Randomly shaped electronics the focus of EU project

The three-year initiative will see industry and academia work together to develop a process to embed elastic flat circuits into thermo-plastically deformable polymers. A high pressure, low temperature thermoforming technology to deform circuits into their random final functional shape is also planned. "TERASEL will draw upon the synergy and collaboration between partners in the electronics circuit fabrication and assembly industry and polymer processing industry", said Jan Vanfleteren, project manager at imec. "By merging the two industries' competences and expertise, the project will produce an exciting new range of products for a wide set of applications." The project partners also aim to set up a complete multi-competence industrial production chain to achieve mature, near to production industrial processes for manufacturing randomly shaped circuits. The developed technologies will be applied in a number of functional prototype demonstrators, such as tvs with ambient illumination, freeform man/machine interfaces, intelligent car interior components, 2.5d lighting devices and household appliances.