor this ‘breathing’, to measure the state of charge, detect any irregular behavior, and prevent overcharging. This cell-level information delivers valuable insights into the state of health and performance, helping R&D teams to improve their battery designs and battery monitoring solutions – including extending the range for electric vehicles. The data is spatially and temporally resolved to provide an accurate picture of battery behavior. “Measurement is the first step, that leads to improved control and battery performance,” said Luat Nguyen, Managing Director at InnovationLab. "Our flexible, ultra-thin printed sensors provide the detailed, accurate data that is necessary to improve the performance and lifetime of batteries for electric vehicles." InnovationLab offers a complete battery monitoring solution, including the sensor foils, electronics to gather and process the captured data, and software for live visualization, storage, and analysis of the data. Both the pressure and temperature sensors can be customized in terms of size, resolution, and substrate material to meet the particular needs of a customer. For more information, visit: https://www.innovationlab.de/en/current/press-releases-1/battery-monitoring-solution/

ELANTAS Europe has been developing and producing materials for electrical engineering worldwide for many decades. The Product line Printed Electronics expands the product range with electrically conductive and insulating screen printing pastes for membrane switches, In-Mold Electronics, and hybrid electronics. Drying temperatures for silver screen printing pastes often range between 90°C and 130°C. For substrates such as glass, ceramics, PET, polycarbonate, or polyamide films, this is usually unproblematic. However, applications on temperature-sensitive substrates such as textiles, stretchable films, and low-cost materials are becoming more widespread. In particular, the new field of smart textiles and special sensor applications are significant drivers for new developments. With the conductive silver screen printing paste Bectron® CP 6681, conductive tracks can be realized on temperature-sensitive substrates at a drying temperature of 70°C and a drying time of 15 minutes. In combination with the UV-curable screen printing insulators Bectron® DP, many new printed electronics applications are possible. The silver paste, originally developed for polycarbonate, has already proven its worth in combination with TPU film. Printing on other substrates such as PMMA, ABS, cellulose acetate, PVC and many others is also feasible. The layer resistances that can be achieved are subject to a certain substrate dependence. The typical track layer thicknesses are in the range of 5µm. For more information, visit: https://www.elantas.com/europe/press-events/newsletter-subscription/electronic-news/bectronr-cp-6681-low-temperature-silver-paste.html?_gl=1*xgjl04*_ga*MTY1Mjk5OTgxOC4xNjQzMDUwNzYx*_ga_C7W6QG4V4B*MTY0MzA1MDc2MC4xLjAuMTY0MzA1MDc2MC4w

TechBlick: Year-Round Platform For Learning, Training, & Networking On Emerging Technologies Annual Pass: 12-month access to all LIVE (online) TechBlick events, all networking opportunities, masterclasses, and the library of past state-of-the-art presentation Solid State Batteries & Frontier Battery Materials 9 - 10 February 2022 | 14:00 - 20:00 CET | Virtual Event Platform Themes: Solid-State Batteries | Next-Gen and Beyond Li-Ion | Promising Start-Ups | Market Forecasts | Start-Up Landscape Analysis | Scale-Up Techniques and Successes | Roll-to-Roll | Emerging Solid-State Electrolyte Material Families | Pure and Composite Silicon Anodes | AI and Simulation in Material Discovery and Optimization | LiS | Graphene, CNTs, and VACNTs | Reactive Metals | Existing Emerging Novel Cathodes Materials for Li-ion and SSBs | Aqueous, Binder-Free and/or Green Solutions | 3D Batteries | Additively Manufactured Batteries | Dry Electrode Technology Printed, Hybrid, InMold, & 3D Electronics 9 - 10 March 2022 | 13:00 - 20:00 CET | Virtual Event Platform

For electric vehicles (EVs) to become mainstream, they need cost-effective, safer, longer-lasting batteries that won’t explode during use or harm the environment. