Transfer Printing and its Applications in Flexible Electronic Devices.

Huaping Wu,Huanyu Cheng,Weiyang Qin,Honglei Zhou,Qingmin Yu,Xudong Yu

doi:10.3390/nano9020283

Abstract

Flexible electronic systems have received increasing attention in the past few decades because of their wide-ranging applications that include the flexible display, eyelike digital camera, skin electronics, and intelligent surgical gloves, among many other health monitoring devices. As one of the most widely used technologies to integrate rigid functional devices with elastomeric substrates for the manufacturing of flexible electronic devices, transfer printing technology has been extensively studied. Though primarily relying on reversible interfacial adhesion, a variety of advanced transfer printing methods have been proposed and demonstrated. In this review, we first summarize the characteristics of a few representative methods of transfer printing. Next, we will introduce successful demonstrations of each method in flexible electronic devices. Moreover, the potential challenges and future development opportunities for transfer printing will then be briefly discussed.

Highlights

The increasing popularity of intelligent terminals has driven the rapid development of bio-integrated and implantable electronic devices
Transfer printing technology is associated with several salient advantages: (1) The device components fabricated with the conventional wafer-based technologies enable high performance of the electronic systems; (2) the deterministic assembly is efficient, with high precision; (3) the transfer printing process is repeatable even at large-scale integration, such as the roll-to-roll application for both 2D and 3D layouts [49]; (4) certain transfer printing techniques can be operated at room temperature with low cost; and (5) it is applicable to a wide range of structures and materials, ranging from the assembly of micro-/nano-structures in various shapes and sizes to materials that include organic molecular materials [50,51]; inorganic semiconducting materials, such as GaAs/GaN/etc. [52]; functional polymers [53]; metals; piezoelectric materials; and many others
As one of the most widely used methods, transfer printing based on the use of a thin and flexible thermal release tape (TRT) is simple to operate and a fracture mechanics model is used in the analysis [58]

Summary

Introduction

The increasing popularity of intelligent terminals has driven the rapid development of bio-integrated and implantable electronic devices. Transfer printing technology is associated with several salient advantages: (1) The device components fabricated with the conventional wafer-based technologies enable high performance of the electronic systems; (2) the deterministic assembly is efficient, with high precision; (3) the transfer printing process is repeatable even at large-scale integration, such as the roll-to-roll application for both 2D and 3D layouts [49]; (4) certain transfer printing techniques can be operated at room temperature with low cost; and (5) it is applicable to a wide range of structures and materials, ranging from the assembly of micro-/nano-structures in various shapes and sizes to materials that include organic molecular materials [50,51]; inorganic semiconducting materials, such as GaAs/GaN/etc.

Kinetically Controlled Transfer Printing

Thermal Release Transfer Printing

Water-Assisted Transfer Printing

Surface Relief Structure-Assisted Transfer Printing

Transfer Printing Based on Shape Memory Polymer

Laser-Assisted Transfer Printing

Intaglio Transfer Printing Method

Magnetic-Assisted Transfer Printing

Development and Applications of Transfer Printing in Flexible Electronics

Flexible Sensors

Flexible Transistors

Solar Cells