flexible electronics FlexEnable - flexible transistor technology platform

[SURbit]

Posting Comments: WARNING

Only post if you can be sincere in your comment of this technology - No Jokes, Ridiculous, Bizarre...

I'll let the one here stand as an example - but, know I'll report any others posted !

If only all members were Mature I wouldn't have to post this warning.

© 2016 FlexEnable Limited
Registered office 34 Cambridge Science Park, CB4 0FX, UK
Registered in England No 03904098

What is plastic electronics?

Revolutionising the transistor

Plastic electronics, or organic electronics, refers to the field of electronics that uses carbon-based polymers to create transistors which enable circuits and functionality. FlexEnable's flexible plastic transistor brings unique benefits to products and manufacturing processes that simply aren't possible with silicon and is the most significant transistor technology advance in decades.

Since organic materials can be processed at low temperatures in solution form, we can print our transistors directly onto substrate. We can use a variety of plastic substrates instead of glass, enabling truly flexible, robust displays and sensors.

Our plastic substrate and plastic transistors are the only route to truly flexible and even foldable displays, sensors and electronics systems.

Our truly flexible transistor technology platform

FlexEnable has pioneered and industrialised the development of an organic transistor technology, enabling electronics to be manufactured on flexible plastic film the thickness of a sheet of paper – the most significant new transistor technology in decades.

We have developed and industrialised a complete set of ground-breaking processes to manufacture flexible organic thin film transistor (OTFT) devices and arrays. This has led to the successful volume production of thin, lightweight and robust backplanes for flexible displays. This exciting journey has provided us with a proven technology platform that we are now applying to a broad range of applications in flexible displays, sensors and smart systems.

FlexEnable's process is very low temperature (<100°C) which opens up a host of manufacturing and cost benefits.

 

Example of integrating our flexible backplane (transistor array) with a frontplane (sensor or display technology)

 

 

Our team of experts has a deep knowledge of plastic electronics technology and implementation including system and device level design, modelling and simulation, materials characterisation, testing, failure analysis and process control.

Manufacturing advantages of FlexEnable's OTFT backplane technology 

Our low-temperature solution process enables the manufacture of organic transistors with the same mobility as conventional, anorganic

materials 

 

 

A maximum processing temperature below 100°C brings significant manufacturing advantages by allowing for the use of lower cost plastic substrates (e.g. PET), minimising distortion (to improve yield) and enabling low cost mount and demount. However, implementing such a low temperature process presents significant challenges, for example in low temperature deposition and patterning of materials. These challenges have all been overcome by our low temperature process technology for truly flexible electronics.

 

FlexEnable's low cost mount and demount process compared with conventional 'lift off' approaches

 

 

Displays

We have publicly demonstrated that our truly flexible backplane technology can drive OLED displays. These plastic, fully flexible AMOLED displays are ultra-lightweight and thin enough to be rolled around a pencil.

Transistors that can drive OLED frontplanes can drive almost all other display types, including EPD, LCD and electrowetting. Our partnering programmes offer you the opportunity to access our enabling backplane technology for your particular display application as a precursor to technology transfer.

If you are interested in finding out more please contact us at [email protected].

 

Wearables

FlexEnable's demonstrator flexible AMOLED smartwatch

 

Our truly flexible AMOLED displays are ideal for consumer applications and especially wearables, a market that is primed to take off. FlexEnable's displays enable compelling products that are no longer constrained by rigid components. Now smart watches and fitness devices have greater display 'real estate' and are able to show a greatly enhanced range of information, pictures and video. Mobile phones can have shatterproof, thin and lightweight displays that can be curved around the body of the phone or provide a second screen.

 

FlexEnable's technology makes wraparound displays a reality

 

 

Sensors

Flexible image sensors and sensor arrays enable precision imaging, detection and gesture control in ways simply not possible with rigid glass arrays. Our unique transistor array technology has already been demonstrated in several image detection applications.

In a display, the backplane controls the output of a pixel; in a large area sensor application, the backplane measures the input to a pixel. This enables us to create distributed sensor arrays for applications such as imaging and biometric security applications on mobile and mobile payment devices. Integrated with our backplanes, these sensors can be ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight and flexible. 

For example, we have shown a flexible image sensor platform and reference design made by combining our flexible transistor backplane technology with the unique photodiode technology from technology partner ISORG to develop a breakthrough flexible image sensor. This platform offers completely new ways to interact with mobile devices though gesture recognition and brings unbreakability and wraparound capability to medical imaging applications. It has already been recognised globally, receiving the FLEXI award in 2014 (Flextech Alliance).

