Roll-to-roll processing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:56, 5 March 2017

Revision as of 11:16, 5 March 2017

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== R2R in electronic devices ==

Large [[Integrated circuit|circuit]]s made with [[thin-film transistor]]s and other devices can be easily [[pattern]]ed onto these large substrates, which can be up to a few metres wide and 50 km long.{{cn|date=March 2017}} Some of the devices can be patterned directly, much like an [[inkjet printer]] deposits ink. For most [[semiconductor]]s, however, the devices must be patterned using [[photolithography]] techniques.

Roll-to-roll processing of electronic devices is a technology that is still in development. If [[semiconductor device]]s can be fabricated in this way on large substrates, many devices could be fabricated at a fraction of the cost of traditional semiconductor manufacturing methods. Most notable would be [[solar cell]]s, which are still prohibitively expensive for most markets due to the high cost per unit area of traditional bulk ([[Monocrystalline silicon|mono-]] or [[Polycrystalline silicon|polycrystalline]]) silicon manufacturing. Other applications could arise which take advantage of the flexible nature of the substrates, such as electronics embedded into clothing, large-area flexible displays, and roll-up portable displays.