Curved and flexible displays have risen in popularity in recent years and will continue to do so with high demand coming from several sectors. This is most visible, of course, in smartphones and tablets, where there is a constant need for innovation in order to keep consumer interest. Further demand is also emerging at a rapid pace from the automotive and lighting sectors. Thus R&D into next-generation displays remains strong. All of these applications require dedicated features for the control of light-guiding and outcoupling due to the curved geometry. However, most microtextures for beam shaping are designed for flat devices, and their appropriateness for curved geometries needs to be evaluated. In this video tutorial, Dr. Urs Aeberhard demonstrates how to use the Optics module of Laoss to rapidly model a curved display backlight unit. Urs is using Fluxim’s 3D ray-tracing tool Laoss Optics to determine the impact of curved geometries on beam shaping. He is also demonstrating how to design suitable structures to control light outcoupling via microtextures in backlight units for LCD displays. More information: https://www.fluxim.com/news/22/10/curved-displays-mastering-light

A research team in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering at the Toyohashi University of Technology has developed a MicroLED neural probe for neuroscience. This MicroLED tool can optogenetically control and observe neural activity in the brain. The work "Development of a neural probe integrated with high-efficiency MicroLEDs for in vivo application" was published in the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. An LED probe with 16 MicroLEDs was fabricated in one shank and it was reported to effectively activate neural activity in the depth direction in the cerebral cortex in vivo. This design allowed for the realization of complex neural activity manipulation; however, electrophysiological experiments require the use of neural recording electrodes to capture the manipulated neural activity. Because the LED probe and neural recording electrode probe are different, it is necessary to precisely control the position of each probe and insert both devices for observation. Thus, the development of an integrated MicroLED and neural recording electrode probe is essential. New optogenetic technology that enables the manipulation and recording of single neurons in the deep regions has been realized; however, there are a few reports of such integrated probes. Furthermore, among those that have been reported, they are not suitable for neuroscience research because the light output of MicroLEDs is as low as several μW because of their small size. Although an increase in the MicroLED size leads to an increase in light output, this size increase also lowers the spatial resolution and increases the amount of stimulation-induced heat, resulting in more heat damage. As such, it is necessary to optimize the trade-off between light output and device size; in addition, the installation of highly efficient LED devices that suppress Joule heat is required. In this study, a neural probe with six micro-light-emitting diodes (MicroLEDs) and 15 neural electrodes was fabricated for optogenetic application. Local field potentials, which provide information about the neural activity, were successfully recorded using the neural probe, indicating the effectiveness of the neural electrodes. The MicroLEDs on the probe exhibited highly consistent current-voltage characteristics and sufficient light output of 20 mW mm−2 at 1 mA to manipulate neural activity. The light distribution in brain tissue was simulated to estimate the optical stimulation area and a number of optically stimulated neurons. The increase in LED temperature, i.e. ΔT, was investigated because high temperatures can damage brain tissue. A curve illustrating the relationship between ΔT and the wall-plug efficiency was derived. The wall-plug efficiency was increased 1.8 times by installing an Ag mirror on the back of a MicroLED. These results suggest that the MicroLED neural probe would significantly contribute to the development of neuroscience research-purposed optogenetic technology. More information:https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-01-microled-neural-probe-neuroscienc

Speaker: Rudy Ghosh | Company: NovaCentrix | Date: 11-12 May 2021 | Full Presentation Bio As the Technical Program Lead at NovaCentrix, Rudy Ghosh helps translate technical innovations into customer ready products. He works closely with NovaCentrix’s customers, technology partners, and collaborators across the world to solve technical challenges and identify new avenues for the application of NovaCentrix’s industry leading technologies in PulseForge tools and Metalon inks for printed and flexible electronics. As a technical expert in the printed electronics industry, he is often an invited speaker for a variety of printed electronics conferences. Rudy also works with the global business team to define and engage in commercial opportunities related to the technical program and furthers those areas of opportunity through industry outreach and engagement. Before joining NovaCentrix, Rudy was a Post-Doc at the Microelectronics Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin, where he led the Center’s research into the synthesis of 2D materials. Rudy holds a PhD in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a MS in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Rudy has authored over 30 publications in a variety of technical journals. 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

