Ultra-thin glass has excellent surface properties as well as low substrate roughness. The properties of this new material make it ideal as a substrate for a range of future applications in flexible electronics. It paves the way for the development of thin, lightweight, robust, curved and bendable components. With a similar bending capability to other web materials, ultra-thin glass features dimensional and thermal stability as well as chemical resistance. Ultra-thin glass is thus a perfect substrate for cost-effective roll-to-roll deposition of high-quality functional layers and layered materials.
New era for glass substrates
In the innovation roadmaps of the Organic Electronic Assiciation (OE-A) as well as in the traditional semiconductor industry, ultra-thin glass has already been anchored and identified as a key element for several years.
Flexible and organic electronics in particular will rely on smart solutions with ultra-thin glass substrates in the future. Instead of silicon, organic semiconductors are being used, and instead of cost-intensive processing in a vacuum, printing processes are being further developed. This could result in the high-end products of tomorrow. Scratch-resistant surfaces, conductive layers, reliable barriers for organic components, cost-effective processes and suitable equipment concepts – we are working on these issues together with industry and in public projects.
Fraunhofer FEP – Competence Center for Thin Glass Processing
The development of thin-film coating processes for ultra-thin glass and its integration into organic and hybrid electronics are current research priorities at our institute. From feasibility studies to the development of precisely fitting ultra-thin films, related processes to licensing or knowledge transfer, we are at your disposal with our know-how.
Fraunhofer FEP offers investigations of sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll deposition processes to enable the application of ultra-thin glass in high-tech devices.
On the following pages you will learn more about our current research results and focus areas.
The development of thin film deposition processes for ultra-thin glass and its integration into organic and hybrid electronics are current research topics at our institute.
Fraunhofer FEP offers investigations of sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll deposition processes to enable the application of ultra-thin glass in high-tech devices.
A wide variety of inorganic layers are deposited using sputtering technology. Examples include aluminum, silicon, silver, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide and indium tin oxide. The properties of the layers, for example electrical conductivity or optical properties such as transmittance and reflectance, can be specifically adjusted in the process.
In addition, we are working on the deposition of homogeneous layers based on complex layer stacks, e.g. edge filters, anti-reflective coatings, transparent electrodes for organic light-emitting diodes or perovskite solar cells.
We have extensive know-how to adapt the processes to the desired target properties of the respective application. The focus is on optical and electrical properties as well as the coating voltage. The electrical and optical properties of the surface can already be measured during the coating process. Many methods are available for further analysis. Common methods for thin film characterization are atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Special methods for the mechanical characterization of thin films are also used.
We offer the development of reliable processes for ultra-thin glass deposition, as well as the integration of ultra-thin glass for applications in novel flexible (organic) electronic devices.
Our thin film deposition equipment is summarized in the following overview.
EQUIPMENT |
SUBSTRATE SIZE |
GLASS THICKNESS |
LAYER TYPE |
|
SHEET‑TO‑SHEET (S2S) PROCESSING |
In-line coating equipment ILA 900 | max. 600 × 600 mm² | 50 μm ... 200 μm | Anorganic thin films |
| OLED pilot line | max. 200 × 200 mm² | 50 μm ... 100 μm | Organic thin films | |
ROLL-TO-ROLL (R2R) PROCESSING |
FOSA LabX 300 (in Cooperation with VON ARDENNE GmbH) |
max. 300 mm width | 50 μm ... 100 μm | Anorganic thin films |
| OLED line | max. 300 mm width | 50 μm ... 100 μm | 50 μm ... 100 μm |
In a large number of projects with industrial partners and public funding agencies, we have continuously expanded our know-how and developed solutions for innovative coating technologies and processes. The following is a selection of current and pioneering activities in the field of flexible glass research at Fraunhofer FEP:
Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam
