SI2 Technologies, Inc.
Flexible, Printed Electronics for Sensing and
Energy Storage
iMAPS Workshop
May 5, 2015
ISO-9001:2008 Certified Quality Management System
Erik S. Handy, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
Email: [email protected]
SI2 Proprietary
Phone:
978-495-5326
SI2 Technologies, Inc.
267 Boston Road
N. Billerica, MA 01862
www.si2technologies.com
SI2 Technologies, Inc.
• SI2 Technologies, Inc.
– Founded in 2003
– Small business in the metro-Boston area
• Design, development and manufacture of antennas, arrays, sensors and
absorbers for military air, land, sea and space applications
– RF apertures and sensors focused on SWAP-C constrained platforms
– Structural absorbers and honeycomb for aircraft applications
– Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS) focused on flexible and conformal printed
products for radomes and sensor applications
• Contract R&D directly with multiple Government agencies
• Product revenues from multiple prime contractors
• Management and lean technical staff with diverse technical and business
backgrounds; supported by qualified vendors for specialty services and
contract manufacturing
SI2 provides responsive, innovative and affordable solutions
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SI2’s Additive Manufacturing Techniques
Direct Write (aka digital printing, additive
manufacturing) is the ability to “write” or
print electronics directly onto curved and
flexible substrates from a computer file
without tooling, masks, etc.
• Key attributes
– Digital process
– Low temperature, ambient
environment
Micropen Dispensing for
Printing onto Curved
Surfaces
• Enables manufacture of
conformal and large area
flexible electronics
– Printing of electronic materials onto
composites, plastics, thin films and
structural materials
– No etching or vacuum operations
Flexible
Substrate
Direct Write
Inkjet Printer
Drying Oven
• Same process from
prototyping to production
Printed
Substrate
Inkjet Roll-to-Roll System for
Manufacturing on Flexible Substrates
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SI2’s In-House Direct Write Capabilities
Direct Write Inkjet
• Roll to roll systems
– 2 pilot systems, web widths up to 24”
– 1 production system, web widths up to 44”
– Additional production system ordered, install
planned for 3Q14, web widths up to 44”
– R&D system with multiple printers
• Deposition Materials
– Conductive, resistive, dielectric
– Others in development (e.g. UV cure
materials)
• Substrate materials
Direct Write Micropen Dispensing
• Conformal system
– R&D system
– 3-axis, upgradable
– ~1ft3 working envelope, larger volumes
via step and repeat process
• Deposition Materials
– Conductive, resistive, dielectric, solder
– Others in development (e.g. Magnetic
materials)
• Substrate materials
– Composites, plastics, FR4, …
– Plastics, composites, textiles, …
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Flexible and Conformal Devices
• Efficient, lightweight and
small form factor
• Flexible and conformal
systems
– Manufactured using
conventional electronics and
SI2’s Direct Write
manufacturing technologies
Ultra
Lightweight
Conformal
Antenna
Array
Hybrid Wireless System
Conformal Hot Film Anemometer
Mortar Diagnostic
Fuze
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SI2’s Digitally Printed Electronics Roadmap
Objective: Design and
deliver printed electronic
systems
MATURE
Use of hybrid (digital + conventional) manufacturing
techniques can shorten time to maturity
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Printed Coatings and Patterns
•
Ability to mix and grade ink
types
•
Continue development of
additional inks for specific
applications
Carbon - Silver
nanoparticulate Inkjet films
Sample 010510-A, 120 Limit
3000
2500
Average sheet resistance (OPS)
Printed RF structure
on 1 x 2m Kapton
Carbon printed rolls of paraaramid and glass/phenolic
(>10 miles printed to date)
2000
Sample 010510-A, 120 Limit
1500
1000
500
0
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
Conductive ink to resistive ink mix ratio (unitless)
Silver to carbon mix
ratio evaluation
Silver - Carbon 50/50 blend on
Rogers 4350 Dielectric
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2.60
Hybrid Printed Electronics – Head Mounted Sensors
Example: Blast Dosimeter integrated with military Advanced Combat Helmet
– Lightweight, low-profile “hybrid” electronics (printed circuitry + conventional circuitry)
– Dosimeter detects conditions which might lead to traumatic brain injury (TBI) – pressure/accelerometry
– May also be applicable to protective gear for first-responders, athletes, etc.
