Abstract

Flexible electronics also known as organic electronics is defining a category of electronic devices developed on a bendable substrate material (mainly polymers, but also paper) with the aim of addressing the current societal needs in terms of applications (e.g. increasing the energy production from renewable sources, improving energy efficiency, providing new diagnosis tolls for health system), targets which can be reached only by diminishing the production cost of the electronic and electrical devices. The herein proposal is aiming to foster the development of flexible printed electronics processes by proposing a solution to the disadvantages of the current manufacturing technology. Thus, the Consortium is proposing utilization of a plasma based technology for pretreating the surface of the polymeric substrate at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, in the absence of additional gases. The new technology which is to demonstrate high potential of being integrated at the level of screen printing and inkjet printing processes may impact significantly the economic situation of both SMEs and ensure their improved position within International supply chain.

Keywords

• Flexible production and manufacturing

• Nanotechnologies

• Precision engineering

Project implementation work packages:

WP1. Personalized plasma reactor requirements identification, design and inhouse fabrication

Expected results:

Particular requirements for plasma reactor based on partners’ consultations;

Plasma reactor design;

Plasma reactor subcomponents manufactured;

A demonstrator plasma reactor;

Scientific papers published in journals or conference proceedings;

Preliminary tests of demonstrator operability.

Project web page;

Activity report.

WP2. Assessment of atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma effect on polymeric substrates employed in screen printing validation in laboratory working conditions

Expected results:

Technical report on printheads and commercial inks for inkjet;

Conductive inkjet ink development;

Pretreatment experiments;

Analysis of pretreatment effect on polymeric substrates;

Experiment fiches on ink jet printing and functional devices design and fabrication;

Inkjet quality verification and devices characterization;

Scientific papers published in journals or conference proceedings;

Project web page updates;

Activity report;

WP3. Assessment of atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma effect on polymeric substrates employed in inkjet printing validation in laboratory working conditions

Expected results:

Technical report on stencil validation designs;

Inkjet printing inks MSDS;

Pretreatment experiments;

Analysis of pretreatment effect on polymeric substrate;

Experiment fiches on ink jet printing;

Inkjet quality verification.

Project web page updates;

Activity report.

WP4. Optimization of plasma reactor architecture and design of pilot printing process integration

Expected results:

Set of joint technological proposals for reactor optimization;

Optimized plasma reactor subcomponents manufactured;

Optimized subcomponents integrated at the level of the plasma reactor;

Validation of optimized equipment and final technical adjustments.

Project web page updates;

WP5. Demonstrative integration of plasma reactor and pilot validation at the level of screen and ink jet printing facilities

Expected results:

Plasma reactor integrated at the level of demonstrative pilot screenprinting production facility;

Demonstrative pretreatment experiments on operability of screen printing technology;

Plasma reactor integrated at the level of demonstrative pilot ink jet facility;

Demonstrative pretreatment experiments fiches on ink jet technology;

Project web page updates;