Polymers for flexible displays: From material selection to device applications

This article reviews several classes of inorganic semiconductor materials that can be used to form high-performance thin-film transistors (TFTs) for large area, flexible electronics. Examples ranging from thin films of various forms of silicon to nanoparticles and nanowires of compound semiconductors are presented, with an emphasis on methods of depositing and integrating thin films of these materials into devices. Performance characteristics, including both electrical and mechanical behavior, for isolated transistors as well as circuits with various levels of complexity are reviewed. Collectively, the results suggest that flexible or printable inorganic materials may be attractive for a range of applications not only in flexible but also in large-area electronics, from existing devices such as flat-panel displays to more challenging (in terms of both cost and performance requirements) systems such as large area radiofrequency communication devices, structural health monitors, and conformal X-ray imagers.

Inorganic semiconductors for flexible electronics

Designing and developing flexible electronics requires a thorough investigation of the substrates available for the fabrication of devices. Here, we present a practical study on a variety of significant substrates: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), its heat-stabilized (HS) derivative, HS-PET, and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) plastic insulating films; indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated ITO/PEN and ITO/PET transparent conducting films; rigid ITO/glass and FTO/glass substrates; stainless steel and titanium foils. We put the substrates through a range of tests these actually undergo during device fabrication to determine their optical, mechanical flexibility (under different types of tensile and compressive stress bending with and without a PEDOT:PSS conducting polymer layer), solvent resistance, stability to temperature treatment (conductivity and deformation), and to UV irradiation. We highlight issues and propose solutions to improve substrate response. The results and thresholds extracted reveal limitations and windows of opportunity useful for the designer of flexible optoelectronics in determining manufacturing processes and the final applications under everyday operation.

Substrates for flexible electronics: A practical investigation on the electrical, film flexibility, optical, temperature, and solvent resistance properties

This article reviews the properties, fabrication and assembly of inorganic semiconductor materials that can be used as active building blocks to form high-performance transistors and circuits for flexible and bendable large-area electronics. Obtaining high performance on low temperature polymeric substrates represents a technical challenge for macroelectronics. Therefore, the fabrication of high quality inorganic materials in the form of wires, ribbons, membranes, sheets, and bars formed by bottom-up and top-down approaches, and the assembly strategies used to deposit these thin films onto plastic substrates will be emphasized. Substantial progress has been made in creating inorganic semiconducting materials that are stretchable and bendable, and the description of the mechanics of these form factors will be presented, including circuits in three-dimensional layouts. Finally, future directions and promising areas of research will be described.

Semiconductor Wires and Ribbons for High- Performance Flexible Electronics

Recent Trends on Transparent Colorless Polyimides with Balanced Thermal and Optical Properties: Design and Synthesis

Polyester films are well-known substrates for a wide range of electronic applications. This contribution will describe new developments in polyester film substrates for OLED displays.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1946427400136711

Bill A. MacDonald

Papers

New Developments In Polyester Film For Flexible Electronics

Optimising polyester films for flexible electronic applications