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology may have found a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries made from a common material: rubber. Elastomers, or synthetic rubbers, are widely used in consumer products and advanced technologies such as wearable electronics and soft robotics because of their superior mechanical properties. The researchers found that the material, when formulated into a 3D structure, acted as a superhighway for fast lithium-ion transport with superior mechanical toughness, resulting in longer charging batteries that can go farther. The research, conducted in collaboration with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, was published in the journal Nature. In conventional lithium-ion batteries, ions are moved by a liquid electrolyte. However, the battery is inherently unstable: even the slightest damage can leak into the electrolyte, leading to an explosion or fire. The safety issues have forced the industry to look at solid-state batteries, which can be made using inorganic ceramic material or organic polymers. “Most of the industry is focusing on building inorganic solid-state electrolytes. But they are hard to make, expensive, and are not environmentally friendly,” said Seung Woo Lee, associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, who is part of a team of researchers who have uncovered a rubber-based organic polymer superior to other materials. Solid polymer electrolytes continue to attract great interest because of their low manufacturing cost, non-toxicity, and soft nature. However, conventional polymer electrolytes do not have sufficient ionic conductivity and mechanical stability for the reliable operation of solid-state batteries. Novel 3D Design Leads to Jump in Energy Density, Performance Georgia Tech engineers have solved common problems (slow lithium-ion transport and poor mechanical properties) using rubber electrolytes. The key breakthrough was allowing the material to form a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected plastic crystal phase within the robust rubber matrix. This unique structure has resulted in high ionic conductivity, superior mechanical properties, and electrochemical stability. This rubber electrolyte can be made using a simple polymerization process at low-temperature conditions, generating robust and smooth interfaces on the surface of electrodes. These unique characteristics of the rubber electrolytes prevent lithium dendrite growth and allow for faster moving ions, enabling the reliable operation of solid-state batteries even at room temperature.“Rubber has been used everywhere because of its high mechanical properties, and it will allow us to make cheap, more reliable, and safer batteries,” said Lee. “Higher ionic conductivity means you can move more ions at the same time,” said Michael Lee, a mechanical engineering graduate researcher. “By increasing specific energy and energy density of these batteries, you can increase the mileage of the EV.” The researchers are now looking at ways to improve the battery performance by increasing its cycle time and decreasing the charging time through even better ionic conductivity. So far, their efforts have seen a two-time improvement in the battery's performance/cycle time. The work could enhance Georgia’s reputation as a center for EV innovation. SK Innovation, global energy, and petrochemical company is funding additional research on electrolyte material as part of its ongoing collaboration with the Institute to build next-generation solid-state batteries that are safer and more energy-dense than conventional LI-ion batteries. SK Innovation recently announced the construction of a new EV battery plant in Commerce, Georgia, expected to produce an annual volume of lithium-ion batteries equal to 21.5 Gigawatt-hours by 2023. “All-solid-state batteries can dramatically increase the mileage and safety of electric vehicles. Fast-growing battery companies, including SK Innovation, believe that commercializing all-solid-state batteries will become a game-changer in the electric vehicle market,” said Kyounghwan Choi, director of SK Innovation’s next-generation battery research center. “Through the ongoing project in collaboration with SK Innovation and Professor Seung Woo Lee of Georgia Tech, there are high expectations for rapid application and commercialization of all-solid-state batteries." For more information, visit: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2022/01/12/rubber-material-holds-key-long-lasting-safer-ev-batteries

Company: Networking Break | Date: 9-10 Feb 2022 | Full Presentation Join TechBlick on an annual pass to join all live online conference or online version of onsite conference access library of on-demand talks (600 talks + PDFs) portfolio of expert led masterclass year-round platform https://www.techblick.com/ Our next battery-related event will take place on 15-16 FEB 2023, covering 1) Solid-State Batteries: Innovations, Promising Start-Ups, & Future Roadmap 2) Battery Materials: Next-Generation & Beyond Lithium Ion The speakers include: General Motors, Graphenix Development, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fraunhofer IKTS, RWTH Aachen University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, Meta Materials Inc, Skeleton Technologies, Solid State Battery Inc, Argonne National Laboratories, OneD Battery Sciences, VTT, Leyden Jar Technologies B.V., b-Science, Rho Motion, Wevo-Chemie, LiNA Energy, CNM Technologies, Ionblox, Empa, Zinc8 Energy Solutions, Avicenne Energy, Echiontech, South8 Technologies, Basquevolt, NanoXplore, Chasm, Li Metal, Sila Nanotechnologies, Quantumscape (tentative), Fraunhofer ISI, etc https://www.techblick.com/

Toray Industries, Inc., announced that it has created a printing technology to form semiconductors circuits on flexible films that employ high-performance semi-conductive carbon nanotube composites. The company also announced that it has fabricated radio-frequency identifiers (RFIDs) and sensors on general-purpose films and has demonstrated its wireless operations. One prospective application of Toray’s technology is UHF RFID, which could enhance retailing and logistics efficiency by automating cash registers and reduce inventory control labor. Diverse other applications could encompass such security fields as counterfeiting prevention and sensors at medical and eldercare sites. Toray will collaborate with external partners to develop systems and applications to swiftly commercialize its semiconductor circuits. Efforts to develop new materials and coating techniques to form semiconductor circuits on films have progressed, especially for organic semiconductors. It has been challenging, however, to improve mobility. This indicator of semiconductor performance has languished at just 20 cm2/Vs. Toray overcame this challenge in 2020 by attaining a world record mobility of 182 cm2/Vs for printing with its proprietary semi-conductive carbon nanotube composite technology. The company also created p-type (positively charged) and n-type (negatively charged) semiconductors needed to form low-power complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits. It additionally fabricated RFIDs on glass substrates by using inkjet technology, demonstrating they can be used for wireless UHF communication. Toray found, however, that film would stretch and shrink during the fabrication process. This caused wiring and electrodes to misalign and impaired performance. The company engaged in improving materials to lower process temperature and shorten process time and succeeded in suppressing film stretch and shrink. It additionally applied shape tracking high precision inkjet technology developed by Toray Engineering Co., Ltd. Toray thereby established a printing technology to precisely fabricate CMOS and other semiconductor circuits, rectifiers (note 5), and memories on film. Integrating these underlying technologies and antennas enabled Toray to fabricate an RFID on a general-purpose polyester film and communicate wirelessly with UHF band waves. Toray also developed a sensor and demonstrated its wireless water detection. This expands its new technology not only to retailing, logistics, and security fields but also to medical and eldercare sites, such as urination detections. By enabling direct semiconductor circuit printing on films, Toray’s technology offers considerable design flexibility and can cater to small-lot production needs. The company plans to initially start with small-lot, short-range wireless communication applications that take advantage of this feature. It will thereafter broaden applications as it builds up results and cuts costs. Toray plans to exhibit this technology at nanotech 2022, an international nanotechnology exhibition and conference at Tokyo Big Sight from January 26 through 28, 2022. Toray promotes strategic open innovation and collaborates with key partners to accelerate efforts to propose solutions including systems, by utilizing innovation hub capabilities of the R&D Innovation Center for the Future on the premises of its Shiga Plant. The company will endeavor to develop revolutionary materials that transform societies in keeping with its commitment to innovating ideas, technologies, and products that deliver new value. For more information, visit: https://www.toray.com/global/news/details/20220114175355.html

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) and the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR) in Japan have developed a technique to improve the flexibility of ultra-thin electronics, such as those used in bendable devices or clothing. Published in Science Advances, the study details the use of water vapor plasma to directly bond gold electrodes fixed onto separate ultra-thin polymer films, without needing adhesives or high temperatures. As electronic devices get smaller and smaller, and the desire to have bendable, wearable, and on-skin electronics increases, conventional methods of constructing these devices have become impractical. One of the biggest problems is how to connect and integrate