Organic Electronics - Towards a Cost-Efficient Heterointegration Platform for Multi-Functional Systems?

Abstract

Current trends in the development of electronics systems show, that the provision of thin flexible components and semiconductors plays a decisive role in the steadily progressing development of highly integrated systems. A new generation of thin flexible electronic systems arises. At present, this world is very much dominated by inorganic active materials, in particular thin flexible silicon integrated circuits, but new functionality based on conductive and semi-conductive plastic materials is developing fast. Freedom of design, compact portable products, cost-effective production and assembly, environment friendly materials, software based printed ICs,, flexible polymer transistors and thin flexible silicon ICS-there are unquestionable advantages of flexible electronics. Microsystems incorporating fluidic, mechanical, optical and electrical components are under research and development at present. A new word,

Large Area Cost-Efficient Electronics Systems Integration

“…or different functions (e.g. electronics, sensors and actuators, optics and fluidics are combined for an intelligent medical bandage) [4]. The present technology development of polymers active devices is comparable with that at the beginning of the silicon-based IC industry, some 30 years ago, but with the technology possibilities of today.…”

“…With a spot size of 20 ptm and an accuracy of 10 ptm, the system shows comparable nerformance to qtationa.rv trim l..qerq figure 4 shows the cross-section of the complete process for organic TFT and the lower part of figure 4 depicts a finished polymer electronic circuit, a ring oscillator, with whose help the quality of and switching speed achieved with the technology and design can be evaluated. Further circuits, like logic gates and analog circuits, are under development at present [3,4].…”