Macroelectronics
Encyclopedia
For over half of century, the technology of microelectronics
has been advancing by miniaturization
, leading to significant increases in computing power and continuous decreases in manufacturing cost. In parallel, remarkable progress on enlarging system scale in recent years gives rise to a nascent field known as macroelectronics, in which microelectronic devices are distributed yet integrated over large area substrates with sizes much bigger than semiconductor
wafers.
Currently, the macroelectronics industry is dramatically growing in the similar way as the microelectronics
was in early ’90s. The most visible example of macroelectronics at present is flat-panel displays, which have been rapidly replacing cathode-ray tubes as the monitors of choice for computers and televisions since 2000. The flat-panel displays have enabled applications unimaginable for cathode-ray tubes. For example, the Dolphins Stadium in Miami will soon have the world’s largest high definition video display, about 15 m high and 42 m wide, comprising more than 4.6 million light-emitting diode
s, showing image of more than 1.5 million pixels.
While the commercial success of flat-panel display opens an era of large area electronics, other emerging applications, such as rollable display
, printable thin film solar cell
and electronic skin, demonstrate further desirable attributes for macroelectronic systems, including flexibility, portability and low-cost. To realize these attributes, a growing trend is to fabricate macroelectronic products directly on flexible substrates, such as polymer
s. The flat-panel displays currently available in market are fabricated on glass substrates and are fragile. A case in recent news is the cracking of the screens of the iPod nano
, a music player that Apple Computer
expects to be its best-selling portable device. By contrast, displays made on thin polymer substrates are rugged. Flexible displays of large areas will be lightweight and can be rolled up – they will be portable. For example, in Sept. 2005, Philips
Polymer Vision has revealed the world's first prototype of a rollable electronic reader, which can unfold to a 5-inch display and roll back into a pocket-size (100×60×20 mm) device. Furthermore, such thin-film devices on flexible polymer substrates can lend themselves to low-cost fabrication process (i.e., roll-to-roll printing), resulting in lightweight, rugged and flexible macroelectronic products.
Microelectronics
Microelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture of very small electronic components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre-scale or smaller,. These devices are made from semiconductors...
has been advancing by miniaturization
Miniaturization
Miniaturization is the creation of ever-smaller scales for mechanical, optical, and electronic products and devices...
, leading to significant increases in computing power and continuous decreases in manufacturing cost. In parallel, remarkable progress on enlarging system scale in recent years gives rise to a nascent field known as macroelectronics, in which microelectronic devices are distributed yet integrated over large area substrates with sizes much bigger than semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
wafers.
Currently, the macroelectronics industry is dramatically growing in the similar way as the microelectronics
Microelectronics
Microelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture of very small electronic components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre-scale or smaller,. These devices are made from semiconductors...
was in early ’90s. The most visible example of macroelectronics at present is flat-panel displays, which have been rapidly replacing cathode-ray tubes as the monitors of choice for computers and televisions since 2000. The flat-panel displays have enabled applications unimaginable for cathode-ray tubes. For example, the Dolphins Stadium in Miami will soon have the world’s largest high definition video display, about 15 m high and 42 m wide, comprising more than 4.6 million light-emitting diode
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
s, showing image of more than 1.5 million pixels.
While the commercial success of flat-panel display opens an era of large area electronics, other emerging applications, such as rollable display
Rollable display
A rollable display is a flexible display device which can be rolled up into a scroll.Technologies involved in building a rollable display include electronic ink, Gyricon, and OLED.Electronic paper displays which can be rolled up have been developed by E Ink...
, printable thin film solar cell
Thin film solar cell
A thin-film solar cell , also called a thin-film photovoltaic cell , is a solar cell that is made by depositing one or more thin layers of photovoltaic material on a substrate...
and electronic skin, demonstrate further desirable attributes for macroelectronic systems, including flexibility, portability and low-cost. To realize these attributes, a growing trend is to fabricate macroelectronic products directly on flexible substrates, such as polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
s. The flat-panel displays currently available in market are fabricated on glass substrates and are fragile. A case in recent news is the cracking of the screens of the iPod nano
IPod nano
iPod Nano is a digital media player designed and marketed by Apple Inc.. The first generation of iPod Nano was introduced on September 7, 2005 as a replacement for iPod Mini. It uses flash memory for storage. iPod Nano has gone through six models, or generations, since its introduction...
, a music player that Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
expects to be its best-selling portable device. By contrast, displays made on thin polymer substrates are rugged. Flexible displays of large areas will be lightweight and can be rolled up – they will be portable. For example, in Sept. 2005, Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
Polymer Vision has revealed the world's first prototype of a rollable electronic reader, which can unfold to a 5-inch display and roll back into a pocket-size (100×60×20 mm) device. Furthermore, such thin-film devices on flexible polymer substrates can lend themselves to low-cost fabrication process (i.e., roll-to-roll printing), resulting in lightweight, rugged and flexible macroelectronic products.
Links
- http://www.macroelectronics.org: A web portal that tracks latest technological progresses and ongoing scientific researches on macroelectronics.