Supported by DARPA
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Low-Cost, Hybrid Electronics Brain Recording System
Accomplishments:
– Developed dry, printed EEG electrodes
– Demonstrated collection of EEG data
– Demonstrated wireless relay of EEG
data to mobile device
Future Business Models:
– Sale of digital printers for desktop EEG
system production
– Sale of printed EEG kits
– Web-based “foundry” (customizable
EEG kits)
Supported by DARPA
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Commercialization: Web-Based Business Model
2. SI2 downloads data,
generates digital drawing
1. Customer uploads
head geometry data to
SI2’s website with
payment
3. SI2 begins roll-to-roll
manufacturing of electrodes
Flexible
Substrate
Direct Write
Inkjet Printer
Drying Oven
Web
6. Customer uploads
EEG data to cloud
Printed
Substrate
4. SI2 ships completed
EEG system to customer
(24 hrs)
5. Customer collects
EEG data using headset
Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on title page of this document.
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Wearable, Printed Biosensors for Human
Performance Monitoring
Objective:
•
Demonstrate analyte detection in aqueous
media using printed biosensors (OFETs)
Printed Biosensor Architecture
Stress marker in sweat or serum binds to printed OFET
Applications:
 Human performance monitoring
 Chem-bio detection
 Environmental monitoring
Benefits of Proposed Technology:
 Water-stable devices
 Performance targets
Reproducibility: <10% variance through
>10,000 measurement cycles
Low cost: $2-5/sensor
Major Goals/Milestones:
 Identify most promising OFET designs for
low-cost manufacturing
 Demonstrate in-water detection of analyte at
physiological concentrations
 Scalable, roll-to-roll manufacturing
>50,000 sensors/year
Supported by the Air Force
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Flexible Power Needs
• Wearable sensors (EEG, biosensors) require low-cost, flexible
power sources
– Disposable power sources
– Power sources that bend/flex with the wearer’s body
Specific Army Challenges:
• Flexible energy storage to increase the power and reduce the
size/weight of armaments, unmanned systems, and individual weapons
• Increased power and energy densities in devices that operate over
wide temperature range and long storage periods
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SI2’s Solution: Printed Ultracapacitors
A low-cost, scalable approach to flexible ultracapacitor
production
Supported by U.S. Army-ARDEC
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Printed Ultracapacitors – Status
•
Demonstrated flexible, lightweight ultracapacitors that met or exceeded
initial Army specifications
– Flexible devices will conform to curved surfaces of munitions (projectiles) or wearables (helmets)
•
Demonstrated use of printed ultracapacitor components as replacements for
conventional components
– Device printing supports low-cost manufacturing and rapid device modification
•
Demonstrated performance parity with comparable, non-printed
ultracapacitors
Concave Wall
Flexible Ultracapacitor
Supported by U.S. Army-ARDEC
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Summary
• SI2 developing printed components in support of
size/weight/power/cost-constrained applications:
– Personal health monitoring, unmanned systems
– Examples: skin-contacting electrodes, sensors, energy storage devices
• SI2 utilizes multiple digital manufacturing processes:
– Inkjet printing (conductive inks, R2R)
– Micropen dispensing (conductive pastes)
– Others
• SI2 has DoD-funded programs to mature these technologies
• We are constantly looking for partners with complementary skills
SI2 Proprietary
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For More Information
Please contact:
Erik S. Handy, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
SI2 Technologies, Inc.
267 Boston Road
N. Billerica, MA 01862
978-495-5326 (direct)
978-495-5310 (fax)
[email protected]
http://www.si2technologies.com
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