multiple devices or pieces of a device that each resides on separate ultra-thin polymer films. Conventional methods that use layers of adhesive to stick electrodes together reduce flexibility and require temperature and pressure that are damaging to super-thin electronics. Conventional methods of direct metal-to-metal bonding are available but require perfectly smooth and clean surfaces that are not typical in these types of electronics. A team of researchers led by Takao Someya at RIKEN CEMS/CPR has developed a new method to secure these connections that do not use adhesive, high temperature, or high pressure, and does not require totally smooth or clean surfaces. In fact, the process takes less than a minute at room temperature, followed by about a 12-hour wait. The new technique, called water-vapor plasma-assisted bonding, creates stable bonds between gold electrodes that are printed into ultra-thin—2 thousandths of a millimeter!—polymer sheets using a thermal evaporator. “This is the first demonstration of ultra-thin, flexible gold electronics fabricated without any adhesive,” says Senior Research Scientist Kenjiro Fukuda of RIKEN CEMS/CPR. “Using this new direct bond technology, we were able to fabricate an integrated system of flexible organic solar cells and organic LEDs.” Experiments showed that water-vapor plasma-assisted bonding performed better than conventional adhesive or direct bonding techniques. In particular, the strength and consistency of the bonds were greater than what standard surface-assisted direct bonding achieved. At the same time, the material conformed better to curved surfaces and was more durable than what could be achieved using a standard adhesive technique. According to Fukuda, the method itself is surprisingly simple, which might explain why they discovered it by accident. After fixing the gold electrodes onto polymer sheets, a machine is used to expose the electrode sides of the sheets to water-vapor plasma for 40 seconds. Then, the polymer sheets are pressed together so that the electrodes overlap in the correct location. After waiting 12 hours at room temperature, they are ready to use. Another advantage of this system is that after activation with water-vapor plasma, but before being bonded together, the films can be stored in vacuum packs for days. This is an important practical aspect when considering the potential for ordering and distributing pre-activated components. As proof of concept, the team integrated ultra-thin organic photovoltaic and LED-light modules that were printed on separate films and connected by five additional polymer films. The devices withstood extensive testing, including being wrapped around a stick and being crumpled and twisted to extremes. Additionally, the power efficiency of the LEDs did not suffer from the treatment. The technique was also able to join pre-packaged LED chips to a flexible surface. “We expect this new method to become a flexible wiring and mounting technology for next-generation wearable electronics that can be attached to clothes and skin,” says Fukuda. “The next step is to develop this technology for use with cheaper metals, such as copper or aluminum.” For more information, visit: https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2021/20211223_1/index.html

Speaker: Sean Chang | Company: Texas Instruments | Date: 11-12 May 2021 | Full Presentation Traditional semiconductor manufacturing has remained largely unchanged throughout the modern era, and growing efforts to increase throughput and reduce cost provide an ever more compelling case for applications where the flexibility of additive manufacturing can intercept. This talk will explore opportunities, challenges and the road ahead towards adaptation of printed electronics within the semiconductor industry. Join TechBlick on an annual pass to join all live online conference or online version of onsite conference access library of on-demand talks (600 talks + PDFs) portfolio of expert led masterclass year-round platform https://www.techblick.com/ And do NOT miss our flagship event in Berlin on 17-18 OCT 2023 focused on Reshaping the Future of Electronics. This event attracts 550-600 participants from all the world and offers a superb ambience and dynamic exhibition floor. To learn more visit https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped To see feedback about previous event see https://www.techblick.com/events-agenda

