Ino-Flex: Enabling ultra-large area ultra-parallel roll-to-roll transfer printing of high performance flexible inorganic semiconductor devices

This project seeks to develop a new high volume manufacturing process that will enable high performance semiconductor devices to be integrated into a wide range of flexible products. This approach is based on transfer printing where ultra-thin semiconductor devices are removed from the original wafer and precisely transferred onto large scale flexible substrates. In order to significantly reduce the cost of fabricated products, this novel process allows for integration in to large scale roll-to-roll printing processes. A range of strategies including thermal and kinetic control mechanisms will be implemented within the new print system. This will allow for selective control of adhesion between the devices and the roller, enabling large numbers of semiconductor devices to be picked from their substrates in parallel by a roller and printed onto a continuously moving flexible rolled substrate. This process has the potential to be combined with well-established printing processes to allow high performance inorganic semiconductor devices to be integrated with other materials including organic semiconductors and fabrics.

The use of high performance inorganic semiconductor materials that are usually mechanically inflexible due to their brittle wafer substrates, opens the door to a wide range of new and emerging smart technologies including high performance displays (both large scale and small scale for VR/AR), wearables, smart clothing and bio-technologies such as low cost health monitoring. Following the development of a prototype roll-to-roll transfer printing system, a range of devices will be integrated into flexible, large area substrates including optical and electronic components. These will be used to demonstrate the transformative potential of this manufacturing technique in a variety of new and emerging products.