DuPont Microcircuit Materials introduced an advanced suite of silver-bearing thick film paste conductors to enable In-Mold Electronic devices. The new conductors ME102, ME604, and ME614 have key advancements to improve thermoformability, conductivity, and fine line performance. These offerings enable high productivity, improved mechanical and electrical properties allowing extended freedom in the electronic design of In-Mold Electronics devices. These devices include next-generation LiDAR systems for autonomous driving or touch steering wheels with transparent 3D-shaped surfaces for enhanced user experience. Key advancements of the new ME range include: ME102 as a highly conductive thick film conductive paste for antennae, heater, and RFID functions ME604 as a general-purpose thick film conductive paste with improved thermoformability and conductivity ME614 thick film conductive paste with added laser ablation property for very fine line applications “This innovative new offering demonstrates a range of superior technical properties to meet different customer requirements. We are excited to introduce the ME product range to the market globally and expect a positive impact in accelerating the wider adoption of the emerging In-Mold Electronics technology”, said Peter Weigand, global automotive segment manager, DuPont Microcircuit Materials. For more information, visit: https://www.dupont.com/news/dupont-microcircuit-materials-introduce-silver-pastes.html

What if we could build solar panels using materials that aren't supply-limited and with a lower carbon process? As well as achieving higher efficiencies at the same time? Perovskite solar panels have been promising that future for some time now, but where are they? And are they the future of solar panel technology?

Imagine an iPad or a Kindle for the blind, with inflatable braille that changes shape under a user’s touch. A Cornell-led collaboration has made a crucial component for such a technology: a haptic array of densely packed actuators that cause silicone membrane “dots” to pop up when triggered by combustion. The team’s paper, “Valveless Microliter Combustion for Densely Packed Arrays of Powerful Soft Actuators,” was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The lead author is doctoral student Ronald Heisser. One of the major hurdles for designing a dynamic braille display for electronics is figuring out how to apply the necessary amount of force for each dot. Previous attempts have usually involved motors, hydraulics, or tethered pumps, all of which are cumbersome, complex, and expensive, according to Rob Shepherd, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and the paper’s senior author. “Having something that can change its shape in a way you can feel, like real objects, doesn’t exist right now. There’s this tradeoff between having small actuators, and size and weight and cost. It’s so difficult,” Shepherd said. “Everybody’s been trying electromechanical systems. So we said, well, what if we don’t do that at all and we use combustion. Small volumes of gas can create powerful outputs.” The Cornell team collaborated with researchers from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to design a system, composed primarily of molded silicone and microfluidic liquid metal traces, in which liquid metal electrodes cause a spark to ignite a microscale volume of premixed methane and oxygen. In their array design, this fuel flows through a series of independent channels, each leading to a 3-millimeter-wide actuator. The rapid combustion forces a thin silicone membrane at each site to inflate several millimeters. A magnetic latching system gives these dots their persistent form, and the whole system can be reset simply by pressing them down. Because there is no need for electromechanical valves, the actuators can be packed more densely together, resulting in a smaller, potentially portable system that still manages to produce large displacements at high force in under 1 millisecond. And since the fluidic elastomer actuators cool quickly, and so little fuel is required, a commercial version could be safely operated. The technology is also stretchable and conformable, and the researchers anticipate it could be incorporated into a range of applications, such as soft robots and wearable virtual reality equipment that simulates artificial touch. The biocompatible components could also be used for surgical tools that manipulate tissue or open blocked passageways in medical patients. The current system consists of nine fluidic elastomer actuators, but the researchers are hoping to scale that up and eventually create a full electronic tactile display. “For the past 30 years or more, people have been trying to pack actuators in an array really closely together,” Heisser said. “Touch, in a way, is more intimate to us than sight. The technology has real potential. I think our work shows there are more ways of thinking about this. Chemical actuation is really not something to be ignored.” For more information, visit: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/10/combustion-creates-braille-display-electronics

