Polymer Electronic Substrates

In 2000, 162000000 kg metallized web material (10-15 billion m2) were used for packaging applications in Europe of these 42% were OPP, 12% PET, and 40% metallized paper. The remaining 6% is accounted for by other metallized films, for example PE, PVC, PA, or cellophane, and metallized boards or tissues. An annual growth rate of 3-4% is forecasted [17, 18]. An approximately equally quantity of metallized film is used for decorative and technical applications. For these, however, PET is the dominant substrate. In technical applications, capacitor foil currently has a large share. RFID and EAS technology and polymer electronics are wide fields of potential applications and future growth for metallized substrates. 

A thin film ( 100 nm) of a polymer hole-transport layer (HTL) supports a second thin film of a polymer electron-transport layer (ETL) sandwiched between two electrodes supported on a substrate, see Figures 6.2 and 6.3. The anode is transparent in order to allow the passage of the light generated. A potential can be applied between the electrodes. The metal cathode has a low... 

The ability to integrate an electro-optic material with other optical devices, e.g. light sources and detectors, and with electronic drive circuits is important. Integrability implies that the electro-optic materials and the processing of these materials are compatible with the other components, and that electrical and optical interconnects can be fabricated. Polymer glasses are widely used in the fabrication of electronic devices and device interconnects. Polymers are also used as photoresists and as dielectric interlayers for electrical interconnects. As a result, a body of knowledge already exists concerning planarization methods of polymers on substrates, the definition of microscopic features, and the fabrication of microstructures in planar polymer structures. 

We may compare results presented here with those obtained in two types of inductively coupled reactors [, 3]. One is the reactor we have used for many years [4], in which the portion of the reactor inserted into the r.f. coil is smaller than the main portion of the reactor, in which plasma polymer is collected. Monomer flux is directed into the main portion of the reactor, not through the r.f. coil. Electron bombardment of plasma polymer and substrate is reduced in this way [ ]. Active species are formed mainly under the r.f. coll and are transported by diffusion to the entire volume of the reactor. Interaction of these non-polymerizable energy carrying species (e.g. electrons, excited atoms) with the monomer entering the reactor leads to plasma polymerization [ ]. 

Polymer electronics on foils require mechanically flexible gate dielectric layers. Unfortunately, inorganic insulating films suffer from high deposition temperatures and a lack of mechanical elasticity. In a first step the inorganic gate dielectric is substituted by a polymer film, still using a silicon substrate because of their smooth and well-known surface. 

Secondary electrochromic polymer Electronically conductive traneparent film Glass or plastic substrate... 

C. Robert, A. Crespy, S. Bastide, J.-M. Lopez-Cuesta, S. Kerboeuf, C. Artigue, and E. Grard, Adhesive properties of silicone polymers on some typical opto-electronic substrates Influence of the network density, Int. J. Adhes. Adhes., 24, 5568,2004. 

For polymer solar cells, as described above, typically, conjugated low band gap polymer (electron donor) is blended with an electron acceptor to achieve a BHJ layer and fabricated on a transparent conducting oxide (TCO)-coated glass substrate (i.e., tin-doped indium oxide (ITO)). In this system, photons are absorbed by the electron donor, then excitons are generated, diffuse to the interface of the two bulk components, and dissociate. The acceptor receives the electron and transfers to the electrode, while the hole remains within the donor as shown in Fig. 6.4. 

Substrate material compatible with micro electronic fabrication Silicon wafer. Glass, ceramic, glass epoxy laminates (PCB), organic polymers as substrate materials instead of traditional high density non-porous graphite material (Chan et al., 2005 Yen et al., 2003 Lu et al., 2004 Apanel et al., 2004 Wozniak et al., 2004 Choban et al., 2005 Chachuat et al., 2004 Meyers et al., 2002 Kelley et al., 2002 Min et al., 2002 Savinell et al., 2(XX)). 

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