Flex 2021
Focus on sustainability and power for batteries
There was a panel discussion around sustainability and power at the ongoing SEMI Flex 2021. The participants were Prof. Pradeep Lall, Director, Auburn University, Joseph C. Bush, VP Business Development, Battery Resources, Zachary A. Combs, Innovation Manager, Materials, Birla Carbon, Brian Berland, CTO, ITN Energy Systems, Andrew Manning, President and CEO, Lithium Battery Engineering, and Brian Zahnstecher, Principal, PowerRox LLC.
Pradeep Lall said that from a thin flexible battery standpoint, it is more of a new architecture. If we use these for asset monitoring, they might be dynamic. Less is known about these dynamic loads and how do we test for them. Inter-relationship between the variables are not yet understood properly.
Brian Berland said that some batteries need high power, etc. When you go to the highest energy density batteries, and start to integrate, it involves inductors, capacitors, etc. That can take away some of the advantage.
Andrew Manning noted that design factors go into the making of a battery. One challenge is the economic challenge. It costs money for a manufacturing line. Unless you standardize on a format, the cost of a battery can get expensive. The average cost of smart card battery is about 80 cents. We have to think more about developing something that is manufacturable.
Joseph C. Bush added that talking about tiny batteries make ones wonder about consumer behavior. We need to see the product is economical and functional in its life. We need to design with the end in mind. At least 50 percent of consumer electronics is now recycled. What’s going to happen to the batteries, though?
Zachary A. Combs said they are supplying raw materials in the market so those can use existing and re-useable manufacturing processes. We have a significant supply chain. North America is building a superior supply chain.
Brian Zahnstecher added that there are sources and loads are tied together. We also have to look at how they impact, up to the source, particularly, wireless. Base stations are one of the worst offenders. The key is to take a disaggregation model, as in the data centers. There are distributed energy resources. Economics of renewable sources, especially PV, have also become reasonable. The universe of currency is energy. The energy impact on policy making can also be made. The goal of our group is to educate about energy optimization.
Maintaining resources
When do we run out with resources? There are EV companies, as well. Pradeep Lall said some of the elements may be less prolifically available. That seems to be a moving target. The industry is moving the target more for recycling. We are trying to get similar performance from the recycled batteries. The targets are also moving away, as well. People are also looking at supercapacitors.
Joseph Bush said they recycle over 95 percent of the batteries. Over 28 percent of them can go straight to battery manufacturing. We are going to see incredible performance changes. There is the Tesla EV model that works great. Can they be LFP (lithium ferrophosphate) batteries? We are going to see diversification of chemistries.
Zachary A. Combs said the Li-ion batteries have a hockey stick approach. LFP batteries may come in. There is certainly going to be a raw materials strain, maybe, later. Brian Berland said there are mm-sized batteries that can last for some time. The cost of materials is important. Andrew Manning added that we do have raw materials problem, which will work itself out. We need to see where are we going to get the energy to charge all of these batteries.
Brian Zahnstecher said that we should focus on energy harvesting. Reality occurs in many business domains. When it comes to BOM cost, why should one replace a 10 cent battery material? There is self-powered battery. We can do preventive maintenance for expensive equipment. Joseph Bush added that it is a problem recycling lithium-ion batteries. The economic model needs to be looked at. Who is footing the bill for electrification?
Standards and technologies are required for final acquisition decisions. Brian Zahnstecher said there is a systems framework that needs to be standardized. We are proposing a framework. Pradeep Lall added that new batteries have to conform to established standards for the rigid batteries. We can expect to see standards developed.
Green batteries for blending electronics in daily life
Ms. Christine Ho, CEO and Co-founder, Imprint Energy, presented the keynote on green batteries for blending electronics in our daily lives on day 4 of the ongoing SEMI Flex 2021.
There is an urgency to deploy over 100 billion IoT devices to eliminate over 15 percent of our GHG emissions by 2030. IoT devices can be designed to have over 10x sustainability. There is also a call to reduce the global emissions by half by 2030. The transformation proposed is necessary and achievable.
The digital sector has the potential to directly reduce fossil fuel emissions by 15 percent by 2030, and indirectly support further reduction of 35 percent across other sectors through the influence of consumers and business decisions, and system transformations. A connected IoT network will provide data for our daily decisions. IoT will be the digital skin that protects the earth. We are on track to deploy 125 billion Internet-connected devices by 2030.