LCD manufacturing technology was successfully applied to create prototype chips for specimen testing. Mass production can support the expanded use of microfluidic chips expected to be used for super-early cancer detection. Toppan, a global leader in communication, security, packaging, décor materials, and electronics solutions, has developed technology to manufacture glass microfluidic chips by photolithography.1 Mass production of microfluidic chips using the technology will make it possible to produce chips in larger volumes and at a lower cost than those manufactured via current injection molding technology, which involves injecting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a type of silicone resin, into a metal mold. Photolithography is a fundamental technology honed by Toppan over 60 years in the electronics business and is used for the microfabrication of LCDs and master plates for semiconductor circuits. Microfluidic chips manufactured by this technology are expected to be used in the fields of in-vitro diagnostics and liquid biopsy (a largely non-invasive diagnostic technology requiring only a small amount of blood or other fluid samples), which is expected to see high levels of demand for applications including cancer diagnosis and clinical testing. Recent years have seen growing interest in liquid biopsy testing, which uses samples of blood or other fluids to enable super-early detection of cancer. Microfluidic chips manufactured by injection molding using PDMS are widely used for testing due to the material’s excellent biocompatibility and suitability for optical analysis. The low productivity for microfabrication when using PDMS and the high cost of liquid silicone as raw material, however, drive up the cost of chips, presenting an obstacle to more widespread use. To address this challenge, Toppan has developed technology for producing microfluidic chips by applying microfabrication technology based on photolithography techniques cultivated in the manufacture of LCD color filters. Specifically, channels (grooves or holes that allow liquid or gas to flow) with a width of 10 micrometers (micrometer=0.001 millimeter) to several millimeters and a depth of one to 50 micrometers are formed on a photoresist (light-sensitive material) coated onto a glass substrate. A cover with openings for injecting fluid samples or specimens is then applied over the cured photoresist. Microfluidic chips manufactured using this method have properties that are equivalent or superior to those of PDMS chips and can enable production in larger volumes and at a lower cost. “We have applied Toppan’s advanced microfabrication techniques to potentially enable mass production of something that can drive widespread use of medical testing techniques that reduce the burden on patients,” said Yuichiro Abe, manager of Development Planning in Toppan’s Electronics Division. “We will continue to work with our collaborative partners on pilot testing for commercialization of glass microfluidic chips and hope to establish photolithography-based mass production technology by March 2022.” For more information, visit: https://www.toppan.com/en/news/2021/10/newsrelease211007.html

Speaker: Scott Gordon | Company: DuPont Teijin Films | Date: 11-12 May 2021 | Full Presentation Continued advances in Flexible Hybrid Electronics have required material suppliers to deliver improved functionality to the device developers in broad applications such as sensors, displays, barrier films, photovoltaics, medical diagnostics, consumer electronics, HMI (Human Machine Interface), and Flexible Printed Circuits (FPCs). Demands on the film substrate suppliers can vary widely, and polymer property requirements typically include: clean surfaces with low surface defects, optically clear films with low haze and iridescence, near zero thermal shrinkage for multilayer print registration and component attach via solder reflow, UV and Hydrolysis resistance, and VTM-0 Flame Retardance. Many requests also include an ability to further tailor the surface chemistry to improve and enhance the downstream processing performance. New commercial polyester film types have been introduced by DuPont Teijin Films, and their typical end use applications will be described. Fraunhofer FEP performs Roll-to-Roll film processing, and they are developing transparent and robust permeation Barrier Films for Flexible Electronics. The substrate choice is critical for optimized performance, and Fraunhofer FEP will describe their journey and key learnings. 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

Additive Manufacturing of Electronics requires good soldering and is enabled with Copprint’s conductive copper inks, as demonstrated by the formation of an IMC layer (Inter Metallic Compound). This layer is formed during reflow between the solder alloy and printed conductive copper paste and is the index of good soldering. Full process details: Print copper traces on FR4 substrate with Copprint copper pastes. Soldering process – can be done even one week after sintering. Print off-the-shelf solder paste. (The most recommended paste is Henkel Loctite LF-318). Component placement. Standard reflow process. Die shear tests after the process indicated >3Kgf for 1206 SMD resistor soldered on Copprint’s LF360 with SAC305 Loctite LF-318. For more information, visit: https://www.copprint.com/news/#370

