Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) draws equipment,
materials, design and manufacturing processes from two industries: the
semiconductor industry and the traditional printing industry. FlexTech
Alliance explores this interesting technology merger in a one-day workshop at
SEMICON West 2014. One of the fastest growing applications for Flexible
Hybrid Electronics is wearable electronic devices for health and human
performance monitoring. This workshop will include a review of some of these
applications.
The semiconductor industry has evolved not only
exponentially in terms of capability, but also in the applications it pursues.
A recent direction is referred to as “More Than Moore”. Activity in this space
seeks to address needs for more capability for wearable/flexible/conformal
systems (even implantable), large size/distributed systems, and low cost (even
disposable) sensor and smart packaging systems.
Recently, printed electronics
has made great progress in materials and processing technologies for flexible,
conformable and robust applications such as wearable biomedical sensors and
imagers, displays, consumer packaging, and toxic and structural sensors.
Almost simultaneously, various techniques are emerging for creating very thin
silicon chips and packages as well as flexible PC “boards” that can be
incorporated in flexible systems. Finding ways to cost effectively and reliably
integrate conventional processors, MEMS sensors, and high speed RF
communications with printed/flexible electronics systems opens the door to
wider applications, including wearables.
Where do printed/flexible electronics systems offer the best
solutions? Where could integrating traditional silicon into a flexible
electronics format make most sense for cost or performance? What are the
industry-wide challenges and promising solutions for process integration,
handling, packaging, and testing hybrid silicon and flexible approaches? Join
with subject matter experts and end users to answer these and other pertinent
questions.
