Organic and Flexible Electronics
RTI develops flexible electronic technologies using flexible polymer or metal foil substrates that can be manufactured using roll-to-roll processing similar to newspaper printing. These technologies enable new applications such as flexible displays, sensor arrays, and large-area electronics that would otherwise be too heavy or brittle.
We are also developing organic electronics. Similar in function to traditional semiconductors, this class of materials can be processed at low temperature, and often can utilize solution-based methods that do not require a vacuum. Organic electronics can be useful for technologies such as displays, lighting, photovoltaics, sensors, logic, and memory. The processing techniques are particularly compatible with larges areas, and therefore suitable for flexible substrates.
Current areas of research include
- Organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) on flexible substrates
- Organic and quantum dot-based photovoltaics
- Quantum dot devices for IR detectors
- Flexible, ultra-thin Si devices embedded in flexible substrates (chip-in-flex)
- Inkjet-printed electronics and sensor arrays
RTI efforts in organic and flexible electronics are enabled by
- Organic deposition system including
- Integrated glove box with spin-coater
- Two-chamber deposition system
- Ten organic thermal evaporation sources
- Three inorganic thermal evaporation sources
- Four-pocket e-beam evaporation source
- Two sputtering sources
- Fujifilm Dimatix DMP-2800 materials printer
- Extensive electrical and optical characterization tools
Our capabilities are augmented and supported by RTI’s extensive process and material analysis infrastructure.