Large-Area Thin-Film Electronics

Whereas Functional Polymer Systems (FPS) focuses on materials development and initial device performance, Large-Area Thin-Film Electronics (LATFE) is the typical next step in the value chain focusing on fundamental issues related to processing for large area deposition and disruptive architectures for large area devices. Large-Area Thin-Film Electronics is a perfect example of a highly interdisciplinary topic area: from chemistry and physics to engineering. The fundamental knowledge generated should facilitate reliable production of organic electronic devices and, in the longer term, contribute to the development of thin film sensor devices.

Subprogrammes
Large area material deposition using solution processing
The objective is to study fundamental issues of large area polymer material deposition using roll-to-roll solution processing (gravure, flexo, screen, slot-die) to realise the transition from lab scale to industrial scale for reliably processed devices. Although lab-scale devices have ultimate performance, we lack the industrial processes and the fundamental knowledge about large area material deposition from solution needed to make proper choices of the deposition technique for mass production.
Disruptive device architectures

The objective is to develop disruptive device architectures for more reliable and easier production and to understand the failure mechanisms occurring in industrially produced devices. Current device architectures require very thin films (~ 100 nm) having less than 2% thickness deviation. These architectures place very strict demands on the processing and production of devices, and this is currently resulting in poor yields and many failures. New device architectures allowing more robust processing and production and improving yield without affecting device performance (efficiency, homogeneity of light output) are very much welcomed