Inuru announced the first use of its OLED solutions in a Hoodie made for LOOK LABS, a digital luxury brand based in Düsseldorf. Comfy420 Metalight™ Hoodie (NFT+Physical) LOOK LAB has recently launched a game called 420. As usual, gamers are able to buy in-game items to improve their gaming experience. with special utility and purpose in the game. Those items are very limited and give an advantage to whoever owns them. The light effect comes from Inuru's free-form OLED. These are powered with integrated thin-film batteries that can be recharged wirelessly. The hole technology is integrated into a thin and light-weight film, that is so robust that it can be washed as any other fashion product. Inuru OLED solutions are washable and easy to integrate in fashion With the launch of the Hoodie Inuru announces another milestone in its company history. After having products in packaging before, the Inuru Laboratories in Berlin Adlershof has developed electronics solutions that can be easily integrated into fashion. "Our latest solution can be applied easily on any type of fashion product with standard manufacturing processes and is, of course, washable," says Matti Prasdorf lead product engineer behind the fashion application at the Inuru Laboratories in Berlin-Adlershof. The processes have been tested within multiple projects with major fashion and apparel brands. Inuru solutions have been successfully integrated at the typical fashion production sites across the globe without any further investment for the manufacturer. "With the latest achievement, we have once again expanded the application range and market for our technology. With that, we continue our strategy to bring OLED everywhere ." Marcin Ratajczak, founder/CEO, Inuru. In the near future, the company seeks to further expand its technology into further application, where the integration of light for user interfaces, guidance, warning, ambiance, or branding was problematic so far. For more information, visit: https://www.inuru.com/post/inuru-announces-first-oled-fashion-application

Printed Electronics is everywhere and can be found in applications as diverse as a smart diaper to a precision missile. In this article, TechBlick will highlight some application and technology development cases for roll-to-roll (R2R) printed electronics. In doing so, TechBlick will take you on a journey spanning applications in healthcare, automotive, photovoltaics, displays, and beyond. The common thread here is R2R printing of electronics regardless of printing technique, e.g., screen, flexo, gravure, slot die, etc. The applications reviewed herein are presented randomly and follow no particular order of importance. The images and examples below are extracted from 2021 presentations given at TechBlick, which is the home of printed, flexible, hybrid, and in-mould electronics. TechBlick Individual Annual Pass or Group Access benefits for 12 months: Events: Participate in all interactive LIVE (online) TechBlick events Networking: Connect with the key players across the value chain from OEMs to material suppliers Train: Learn the ins and outs of technologies from our portfolio of expert-led masterclasses Market Assessment: Follow the latest market info and forecasts from leading market research analysts Information Portal: Access the on-demand library of state-of-the-art fresh presentations Discount: Major discount to participate in in-person physical events Printed, Flexible, Hybrid, and/or R2R Electronics | Additively Manufactured Electronics | Electronic Packaging | Quantum Dots | Micro- and Mini- LEDs | Printed and Flexible Displays | InMold Electronics | Fineline and Nanoimprinting | E-Textiles | Wearable Sensors | Intelligent Skin Patches | Graphene and 2D Materials | Carbon Nanotubes | Material Informatics | Solid State Batteries | InMold, Structural, and 3D Electronics | Perovskite, Organic, and Hybrid Photovoltaics | Battery Material Innovations Medical sensors Many sensors are printed. For example, glucose test strips are printed, often R2R. Given that they are a declining market thanks to rising of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), we will not review them further here. The image below shows two examples of R2R screen-printed sensors. The left image shows EKG electrodes R2R produced in large volumes, e.g., >1M/year units. The right image is an example of an incontinence sensor commercially R2R screen printed using conductive carbon on a stretchable non-woven material. It is an advancement of the art of functional R2R screen printing to be able to print using stretchable inks onto such thin and even stretchable substrates without creasing or improper stretching and without shrinking during the ink curing steps. Source: Mekorprint Rotary screen printing is also the basis of more advanced wearable medical sensors: smart skin patches. Below is a schematic of such product, involving rotary screen printing of stretchable conductive inks, dielectric inks, silver chloride inks, and beyond. These smart electronic skin patches are the basis of a wearable sensor platform enabling the measurement of vital