Green roll-to-roll manufacturing of low-cost high-performance large area flexible electronics

绿色卷对卷（R2R）制造可以实现现代柔性电子器件的生态友好和经济的制造。随着柔性电子显示器、太阳能电池、电子皮肤和物联网（IoT）市场的快速增长，需要解决大规模制造的关键挑战，包括成本、性能、制造工艺的环境友好性以及材料和基板的可重复使用性。实现高导电性、可靠性和低成本的电气互连和相关电子器件对于柔性电子产品的工业规模R2R生产的发展至关重要。然而，稳定的高导电材料的解决方案通常依赖于昂贵的源材料（例如，银）并产生由后处理和蚀刻产生的有毒废物。考虑到电子废物的指数增长，必须寻找对环境更友好的解决方案，同时满足不断增长的电子行业的要求。该项目带来了UBC强大的研究人员和实验室团队，与位于卑诗省本拿比的世界领先的柔性电子产品TF Massif合作，开发解决这些关键挑战的解决方案。该项目将专注于开发直接打印纳米油墨，真空沉积技术，后处理和烧蚀材料的补充解决方案，这些解决方案能够在各种柔性基板上使用多层，高导电性和可图案化的互连和电子设备，包括聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET），聚酰亚胺（PI），透明PI和其他生物来源和可生物降解的柔性基板。该项目将研究工艺和相关的深入材料特性，这些特性可以提供高导电性，与柔性基板的粘合以及在频繁的机械弯曲，拉伸和暴露于环境变化和化学品中的稳定性。通过开发适用于大面积和低成本柔性电子产品的先进工艺和纳米油墨，该项目为TF Massif和其他加拿大行业领导者提供了重要的机会，以发展全球竞争优势，并确定绿色R2R制造业的未来市场，并为加拿大人创造就业机会。

Green roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing can enable eco-friendly and economical fabrication of modern flexible electronics. With rapidly growing markets for flexible electronic displays, solar cells, electronic skin and the internet of things (IoT), key challenges for massive scale manufacturing need to be addressed, including cost, performance, environmental friendliness of fabrication processes and reusability of materials and substrates. Achieving highly conductive, reliable and low-cost electric interconnects and related electronic devices is critical for the development of industrial scale R2R production of flexible electronics. However, solutions for stable, highly conductive materials often rely on expensive source materials (e.g., silver) and produce toxic waste arising from post processing and etching. Considering the exponential growth in electronic waste, it is imperative to look for solutions that are more friendly to environment and still meet the requirements of the growing electronics industry. This project brings a strong team of researchers and laboratories at UBC in collaboration with a world-leader in flexible electronics, TF Massif, located in Burnaby, BC, to develop solutions that address these critical challenges. The project will focus on development of complementary solutions for direct print nano-inks, vacuum deposition techniques, post processing and ablation materials that enable use of multi-layered, highly conductive and patternable interconnects and electronic devices on a variety of flexible substrates including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), clear PI and other flexible substrates that are bio-sourced and biodegradable. The project will investigate the processes and associated in-depth material properties that can provide high conductivity, bonding to flexible substrates and stability in frequent mechanical bending, stretching and exposure to environmental changes and chemicals. By developing advanced processes and nano-inks that are amenable to massive area and low-cost flexible electronics, this project opens significant opportunity for TF Massif and other Canadian industry leaders to develop a globally competitive advantage and define future markets in green R2R manufacturing and create jobs for Canadians.