Direction of change: the combination of printing and electronics

Printed electronics technology is very new and very hot-papers related to it have only appeared since 2005 and have increased rapidly in the past few years. The International Organic and Printed Electronics Association also released the latest version of the "Roadmap" last year. Printed electronics technology heralds transformative development, and related industries, including traditional printing, printed circuit boards, photovoltaics, displays, and the Internet of Things, will follow the development of this technology into the fast lane of transformation and upgrading.

Not long ago, top experts in related fields in China gathered at the "Xiyuan Salon". During this high-end discussion, the reporter learned that our country's research is not far behind foreign countries, and we have our own future.

The combination of printing and electronics?

"Printing manufacturing is essentially an additive manufacturing like 3D printing." Experts from the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that printed electronics is the application of printed manufacturing methods to the manufacture of electronic devices, following the silicon-based integrated circuit microelectronics technology. A new development direction in the field of electronics.

"Printed electronics can be simply understood as a combination of printing and electronics." An expert from the Suzhou Nano Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences introduced that the successful application of printing methods to electronic manufacturing involves five main technical areas: substrate materials, printable electronic materials, printing methods, pre-press and Post-press processing technology and system design, in which printable electronic materials are the basis for the existence of the entire printed electronic technology.

Due to the low energy consumption, low material consumption, and non-corrosive technology, the printing manufacturing technology is characterized by green environmental protection. Unlike silicon-based microelectronic devices, printed electronic devices have nothing to do with substrate materials, and electronic devices can be prepared on various substrates, including various flexible substrate materials, and printed electronics manufacturing investment is low because of the required The equipment is basically the same as the traditional printing equipment, which is much lower than the equipment required for the processing of silicon-based microelectronic devices. In addition, the same features as the traditional printing are that printed electronics manufacturing can achieve large-scale batch manufacturing, especially continuous roll-to-roll Manufacturing, can greatly reduce manufacturing costs.

But printed electronic technology is not perfect. First of all, it does not have the high precision and high density of traditional silicon-based microelectronics manufacturing technology, and the performance of printable electronic materials is also worse than the crystal materials that traditional silicon-based microelectronics rely on. In addition, in terms of performance, printed electronics is not as good as silicon-based microelectronics, but the large area, flexibility and low cost of printed electronic devices and products are not available in silicon-based microelectronics.

In 2013, flexible mobile phones, transparent mobile phones and TVs, large-size curved screen TVs, soft paper screens, translucent thin-film solar cells, full-printed electronic labels, Google glasses and smart watches appeared one after another on the market. All these indicate that the new generation of flexible and personalized electronic era has arrived. In some electronic industry fields abroad, printing has also partially or completely replaced the processing technologies that traditionally require photolithography and etching manufacturing in these industry fields. However, printed electronics technology and traditional manufacturing technology are not replacing each other, but complement each other.

Focus of world industry

"Foreign countries have exploded in the field of printed electronics in recent years. At the Printed Electronics USA conference held in November last year, more than 2,200 people attended the meeting, and there were more than 160 exhibiting companies. Development trends and market potential. "Relevant experts said. But printing as an electronic manufacturing technology has only begun to gain attention and flourish in the last 10 years.

Although organic electronics have been researched since the 1980s, research papers related to printed electronics have only appeared since 2005 and have increased rapidly in the past few years. One of the important reasons is that inorganic nanomaterials are beginning to be used in printed electronics-this material has a much higher charge mobility than organic electronic materials.

Another advantage of inorganic nanomaterials is that the environment is stable and is not affected by water and oxygen in the air. Electronic devices can be printed and prepared in a natural environment. As long as inorganic nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes, etc.) are made into ink or ink, various structures can be made using traditional printing methods. The nature of the nanomaterials endows these structures with charge transport, photoelectric conversion, sensing, luminescence, and display characteristics, thereby forming various new semiconductor devices, optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices, display devices and sensor devices, which greatly enhances the printing and preparation of electronics The practicality of the device has shortened the distance between printed electronics and the market.

Foreign countries have been paying close attention to the development of organic, flexible and printed electronic technologies. The major industrial developed countries have implemented a number of research programs at the government level, including the establishment of national-level R & D centers.

In 2009, the UK invested 20 million pounds to establish the National Printed Electronics Center and launched the National Printed Electronics Development Plan. It has successively established 6 research centers related to printed electronics, plastics and electronics and multiple enterprises; Germany ’s scientific research units involving organic and printed electronics With more than 90 companies, the Organic Electronics Association has been established in 2004; Japan established an advanced printed electronics technology research and development alliance in 2011 to dominate the printed electronics industry with printing and film technology companies.

Especially worth mentioning is South Korea. The Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy proposed a six-year plan for the development of printed electronic technology in 2011. From 2012 to 2018, the Korean government will jointly invest 172.5 billion won (approximately 1 billion yuan) with the industry to research and develop printed electronics Comprehensive solution. The South Korean government believes that in the past 20 years, it has achieved world-renowned achievements in the field of mobile communication and flat panel display, the global leader in flat panel display, and the second largest mobile communication in the world. They saw that printed electronics is a new opportunity and may lead to a large number of new industries, so the government came forward to dominate. At the same time, South Korea has electronic information industry giants such as Samsung and LG. These large enterprises are extremely concerned about printed electronics, and all have internal research plans. Last year at the International Flexible and Printed Electronics Conference (ICFPE) hosted by South Korea, the chairman of the conference was the CEO of Samsung Display. LG has begun to use inkjet printing technology on its display panel production line.

China's innovation opportunities

"In terms of the application of inorganic nanomaterials in printed electronics technology and industrialization, China and foreign countries are basically on the same starting line." The reason for this is that relevant experts believe that research in this area has only begun in recent years, and industrialization has also Just beginning, "It should be said that China seized this opportunity."

In fact, the Chinese industry has been focusing on printed electronics since 2009. China Printed Circuit Industry Association (cpca) established the Printed Electronics Branch in November 2009. In April 2010, the domestic flexible circuit board company, Agilent, and Fudan University established the "Fudan-Agilent Full Printed Electronics R & D Center". Kunshan Hays Electronics developed the nano silver conductive ink that can be used for inkjet printing in 2010. Shanghai Ruibili Electromechanical Company completed the first generation of printed circuit board character printing machine in 2010.

In the field of science and technology, the Suzhou Nano Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences began to prepare for the establishment of a printed electronics technology research center in October 2009. This is the first domestic team that is fully committed to the research and development of printed electronics. Since 2010, printed electronics has become a rapidly developing emerging technology field in China. After the Printed Electronics Center of the Suzhou Nano Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Printing Institute, Tianjin University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and other universities have successively established Printed Electronics Research Centers. Companies such as Beiyin Zhongyuan, Zhongconatong, Suzhou Nag, and Kunshan Enziansai, which are mainly engaged in printed electronics, have also been established. Some products based on printed electronic technology are starting to appear. For example, Beiyin Zhongyuan ’s nano-silver paste, Zhongconatong ’s printed RFID tags and subway tickets, Suzhou Nager ’s flexible transparent conductive film for touch screen, and Kunshan Enforsy ’s printed paper battery. In October 2011, the National Printing Electronics Industry Innovation Alliance was launched by Beijing Printing Institute, Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In July 2010, the first National Printed Electronics Seminar was initiated and organized by the Printed Electronics Center of the Suzhou Nano Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This seminar has been held for four consecutive years, and the number of participants has increased year by year. More than 20 people attended the first seminar, and the number of participants at the 4th seminar held in 2013 reached more than 150. In May 2012, China was invited to attend the first International Printed Electronics Standards Working Committee. China has also won the right to host the 2014 International Flexible and Printed Electronics Conference (ICFPE), indicating that the development of China ’s printed electronics has attracted global attention. China is facing an unprecedented and excellent opportunity, and the development of printed electronic technology should become the future 5- One of the important directions and important areas of the 10-year technology planning layout.

"Printed electronics, as an emerging field, still has huge room for innovation. If the country begins to pay attention to new printed electronic materials and application technologies as soon as possible and strengthen policy guidance, it is entirely possible to seize the opportunity and embark on a path of innovation." Experts said.