signs. The patches can start with measuring heart rate and respiration and move on to other physiological parameters. Source: Quad Industries Another interesting recent commercial success story in R2R printed electronics is in a grade-I medical product developed by InnovationLab GmbH (iL) for Dr Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG: a digital articulating paper for digitally measuring the topography of teeth. These are 60μm thin sensors R2R printed on PI substrates using piezoresistive and silver inks, enabling digital measurement of 256 pressure levels. The pilot R2R machine at iL can print five layers within one run and can print on a 33cm web with lengths up to 17m. Furthermore, the machine, shown below, integrates various curing (hot air, IR, UV, hot embossing) as well as converting (laminating, slitting, die& kiss cutting) modules. This machine can run up to 160 serial meters per minute (actual device not produced at this speed). The production machines, by iL's partners Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, can handle 44cm webs at much higher speeds thanks to a long, e.g., 25m, drying section. Source: Innovation Lab GmbH and Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG presented at TechBlick 2021 Automotive The next application I wish to highlight is in the automotive sector. A major trend in this industry is the replacement of mechanical switches with capacitive ones. The image below is from PolyIC GmbH (a Kurz company), showing an R2R printed transparent touch film integrated inside the driving wheel or gear of a vehicle. The transparent sensors are an R2R printed metal mesh film, consisting of 100nm thick silver nanoparticle inks printed with a line width and spacing of 10µm and 100 µm, respectively. The exact R2R printing technique is proprietary. Source: PolyIC GmbH presented at TechBlick May 2021 Smart Packaging The next highlighted application is in smart pharmaceutical packaging to improve medication adherence. Jones Healthcare Packaging has been actively developing this technology since 2013 and it is now in commercialization with real samples being tested by patients. The initial development was based on a narrow web pilot R2R printer (shown below) on a PET substrate using silver/carbon inks. The current product is flexographically printed using carbon inks on paper substrates. The printed carbon circuitry is shown below. This is of course the first generation of products. In the future, functional electronics, as well as printed displays, could be integrated into the smart packaging itself. Source: Jones Healthcare presented at TechBlick March 2021 With the Annual Pass or Group/Company Access you can already access the following content from TechBlick 2021 events: (1) The Future of Photovoltaics: Organic, Perovskites, CIGS, Hybrid (2) Printed, Flexible, Hybrid, & InMold Electronics (3) Graphene & 2D Materials: End Users, Applications, Major Producers & Start-Ups (4) Quantum Dots: Material Innovations, Commercial Applications (5) Printed, Hybrid, Structural, & 3D Electronics (6) Displays & Lighting: Innovations & Market Trends (7) Wearable Sensors & Continuous Vital Signs Monitoring (8) Electronic Textiles & Skin Patches: Hardware & Software (9) Electronics Packaging Symposium: AI Chips, 5G Packaging, Chiplets. Heterogeneous Integration, High-Density Fan-Out Packages, Scaling, Future of Semiconductors You can also see TechBlick’s growing portfolio of masterclasses Photovoltaics Now lets us switch focus to highlight R2R printed electronic applications in the photovoltaic industry. Organic photovoltaics has been in commercial development for 20 years or longer. Many may recall the heady days of Konarka (est. 2001), which went bankrupt in 2012 after having raised some $170M. Technology development continued without pause despite this setback. Now, both R2R printed and R2R evaporated approaches are reaching a high level of technology maturity. The example below is from Sunew in Brazil which have taken steps to scale up the production. The production line consists of 5 print stations, each station laying down one layer in the OPV stack. There are 32 print lines across the width of the web. The web width is 50cm and the length can be up to 1.5Km. Sunew can maintain thickness uniformity of <2% across the web width. Note that a major challenge in scale-up from lab results is the control of interlayer interfaces and the morphology of the donor-acceptor active layer. The left image shows how they can maintain a consistent efficiency as they go towards the 500mm web. The panel of images on the right show examples of actual installations of the R2R produced organic photovoltaic cells. Note that others such as Armor (R2R coating) and Heliatek (R2R evaporated tandem