Plastic can be fab

California startup FlexICs has opened an 18,000-square-foot pilot fabrication facility for producing semiconductors on plastic.

While today's integrated circuits are fabricated on brittle, flat silicon wafers, the FlexIcs Ultra Low Temperature Semiconductor Processing (ULTSP) process allows Thin Film Transistors (TFTs) to be made at less than 100 degrees Celsius on thin plastic that can flex without shattering.

Developed by the FlexICs founders, ULTSP on plastic offers two important advantages over traditional TFT manufacturing on glass.

First, relatively high-performance silicon integrated circuits can be fabricated directly on a thin, lightweight, and flexible plastic. This creates the opportunity for shatterproof flat panel displays for portableelectronics, such as notebook computers and cell phones.

Secondly, significantly lower manufacturing costs are possible. Highly efficient roll-to-roll manufacturing techniques, similar to those deployed by the flex circuit industry, can be used to spool plastic through the production line. Transistor circuit layers can be deposited and patterns etched on the flexible material.

By combining the 'brains' of transistors and the 'brawn' of plastics, FlexICs believes that its technology will improve existing products and create new ones. Mobile phones, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, camcorders, along with notebook and desktop monitors, will benefit from thin, lightweight and shatterproof displays with faster, brighter and sharper images and lower power consumption.

Homes, offices and vehicles will be enhanced with future products that include large panel entertainment screens, light walls, and contoured cockpit panels.