Integration Techniques for Micro/Nanostructure-Based Large-Area Electronics

Abstract

Advanced nanostructured materials such as organic and inorganic micro/nanostructures are excellent building blocks for electronics, optoelectronics, sensing, and photovoltaics because of their high-crystallinity, long aspect-ratio, high surface-to-volume ratio, and low dimensionality. However, their assembly over large areas and integration in functional circuits are a matter of intensive investigation. This Element provides detailed description of various technologies to realize micro/nanostructures based large-area electronics (LAE) devices on rigid or flexible/stretchable substrates. The first section of this Element provides an introduction to the state-of-the-art integration techniques used to fabricate LAE devices based on different kind of micro/nanostructures. The second section describes inorganic and organic micro/nanostructures, including most common and promising synthesis procedures. In the third section,different techniques are explained that have great potential for integration of micro/nanostructures over large areas. Finally, the fourth section summarizes important remarks about LAE devices based on micro/nanostructures, and future directions.

E-Skin: From Humanoids to Humans [Point of View]

“…Another approach for obtaining e-skin components or patch involves printing of sensors on flexible substrates [17,18]. In fact, printing is widely explored for next generation electronics.…”

Energy autonomous electronic skin

“…gases, chemical, materials, radiation, etc.). [14][15][16] The e-skin also require integration of large number of sensing/ electronic components on flexible and conformal surfaces, 11,17 as evident from the growing trend of high density of sensors in medical patches, 9,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24] active-matrix for touch screens 25 and tactile sensitive artificial skins for robots/prosthesis. 1,8 In the particular field of medical care, e-skin can be also considered as a potential platform to carry out not only health monitoring (instant diagnosis) 191,192 but also in situ health treatments at specific parts along the human body (controlled self-medication).…”

“…In this regard, there is a growing research on assembly techniques that allow effective transferring and positioning of micro-and nano-components (sensors, capacitors, transistors, lasers) at specific places along a receiver substrate. 14,36,[212][213][214][215] This approach is promising because it prevents the direct synthesis of high crystal quality materials on flexible/ stretchable substrates, which is one of the main limitations of this kind of non-conventional materials.…”

Stretchable Systems

“…The organicinorganic heterojunction materials, such as ZnO NWs on PEDOT:PSS or ZnO NWs on PVP fibres or semi-crystalline perovskite, have been utilised as active materials for photodetectors. This is owing to their superior properties such as high absorption coefficient, tunable optical properties, prolonged carrier lifetime and high flexibility [31,256,313,314]. To achieve stable performance over long elongation, stretchable geometries including crumbled, wavy, kirigami and mogul-like patterns have been utilised [31].…”