Integration technologies for flexible systems
For advanced applications, different electrical, optical, mechanical and fluidic functions may be required and all the respective components need to be integrated in one system. In the ‘Integration technologies for flexible substrates’ program, Holst Centre and its partners are investigating integration/stacking of flexible functional foils and heterogeneous integration of inorganic and organic functional components in flexible substrates.
Our aim is to establish innovative, industrially viable packaging solutions and manufacturing routes for printed electronics. Typical applications are large area OLED lighting foils, flexible sensor foils and communicative packaging products.
Rather than building up numerous active layers or devices on a single substrate, complete systems are built by integrating a number of functional foils through lamination and interconnection technologies. Advanced laser processes are used to establish the lateral and inter-foil connections.
Each functional foil is a flexible substrate that contains devices or circuits for one specific function (e.g. an OLED foil or a sensor foil). This technique allows the functional foils to be fabricated using optimal manufacturing processes and materials for the specific function. Moreover, it also enables inorganic materials (such as silicon ICs, batteries or nanometrials) to be integrated into the system to allow for greater functionality or better performance.
The program team blends the strengths of both academic and industrial worlds. Its efforts are knowledge-driven but have a clear focus on addressing real-world issues. Process scalability (R2R manufacturing), and controllability as well as device reliability are key drivers.