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RTsGE Russian center of flexible electronics

Company

Owners

+ Tekhnospark Troitsk nanotechnology center (Technospark)
+ Fund of infrastructure and educational programs Rusnano (FIOP)

History of the center

2020: Start of production of the Russian flexible electronics in Troitsk

In the history of the relations of Rusnano with the technologies of flexible electronics which began in 2011 in March, 2020 there was an important event – in Troitsk Tekhnosparke earned the Russian Center of Flexible Electronics (RCFE) which is positioned as the contract supplier of thin-film TFT matrixes and flexible integrated microcircuits for the innovation hi-tech products.

The head of Rusnano Anatoly Chubais, the Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin and the director of the Tekhnospark Group Denis Kovalevich opened the Russian center of flexible electronics

Start of new electronic production took place on March 10 in a festive atmosphere: the symbolical red ribbon was cut jointly by the head of RUSNANO Anatoly Chubais and the mayor Moscow Sergey Sobyanin. By their estimates, emergence of RTsGE means what Russia rises by essentially new step in development of domestic microelectronics: domestic contract manufacturing of microelectronic products is created, and it becomes the base for formation of a new segment of the market.

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Today we open up-to-date production here – the Russian center of flexible electronics which products will find application in dozens of different areas: from household appliances to the most difficult medical equipment. The Government of Moscow provided a subsidy for acquisition of the equipment for this production,
noted during the opening ceremony of new production the Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin
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It is important to tell that concerning this segment of electronic industry Russia is at the level of global leaders – history of flexible electronics around the world gains steam. Therefore as initiators of the project emphasize, it is not only about local, but also global market of sales of products of RTsGE. Such tasks were set for the center by the main investor of the project — Fund of infrastructure and educational programs of Group of RUSNANO.

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Flexible electronics is a global trend and dynamically growing market which, according to a research of the international experts, in the next decade will exceed 70 bln. dollars a year. The leading technology powers of the world are engaged in development of flexible electronics today. And thanks to the joint project of Group of RUSNANO and Government of Moscow on creation of RTsGE our country was included into this club today. Our task - to develop country technology and engineering, and on the next step and scientific competences of this area and to be integrated into a global supply chain. We clearly see the born demand for which to us already come, and are sure that we will be able to create a product not only for Russian, but also for the world market,
emphasized, speaking at the opening ceremony of RTsGE the chairman of the board of UK "RUSNANO" Anatoly Chubais
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The main investor of the project - Fund of infrastructure and educational programs of Group of RUSNANO

Tekhnospark is engaged only in material technologies, the CEO of the Tekhnospark Group Denis Kovalevich noted: solar cells, logistic robots, 3D-printing endoprostheses, medical equipment.

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We are engaged in formation of production chains for the market of high technologies, and the Russian center of flexible electronics — the first startup of Tekhnospark which became the plant
emphasized Denis Kovalevich
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TAdviser visited new production and learned technology and business details of the ambitious project.

Flexible electronics – the young hot market

The idea to give flexibility to printed circuit boards arose long ago, the corresponding researches go from 70th years of the last century. But it was for this purpose necessary to leave from classical silicon components. 2000 became a point of a change – then the group of university scientists (The pennsylvanian university, the University of California and the Tsukuby University in Japan) got the Nobel Prize in chemistry for the fact that they for the first time managed to turn plastic into the electric conductor. This opening and results of other researches in the field of electrical properties of organic materials opened a way to the new electronics based on organic materials. The corresponding market of printing, flexible and organic electronics, according to the research IDTechEx "Printed, Organic & Flexible Electronics Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2020-2030", will grow from 41.2 billion dollars in 2020 to 74 billion dollars in 2030.

This boom of flexible electronics which began "zero" at the end is connected with the fact that GE is considered by investors not as the niche direction of developments at all. Moreover, specialists seriously discuss flexible electronics as the competitor and even an alternative to integrated semiconductor (firm) electronics.

Protection of a brand – large market of flexible electronics

Really, production processes of GE are repeated in many respects silicon "relative". The difference is that the thin-film direction of integrated electronics is based on consecutive building of films of different materials on the general basis (substrate) with simultaneous formation from these films of microparts (resistors, condensers, contact pads, etc.) and intra circuit connections. In other words, at the semiconductor IC all elements and interelement connections are executed in volume and on the surface of the semiconductor, and at a film IC - in the form of the thin films applied on a surface of a dielectric substrate.

