LEO – Innovative Metallization and Patterning Process on Flexible Substrates

The integration of electronic systems on large-area film substrates has paved the way for various new application scenarios for semiconductor and electronic products. Well-known examples include photovoltaic modules produced on virtually “endless” film substrates, extremely thin and flexible sensor film strips for condition monitoring in large buildings or vehicles, healthcare monitoring systems applied to the surface of human skin, and very long, adaptable, and lightweight wiring and track structures in the fields of robotics and automation. The growing market for these flexible large area applications leads to significant resource consumption. In this paper, a potentially resource-saving process for such metal patterns on film substrates is described and compared with conventional processes. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the assumptions about the impact of a photoresist-free coating process on the environmental effects can be confirmed. To this end, the environmental impact of the new process will be assessed and compared with two established metallization processes: a subtractive etching process and a semi-additive process. All three processes are production methods for the one-sided manufacture of copper-based conductor track structures without through-hole plating on foil substrates in a roll-to-roll process. The processes differ in their consumption of energy, resources, and chemicals. The resulting effects on the overall environmental impact are described and possible process adjustments are discussed regarding minimizing environmental impact.