FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS

AN OVERVIEW

Flexible electronics could transform the way we

make and use electronic devices

CONTENTS

•INTRODUCTION•What are Flexible Electronics??...•FE Printing•Victims of success..•Applications•Conventional Vs FE…•Limitations and scope

INTRODUCTION

•It is a branch of material science and engineering

•Made of innately bendy materials such as graphene

•Status: Research Development

•Technical Innovation in the field of modern technology

•Reduces costs and roll able electronics are more convenient

•OLED’S ..OPY’S..Consumer Electronics

•Have the potential to replace traditional rigid substrates in many areas….

What are FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS ??....

Flexible electronics, also known as flex circuits is a technology for assembling electronic circuits by mounting electronic devices on flexible plastic substrates such as polymide or transparent conductive polyester.

FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS can actually be defined as the electronic devices which can be bent and stretched into any shape at any time..

•For manufacturing FE silicon needs to be bent and stretched..and yes this is possible•Si is first made thin enough to be mechanically flexible… then two methods are used to make it flexible and stretchable

1. Silicon island approach•Circuit is separated into isolated tiny squares and connected with thin connectors..•When it is stretched the strain is contained in the connectors and hence the circuit doesn't break…

2.Buckling mechanics•Very thin strips of silicon are bonded to a pre stretched rubber like surface•When the substrate relaxes silicon buckles but doesn't break…and hence can be stretched..•The strain is accommodated by forming a wavy configuration…

FE-Printing

•Understanding why conventional electronics are victims of their own success.•Modern silicon transistors integrate billions of transistors.•Squeezing many transistors in a single location enables them to handle complex problems.

Victims of success

Medicine….

Consumer Electronics…

Military…

Manufacturing….Applications

Flexible DisplaysWhich can be rolled, light weight ,rugged....

First flexible display concept of electronic paper ( e-paper) was put forth by XEROX PARC

Shift from amorphous silicon to amorphous oxide and IGZO semiconductors

Some concept devices include…Mobile Phones, Curved OLED TVs…

Samsung galaxy round and LG G flex ... Latest curved displays in town...

Rolling Up.... Cheaper and better performing electronics.

FOLED!!...•Stands for “Flexible organic light-emitting diode”..

•This enables the device to be bent or rolled while still operating.

•Fabricated by deposition of the organic layer onto the substrate using a method derived from inkjet printing 

•May be used in the production of rollable displays or bendable displays  and electronic paper.

•Disadvantages…1. Stress2. Encapsulation..

Tagged: Flexible Electronics

Colored plastic doubles solar power…

A printing process to make wall sized displays…

Speeding up Materials design…

An Eye-Ball Camera..Now with zoom…

Bendable memory made from Nano Wire Transistors…

Big energy storage in thin films…

Flexible

Electronics

In

Medicine

•FE would be immensely useful in the field of medicine

• Arrays of electrodes can be put-on the surface of the brain to pinpoint the source of epileptic seizures

•A device like this would completely open up new avenues in all of neuroscience and clinical applications

•They say circuits inside the mouth could help people with speech difficulties

•Ultra-sensitive "smart" skin can collect information about the body and environment

•Can help Paraplegics Walk

•New flexible electronics can better chart the heart’s electrical activity

Conventional Electronics Vs Flexible Electronics

Throughput

Weight

Robustness

Production

Development

0.1m2/s

Comparatively heavier

Rigid and Brittle

Long production run

Ubiquitous

60m2/s, nearly 600 times faster.

Significantly reduced

Flexible, durable, and shock-resistant

Short production run

Not fully commercialized

Limitations and scope Initial investment may be high…

Integration of components and precision machines may be a challenge…

Status: Research…Yet to be commercialized….

Promise of flexible electronics… 1. Evolutionary improvements over traditional electronics 2.Mid term applications— roll able paper , solar panels … 3.Long term applications—bio medical applications…

Y.R.AnushaThank

you...