The biggest advantage of thin-film technology is its flexibility, i.e. a possibility of material selection with optimal parameters and characteristics to receive actually any required configuration and parameters of undriven elements. At the same time admissions with which separate parameters of elements are maintained can be brought to 1 — 2%. This advantage is especially effectively shown when the exact value of face values and stability of parameters of passive components are crucial, for example, at production of linear circuits, resistive and resistive-capacitive circuits, etc.

Thus, thinfilm resistors have low parasitic parameters, the low level of electric noises and good performances at high frequencies. All this allows to use these resistors in computer systems (printers, PC motherboards, servers, scanners), industrial electric equipment (converters, a test and metering equipment), home appliances (audioamplifiers, tuners, LCD displays), automobile electronics (in management systems for the engine, in flexible display panels), etc.

One more major moment profitable distinguishes thin-film technology from semiconductor: low cost at high percent of an exit of suitable chips, smaller costs of time for their production, the wide nomenclature of rated values of resistors and condensers with rigidity of fields of admissions.

Thus, on the basis of GE technologies it is possible to make the broadest spectrum of end devices, and production processes at the same time are much simpler and cheaper, than in case of silicon electronics. So, it is possible to reduce quantity of cycles of a photolithography, to avoid high-temperature processes and special vacuum conditions. Besides, for production of devices of flexible electronics it is possible to use solution and printing methods that considerably reduces the cost of technology processes and increases their performance. All this gives the chance to considerably reduce the cost of end products in comparison with traditional technologies of electronics. According to the experts in the area to thin-film electronics, cost of production of the flexible chip — 1 cent that honor in 20 thousand times cheaper than silicon transistors.

Besides, use of materials of flexible electronics allows not only to reduce the cost of one device, but also to make devices of the big area, having reduced at the same time the cost of unit of area. In particular, it plays a large role in production of displays and touch interfaces. Mechanical properties — flexibility, distensibility — are crucial for use of electronic blocks where use of silicon electronics is impossible, for example, they can be sewed in fabric, to paste in the sheet of paper, to build in practically any objects.

Product perspectives of flexible electronics

All last decade the industry experiments with possible applications of GE. The Belgian company IMEC, the world leader in engineering developments in the field of GE, in 2011 created the first microprocessor from plastic. Electronic gadgets with flexible screens and all "smart bracelets" for determination of arterial blood pressure, pulse and body temperature became frequenters of exhibitions of electronics.

The "rumpled" and flexible electronic products developed at the university of Tokyo
The flexible electronics developed by IMEC
The first flexible smartphones in the market

For example, the bracelet developed by FlexEnable company is equipped with several displays which can, including, show videos or to serve as road navigators, and thickness of a bracelet is less than one and a half centimeters.

Flexible superthin radio tags are intended for marking of any goods and loads, for example, of goods in supermarket. With them that "punch" the check for all products, it is enough to give a ride to a basket of the buyer by the reader, cashiers do not become necessary.

Intellectual packaging is capable to store and collect information, for example, on foodstuff, to monitor conditions of their storage, to determine the level of freshness and to display these data on the surface.

Packaging of products with the temperature sensor and the display
Packaging of the products critical to storage lives

The Google company showed a "smart" contact lens which is supplied with the sensor of glucose and measures sugar level in blood. Plasters which can monitor healing of a wound are made and control microflora on skin.

Thin-film sensor

There is laboratory development of systems on the basis of flexible electronics for tracking of attacks of epilepsy. In case of need they can enter to the patient special drugs. On the basis of flexible electronics neurointerfaces for tracking of activity of a brain, recovery of motive functions using stimulation of a spinal cord, recovery of sight are created.

Very interesting use of flexible sensors - electronic skin (e-skin), i.e. flexible, bent and even the stretched electronic circuits which can be placed directly on skin and to take off data, for example, of pressure and temperatures.

Bezchipovy counter: the logic is implemented on thin-film technology
Smart medical plaster

On the basis of materials of flexible electronics sensors of temperature, composition of gases, humidity, pressure by the size about a match head, photosensors for detection of the image, optical sensors for application in pulsators and also the fingerprint scanners which are built in, for example, plastic cards are created.

Fingerprint scanner

The separate big direction – screens on organic LEDs. For example, the Cambridge Display Technologies (CDT) company developed the LEDs based on polyelectrolytes (PLED, subgroup of organic LEDs of OLED) which can be applied on suitable for molding and even a flexible basis, in particular, sheets PET.

Flexible displays for inside of the car

One more important direction of application of GE – modern arms. For example, in the USA at the initiative of the Ministry of Defence in 2015 special partnership on development of flexible electronic components – thin touch screens sensors which are wrapped around a hand or wings of aircraft is created. In developments of FlexTech Alliance, state consortium with participation of private equity, till 2020 it was supposed to invest 75 million dollars through research laboratory of the U.S. Air Force. 90 million more dollars had to invest 96 private companies, including Apple and Lockheed Martin, 11 laboratories and the universities and also other local and regional government partners.

According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), in 2019 the sales volume of developing (foldable) of flexible displays was 0.36 million screens, and in 2023 will reach 69 million screens from which 77% is necessary on screens for smartphones, 13% - screens for tablets and 10% - screens for notebooks.

The flexible electronic products capable it is easy to be built in different materials, offers fantastic prospects and essentially new markets of "smart" products. However the world is in the beginning of this way, and it is necessary to realize that the majority of the new products shaking imagination at exhibition stands are laboratory prototypes. Mass production of products of GE is created today before our eyes. Including, in Russia – in RTsGE located in the Troitsk nanocenter.

Transformation of tough structure of electronic components in flexible using standard rectangular "functional islands"

Specifics of the new direction – a high share of researches

Production of flexible electronics is a sphere which takes the place on a science joint (physics, chemistry, materials science, etc.), technologies and requirements of the market. In it are equally actively performed, both laboratory developments of prototypes, and transfer of technologies from laboratory in production, and still engineering of end devices, support of industrial production and commercialization of new products.

The leading positions of researches in the world market of flexible electronics are taken by a number of research centers with own experimental technologies. Some of them, in particular, IMEC (Belgium), Holst Centre (Netherlands), FlexEnable (Great Britain), became partners of Troitsk RTsGE.

The FlexEnable company developing technology of organic plastic OTFT transistors has a direct bearing on RUSNANO: the state company invested in its development.

IMEC is the international micro and nanoelectronic research center with branches in the Netherlands, on Taiwan, in China, India, the USA and Japan, is engaged in researches and development of perspective micro and nanoelectronic instruments which will be made in large quantities in the near-term and medium term. IMEC actively works in the field of medicine, bioelectronics, a telecom. "Fad" of IMEC – the technologies for removal and processing of electrocardiograms, electroencephalograms including both creations of different sensors, and chips which interact with the data arriving from such sensors via analog interfaces. It is essential that IMEC brought to the market technologies which give data of "medical quality", i.e. clinically confirmed data to which professional doctors can trust.

Concerning IMEC it is important that it is the largest independent research center in the field of GE. And, its field of activity is described not as a classical combination R&D and as D&A (Development and Applications) that means focus on applied developments and practical applications. In 25 years of work of IMEC in the market around it the structure was created from hundreds of the partner companies and own spinof: from global leaders in production technologies of flexible electronics (Samsung, ASML, etc.) to suppliers of niche solutions, for example, Henkel (new materials and chemistry), Agfa (photographic materials and ID cards), Smartac (RFID tag), etc.

In 2015 the Troitsk company Artek Electronics which was placed in Tekhnosparka became the Russian partner of IMEC. Actually then the research foundation for future RTsGE was laid. The Holst Centre company which enters an ecosystem of IMEC became one more partner of Artek Electronics. She develops own production technologies of complementary thin-film circuits for such devices as drivers of management of locks for flexible screens, ATsP, ALU and RFID tag and also specializes in production of wearable sensors for the systems of remote medical control of patients and applications of individual medical care.

By 2020 in RTsGE the manufacturing techniques of flexible organic TFT matrixes (OTFT) developed by FlexEnable laboratory are postponed and scaled. Organic matrixes of transistors are used by production of LCD displays and screens on "electronic paper" and also biometric sensors. Same year the transfer of technology of release flexible metal-oxide (or IGZO – Indium Galium Zink Oxide) TFT matrixes and integrated microcircuits from IMEC/Holst Centre will be complete. Flexible electronics based on IGZO TFT technology is used where the high speed of work (higher mobility of charge carriers), for example, of a TFT matrix for OLED displays and sensors of ultrahigh permission (up to 1000 dots per inch) and also integrated microcircuits for radio-frequency tags is required.

The mobility of charge carriers in IGZO is 20-50 times higher, than at the amorphous silicon which is traditionally used in matrixes of displays that allows to reduce the transistor sizes, increasing the number of pixels and also to increase high-speed performance of the display. Besides, accomplishment of displays on the basis of IGZO allows to reduce energy consumption. Experts say that integration of transistor matrixes on the basis of IGZO and the displaying layer on the basis of other technology of flexible electronics — organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) — will allow to create flexible displays with the maximum permission and the most natural color rendition.

