Devising Materials Manufacturing Toward Lab‐to‐Fab Translation of Flexible Electronics

Abstract

Flexible electronics have witnessed exciting progress in academia over the past decade, but most of the research outcomes have yet to be translated into products or gain much market share. For mass production and commercialization, industrial adoption of newly developed functional materials and fabrication techniques is a prerequisite. However, due to the disparate features of academic laboratories and industrial plants, translating materials and manufacturing technologies from labs to fabs is notoriously difficult. Therefore, herein, key challenges in the materials manufacturing of flexible electronics are identified and discussed for its lab‐to‐fab translation, along the four stages in product manufacturing: design, materials supply, processing, and integration. Perspectives on industry‐oriented strategies to overcome some of these obstacles are also proposed. Priorities for action are outlined, including standardization, iteration between basic and applied research, and adoption of smart manufacturing. With concerted efforts from academia and industry, flexible electronics will bring a bigger impact to society as promised.

Stencil Printing of Liquid Metal upon Electrospun Nanofibers Enables High-Performance Flexible Electronics

“…Flexible electronics have exhibited great potential for applications in the fields of electronic skin, − soft robots, − human–computer interaction, − wearable devices, − and implantable medical systems. − With the rapid development of the Internet of Things, complex and multifunctional flexible electronic systems need to be integrated and developed to meet ever-increasing demands. , However, the materials and fabrication techniques of flexible electronics are still the main factors restricting the development and commercialization of flexible electronics . In the fabrication process of flexible electronic devices, not only the physical, chemical, and functional characteristics of the device but also the user’s comfort and safety should be considered .…”

“…Meanwhile, the increasingly severe environmental and energy issues have caused huge challenges to the development of human society; the recyclability, self-healing, and reconfiguration of electronic systems have also become key issues that developers need to consider . At present, flexible electronic systems fabricated with traditional materials and manufacturing processes often fail to take into account the above-mentioned performances, and the fabrication process usually requires expensive equipment, complicated steps, a high-standard operating environment, and specified material properties . Limited by these factors, large-area integration and packaging of flexible electronics cannot be achieved, and it is also laborious in the preparation of multilayer and three-dimensional flexible electronic devices …”

Eco‐Friendly Electronics—A Comprehensive Review

“…Researched since the 60s, for space applications, it currently has an increase in interest in this type of technology. [120,300] Likewise, 3D printing technologies, as an advanced method of production, has had an enormous interest and development on the part of companies and the academic sector. Saade et al [301] carried out a LCA review study and concluded that 3D printing is beneficial in most cases comparing with conventional manufacturing.…”

Sustainable Natural Bio‐Origin Materials for Future Flexible Devices

“…[ 2 ] Particularly, flexible electronics that can be conformally attached to curved and dynamic surfaces have been extensively studied, [ 3 ] which can eliminate the discomfort of users and thus allowing long‐term on‐skin applications for energy management, health‐monitoring and information communication. [ 4 ] Over the past five years, flexible electronics has experienced rapid growth due to the advances in materials [ 5 ] and mechanics designs. [ 6 ] In the foreseeable future, flexible electronics are expected to take more important roles as intelligent bio‐interfaces in healthcare, [ 7 ] biomedical therapy, [ 8 ] and human–machine–environment interface.…”