Large Area And Flexible Electronics

From materials to applications, this ready reference covers the entire value chain from fundamentals via processing right up to devices, presenting different approaches to large-area electronics, thus enabling readers to compare materials, properties and performance. Divided into two parts, the first focuses on the materials used for the electronic functionality, covering organic and inorganic semiconductors, including vacuum and solution-processed metal-oxide semiconductors, nanomembranes and nanocrystals, as well as conductors and insulators. The second part reviews the devices and applications of large-area electronics, including flexible and ultra-high-resolution displays, light-emitting transistors, organic and inorganic photovoltaics, large-area imagers and sensors, non-volatile memories and radio-frequency identification tags. With its academic and industrial viewpoints, this volume provides in-depth knowledge for experienced researchers while also serving as a first-stop resource for those entering the field.

This excellent volume covers a range of materials used for flexible electronics, including semiconductors, dielectrics, and metals. The functional integration of these different materials is treated as well. Fundamental issues for both organic and inorganic materials systems are included. A corresponding overview of technological applications, based on each materials system, is presented to give both the non-specialist and the researcher in the field relevant information on the status of the flexible electronics area.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to printed flexible electronics and their applications, including the basics of modern printing technologies, printable inks, performance characterization, device design, modeling, and fabrication processes. A wide range of materials used for printed flexible electronics are also covered in depth. Bridging the gap between the creation of structure and function, printed flexible electronics have been explored for manufacturing of flexible, stretchable, wearable, and conformal electronics device with conventional, 3D, and hybrid printing technologies. Advanced materials such as polymers, ceramics, nanoparticles, 2D materials, and nanocomposites have enabled a wide variety of applications, such as transparent conductive films, thin film transistors, printable solar cells, flexible energy harvesting and storage devices, electroluminescent devices, and wearable sensors. This book provides students, researchers and engineers with the information to understand the current status and future trends in printed flexible electronics, and acquire skills for selecting and using materials and additive manufacturing processes in the design of printed flexible electronics.

Flexible Electronics platforms are increasingly used in the fields of sensors, displays, and energy conversion with the ultimate goal of facilitating their ubiquitous integration in our daily lives. Some of the key advantages associated with flexible electronic platforms are: bendability, lightweight, elastic, conformally shaped, nonbreakable, roll-to-roll manufacturable, and large-area. To realize their full potential, however, it is necessary to develop new methods for the fabrication of multifunctional flexible electronics at a reduced cost and with an increased resistance to mechanical fatigue. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase short communications, research papers, and review articles that focus on novel methodological development for the fabrication, and integration of flexible electronics in healthcare, environmental monitoring, displays and human-machine interactivity, robotics, communication and wireless networks, and energy conversion, management, and storage.

Organic Electronics is a novel field of electronics that has gained an incredible attention over the past few decades. New materials, device architectures and applications have been continuously introduced by the academic and also industrial communities, and novel topics have raised strong interest in such communities, as molecular doping, thermoelectrics, bioelectronics and many others.Organic Flexible Electronics is mainly divided into three sections. The first part is focused on the fundamentals of organic electronics, such as charge transport models in these systems and new approaches for the design and synthesis of novel molecules. The first section addresses the main challenges that are still open in this field, including the important role of interfaces for achieving high-performing devices or the novel approaches employed for improving reliability issues.The second part discusses the most innovative devices which have been developed in recent years, such as devices for energy harvesting, flexible batteries, high frequency circuits, and flexible devices for tattoo electronics and bioelectronics.Finally the book reviews the most important applications moving from more standard flexible back panels to wearable and textile electronics and more futuristic applications like ingestible systems. Reviews the fundamental properties and methods for optimizing organic electronic materials including chemical doping and techniques to address stability issues Discusses the most promising organic electronic devices for energy, electronics, and biomedical applications Addresses key applications of organic electronic devices in imagers, wearable electronics, bioelectronics

Flexible electronics describes circuits that can bend and stretch, enabling significant versatility in applications and the prospect of low-cost manufacturing processes. They represent an important technological advance, in terms of their performance characteristics and potential range of applications, ranging from medical care, packaging, lighting and signage, consumer electronics and alternative energy (especially solar energy.) What these technologies have in common is a dependence on efficient manufacturing that currently requires improved technology, processes, tooling, and materials, as well as ongoing research. Seeking to capture the global market opportunity in flexible electronics, major U.S. competitors have initiated dedicated programs that are large in scope and supported with significant government funding to develop and acquire these new technologies, refine them, and ultimately manufacture them within their national borders. These national and regional investments are significantly larger than U.S. investment and more weighted toward later stage applied research and development. The Flexible Electronics Opportunity examines and compares selected innovation programs both foreign and domestic, and their potential to advance the production of flexible electronics technology in the United States. This report reviews the goals, concept, structure, operation, funding levels, and evaluation of foreign programs similar to major U.S. programs, e.g., innovation awards, S&T parks, and consortia. The report describes the transition of flexible electronics research into products and to makes recommendations to improve and to develop U.S. programs. Through an examination of the role of research consortia around the world to advance flexible electronics technology, the report makes recommendations for steps that the U.S. might consider to develop a robust industry in the United States. Significant U.S. expansion in the market for flexible electronics technologies is not likely to occur in the absence of mechanisms to address investment risks, the sharing of intellectual property, and the diverse technology requirements associated with developing and manufacturing flexible electronics technologies. The Flexible Electronics Opportunity makes recommendations for collaboration among industry, universities, and government to achieve the critical levels of investment and the acceleration of new technology development that are needed to catalyze a vibrant flexible electronics industry.

This excellent volume covers a range of materials used for flexible electronics, including semiconductors, dielectrics, and metals. The functional integration of these different materials is treated as well. Fundamental issues for both organic and inorganic materials systems are included. A corresponding overview of technological applications, based on each materials system, is presented to give both the non-specialist and the researcher in the field relevant information on the status of the flexible electronics area.

Flexible Electronics platforms are increasingly used in the fields of sensors, displays, and energy conversion with the ultimate goal of facilitating their ubiquitous integration in our daily lives. Some of the key advantages associated with flexible electronic platforms are: bendability, lightweight, elastic, conformally shaped, nonbreakable, roll-to-roll manufacturable, and large-area. To realize their full potential, however, it is necessary to develop new methods for the fabrication of multifunctional flexible electronics at a reduced cost and with an increased resistance to mechanical fatigue. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase short communications, research papers, and review articles that focus on novel methodological development for the fabrication, and integration of flexible electronics in healthcare, environmental monitoring, displays and human-machine interactivity, robotics, communication and wireless networks, and energy conversion, management, and storage.