Large-area, flexible macroelectronics

Summary form only given. Based on the success of amorphous silicon TFTs in both solar cells and AMLCDs, and with the imminent penetration of OLEDs into display applications, macroelectronics has now become a standalone field of electronics research. The emphasis in this paper is on materials and material related issues in the development of large area and/or flexible electronics. We highlight areas that are important for the successful implementation of electronics the utility of which stems not from small dimensions, but from other physical attributes such as form factor and cost. Materials of interest include both Si based and organic FET technologies. While displays are perhaps the best-known example of applications for such materials, our focus is on other potential applications such as smart cards, RF tags, and sensor array networks. This paper assesses the state of the art with regard to achievement of the goals of flexible electronics for specific systems that offer novel operational capabilities.