 

FlexEnable's transmissive backplane combined with ISORG's organic printed photodectors create the world's first image sensor on plastic

 

Large area photonic sensor can be used for flexible X-rays 

 

We're constantly developing our technology to open up new opportunities for our partners in the area of sensors and other non-display applications such as contactless control, gesture recognition and biometric sensor arrays. Curved sensor arrays, like curved displays, enable radically new design possibilities that will revolutionise medical applications such as x-ray imaging systems.

 

 

Smart systems

Smart systems made from truly flexible electronics will form a core part of the future of mobile devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) by making displays and sensors ubiquitous and conformable to almost any space or surface.

FlexEnable has a unique set of technologies and capabilities to build these integrated systems on plastic and over large areas. From label-thin programmable logic devices to smart cards with integrated displays and biometric sensors on a single sheet of plastic – the possibilities are limitless.

We have already demonstrated an extensive set of building blocks that can be integrated on a single sheet of plastic. These include:

• Flexible Displays (AMOLED, LCD and almost any other frontplane)
• Flexible Sensors (image sensors, biometric sensors and other sensing elements)
• Analogue and Digital Logic (including programmable logic circuits)

These building blocks are currently being integrated into specific toolkits and reference designs for a range of products that can be realised today.

A technology platform enabling the manufacture of integrated systems on plastic

 

 

Proven toolkit

The only route to truly flexible - and subsequently foldable - electronics

 

A proven toolkit of processes with a high yields in real manufacturing environment

 

 

Comparative features of OTFT vs. other TFT array technology

 

 

In a comprehensive comparison, OTFT is the best TFT technology for truly flexible OLED displays.

OTFT offers a compelling and proven industrialisation platform, and is the most flexible array technology available.

OTFT has the lowest total cost of ownership for the array - driven by the low temperature process, leading to proven yield and materials cost advantages. For further information and more indepth detail, please contact [email protected]

 

Graphene-based displays

In the autumn of 2014, FlexEnable successfully demonstrated the world's first flexible display exploiting graphene in its pixels' electronics. This was the first time graphene was used in a transistor-based flexible device and marked an important milestone for the development of graphene-based flexible electronics.

This display was created by combining the graphene expertise of the Cambridge Graphene Centre with the toolkit of transistor and display processing steps that FlexEnable has already developed for flexible electronics. It is the first example of how the partnership will accelerate the industrialisation of graphene and facilitate the wider implementation of graphene and graphene-like materials into flexible electronics.

 

SOURCE: http://www.flexenable.com/

[VileTouch]

can it be used as toilet paper? it would revolutionize advertisement in public restrooms.

[SURbit]

27 minutes ago, VileTouch said:

can it be used as toilet paper? it would revolutionize advertisement in public restrooms.

 

I'd hoped for better comments as to this technology, and maybe uses in Health Care in third world countries or that

of disaster areas, out back county.  

How this could bring down the prices of devices as well as to their longevity.

 

Not as a toilet paper replacement - you should use a newspaper if you think so. 

[VileTouch]

i know, humor perhaps?

not sure it will reach 3rd world countries or disaster areas until the rich and superficial are done playing with it...or before it is used as TP in china.

it's more likely to be used in smartphones and sub dermal implants as animated tattoos before anything else. ...t-shirts anyone?

 

but it's interesting. why only use it for displays?

[SURbit]

16 minutes ago, VileTouch said:

i know, humor perhaps?

not sure it will reach 3rd world countries or disaster areas until the rich and superficial are done playing with it...or before it is used as TP in china.

it's more likely to be used in smartphones and sub dermal implants as animated tattoos before anything else. ...t-shirts anyone?

 

but it's interesting. why only use it for displays?

 

I think for one it's so new to the industry, only reaching 3rd world countries with relief teams I would think. I'd almost

bet that China will want this for more than human waste.

 

What about in space to lighten the cargo weight of the crafts.

 

The t-shirt one is a good ideal for people who can't speak  (young, disease, born that way) to maybe have a

family member or even a service speak for them.

But it would probably be more practicable as a wearable wristband like the old Dick Tracy comics. 

 

Just think of the weight lessing feature of this, a chromebook - laptop mere oz's.

 

It's a cheaper avenue to the current costs of like items of now.