Use of organic semi-conductor materials in OLED allows to make these elements on flexible, transparent and even the stretched substrates. These advantages open huge opportunities of production of OLED displays with different forms of surfaces, devices which can be turned and develop and also integration of OLED displays into clothes, a window, a show-window, mirrors, skin stickers and many other innovation applications which prototypes exist already now.

Organic and oxidic semiconductors are used not only in displays. On the basis of organic and IGZO transistors radio-frequency tags are developed and made for marking of objects. Such tags allows to read out information on an object remotely using different devices, including smartphones.

Business model

The main business model of RTsGE in Troitsk – contract manufacturing of TFT matrixes (thin-film transistor matrixes) which represent, on a trope of Boris Galkin, the development director of RTsGE, "a brain and heart" of radio-electronic components for different products of flexible electronics. In this sense of RGTsE is not scientific laboratory and not pilot production for scientific research institute.

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RTsGE is the plant with the industrial production technology. The plant which makes components of flexible electronics of industrial quality, but not really in bulk,
explains Boris Galkin, the development director of the Russian center of flexible electronics
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According to Galkin, such production is unique not only for Russia, but also for the whole world. The model of industrial, but not pilot production, is not characteristic of traditional R&D divisions classical a high tech vendors. In the world there are some centers of this kind (in Europe, the USA, South Korea and on Taiwan), but all have a specialization on products of a certain type. For example, FlexEnable is engaged in TFT matrixes for flexible screens. For them target market is, say, the column of the voice assistant which is able also to bring text information to the built-in screen. The British company PragmatIC creates inexpensive chips for electronic tags for problems of goods marking. The company focused on technologies of embedding of electronic tags in any objects, and the most inexpensive method.

Key task of the Russian RTsGE – creation of the plastic platform. Quite so describes an essence of the agreement with the Russian center of Paule Hermans, the director of the department of Large Area Electronics of IMEC company:

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It is possible to tell with confidence that new types of electronics - flexible, organic, printing - are very fertile soil for emergence of innovations in the near future. But to integrate it on different Wednesdays, the technology platform which will provide all parameters and characteristics necessary for support of various functionality is necessary
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The industry of flexible electronics only arises, the classical contract manufacturings capable to produce hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of flexible components, in the world do not exist. In this situation RTsGE fills the empty niche between usual contract manufacturing and experimental production of scientific centers: based on own technology platform of RTsGE will perform small-lot production of products of industrial quality for specific customers, both Russian, and foreign. Thus the task set by the strategic investor of FIOP RUSNANO - integration into global technology chains already at a stage of creation and testing of an end product is carried out.

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In the field of flexible electronics we have a chance not to catch up with the advanced world, and together with its most advanced parts to develop these technologies at the global level,
emphasizes Boris Galkin
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At launch of RTsGE it is focused on release of key components for a broad spectrum of devices, first of all, of TFT matrixes for displays ("electronic paper", LCD screens, OLED displays) and sensors (biometric sensors, X-ray detectors and so forth) and also integrated microcircuits for radio-frequency tags and sensors. Production of flat panel screens (Flat Panel Display or FPD) under the order of the specific client is already started – there is a release of electronic price labels, electronic badges and smart cards.

The scale of the plant is defined by the size of a production substrate – main "cell" of technical process. The production line works on the equipment of Gen 2.5 (the equipment of Samsung) optimal for small and medium circulations with economically justified cost.

Undoubtedly, release of mono-products – ideal option which gives the maximum marginality of production business. So, by Boris Galkin's estimates, the marginality of production of Samsung in the direction of screens reaches 27%. Including, for these reasons of Samsung is not going to sell anybody the technology of flexible screens. However this scheme works only in the conditions of the settled mature market and steady production. Therefore RTsGE begins work in the market with a wide funnel of application.