As an example, Covid-19 vaccines are very temperature sensitive. We have to find a way to reduce wastage and damaged goods. Smart tags are made possible by technology innovations. They exist today as electronics can be flexible and robust. Tags are composed of wireless chip, battery and an antenna. The battery is the single-largest carbon footprint indicator. Imprint Energy has thousands of roll-to-roll screen printed batteries. So, how do we build sustainable power sources for the next trillion IoT devices?
By reducing the carbon footprint, one can maximize resources. There is a unique opportunity for companies to lead. We have the responsibility to provide greener batteries to achieve our sustainable goals. We can start by choosing lower carbon footprint raw material. We can choose sustainability-focused suppliers. We can also reduce manufacturing factory size and distribution of carbon footprints. We can extend the usage and find pathways to re-use and recycle batteries. Battery companies can also work with designers to improve battery lifetime. Imprint Energy has designed a sustainable and high performance battery to blend electronics into our lives.
MEMS and sensors driving innovation: Flex 2021
There was a panel discussion on MEMS and sensors driving innovation at the ongoing SEMI Flex 2021. The participants were Matthew Dyson, IDTechEx, Hadi Hosseini, Stanford University, Michael Brothers, UES and ARFL, Ms. Erin Ratcliff, University of Arizona, Michael Crump, University of Washington, and Ms. Moran Amit, University of California, San Diego.
Matthew Dyson said there are lot of benefits and significant savings over time. There are apps in wearable, stretchable devices, etc. There is demand from smartphones that is the driver of MEMS and sensors business. A lot of money is also going into printable electronics.
Michael Brothers added that you have to identify key parameters within your own scenario. Ms. Erin Ratcliff noted that we need to look at larger area for sweat, as an example. We are doing architectural design in the virtual space. Michael Crump, said that with stretchable field sensors, you can stretch sensitive materials. You can see a baseline shift, as you stretch them. We took the approach of 3D printed jel paste where zero space does not change. We also need to look at how the sensors resistance changes over time.
Ms. Moran Amit added the baseline is a bit different for them. An example is the thermometer. 36.7C is normal for everyone. If the baseline is zero, it may still look different from a kid to another. Different sensors would work for different kids. Hadi Hosseini said that people are looking to use the wearables to diagnose illnesses. We are looking at changes in oxidation in the blood. We are also prototyping. We got a grant last year to develop a device. We are hoping to collect data for children with ADHD. My focus is on mental illness. There are other areas like mental wellness.
Medical community responding to sensors
It would be interesting to see how is the medical community responding to the use of sensors. Michael Brothers said there is some response. One of the key drivers is cost and benefit. People are interested in wearables. There are factors preventing adoption in the medical community, for now.
Turning to non-imaging techniques, what bio-parameters in a wearable device could help with mental health diagnosis? Hadi Hosseini said that with ADHD, you can use sensors to identify patterns in the child. People have been also looking at cell phones to collect data in the background. Matthew Dyson added that wearables for mental health diagnosis have been developed in Belgium. Monitoring of electrical signals include muscle and brain activity for mental health diagnosis. Ms. Erin Ratcliff said when you design a sensor, it has to give information about something new. How do you translate that into full device study?
Michael Brothers felt that biosystems work in a different way. Sensors should be created to identify changes in the human body. You have ask about the right problems. You also need clinical trials to introduce new sensors. It is also very hard to determine physiological relations. Ms Erin Ratcliffe added that there are teams that design sensors. You may have to guess the range, but that’s not a useful detection strategy.
Matthew Dyson said there is a lot applicable to flexible electronics. There should be specific bodies for doing that. There should be some designated standards bodies. Ms. Erin Ratcliffe noted that consortium models are beginning to evolve. Companies also hope to listen.
World greener
According to Michael Crump, sustainability is pervasive throughout. They are able to print features for energy overhead. As for using AI/ML for key markers, Hadi Hosseini said that we don’t have enough data yet for specific disorders. It takes time to collect data. There are lot of ML studies. Generalizing data for 100-200 patients can be challenging. We collect brain imaging data from patients to identify sub-types of illnesses.
