Jet-printing: from drops to electronic devices

Abstract

Printing technology in the fabrication of electronics devices is poised to significantly lower the cost of manufacturing. This is particularly true if combined with roll-toroll processing. Currently, printing is explored for various applications, including lighting, solar cells, RFID tags, electronic displays, or sensors. Amongst several printing methods, inkjet printing has the advantages of digital data printing and non-contact material deposition. It is also well suited for prototyping and materials research because of the small amounts of material consumed. This talk will discuss materials and methods in printed electronics, highlighting the benefits and challenges in using jet-printing. The focus will be on flexible printed active-matrix backplanes for driving electrophoretic displays and on sensor-tapes for recording blast events in the battlefield.