Flexible electronics a thin film approach Joe Pimenoff Beneq
Severe semantics Thin films are thin material layers ranging from fractions of a nanometre to several micrometres in thickness. Electronic semiconductor devices and optical coatings are the main applications benefiting from thin film construction. 1 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/ 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 2
Thin Film Equipment Thin Film Coating Services Lumineq Displays 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 3 www.beneq.com
Company in brief Established: 2005 Business units: Markets addressed: - Thin Film Equipment - Thin Film Coating Services - Lumineq Displays All emerging and growing thin film markets, including solar photovoltaics, organic and flexible electronics and flat glass coating Personnel: 140 Main office: Coating center: Sales: Sales network: Vantaa, Finland Espoo, Finland China, Germany, USA and Russia 30+ sales representatives worldwide 20+ distributors worldwide 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 4
For industry and research Equipment for thin film coating TFS 200 ~ 9.5 s 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 5
Source: IDTechEx, Dresden, April, 2008 Thin films, why the big fuss? Market growth of thin film-enabled industries Beneq markets 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 6
Our strategy Identifying your opportunity Finding the solutions Building the equipment Beneq Turning Innovations into Success. 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 7
New equipment project Patent Patent Customer C $$$ New Equipment Project Customer A Customer B Patent Patent Identify! Understand! Commercialize! Customer A 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 8
Atomic layer deposition Properties Sequential deposition Vapor phase ALD sequential (digital) deposition of Al 2 O 3. Benefits (e.g.) Conformal Pinhole-free Nanoscale accuracy 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 9
Enter Functional Materials Goal: commercialize Roll-to-Roll ALD Markets: OLED (display and lighting) and flexible PV Driver 1 (OLED): encapsulation and barrier films needed to enable longer device lifetime Driver 2 (OLED): reduce cost of ultra barrier films Solution 1 (OLED): ALD, some 10 s of nm s of Al 2 O 3 Solution 2 (OLED): Roll-to-Roll ALD, based on spatial ALD concept 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 10
Milestones in scaling Large-area ALD Large area Roll-to-roll Large batch Batch > 0.05 m 2 /min > 0.5 m 2 /min > 10 m 2 /min 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 11
Key system features 1. Vacuum R2R process Web 500 mm wide Web speed 2 m/min 2. Web tensioned on drum 3. Proprietary ALD coating head 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 12
Al 2 O 3 film performance Position (cm) Thickness (nm) Uniformity: +/- 2% 2 52,8 10 54,1 20 53,4 30 52,1 40 54,2 48 54,0 Film thickness uniformity target +/-5% reached WVTR 5 10-4 g/(m 2 day) @ 0.25 m/min (nonoptimized process) 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 13
Commercial outcome September 2012: ALD system sold to leading OLED customer for development of flexible OLED products April 2013: ALD R&D system sold to Fraunhofer COMEDD for OLED thin film encapsulation (del. Q3/2013) February 2013: World s first scale-up Roll-to-Roll ALD system delivered to Advanced Surface Technology Research Laboratory (ASTRaL, Lappeenranta Univ. of Techn.) July 2013: Roll-to-Roll ALD system sold to CPI in UK for demanding moisture barrier applications. (del. Q2/2014) CPI: UK-based technology innovation hub and part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. first goal: flexible barrier encapsulation second goal: flexible plastic electronics Q4/2013: Third Roll-to-Roll unit sold. Currently in build phase. 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 14
Technology outlook Scaling to 1+ meter widths Second generation system currently under construction Collaboration with the Centre for Process Innovation (UK) Facilitates rapid technology engagement with industry Roadmap for R2R ALD Growing beyond 500 mm, line-integration Further web speed improvement 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 15
Thank you! 11.12.2013 Functional Materials. Tekes 16