Michael Brothers added there can be array sensors, mass factor patterns, etc. There is lot of work needed in AI/ML. It is an interesting problem. The issue is: how do you collect all the data? Ms. Moran Amit said that there is stress on waste and sustainability. Our system has the doctor equipped with it, to assess many people. A thermometer can be used over and over again. There may be less sales.
Michael Crump felt that there is a need to get to conductive trace. We don’t want to be printing lines and lines, but just one line. We are trying to get to the place where we can print something from a single pass. Ms. Erin Ratcliffe added there needs to be more targeted focus on $10-15 type models, rather than $100 and above. Hadi Hosseini said there are many different technologies. Some of them are not yet developed enough or are underdeveloped. We need to work with the others. There’s the application of more advanced techniques, such as printable materials.
Matthew Dyson felt there is room for new technologies. A lot of progress is made on printed electronics. Sensors are being deployed in cars, wearables, missiles, etc. There will be more apps that make it to commercial reality.
Electronics on the brain: Flex 2021
Day 3 of the SEMI Flex 2021 started with George Malliaras, Prince Philip Prof. of Technology, University of Cambridge, presenting the keynote on electronics on the brain.
One of the most important scientific and technological frontiers of our time is the interfacing of electronics with the human brain. This endeavor promises to help understand how the brain works and deliver new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies including epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.
Current solutions are limited by the materials that are brought in contact with the tissue and transduce signals across the biotic/abiotic interface. Recent advances in electronics have made available materials with a unique combination of attractive properties, including mechanical flexibility, mixed ionic/electronic conduction, enhanced biocompatibility, and capability for drug delivery. He presented examples of novel devices for recording and stimulation of neurons and show that organic electronic materials offer tremendous opportunities to study the brain and treat its pathologies.
Bioelectronic medicine is game changing. There has been the emergence of bioelectronic medicine. We have nerve simulation for autoimmune diseases, etc. The current technology is however, limiting. Signals are small and diverse, and the environment is hostile to electronics. It also requires highly invasive and multiple surgeries.
Teaching electronics is sometimes a foreign language. We need to get drugs into the brain. Bioelectronics is interfacing biology and electronics. There is sensing and diagnosis. This leads to actuation and treatment of the brain. High resolution brain mapping is an example. If you use organices, there is used mixed conductivity that leads to novel, state-of-the-art devices. The physics of these materials is still under investigation.
There is volumetric ion transport in PEDOT/PSS microelectrodes. There are recordings of single neurons from the brain surface. Current work is looking at large area and high density. We also have some options for treating epilepsy.
There is localised drug delivery past the blood-brain barrier. These have been used for brain cancers, and there is a large gamut of drugs. We can get spatiotemporal control, as well. However, wafers offer limited cargo and it is not suitable. we need to develop new technologies. An example is the organic electronic ion pump. In the ion exchange membrane, the ions flow in only one direction — from source to target.
There is electrophoretic drug delivery, as well. We use GABA delivery in vitro. Also, implantable devices stop or prevent seizures. Another app is chemotherapy delivery to nonresectable brain tumours. Implants often require highly invasive surgery. Paddle-type electrodes are more efficient, but they require lamenectomy.
When you combine bioelectronics with soft robotics, there are expandable impants. There is dynamic control of the device shape. You can deploy in spinal cords in cadavers.
Implantable electronics hold considerable promise for understanding te brain and addressing the pathologies. Mixed conductors enable high resolution cortical electrodes that record neurons without penetrating the brain. Electrophoretic devices can deliver the drug without the solvent, with excellent spatiotemporal resolution. They stop/prevent seizures in an animal model. Microfluidics allow expandable implants that minimize the invasiveness of neurosurgery.
Challenges and innovations in materials processing
There was a panel discussion on materials processing at the ongoing SEMI FLEX 2021. The participants were Ricardo Prada Silvy, CHASM Advanced Materials, Ms. Cinzia Casiraghi, University of Manchester, Mohd. Zulqarnain, Eindhoven University of Technology, Ben Plattner, NetFlex, Andy Behr, Panasonic, and Ian Tevis, SAFI-Tech.
