Growth Ahead for Flexible Hybrid Electronics Industry

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MedTech is a growing market where wireless sensor networks are providing new opportunities for telemedicine, auto-diagnosis, and follow-up treatments. New IoT platforms are integrating sensors to monitor and control the most important body parameters in small, flexible, and portable devices. Some of the companies involved include PARC, who is printing hybrid sensors for health monitoring, and Molex, who is manufacturing sensor systems for biomarker monitoring.

Figure 5: Printed memory provides functionality to devices on the edge of the IoT, including asset tagging and structural health monitoring.

While technology is vital, it is the introduction and application of the technology that moves markets and creates demand. For the past four years, FlexTech’s Nano-Bio Manufacturing Consortium (NBMC) has been in the forefront of human performance monitoring. With multiple NBMC partner R&D projects completed, applications are now being deliberated.

GE Global Research, and a multifaceted team from several other companies and academic institutions, is working on a hydration sensor patch for human performance monitoring funded under FlexTech’s NBMC. Human hydration levels are key parameters in assessing well-being, and the ability to monitor it non-evasively and remotely will mark an important step forward. Libelium, of Zaragoza, Spain, says that these achievements in MedTech applications and products mean an improvement for more than two billion people that cannot access a healthcare system.

Leading universities are actively involved in biosensors. Applications range from wearable biometric monitors (Binghamton University) to optical detection of biomarkers in bodily fluids (University of Cincinnati) to the fusion of fashion with function (Georgia Tech).

Additional FHE Applications

The agriculture sector is also integrating flexible sensors and systems for maximizing crop yields, addressing pest control issues, and other general health and safety issues. The Experience Co-Creation Partnership of Concord, Massachusetts, most famous for its Internet of Tomato project, has put together 10 starting points for the development of flexible/hybrid sensors for agriculture and food.

Asset monitoring is a growing field, as the U.S. and other countries confront an aging infrastructure of buildings, highways, bridges, and waterways. Additionally, moveable assets—from suitcases to airplanes—benefit from monitoring their location, condition, performance, and other factors. FHE can play a key role in asset monitoring through vibration, temperature, strain, and other sensor technologies. Transmission of the data gathered through RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, or other communication prototypes put the ‘network’ into play. American Semiconductor, Brewer Science, and Thin Film Electronics are some of the companies exploring this area and incorporating FHE techniques and capabilities into real products.

Results from Research Centers

As an industry consortium, FlexTech maintains active relationships with similar institutes from around the world. This dialogue greatly contributes to shared learning and global networking, as the centers are often the nexus of industry, university, and government collaboration. Among the R&D organizations involved are CEA-LITEN (France), ETRI (So. Korea), Flexible Electronics & Display Center (USA), Fraunhofer Institute (Germany), Holst Center (Netherlands), National Research Council (Canada), PARC (USA), and VTT (Finland). Research topics range from new forms of flexible substrates to TFT and OLED pilot lines to printed health monitoring sensors.

Figure 6: Techniques for shrinking and integrating key components on flexible substrates are being developed under FlexTech R&D program.

Supply Chain Development

The depth of the flexible hybrid circuit industry is not only in manufacturing advancements, but in the progress achieved by materials, equipment, and process suppliers. It includes manufacturing, standards and reliability, substrates, conductors, inspection, encapsulation and coating, nanoparticle inks, direct write, and 3D printing, among others. It involves well-known companies such as Molex, Panasonic, Eastman Chemical, and Northrop Grumman, as well as leading universities and the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories.

Developments in this area include Fraunhofer Institute of Germany’s ultrathin glass and biodegradable conductors, direct metallization polyimide from PalPilot, and advancements in printing nano copper from Intrinsiq Materials. ENrG has been working on substrates such as flexible sintered ceramic, while Panasonic has developed insight into electronic materials made with a novel non-silicone stretchable thermosetting polymer. Eastman Chemical is exploring advanced co-polymers as innovative substrates and encapsulants for FHE. Sartomer Americas is continuing its research on energy curable technologies.

Flexible, hybrid electronics have the potential to make our world safer, smarter, healthier, and simpler with advancements in structural health monitoring, smart sensor networks, and medtech applications.

To learn more about the growth in the FHE industry and meet the companies mentioned here and explore their solutions, attend 2017FLEX. View the entire agenda of speakers, exhibitors, and networking opportunities at 2017FLEX.com.  To learn more about FlexTech, visit http://www.flextech.org.  

Heidi Hoffman is Sr. Director for Segment Marketing with SEMI.

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