Project description
Tackling the limitations of flexible electronics
The surge in flexible electronics has been remarkable, yet the conventional integration of silicon chips on flexible substrates presents a challenge. Known as ‘hybrid integration’ or ‘flexible hybrid electronics’, this approach has proven unsustainable. Conventional silicon chips, despite their prowess, are rendered impractical due to high costs, bulkiness, and lack of conformability. In this context, the EU-funded GRASP project aims to introduce the Natively Flexible Integrated Smart System (NFISS). Specifically, it will develop a flexible microcontroller unit (FlexMCU), a low-power chip that integrates diverse functionalities crucial for fast moving consumer goods and healthcare wearables. The key innovation lies in a hybrid complementary low-power thin-film transistor technology, promising a 100x per-transistor power reduction and sustainable fabrication with 100-1000x less environmental impact.
Objective
Flexible Electronics has been one of the fastest developing technologies in recent decades. The traditional path is electronic components such as silicon chips (e.g. microcontrollers) integrated onto flexible substrates called “hybrid integration” or “flexible hybrid electronics” in integrated smart systems. We believe that this approach is not a viable long-term solution for future high-volume, low-cost and conformable integrated smart systems. Our vision is an integrated smart system that is built with only flexible electronic components including analogue circuitry, digital logic and memories. We call such a system a “Natively Flexible Integrated Smart System” or NFISS. NFISSes will enable new products in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods and healthcare wearables that have not been possible before because conventional silicon chips are too costly, too bulky and not conformable.
The project will develop a flexible microcontroller unit (FlexMCU), which is the key component missing to enable NFISSes. The FlexMCU must be a low-power chip integrating a variety of functionality to address the functional requirements of the applications in FMCG and healthcare wearables. A novel hybrid complementary low-power thin-film transistor technology (100x per-transistor power reduction) will be developed to fabricate the FlexMCU in a sustainable flexible chip fab with 100-1000x less environmental footprint. The FlexMCU design is tailored to a specific domain composed of an open-source RISC-V based processor with built-in security features, an analogue frontend, on-chip memory and other peripherals. Then, the FlexMCU will be assembled using novel assembly and bonding methods onto a flexible film, which is, in turn, integrated onto a flexible substrate along with other flexible electronic components to build the first proof-of-concept NFISS that will be validated on two healthcare wearable applications.
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Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
3000 Leuven
Belgium