First, they were asked about the kinds of challenges in adoption of new materials. Ricardo Prada Silvy, said they are producing materials and moving to about 50 tons per year. The minimum investment cost for new materials are being considered. Andy Behr added there is a key challenge with new materials. Manufacturers are reluctant to use new infrastructure. We need to lower the entry barrier.
Ian Tevis noted that bringing in a new material has its own issues. Manufacturers want these to be processed in exactly the same way, generally. The processing temperature windows can also be different, and that creates entry barriers, as well. He noted that for new materials, they need to ensure that they works with the different temperatures. There are lot of options to get the result that you want.
Ben Plattner said we are in a unique position to get materials. We rely heavily on the manufacturer of the material. We figure out the best way to handle the material. It is a collaborative process. Andy Behr added that the other materials in the process are well understood. It is a messy, chaotic time in the emerging markets. It is incumbent on the material suppliers to reach out to users. They are perhaps, understanding the need to start at ground zero.
Ms. Cinzia Casiraghi said they are working on two-dimensional materials. We are talking about water-based printable inks. From her experience, they are good at material preparation and processing, etc. The next step is the integration and to find the killer app for the material. It is important to have good communication with the leading companies and to work on issues. Mohd. Zulqarnain said that working with new technologies is challenging. If you try to get into a higher complexity, things can get messy. It is not a nice way for a designer to deal with a new technology.
New materials
Next, what do users do with new materials? How do you introduce the materials? Andy Behr said they are creating an ecosystem of new materials. Ricardo Silvy added that scaling process is there. We have to acquire strong knowledge about the new technology, and knowledge about chemical and process engineering, etc. If there are complications, we have to return the materials, or ask for modifications.
Ben Plattner said they test and implement the materials. Maybe, one out of 10 materials will be promising. We spend six months perfecting them, if needed. Asking supplier for tweaks, or advice for some process, are also there.
How are materials driving innovation? How are we thinking of safety, environment, etc.? Mohd. Zulqarnain said people are very concerned about having a material that is environment friendly. We have to be innovative on that side. Ms. Cinzia said the environment is a big topic in Europe. We are thinking about sustainability. We have to do something similar for plastic. Ricardo Silvy added that people use carbon nanotubes. We are working with nanomaterials.
Andy Behr felt the electronics industry is not yet giving enough attention to the environment. Re-cyclable materials are being done out of Colorado. Moving downstream to these is going to be a herculean effort. We need to think about designing for re-use. Europe is leading the way. Ben Plattner said this is a concern for everyone. We look at environments for handling materials. The manufacturers are also looking at that for the intrinsic safety of the materials.
Mohd. Zulqarnain added that they have a specific last top metal layer that can be used as an electrode. There are some negative things about passive electrodes. As it is on the top of the stack, the device area will be affected. Ms. Cinzia added they have some collaborations. You need visco elastic electrodes.
Innovation forthcoming
Finally, where do you see materials innovation? Ian Trevis said there is demand for new materials due to the pandemic. We are competing with the existing players. We all need to think about this. Andy Behr said this is a great opportunity for them to learn, and design for scalability.
Ricardo Silvy said they are developing membrane-based carbon nanotube for different types of gases. Ms. Cinzia added they are looking to commercialize their ink. Graphene-based materials may also be used. Mohd. Zulqarnain said the production was affected due to the pandemic. We are looking to get different materials from different suppliers.
Liquid electronics for stretchable conductors
Day 2 of SEMI FLEX 2021 started with Dr. Christopher Tabor, Materials Research Scientist, US Air Force Research Laboratory, presenting on liquid electronics for stretchable conductors. His mission is to serve the US Air Force.
Why do we need stretchable conductors? There is continuum of adaptability, such as flex, stretch, self-healing, fully adaptable systems. There are two categories of stretchable conductors. These are geometric stretching, such as known materials and new designs, and intrinsic stretching, such as new materials.
There are new, organic semiconductors involved. We are also looking at TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). We are also studying liquid materials. An example is Gallium alloy liquid materials. Bulk fluids are in pre-fabricated micro-channels. There are also liquid metal/polymer composites. Gallium alloy liquid electronics is very much like mercury. They can create highly stretchable semiconductors.
There are liquid metal particles. Sonication or shear mixing generates suspensions of micron to nanoparticles in a solution. Each particle is protected by its own naturally occurring oxide shell. We are trying to control how the oxide behaves. Liquid metal nanoparticles include TEOS (tetraethyl orthosilicate), organic ligands, graphene, etc.
