EAGER: Development of Intrinsically Stretchable, Active-Matrix OLED Displays

摘要：非技术性：拟议的EAGER结合了几个科学学科的最新进展，包括有机和聚合物半导体、高度柔性和本质上可伸展的有机发光二极管(OLED)背后的关键材料、纳米材料开发中产生的单壁碳纳米管和银纳米线，以及本质可伸展的聚合物OLED和高度柔性碳纳米管背板的展示。这项工作将是推动可穿戴电子设备实际应用的重要一步，功能设备采用创新的外形因素，采用无毒材料和低成本工艺制造。这类显示器重量轻，可伸缩。它们可以像手帕一样折叠成小尺寸，便于携带，也可以展开成大屏幕，插入一些小尺寸的便携式电子设备，用作大尺寸的外部屏幕。这种显示器还可以共形覆盖不平坦的表面，并应对身体运动，从而使它们像人类的衣服一样耐用。技术：这将研究展示可重复拉伸50%的有源矩阵有机发光二极管(OLED)显示器的基本材料和可扩展工艺。这种显示器中的所有组件，包括OLED、薄膜晶体管和互连，本质上都是可拉伸的。这种新型显示器的简单性和可伸缩性可以提供重要的好处，如部署到大尺寸显示器上，从小体积到不平坦的表面，与可穿戴电子设备兼容，以及重量轻。为了实现上述目标，这个迫切的项目将专注于以下研究目标：(1)研究可伸展薄膜晶体管所必需的基本结构-性质关系。该研究涉及到对沟道、源/漏和介质层的材料设计的广泛探索，这些材料具有优异的拉伸能力和层间粘附性，以实现理想的器件性能；(2)可拉伸OLED和可拉伸薄膜晶体管的集成。将打印一组RGB照明像素，并通过喷墨打印将其连接到相邻的晶体管。这项工作涉及红色、绿色和蓝色发光材料的选择和均匀发光的印刷工艺的优化。为了更广泛地传播研究成果，并提高对先进制造下一代柔性和可拉伸电子产品重要性的认识，拟议的研究包括教育推广部分的计划，包括研究/教学实验室发展以及社区大学和地方高中推广计划。FSU工程学院是FAMU(HBCU)和FSU的合资企业。

Abstract:Nontechnical:The proposed EAGER combines recent advances in several scientific disciplines, including organic and polymer semiconductors, key materials behind highly flexible and intrinsically stretchable organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), single walled carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires spun out of efforts in nanomaterials development, and the demonstration of intrinsically stretchable polymer OLEDs and highly flexible CNT backplanes. This work will represent a major step forward in promoting practical application of wearable electronics, with the functional devices taking an innovative form factor, fabricated with non-toxic materials and by a low-cost process. Such displays will be light weight and stretchable.They can be folded like handkerchiefs into small sizes for easy portability and unfolded into large screens to plug in a number of small size portable electronics for use as large size, external screens. The displays can also conformally cover uneven surfaces and cope with body movement, thus making them wearable like human clothing.Technical:This EAGER will investigate the essential materials and scalable process for the demonstration of active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays that can be repeatedly stretched by 50%. All the components in such display including the OLEDs, thin-film transistors and interconnect are intrinsically stretchable. The simplicity and stretch ability of such new displays could offer important benefits such as deployment into large size displays from a small stowed volume onto uneven surfaces, compatibility with wearable electronic devices, and light weight.To achieve the above mentioned goals, the EAGER project will focus on the following research objectives: (1) Study of fundamental structure-property relationship essential for stretchable thin-film transistors. The research involves extensive exploration on materials design for the channel, the source/drain and the dielectric layers with superior stretch ability and inter-layer adhesion for ideal device performance ; (2) Integration of stretchable OLEDs and stretchable thin-film transistors. A set of RGB lighting pixels will be printed and connected to their neighboring transistors by ink-jet printing. The work involves the selection of light emitting materials for red, green and blue color emission and the optimization of printing process for uniform light emission.For broader dissemination of the research results and to improve awareness to the importance of advanced manufacturing for next generation flexible and stretchable electronics, the proposed research includes plans for educational outreach components, including research/teaching lab development and community college and local high school outreach programs. FSU College of Engineering is a joint venture between FAMU (an HBCU) and FSU.