cell) are also scaling up the process in speed and width. Source: Sunew (Presented in May 2021 at TechBlick conference) Of course, many these days actively pursue perovskite photovoltaics (PePV), which have shown the fastest learning curve of all PV technologies. This technology can also be printed. For example, Energy Material Corp (EMC) is scaling up fully-inline unwind-to-wind R2R production of PePV. The right image below shows the ongoing transition from a pilot to a large-scale production line, highlighting the ambitious scale of the operation. The production line will involve R2R printing on 1.5m webs of 100µm thick flexible glass at web speeds approaching 30m/min. The ambition is to have an R2R printed PePV factory able to produce 20 million square meters per year. The transparent conductive layer includes an R2R metal mesh layer printed using R2R flexography using Kodak technology. The metal mesh film shown below on the left is printed on 100µm Corning glass at 60m/min. The linewidths are not disclosed but the Kodak process can print sub-10 µm linewidths reliably at high web speeds. Source: EMC (right) and Kodak (left). Kodak image from a presentation at TechBlick (March 2021). With the TechBlick Annual pass you can also participate in the following events in 2022: (1) Battery Materials: Next-Gen & Beyond Lithium-Ion (2) Solid-State Batteries: Innovations, Promising Start-ups, Future Roadmap (3) Printed, Hybrid, InMold, and 3D Electronics (4) The Future of Electronics RESHAPED (5) Micro- and mini-LEDs (6) Quantum Dots: Material Innovations & Commercial Applications (7) Graphene & 2D Materials: End Users, Applications, Major Producers & Start-Ups (8) 5G/6G Materials (9) Material Informatics (10) Wearable Medical Sensors, E-Textiles, and Continuous Vital Signs Monitoring Explore all our events Displays R2R printing is also used to print electrochromic displays. This technology is not new but is now ready for mass production. The Ynvisible production line, based on R2R screen printing is shown below. The electrochromic display is multilayer consisting of a silver layer, counter electrode, electrolyte, symbol layer, electrochromic layer, and a graphic layer all sandwiched by a top and bottom moisture barrier substrate. To reduce production costs, converting and testing also take place inline R2R which is an important step forward. These printed electrochromic displays are suited for simple segmented displays targeted at high-volume IoT applications. The displays are <300µm thick and can be bent to a radius of 10mm. Furthermore, there is a very low power (1µW/cm2) as they can retain their state for 15min or longer before requiring a refresh. They can be powered at 1.5-3V and can be driven using simple microelectronics. This means that they could be powered by printed batteries and printed OPVs (see right image below showing such demonstrator). These displays can be attached to a target substrate using adhesives. In the latest developments, a graphical layer can also be added to give a sense of colour so the displays are on-brand. Source: Ynvisible presented at TechBlick in July 2021 R2R printing is and can be used in other types of more complex displays. In quantum dot (QD)-LCD displays, the enhancement QD film is R2R slot die coated. An example is shown below on the right. This is a commercial success story. Printing may also play a role in the emerging microLED technology. It can be used to print wrap-around interconnects connecting the front side and backside of the glass substrate. It can also deposit bumps, connection pads, etc. Early-stage development work is also underway to explore the possibility of some type of R2R process for placing the micro-LEDs themselves. Here, I highlight one early-stage approach based on the LIFT (laser-induced forward transfer) process followed by R2R rapid photo sintering on low-temperature substrates using standard solder. In LIFT, a laser pulse is shone through a patterned transparent carrier. The laser hits a proprietary release coating, which releases the material or the component. The roadmap shown below on the left is by Holst Centre, showing how they first demonstrated, on a small-scale machine, narrow-line deposition of materials before progressing the technology towards component transfer. Recently, Holst demonstrated the use of LIFT to transfer 40x40x50 µm3 micro-LEDs with 80µm gap and 500µm interconnects. This lab-scale demo had a (relatively) low yield of 98% with 20% of LEDs ending up on their side. These results are far from production-ready, but they establish a roadmap with large improvement potential. This technique, when combined with R2R photo sintering, offers the chance to develop a fully R2R process. Source: Right showing LIFT process by Holst Centre