FE-Tex: Flexible Electronics meets Textiles

• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering ; Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials ; Lightweight Construction, Textile Technology ; Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 498131727

The Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences (HSNR) is one of the most research-intensive universities of applied sciences in Germany with an average of €10 million in third-party funding acquired annually. The interdisciplinarity of HSNR research profile is hereby one of the key success factors. In particular, an intensive collaboration between the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (FB03) and Textile and Clothing Technology (FB07) has led to the development of a promising dynamic research field "Smart Electronic Textiles and Wearables". Thus, the total funding volume of projects in this field with direct joint participation of FB03 and FB07 amounts to almost €2 million since 2018. The developments are supported by the Textile Innovatory and the HIT -institute for surface technology, both interdisciplinary transfer units, established within the framework of the Innovative University funding (Leuchtturm_NR project). However, there is a gap of a technological nature, preventing the consistent growth and further expansion of the developed research direction, which is ought to be closed: Both the processing of the air-sensitive materials from the field of flexible electronics (polymers, organic semiconductors, nanostructures, etc.), as well as the application of the typical thin-film technologies (vapor deposition, sputtering) and the biocompatible encapsulation of electronics is currently not possible at the HSNR due to a lack of suitable equipment. Thus, the technological limitations for the research, realization and development of flexible textile electronic devices (e.g. light emitters, batteries, solar cells, transistors, etc.), sensors and complete wearable systems are high. The project "FE-Tex: Flexible Electronics meets Textiles" will install an inert gas glovebox system with integrated coating facilities for the preparation, fabrication and encapsulation of air-sensitive samples based on flexible and especially textile substrates. The system will consist of two interconnected units for "wet" chemical (spin coater, dip coater, etc.) and "dry" coating from the gas phase (vapor deposition, AC/DC sputtering and parylene chambers). The integration of the parylene encapsulation chamber represents a unique selling point. For the procurement, installation and operation of whole system as well as for the coating process introduction of the single units , a PhD position is requested for a period of 3 years. In addition to service operation and scientific consulting for the cooperation partners, the development and realization of a rewind unit for the coating chambers falls within the scope of the PhD position. For the first time, dry coating of yarns/filaments in an inert gas glovebox system is to be realized. The vision of a light-emitting yarn is behind this technological challenge, being also the subject of a cooperative doctorate with the University of Duisburg-Essen.

• DFG Programme: Major Instrumentation Initiatives
• Major Instrumentation: Inertgas-Gloveboxsystem mit integrierten Beschichtungskammern
• Instrumentation Group: 4670 Handschuhkästen, Schutzgasanlagen
• Applicant Institution: Hochschule Niederrhein
• Leader: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Ekaterina Nannen