Research Articles

Can electronics be additively manufactured and flexible without compromising on the capabilities of conventionally produced integrated circuits (ICs)? Often described as 'print what you can, place what you can't', flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) offers an enticing blend of capabilities, enabling rapid prototyping, flexibility/stretchability, and roll-to-roll manufacturing of circuits with conventional ICs.

How far is printed/flexible electronics along the road to widespread adoption? The emerging manufacturing methodology, which replaces etched copper laminate with printed conductive inks on flexible substrates, offers multiple benefits, including flexibility/stretchability, the potential for low-cost roll-to-roll production, digital manufacturing/rapid prototyping, and improved sustainability.

Walk around the aisles of a local shop: aside from the prices, little has changed since the introduction of the bar code in the 1970s. While customers have smartphones in their pockets and there are sophisticated inventory management systems in the background, the digital revolution has yet to alter the packaging of most consumer items.

Che cosa hanno in comune i cerotti elettronici per la pelle, il fotovoltaico flessibile a film sottile e le console per interni delle automobili? Tutti sono prodotti con l'elettronica stampata e flessibile, un approccio alternativo ai circuiti stampati tradizionali che combina la produzione additiva con substrati flessibili.

Wednesday 28 June - Where Metamaterials Meet Tele-Communications. What is a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), and why are they likely to be needed for high frequency telecommunications.; The different types of RIS (passive, semi-passive, active) and where they are likely to be deployed; Manufacturing processes and materials required for RIS production.

Anyone who has used a 'smart lens' app on their smartphone is familiar with machine vision. Rather than simply reproducing and storing a picture for later viewing, machine vision applies an image processing algorithm to obtain additional insight, such as locating edges or object identification.

What is packaging for? From its initial purpose of simply protecting the product to driving sales via consumer engagement, the role of packaging has substantially evolved. Smart/intelligent packaging continues this trend towards greater functionality, employing sensors, printed electronics, and wireless communication to add value in novel ways.

Smooth, functional surfaces that provide touch sensing, often with backlighting, are becoming increasingly common. Applications range from vehicle interiors and domestic appliances to medical devices and aircraft seating. Rather than relying on a mechanical or membrane switch, these surfaces utilize capacitive touch sensing - the same principle used in smartphone displays.

The role of packaging has evolved over time, from simply protecting and identifying the product to driving sales via enticing graphics. Smart packaging is the latest iteration, utilizing technology including sensors, indicators, and wireless communication to enhance user engagement, product quality, and supply chain efficiency.

Alla domanda se l'elettronica sia una "tecnologia digitale", quasi tutti risponderebbero in modo affermativo. Tuttavia, mentre le schede a circuito stampato (PCB)//consentono di utilizzare le //tecnologie digitali, i processi di fabbricazione utilizzati per produrle sono ancora in gran parte analogici.

L'integrazione di più funzionalità in un'unica entità promette dispositivi più semplici ed efficienti senza compromettere le capacità. Gli smartphone ne sono un ottimo esempio, con mappe, agende, telefoni, fotocamere, console di gioco e altro ancora integrati in un unico dispositivo compatto.

Are you unsatisfied with the color reproduction of your smartphone camera? Would you like your phone or other household appliance to detect different materials or even assess the freshness of food? The emerging technology of miniaturized spectrometers and multispectral cameras holds the solution.

Surfaces, be they in kitchen appliances, automotive interiors, medical devices, or even furniture, are becoming increasingly smart. Embedded lighting, touch sensitivity, heating, and even haptic feedback enables inanimate and often neglected surfaces into a design feature with seamlessly integrated user controls. But what is the best way to manufacture these smart surfaces?

Can electronics manufacturing be reconfigured for our digital, environmentally-conscious age? Dr Matthew Dyson, shares some insights on the topic in this complimentary whitepaper.

È possibile riconfigurare la produzione di elettronica per la nostra epoca digitale e attenta all'ambiente? Il nuovo rapporto di IDTechEx, "{Produzione di elettronica stampata 2023-2033|https://www.idtechex.com/it/research-report/manufacturing-printed-electronics-2023-2033/916}", esplora un'ampia gamma di innovazioni produttive che consentiranno la produzione di elettronica additiva, digitale e a più alto rendimento su diverse scale di lunghezza.

How can advanced functional materials such as conductive inks be developed more quickly? Anyone who has spent time in a laboratory knows that material development can be a laborious process.

IDTechEx's newly released report "Conductive Ink Markets 2023-2033" comprehensively explores this crucial material technology that underpins both photovoltaics and the emerging field of printed electronics.

With applications ranging from energy harvesting to sensing, and applicability to sectors being as varied as healthcare and automotive, printed/flexible electronics are set to change our expectations of what electronics can provide and where they can be utilized.

Ever wondered how a touch-sensitive screen works? The answer is capacitive sensing, which can detect the presence of your finger through the protective glass sheet and doesn't require any pressure.

Ever-increasing levels of vehicle autonomy are poised to revolutionize both personal and freight transport, reducing time spent sitting in traffic and ushering in new transportation modes such as robotaxis. Of course, autonomy and even ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) requires vehicles to constantly have a clear picture of their surroundings.

As electronics being increasingly ubiquitous, there is a clear trend toward greater integration. Rather than simply making space for a rigid 2D circuit board (PCB) within the product, electronic functionality will be either mounted conformally onto surfaces or incorporated within the structural materials.

Machine vision is increasingly important for many applications, such as object classification. However, relying on conventional RGB imaging is sometimes insufficient - the input images are just too similar, regardless of algorithmic sophistication. Hyperspectral imaging adds the extra dimension of wavelength to conventional images, providing a much richer data set.

While 3D electronics has long been used for adding antennas and simple conductive interconnects to the surface of 3D injection-molded plastic objects, more complex circuits are increasingly being added onto surfaces made from a variety of materials by utilizing new techniques.

'What gets measured gets managed' is a well-known adage in business, but could it also be applied to mitigating the effects of climate change? The recently published IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report emphasizes the importance of adaptation alongside emission reduction.

Come comunichiamo con i nostri dispositivi elettronici? Ci sono molte diverse opzioni di 'interfacce uomo-macchina (HMI)', che vanno da quelle ben consolidate (tastiera/mouse/interruttori meccanici) a sviluppi un po' più recenti come i touch screen capacitivi che si trovano sugli smartphone. Poiché un numero sempre maggiore di dispositivi intorno a noi acquisisce funzionalità 'intelligenti', la capacità di incorporare componenti HMI in modo elegante e conveniente è sempre più importante.

Commercial interest in silicon anodes and investments into start-up companies has continued through 2021 - IDTechEx estimates that $1.9B of funding has now made its way into silicon anode start-ups. Beyond investments, there has also been greater activity regarding companies beginning to license technologies, enter into supply relationships or commercialize technologies in early adopter markets, highlighting that the promise of silicon anode technology may soon be realized.

Smart buildings aim to bring digital technologies into the fabric of the building, rather than just to objects within it. They will utilize a wide range of emerging technologies, such as semi-transparent photovoltaics on windows, moisture sensors for leak detection, and printed heaters with wall panels.

Il 2021 è stato un anno entusiasmante per l'elettronica stampata, con molteplici applicazioni che hanno raggiunto l'adozione commerciale e un flusso significativo di fondi nel settore. Anche dove le tecnologie non sono ancora commercializzate, le aziende stanno sempre più passando dallo sviluppo della loro tecnologia e dalla produzione di prototipi dimostrativi speculativi a progetti di sviluppo e qualificazione per clienti specifici.

Will the capacitive human-machine interface (HMI) components of the future be produced using IME, or will the simpler currently utilized manufacturing methodologies persist?

Think of a temperature sensor - and a traditional glass thermometer, or perhaps a small thermistor would probably spring to mind. However, a new class of temperature sensors is rapidly emerging that offers spatial resolution together with a thin-film format.

The widespread adoption of machine vision makes image sensors that can detect light outside the visible spectrum increasingly useful, since the aim is to augment human sight rather than duplicate it. For example, imaging in the short-wave infra-red (SWIR) spectral region, which spans from 1000 to 2000 nm, offers multiple benefits that can supplement conventional cameras.

Attaching electronic components such as integrated circuits and LEDs to substrates is an essential aspect of electronics manufacturing. While conventional lead-free solder excels at the task for conventional rigid PCBs, it is not so well suited for emerging applications that require components to be attached to flexible substrates or conformal surfaces.

In-mold electronics enables electronic functionality to be embedded within molded and thermoformed plastic components. With the integration of capacitive touch, lighting, and even haptics alongside size and weight reductions of up to 70%, IME is an efficient approach to making curved touch-sensitive interfaces. Given these benefits, IDTechEx forecasts IME to be a $1.5 billion market by 2032, with applications mainly within the automotive and consumer goods sectors.

Printed and flexible sensors constitute the largest printed electronics market outside of displays. Indeed, we forecast that the market for fully printed sensors will reach 4.9 billion by 2032.

While vehicle interiors might be an obvious target for emerging technologies based on printed/flexible electronics, there are also plenty of opportunities for vehicle exteriors. These range from transparent heaters to solar panels, and benefit from attributes as varied as transparency, conformality, low weight, and tunable absorption spectra.

The increasing adoption of computational image analysis is creating opportunities for many new types of image sensors. One of the most innovative and commercially promising technologies is event-based vision, which is a bio-inspired method of acquiring visual data that promises multiple advantages.