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Now the industry of flexible electronics is at such stage when narrow specialization is impossible, We created a hybrid technology which works both in organic chemistry, and in metal-oxide technology, and we try to cover those perspective directions which are visible at the moment,
tells Denis Kovalevich, the CEO of Tekhnospark group
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Further – this year – we will begin joint R&D projects with future clients. All should pass through the stage R&D, and our task – to offer the client not a traditional laboratory prototype of end products who, in fact, tells nothing about its market characteristics, and the commercial solution intended for industrial production in RTsGE. We undertake all risks on creation of an industrial product from the R&D level, including questions of payback of production.
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According to in RTsGE, on new Russian production there will be an opportunity to release circulations to tens and even hundreds of thousands of copies for testing of the new markets. Design capacity of the new plant - 4000 sq.m. of TFT matrixes a year that will allow to produce 1.5 - 2 million TFT matrixes for small screens (electronic price labels or smart cards) or 100 thousand TFT matrixes for screens of the tablet size, or 100 thousand TFT matrixes for flexible biometric sensors of the size of a palm, or 100 million plastic chips for RFID tags. The equipment RTsGE is completely compatible to the industrial equipment used in mass production that will provide an effective transfer of technology in large-lot production of Asian factories.

Plant of elements of solar power

The equipment for solar power – one more perspective area for use of technologies of flexible power. In this sphere the high competition is observed, and the flexible solar cells (SC) are considered in product quality which has a big future. Interest to flexible is clear to SE. The panels created on flexible plastic have the small thickness and, respectively, small weight that facilitates their delivery. They can be fixed on the objects having a difficult, rough surface. Use of plastic substrates instead of glass significantly reduces energy costs during creation of solar cells. It explains the steady interest of producers in new methods of creation of the solar panels allowing to increase much performance of production lines at significant cost reduction. The method of a rolled covering (roll coating) of roofs which is in focus of attention of researchers and the engineering companies in recent years is considered one of the most perspective methods.

Rolled covering of a roof solar cells on the basis of flexible electronics

Flexible solar cells are the territory of researches and the knowledge-intensive engineering today. To compete with the photovoltaics of the big areas created on glass plates, the production method of the photovoltaic modules based on "a rolled covering" still should pass the way of development, and to an exit to mass market to solve a number of the practical problems connected with reduction of cost of a substrate, technology simplicity and strong encapsulation of small cost.

The production plant flexible is open for SE for support of this direction of development in the territory of Tekhnospark. In line with the general concept of research activity of RTsGE search of new types of products based on SE lies. In particular, these elements can be fixed not only on large objects of irregular shape, for example, architectural parts of buildings, but, for example, on clothes. At exhibitions of electronics of last years it was already possible to see fancy prototypes, for example, the "solar" bag intended for operational charging "on the fly" of various household gadgets, or wire to SE which can be interwoven into fabric.

By estimates of IDTechEx company, the sales volume of thin film elements of photovoltaics (without thin silicon film elements) which in 2010 was about 3 billion dollars, by 2050 will increase up to 100 billion dollars.

What Russian is in the Russian center of flexible electronics

Thanks to participation in the RTsGE project of world leaders - IMEC and FlexEnable - the Russian entrepreneurs got access to the latest technological solutions and can develop any directions of their application. What with them to do next?

Denis Kovalevich tells that in the Troitsk nanocenter the special scheme of work of the companies startups under the conditional name "pipeline of innovations" was developed and started. It means that in technopark will grow up new players for the commercial market who, however, will not be the classical commercial organizations whose main task - to generate the maximum profit for shareholders. A task of the nanocenter - to find the perspective directions of developments, combining achievements of fundamental, applied science and practical applications and to turn them into startups which are engaged in engineering, industrial design, prototyping and start of production.

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The production technology is developed at us in the center under each type of specific products, and it is completely Russian. Yes, industrial equipment is purchased at Samsung company, even basic components of raw materials should be purchased abroad today. But the main issue in all this: who owns the production technology? Answer: our center. Today in RTsGE about 20 developers work on these tasks,
emphasizes Denis Kovalevich
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Ground laboratory technology on industrial production – extremely difficult task. Only several such players, and we will around the world be taken among them. Each company from this number uses own technical process, and we create the now,
continues the colleague's thought Boris Galkin
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Production technologies

Production of flexible electronics is performed in the conditions of "clean room" where continuous temperature 200C (+/-0.50 C) and high purity of air is maintained: in one CBM of volume – no more than 100 particles of dust. For comparison at normal life in one CBM of air there are 30 thousand particles of dust.

Production of flexible electronics happens in especially net conditions

The technology structure of a TFT matrix forms on glass as puff pie - up to 120 layers which find room in several micron. For comparison thickness of a human hair is about 170 microns. Glue is applied on glass in the beginning (it is necessary that at the end of process at high temperature to separate the sheet with matrixes from glass and to send glass after washing for reuse). Then layers on glass cause structure which as a result creates thin-film transistor matrixes: metal layers, the photoresistor, semiconductors, etc. (photoresist is a polymeric light-sensitive medium which is applied on the processed material in the course of a photolithography with the purpose to receive the arrangement of windows corresponding to a photo mask for access of etching or other substances to a surface of the processed material). Materials are applied on a surface of "pie" with method of slot-hole extrusion that allows to spread material on a surface, first, very thin layer, and, secondly, with very high degree of uniformity.

Process of a fotolitorafiya, Greg Domeshek, the director of a transfer of RTsGE technologies tells, begins with lamination of pure glass. Further the method of a magnetron sputtering puts a metal layer, then - a photosensitive emulsion. After that process of a lithograph begins, actually.

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It is similar to the analog photo. Glass is put on a granite plate, the mask which sets the technology drawing is inserted. Further glass is lit through the preset photo mask. Thus, goes glass with the activated photoresist out of the car of exposure. We do not see the technology drawing yet, but part of him is lit, a part is not,
explains Greg Domeshek
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Houses explains that processes happen in ultra-violet light of a certain wavelength (it is perceived as yellow) that process of fogging of glass happened under full control.

Glass on which the technology drawing of a TFT matrix forms

To see the technology drawing, it needs to be shown. Manifestation happens in a bathtub in which liquid with compounds of ammonia pours out. To work by developer all thickness of the photoresistor a little time - is required minutes.

Installation of a photolithography

After that glass with "pie" is washed out in water and arrives on etching. It is the procedure during which metal structures will remain only where they are necessary, and in other places "pie" will be pickled on all structure. Etching happens in several stages: on everyone glass pours down different mixes of acids which are necessary for etching of different layers.

"Acid shower" for etching of the photoresistor

After from glass under "an acid shower" the photoresistor which protected metal is washed away, on it the method of slot-hole extrusion applies the organic semiconductor. These are the thinnest layers - thickness several nanometers.

Further process repeats: fogging in an ultraviolet light – a lithograph. Very probably on drawing the lithographic drawing of the photoresistor: exposure - manifestation, with only that difference that the technology drawing on nonmetallic layers is created by plasmochemical etching.

In installation of plasmochemical etching plasma from gases, and under a difference of tension which arises in the camera is created, ions of plasma bombard the surface of glass and "eat away" organic compounds which are not protected by the photoresistor. At this stage the three-dimensional structure is layer-by-layer created – it is similar 3D - printings. All process takes place in a deep vacuum.

Production process in RTsGE – semi-automatic: loading of glasses is made manually

Thus, Greg Domeshek tells, the cycle begins: a layer a lithograph – etching, a layer a lithograph – etching which repeats the necessary number of times. According to Boris Galkin, during formation of a matrix about 150 transactions with glass are made. Obtaining the electronic paper requires less transactions, for integrated microcircuits – it is more.

Result - finished goods: a transistor matrix on a flexible substrate which separates from glass at high temperature: thermal glue remains on glass, and the matrix is cut on separate elements in the special machine by an ultraprecise mechanical knife.

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As you see, these are normal payments, only flexible. And the principles of production are very similar. Only silicon production – firm,
comments Domeshek
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The matrix is separated from a glass substrate

Control of finished goods is exercised in a special docking station which using the test program checks operability of all created structure. The cut matrixes are decomposed on boxes and go to assembly.

Long-term plans

Heads of RTsGE emphasize what business center will develop based on three main business strategy:

  • Expansion of contract manufacturing for the benefit of commercial customers. In need of expansion of production transfer of a part of production processes on outsourcing is possible to free the square under the new equipment.
  • Start of production of new products of GE as a result of joint R&D projects with customers of end products.
  • Sale of the worked production technologies.

Tough electronics on a flexible basis

Representatives of RTsGE are sure: we are at a transition stage from silicon electronics to flexible.

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The equipment for silicon production at the advanced levels of units of nanometers costs hundreds of millions dollars. And TFT matrixes can be made for the most modern smartphones at our plant much cheaper,
explains Boris Galkin
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It is essentially other electronics though it is externally similar to silicon "fellow". For example, in silicon electronics for assembly of a RFID tag it is required to implement four different processes: make the chip, the antenna, contact pads, to provide their integration. And in flexible electronics one process which result can be integrated into packaging at once is required if it is about electronic tags.

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Today for production of cheap mass products it is impossible to use silicon productions as it will be too expensive. There is no mass chipping of products because it is too expensive. But there was other electronics, and it will change all situation,
emphasizes Denis Kovalevich
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