Scientists from ITMO University, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, and the University of Toronto have developed a gel ink that emits light when exposed to monochromatic radiation of various wavelengths. This makes it possible to create complex images when applying tags to products – the scientists believe that the level of anti-counterfeiting protection offered by their invention is much higher than that of the existing counterparts. The results are highlighted in the Advanced Functional Materials article "Multicolored Nanocolloidal Hydrogel Inks" The invention is based on nanocolloidal systems produced by means of ionic gelation of nanoparticles with different charges. They contain poly(ethyl methacrylate)-based polymer particles with different charges, which gives the material not just plasticity but also the ability to self-restore. The gels produced in such a way can be used for 2D imagery as well as in multilayer 3D printing, which offers many prospects for their use: from the creation of functional biological materials and films to the printing of optically active structures. Among the applications of the latter is anti-counterfeiting protection. The tags developed at ITMO University can be applied not only on even surfaces but also on those with complex geometry or morphology. It’s also worth mentioning that this method is not just eco-friendly and affordable, but also safe for both customers and products. It can be used to tag clothes, as it doesn’t damage fabrics and the tags can be easily removed with organic solvents. It can also be used in the food industry: the tags don’t percolate even through thin membranes, which makes it possible to use them in food packaging. Scientists from ITMO’s ChemBio Cluster focused on the latter application, as anti-counterfeiting protection is not only promising but also relevant. “Manufacturers lose over 20% of their income to counterfeiting. But in truth, this is an issue for customers, as well – if it's food or cosmetics that we are talking about, counterfeit goods can be harmful to one’s health. This is why any methods that help deal with counterfeiting are in demand. As of now, there’s a competition between radiofrequency methods and the more classical hidden images methods. RFID tags make use of rare-earth metals, which are also used in electronics and so on; they are currently used to mark upscale goods and aren’t very good for mass production. Plus, they are harmful to the environment, and today, there’s a focus on green technology and renewable sources,” comments Egor Ryabchenko, one of the authors of the research and a Master’s student at ITMO’s ChemBio Cluster. The level of protection is increased thanks to the gel’s nanoparticles having different optical activity levels; simply put, they start to glow when exposed to light at different wavelengths. This makes it possible to create complex combined patterns that are harder to forge. “According to this technology, we can create multilayered hidden patterns that can only be seen at different wavelengths. This way, even if the perpetrators succeed in forging a part of the tag, there’s a good chance that they wouldn’t be able to forge the other. What’s more, the difference between the original pattern and the forged one will be immediately apparent. In addition, thanks to every image being an optically active structure, we can expand the range of methods used for their analysis and verification. For example, it can be a bar code or a QR code that can only be seen in UV light, and its inverted version – only in light at a different wavelength,” explains the researcher. The scientists plan to continue experimenting with the ink formula so that they can adjust it to the needs of specific industries. By changing the formula, the ink can be made better in terms of thermal resistance (this can be of use to the manufacturers of electronics and equipment), or in terms of plasticity (which is relevant for tagging clothes). For more information, visit: https://news.itmo.ru/en/science/new_materials/news/12164

A new kind of fiber developed by researchers at MIT and in Sweden can be made into clothing that senses how much it is being stretched or compressed, and then provides immediate tactile feedback in the form of pressure, lateral stretch, or vibration. Such fabrics, the team suggests, could be used in garments that help train singers or athletes to better control their breathing, or that help patient recovering from disease or surgery to recover their breathing patterns. The multilayered fibers, dubbed OmniFibers contain a fluid channel in the center, which can be activated by a fluidic system. This system controls the fibers’ geometry by pressurizing and releasing a fluid medium, such as compressed air or water, into the channel, allowing the fiber to act as an artificial muscle. The fibers also contain stretchable sensors that can detect and measure the degree of stretching of the fibers. The resulting composite fibers are thin and flexible enough to be sewn, woven, or knitted using standard commercial machines. The new fiber architecture has a number of key features. Its extremely narrow size and use of inexpensive material make it relatively easy to structure the fibers into a variety of fabric forms. It’s also compatible with human skin since its outer layer is based on a material similar to common polyester. And, its fast response time and the strength and variety of the forces it can impart allow for a rapid feedback system for training or remote communications using haptics (based on the sense of touch). Afsar (a visiting doctoral student and research affiliate at MIT) says that the shortcomings of most existing artificial muscle fibers are that they are either thermally activated, which can cause overheating when used in contact with human skin, or they have low-power efficiency or arduous training processes. These systems often have slow response and recovery times, limiting their immediate usability in applications that require rapid feedback, she says. As an initial test application of the material, the team made a type of undergarment that singers can wear to monitor and play back the movement of respiratory muscles, to later provide kinesthetic feedback through the same garment to encourage optimal posture and breathing patterns for the desired vocal performance. The researchers had the singer perform while wearing the garment made of their robotic fibers, and recorded the movement data from the strain sensors woven into the garment. Then, they translated the sensor data to the corresponding tactile feedback. We eventually were able to achieve both the sensing and the modes of actuation that we wanted in the textile, to record and replay the complex movements that we could capture from an expert singer’s physiology and transpose it to a nonsinger, a novice learner’s body. So, we are not just capturing this knowledge from an expert, but we are able to haptically transfer that to someone who is just learning,” she says. Though this initial testing is in the context of vocal pedagogy, the same approach could be used to help athletes to learn how best to control their breathing in a given situation, based on monitoring accomplished athletes as they carry out various activities and stimulating the muscle groups that are in action, Afsar says. The physiology of breathing is actually quite complex, explains Afsar, who is carrying out this work as part of her doctoral thesis at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. “We are not quite aware of which muscles we use and what the physiology of breathing consists of,” she says. So, the garments they designed have separate modules to monitor different muscle groups as the wearer breathes in and out, and can replay the individual motions to stimulate the activation of each muscle group. The soft fiber composite, which resembles a strand of yarn, has five layers: the innermost fluid channel, a silicone-based elastomeric tube to contain the working fluid, a soft stretchable sensor that detects strain as a change in electrical resistance, a braided polymer stretchable outer mesh that controls the outer dimensions of the fiber, and a nonstretchy filament that provides a mechanical constraint on the overall extensibility. The fiber-level engineering and fabric-level design are nicely integrated in this study,” says Lining Yao, an assistant professor of human-computer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University, who was not associated with this research. This work demonstrates “different machine knitting techniques, including inlay and active spacer fabric, advanced the state-of-the-art regarding ways of embedding actuating fibers into textiles,” she says. “Integrating strain sensing and feedbacks are essential when we talk about wearable interactions with actuating fabrics. Eventually, the hope is that such garments could also be used to help patients regain healthy breathing patterns after major surgery or respiratory disease such as Covid-19, or even as an alternative treatment for sleep apnea (which Afsar suffered from as a child, she says). Ishii (the Jerome B. Wiesner Professor of Media Arts and Sciences) says he can foresee a variety of applications for this technology. “Everybody has to breathe. Breathing has a major impact on productivity, confidence, and performance,” he says. “Breathing is important for singing, but also this can help when recovering from surgery or depression. For example, breathing is so important for meditation.” The system also might be useful for training other kinds of muscle movements besides breathing, he says. For example, “Many of our artists studied amazing calligraphy, but I want to feel the dynamics of the stroke of the brushes,” which might be accomplished with a sleeve and glove made of this closed-loop-feedback material. And Olympic athletes might sharpen their skills by wearing a garment that reproduces the movements of a top athlete, whether a weightlifter or a skier, he suggests. For more information, visit: https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/new-fibers-can-make-breath-regulating-garments/

Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, through its Electronic Materials Division, is proud to introduce BEYOLEX™, a new thermoset stretchable film for printed electronics. This novel material is based on a proprietary non-silicone thermoset polymer chemistry developed by Panasonic researchers at the Electronic Materials laboratory in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan. This new product BEYOLEX™ features softness, conformability, high-temperature resistance, and ultra-low permanent deformation after stretching. The stretchable film is 100 microns in thickness, delivered on a high-temperature Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) carrier for mechanical stability during processing and a thin Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or polyester) coversheet for protection. The high surface energy of the BEYOLEX™ substrate makes it compatible with a wide variety of functional inks and pastes, including screen-printed stretchable silver composite pastes; sintered metal pastes; and liquid metals like eutectic Indium Gallium alloys. These properties make BEYOLEX™ substrate attractive for many end-use applications including, but not limited to, health/wellness, automotive, sensors, haptics, Internet of Things (IoT), gaming, augmented reality (AR), soft robotics, and aerospace. Product Features: Good Elongation: More than 200% Soft and Conformable: Modulus of less than 2.5 MPa Ultra-Low Hysteresis: Less than 0.1% permanent deformation after 100% stretching High-Temperature Resistance: Greater than 300°C Transparent: More than 90% Transmission Over Visible Spectrum Good Electrical Properties: Breakdown Voltage 98 kV/mm This novel non-silicone polymer resin system exhibits amazing properties when made into a film,” said Takatoshi Abe, Research Manager, Panasonic Electronic Materials Division and Co-inventor of BEYOLEX™ technology. “We think this technology - which our team developed, patented, and commercialized - can be the foundation for many new innovative products that will improve people’s lives. No Other Printed Electronic Substrate like BEYOLEX™ As electronic devices become more ubiquitous, their form-factors have evolved to meet their end-use requirements. Traditional printed electronic substrates like polyester and polyimide films are not pliable, stretchable, or soft. Silicone-based films can be incompatible with standard electronic materials and processes. Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) are commonly used as a substrate for pliable printed electronics, but these films have low-temperature resistance and can be prone to permanent deformation after being strained. “We view electronic materials based on this polymer technology as enabling an entire new class of soft and pliable electronic devices,” said Andy Behr, Technology Manager, Panasonic Electronic Materials. Availability BEYOLEX™ film is initially available as Panasonic product number MUAS13111AA: A4 size (210mm x 300mm) sheets, 5 sheets per package. Custom configurations, roll, or sheet sizes may be available depending on minimum order quantities. Packages of BEYOLEX™ MUAS13111AA will be available for purchase from selected distribution partners in North America. For more information, visit: https://na.panasonic.com/us/news/panasonic-launches-novel-substrate-film-enabling-development-soft-printed-electronics?utm_campaign=oktopost&utm_content=oktopost-BEYOLEX&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin