SBIR Phase I: Hybrid Paper Electronics: Feasibility Study

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是引入和建立一个新的电子产品类别的基础-超薄电子设备嵌入在薄，灵活，廉价和环保的基板，如普通纸。相对于传统的柔性电子器件，超薄嵌入式电子器件提供了上级成本、柔性、可靠性和安全特性。近期内，此类产品最重要的适用市场是基于射频识别（RFID）的设备。2014年，无源RFID标签的出货量将接近70亿，价值约35亿美元，年增长率约为25%。然而，超薄嵌入式电子技术的应用远远超出了RFID。 它涵盖了柔性混合电子产品一般类别中的国防和商业应用。国防应用的例子包括可穿戴健康监测器、一次性传感器、具有用于监测设备和结构健康的通信能力的嵌入式传感器等。商业应用的例子是防伪“智能”安全、法律的和金融文档、可穿戴和一次性电子产品、交互式媒体、及智能化产品包装。这项小型企业创新研究第一期计划旨在研究将超薄电子装置嵌入纸张等薄而柔软的物料内的可行性。纸被广泛认为是印刷电子产品的基底材料。然而，在造纸过程中将超薄的硅基柔性电子器件嵌入纸张内部还没有研究。同样，关于设备可靠性的主题存在广泛的知识体系。然而，目前的研究几乎完全集中在芯片和电路板之间的互连系统，以及整个器件受到循环热和/或机械应力的情况。在薄的柔性材料中嵌入混合电子器件要求半导体芯片非常薄，小于50微米，优选地约20-25微米厚。 这比传统芯片薄得多。然而，没有研究专门考虑这种芯片和整个嵌入式电子设备在造纸过程中典型的应力和应变条件下的生存能力。这项研究的结果将为开发嵌入其他薄柔性材料（如聚合物，复合材料和合成纸）的超薄电子设备铺平道路。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to introduce and establish the foundations of a new class of electronic products - ultra-thin electronic devices embedded in thin, flexible, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly substrates such as common paper. The ultra-thin embedded electronics offer superior cost, flexibility, reliability, and security characteristics relative to conventional flexible electronics. The most significant applicable market for such products in the near term is that for Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)-based devices. In 2014, shipments of passive RFID tags will approach 7 billion having a value of about $3.5 billion and an annual growth rate of about 25%. However, the application of the ultra-thin embedded electronics technology extends well beyond RFID. It encompasses both defense and commercial applications within the general category of flexible hybrid electronics. Examples of defense applications include wearable health monitors, disposable sensors, embedded sensors with communication capability for monitoring equipment and structural health, etc. Examples of commercial applications are counterfeit-proof 'smart' security, legal, and financial documents, wearable and disposable electronics, interactive media, and intelligent product packaging.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to study the feasibility of embedding ultra-thin electronic devices in thin flexible materials such as paper. Paper has been considered extensively as a substrate material for printed electronics. However, embedding ultra-thin, silicon-based flexible electronic devices inside paper during the paper making process has not been researched. Similarly, an extensive body of knowledge exists on the topic of device reliability. However, current research is almost entirely focused on the interconnection system between the chip and circuit board and on the situations where the entire device is subjected to cyclic thermal and/or mechanical stresses. Embedding hybrid electronic devices in thin flexible materials requires the semiconductor chips to be extremely thin, less than 50 microns and preferably about 20-25 microns thick. This is significantly thinner than the conventional chips. Still, no research has exclusively considered the survivability of such chips and the entire embedded electronic device under the stress and strain conditions typical for the paper making process. The results from this study will pave the path to developing ultra-thin electronic devices embedded in other thin flexible materials such as polymers, composites, and synthetic paper.