Devising Materials Manufacturing Toward Lab‐to‐Fab Translation of Flexible Electronics

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 32; no. 37; pp. e2001903 - n/a
• Main Authors: Luo, Yifei, Wang, Ming, Wan, Changjin, Cai, Pingqiang, Loh, Xian Jun, Chen, Xiaodong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2020
• Subjects: advanced manufacturing; Commercialization; Electronics; Flexible components; flexible electronics; Functional materials; Industrial plants; Manufacturing; Mass production; Materials science; semiconductor manufacturing; soft materials; Standardization; translational research
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202001903

Flexible electronics have witnessed exciting progress in academia over the past decade, but most of the research outcomes have yet to be translated into products or gain much market share. For mass production and commercialization, industrial adoption of newly developed functional materials and fabrication techniques is a prerequisite. However, due to the disparate features of academic laboratories and industrial plants, translating materials and manufacturing technologies from labs to fabs is notoriously difficult. Therefore, herein, key challenges in the materials manufacturing of flexible electronics are identified and discussed for its lab‐to‐fab translation, along the four stages in product manufacturing: design, materials supply, processing, and integration. Perspectives on industry‐oriented strategies to overcome some of these obstacles are also proposed. Priorities for action are outlined, including standardization, iteration between basic and applied research, and adoption of smart manufacturing. With concerted efforts from academia and industry, flexible electronics will bring a bigger impact to society as promised. Flexible electronics have witnessed tremendous progress in academia over the past decade, but their industrial adoption lags behind. To stimulate faster lab‐to‐fab translation, the current status of flexible electronics is reviewed, critical challenges in materials manufacturing during lab‐to‐fab translation are identified, and perspectives on research and development that can expedite the translation process are proposed.