There are polymerized liquid metal networks. These are cross linking liquid metal core/shell particles. Key performance parameters include intrinsically high conductivity, consistent resistance during strain, facile processing, and stable performance. There is nearly no change in resistance during elongation from 0-700 percent. Constant resistance means the conductivity increases during the elongation. There is no fatigue or hysteresis over 10/4 cycles.
Building with liquid electronics can be done with air brush, screen print, and ink jet. We can also make stretchable electronics. We should be able to flip such electronics into textiles. We have developed smart flight suits. Vital signs are tracked in real-time. For building with liquid electronics, particles are spray coated onto textile substrate and wired up. You can have fabric-based circuitry and textile electrodes. We are looking at resilient electronics, as well. There are pressure sensitive healing agents, and self-healing liquid conductors on a self-healing polymer.
Challenges with flex hybrid electronics systems: Flex 2021
There was a panel discussion on flexible hybrid electronics systems at the ongoing SEMI Flex 2021 The participants were Kris Erickson, HP Inc. Robert Street, who researched on large-area electronics and FHE for asset tracking, Arsalan Alam, UCLA, Ms. Azar Alizadeh PhD student, UC, Ms. Regina Shia, Air Force Research Laboratory, and Kiarash Vakhshouri, Google.
Kris Ericson said we are still at an early stage. We have gone into which apps we want to go with. Ms. Azar added we are focusing on devices, analytics and integration. We do onboard processing and analytics. We can send data to mobile platform and cloud. Ms. Regina Shia noted they work with larger groups for materials. We make sure the systems function with open architecture.
There is the ability to make novel form factors in FHE. What are the benefits of moving to FHE? Robert Street said most conventional electronics is bulky. FHE allows making smaller packages. The number of sensors and the capability that can be gained are important.
Arsalan Alam said FHE has some challenges. How do you integrate high-performance components into FHE? We are trying to solve this problem. We have managed to add high-performance electronics into FHE platforms. In SEMG, one bottleneck is power. We can make rest of the things bendable and flexible. We may have to compromise on smaller battery solutions.
Kris Ericson agreed that it gets difficult to have outcomes of standard electronics. Form factor will also be important going forward.
Novel materials
What about novel materials, such as liquid metals, CNTs, etc.? Ms Azar Alizadeh said there is room for improvement. We are still seeing challenges. We need new material for say, sweat sensing. Demonstration in the lab is very different than integrating in manufacturing. Robert Street added there is lot of opportunity for novel materials. Carbon nanotubes allow printed resistance. Liquid metals are very interesting though.
Regarding conductivity of inks, Kris Ericson said there will be different printheads. At HP, there are nanotubes everywhere. You also have to come up with new solutions.
Kiarash Vakhshouri said in terms of flex displays, there are fragile layers. To protect them, we need to wrap them around. We do have conventional electrodes. We need to add the shock absorbing layers. There are some interesting materials around. There are rollable, and slidable devices, as well. Having a robust coating on top is very important. Even a slight impact can damage electrodes. These displays also need to be not aging. Arsalan Alam noted we have developed flex rate. By overcoming challenges, we showed apps for high-performance electronics.
Regarding use in the aircraft, Ms. Regina Shia said the cockpit environment is challenging. If we need air crew to wear devices, electrodes could dry out, and there could be some mismatches. We had success from physiological monitoring. We have also developed some materials.
Ms. Azar said we need to develop products around limitations in mobility. We are mainly focusing on young adults. We are testing devices for extended use. We are collecting data. Regarding sustainability, that is very important. You need to avoid infection of devices. You have lots of electronics go to waste. There should be re-usable equipment, rather than disposable, in some cases.
Kris Ericson said there is push toward integrating materials. Arsalan Alam added that there are design challenges. You need tool building capabilities. We want to find solutions. There should be more innovative ways to address the challenges.
Kiarash Vakhshouri noted that having right design help select the proper material. You also need different bending radius for materials. You decide where you want to be, and then go for the materials.
Robert Street said that with displays, they turned into a huge industry. App should drive manufacturing and reduce cost. Getting the app that will need it and develop components is the challenge.
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