Low-cost and large-area electronics, roll-to-roll processing and beyond

In the following chapter, the authors conduct a literature survey of current advances in state-of-the-art low-cost, flexible electronics. A new emerging trend in the design of modern semiconductor devices dedicated to scaling-up, rather than reducing, their dimensions is presented. To realize volume manufacturing, alternative semiconductor materials with superior performance, fabricated by innovative processing methods, are essential. This review provides readers with a general overview of the material and technology evolution in the area of macroelectronics. Herein, the term macroelectronics (MEs) refers to electronic systems that can cover a large area of flexible media. In stark contrast to well-established micro- and nano-scale semiconductor devices, where property improvement is associated with downscaling the dimensions of the functional elements, in macroelectronic systems their overall size defines the ultimate performance (Sun and Rogers in Adv. Mater. 19:1897–1916, 2007). The major challenges of large-scale production are discussed. Particular Attention has been focused on describing advanced, short-term heat treatment approaches, which offer a range of advantages compared to conventional annealing methods. There is no doubt that large-area, flexible electronic systems constitute an important research topic for the semiconductor industry. The ability to fabricate highly efficient macroelectronics by inexpensive processes will have a significant impact on a range of diverse technology sectors. A new era “towards semiconductor volume manufacturing. . .” has begun.
The chapter is organized in three main sections. The candidate materials for flexible, large-area electronics (LAEs) are discussed in Sect. 14.1. Given the Limitation of this chapter, only selected groups of the semiconductors are presented. The target materials are Si-based inorganic thin-films and their intriguing, organic competitors. The general attributes of the materials suitable for macroelectronics are revised. The challenges associated with volume manufacturing with emphasis on the evolution of the heating technologies are demonstrated in Sect. 14.2. The final conclusions along with the authors’ considerations on the LAEs’ perspectives are given in Sect. 14.3.