presented at TechBlick in June 2021. Left showing R2R slot die coated quantum dot enhancement film by Nanosys and partners. There is tremendous progress in fineline R2R printing. The image below shows examples of work from Asahi Kasei in Japan. The company has developed a seamless roller mold (SRM) using electron beam lithography to achieve high-resolution seamless R2R imprinted films. Some results are also shown below, demonstrating the ultrafine feature capability of this R2R process. The application is close to commercialization, especially as a transparent RFID for track and trace. Source: Asahi Kasei R2R nanoimprinting can also be used to R2R create ultrafine features. The example below is hybrid R2R continuous process, developed by Printable Electronics Research Centre in Suzhou. The process enables the formation of ultrafine feature (<5µm) embedded metal mesh structures aimed at transparent touch and heating applications. The left schematic in the image below shows the process flow. Note that the embossing takes place using a rolling nano-embossing drum. The images in the middle show the metal mesh pattern and the embedded nature of the conductive lines, which enables one to thicken the line to achieve higher conductivity without compromising surface smoothness. The right image below shows an R2R machine that was previously deployed by O-Film to commercially R2R produce these metal mesh touch screens. At its peak, 1.5 million such panels were produced annually. Source: Printable Electronics Research Centre in Suzhou presented at TechBlick March 2021 As a final topic to close our review, I would like to mention R2R RFID printing and how it is evolving towards R2R production of complex multi-chip hybrid circuits. In this case, I pick an example from Smooth & Sharp (S&S) in Taiwan which developed R2R printing on paper. In the simplest case, S&S began to R2R manufacture NFC on paper. These NFCs were at least 2x the price of their conventionally manufactured on-plastic counterparts two years ago. Now, S&S indicates that price parity is reached, which can help render more markets accessible. Importantly, this is also the beginning of technical development. The NFC antennas have one small chip and a single metallization layer. As shown below, the future will be developing towards more chips, more layers, and more complicated circuit designs. The examples below show the integration of a 2-chip (NFC and LED chips) tag, the development of an 11-component piece (2 active layers and 10 passive components), and the demonstration of a 6-layer tag R2R printed on paper. This is a very promising trend overall. The manufacturing facility for flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) is still in its relatively early stages of development but is advancing. Advanced ultrathin flexible chips, either natively flexible or thinned down, are becoming available. Currently, with the help of RDLs (re-distribution layers) these packages become capable with the resolution of printed lines on a flexible substrate. Importantly, low temperature attach techniques (photosintered solder, ultralow temperature solder, or particle-aligned conductive adhesives) are emerging to enable component to attach on PET and paper. This is the beginning of the roadmap towards R2R manufacturing of complex hybrid electronics. In summary, we demonstrate that R2R printed electronics is really everyone with numerous applications. It is a vibrant and fast-evolving landscape. To learn more about this technology and ecosystem please refer to TechBlick (www.TechBlick.com). TechBlick is the home of printed, flexible, hybrid, 3D, in-mould, and 3D electronics worldwide. Source: Smooth & Sharp presented at TechBlick May 2021 This seems like a simple prototype, but many technical challenges need to be overcome, especially as the surface is non-flat. In particular, the reliability of the components at interfaces (see below) needs to be tested and guaranteed. A major source of unreliability at these interfaces is the mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the different materials, which leads to stress build-up during thermal cycling. As shown in the table below, there is a wide range of coefficients involved. A particular problem area can be the connection to the face-up dies. Here, aerosol deposits dielectric ramps upon which Ag tracks are aerosol printed. The conductive tracks can break, slip off, or disclose. Similarly, conductive tracks across areas filled with adhesive areas can also be a challenge. In this study, Parsons showcased its strategies to carry out reliability tests. When you join TechBlick, you can hear and network with the following companies: ... and hundreds of others ...

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