SEMI101 Flexible Power Sources: Challenges, Progress, and Integration

SEMI FlexTech offers a series of Flexible Electronics Master Classes on topics proving most challenging to the use of flexible and printed electronics. The series enables product designers, integrators, and others new to the fields to evaluate technologies and components and make the best choices for their product.

The first course in the series is on Flexible Power Sources: Challenges, Progress and Integration. This course was offered to a live audience on July 29, 2020, and is now available on-demand.

Master Class Abstract: As new materials and process emerge to enable the integration of high performance micro-electronics into paper-thin, flexible hybrid electronics (FHE), there is an increasing demand for new power sources that also support the goals of ultra-thin and flexible.

Among the key challenges is the ability to achieve high energy densities as the battery thickness decreases to a point where the packaging becomes an increasing fraction of the total volume. The challenge is further complicated by the demanding duty cycles for many FHE systems that require both high power (periodic, large current bursts) and high energy  (operation across many years in some cases).

At the same time, the new power sources must meet the typical high standards for safety, durability, compatibility with a wide range of storage and operation temperatures, and the needs to support effective integration into the FHE platforms.

The webinar reviews challenges and progress for new power supplies that are emerging to meet the needs of the FHE community.

Brian Berland
Chief Technology Officer, ITN Energy Systems